Cardiologist, priest, fly-fisherman — and pioneering Baylor professor

Dr. Michael Attas, BA ’69, is a man who can’t help but make a difference in the lives of those around him — be they students, patients or friends. His passions and talents are as wide-ranging as the individuals he’s served.

As a cardiologist, he’s provided life-saving treatment and care to thousands of Central Texans, including many Baylor professors, administrators and staff members. As a professor, he helped establish Medical Humanities at Baylor, a trailblazing program which is now one of the few majors of its kind in the nation. As a priest, he was ordained in the Episcopal Church and serves as a powerful voice for the role of faith and ethics in medicine. And, last but not least, as a fly fisherman, he literally wrote the book on faith and fly fishing: Fly Fishing-The Sacred Art: Casting a Fly as a Spiritual Practice.

Attas has long been recognized as a vital part of the Baylor and Waco communities, but his influence stretches far beyond Central Texas. Last month, the University of Texas-Medical Branch (UTMB) in Galveston bestowed its highest honor on Attas, naming him an Ashbel Smith Distinguished Alumnus. The press release explaining the award listed his work with Baylor’s Medical Humanities program among his top achievements since leaving UTMB, where he received his M.D. in 1973.

Attas has recently retired from previous roles as chief cardiologist at Hillcrest Baptist Medical Center, director of Medical Humanities at Baylor, and his full-time classload, but he remains a mentor to many students and graduates students in the holistic program. Medical Humanities equips students with both a background in medicine and a foundation in the sciences and humanities, aiming to educate each future doctor as a whole person to better serve patients and the world at large.

Attas was honored at UTMB on May 30; he plans to retire to Colorado soon, where he plans to serve as a part-time fly fishing guide on the Fryingpan River, a fitting step in a remarkable life.

Sic ’em, Dr. Attas!