Throughout his career, Clarence Guenter has played an important role in developing academic medicine, health policy and health care delivery. Professor emeritus at the University of Calgary, he chaired the department of medicine and has led both the Canadian and American thoracic societies. A consultant in health policy for nearly two decades and a retired specialist in pulmonary medicine, he has dedicated the rest of his life to modernizing and improving medical training programs in developing countries. A model of compassion and selflessness, he has inspired many young physicians to devote their time to improving the quality of health care delivery abroad.