San Jose General’s much loved Chief of Cardiovascular Surgery was discovered to be practicing medicine without a license. Dr. Richard Engels, who had served at the hospital for over 10 years, appears to have falsified not only his licensure but also records from his residency program. Still in question is whether Dr. Engels even graduated from Stanford Medical, where he was purported to have attended.
Residents reacted with shock, describing him as quirky and a bit difficult to understand, but extremely loyal and protective of those he taught. “He felt like so much more that our teacher,” said one resident. “He felt almost like a best friend.”