From there he moved on to Columbia College, where, with the help of a scholarship, he obtained his AB degree, Phi Beta Kappa, in 1935.
In 1939, he had an internship at Bellevue Hospital, which included a one-month rotation at that institution's Department of Anesthesiology, headed by Emery Rovenstine.
[1] In 1949, Papper accepted a position at the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University, where he served as professor and director of anesthesiology.
[1] Papper was appointed dean in 1969 of the University of Miami School of Medicine and vice president for Medical Affairs, which he held until 1981.
His work for the program led to the publication of his book Romance, Poetry, and Surgical Sleep: Literature Influences Medicine.