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President's Message Being a Physician First!
Great opportunities to help others seldom come, but small ones surround
us every day. The President's Message has no set purpose other than to provide an avenue of communication between the SCA president and its members. Usually, the many activities of the SCA are detailed, such as our excellent meeting programs, our attempts to have Cardiac Anesthesia Fellowships accredited, our involvement in developing TEE Training Program Requirements, our foray in the new exciting areas of electronic education, and the myriad of other important activities that makes the SCA the most outstanding international anesthesia society in the world. This time, because of an experience I had while driving home last month, I have chosen to discuss a topic that is core to our role as physicians. The significance of this message is compounded for United States members in light of the recent political battles with the Health Care Financing Administration over supervision requirements. We are constantly being challenged to explain to politicians and the public the differences between physician anesthesiologists and nurse anesthetists. To become a physician remains a great achievement and each of us should be very proud to bear the honor. After years of difficult training through undergraduate school, medical school, internship, residency(s), and fellowship(s), we have earned the title of specialist in the field of cardiovascular and thoracic anesthesia. We are involved in the care of some of the very sickest patients during the most stressful periods of their lives, and we provide that care with an incredible level of safety due to our acquired medical skills and special medical training. Each day we are called upon to do battle with the ravages of cardiovascular disease and to use our abilities in an arena far from the public's eye. After a day of battle with disease, with administrators, with payors, and with our surgical and cardiology colleagues, we are worn out and trudge home to recuperate so that we can face the next day's challenges. Days turn into weeks, then months and then years. Therefore, over time it is understandable that we begin to lose sight of the forest for the trees - the forest being our place in our hospitals and our communities as physicians first, and the trees being the constant nagging problems we encounter in our daily medical practices. As physicians, we have a most sacred trust - that of caring for our fellow human beings. This simple truth was brought back to me last month while assisting a patient on the side of the road. While driving home after a typical day dealing with a variety of difficult patient and administrative problems, I saw a police car with lights flashing ahead. As I got closer, I noticed a rusted, late model car in front of the police with all the doors open and a number of people milling around chaotically. It was obvious to me that this was not a typical traffic violation stop. As I drove by, I shouted to the officer that I was a physician, and asked if I could be of any help. It was almost comical to see the wave of relief wash over the policeman's face, as he stated that yes he could use my help. In the back seat of the old car a mentally disabled youngster was having trouble breathing. He had been eating a sandwich when he had a seizure, aspirated some of the food, and stopped breathing. The compromised airway is, of course, a bread and butter problem we encounter every day, but you can imagine how frightening this is to parents, police and the general public. I quickly established that the child was moving air and the food was gone from the airway. Though some cyanosis remained, the child was regaining awareness rapidly. By the time the rescue squad arrived the child had returned to his pre-seizure level of mentation. I was thanked for my minimal help and went on my way. While finishing the rest of my drive home, I couldn't help but reflect on what had just occurred. I had not done anything that I don't do every day at the hospital, and what I had done was far less invasive or life saving, than my daily fare in the operating room. However, I had derived a great deal of personal satisfaction in being able to provide my professional expertise and simple reassurance to the distraught parents and police officers. This experience brought to mind the tremendous ignorance the public has concerning what we do every day in saving patients lives and the importance of the anesthesiologist in getting our sickest patients through incredibly invasive procedures. By stopping and indicating a willingness to help as a physician and as an anesthesiologist, I was doing my small part in helping to spread the word. My knowledge and concern was welcomed by both the emergency professionals and parents. These few moments in my day reminded me of just why I had chosen to be a physician some thirty years ago. Each of us is a gifted and capable physician. When serving our patients and the diverse demands of our practice, we must not lose sight of the fact that as a physician we serve an honored, respected and perhaps even sacred profession. The daily hassles need to be placed in the perspective that our primary purpose is to serve our patients and that we are physicians first. With our role as physician first firmly held in mind, continuation of our noble heritage serving both our hospital and our community will be assured. Roger A. Moore, MD |
