Anesthesiologists Are The Most Unappreciated Physicians

Ever feel like anesthesiologists are not appreciated by patients or other hospital staff? At this time of year, the lack of recognition is particularly acute. While surgeons and internists receive gifts by the truckload, the anesthesiologist almost always receives nothing. Hell, even the nurses usually get some sort of card acknowledging their care while the patient was in the hospital. We just go on doing our routine and try to suppress our urge to scream at the top of our lungs, "I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore!"

If you think this is an isolated feeling, now there is a book that recognizes this ingratitude. In Time.com, author David Zweig has written, "Invisibles: The Power of Anonymous Work In An Age of Relentless Self-Promotion." People with these kinds of under-appreciated jobs share three character traits: ambivalence toward recognition," "meticulousness," and "savoring of responsibility." He mentions several professions that work in the background but are essential for the ultimate success of the endeavor.

For instance, cinematographers of movies are frequently overshadowed by their more flamboyant directors. Structural engineers are essential in making sure buildings will remain intact under adverse conditions. Yet it is the architect who gains the most publicity for a building design. I'm sure you can name at least one famous architect, from Frank Lloyd Wright to I.M. Pei, but can you name their structural engineers?

Then there is the anesthesiologist. Always in the shadow of the surgeon, the anesthesiologist is never the doctor spotlighted in TV and movies. And if they are, it's usually as some drug addled addict endangering the patient until the surgeon comes to the rescue. As Dr. Alberto Scarmato told the author, "It's funny how on TV the surgeon is the leader of the OR, but in reality, during an emergency they're often the ones freaking out, looking to me for assurance."

So if you're the kind of person who always wants the limelight and accolades for your work, anesthesiology is not for you. We anesthesiologists are satisfied knowing we do our jobs well every day and our patients leave the operating room safely without any drama. Instead of seeking all the attention, we just console ourselves with the fact that we make more money than our general surgeons. 

Why We Love Southern California

This is the reason we love living in SoCal. On this Christmas Day, it was nearly eighty degrees outside, perfect weather for going to the park after the kids had opened up all their presents. Hope everybody else had a great Christmas too.

Merry Christmas Everybody

I thought I'd leave you some videos of my favorite Christmas songs. Hope everybody has a great Christmas and safe New Year!

Christmas, The Most Envious Time Of The Year

Christmas is almost here and Santa has come early for...the surgeons. Yes it's that time of the year when the surgeons flaunt all the gifts they receive from their patients while the anesthesiologists get bupkes. It annoys the heck out of me to see them brag about the presents from patients who are grateful their surgeons "saved" their lives while the party actually responsible for keeping them alive through the procedure gets to share a muffin basket with the rest of the "staff".

The surgeons are clueless about the resentment they cause their anesthesia colleagues. One guy went into great details about the $200 per person sushi dinner he received in Beverly Hills. Another one bragged about the dinner he ate at a private mansion, catered by the staff of one of Wolfgang Puck's restaurants. He said the paintings in the house were "exquisite". You'd think the person who made the procedure tolerable for the patient would get an invitation too. Maybe the anesthesia was too good; they forgot all about the person administering the anesthesia. We got a box of cupcakes instead. Gourmet cupcakes, but cupcakes nevertheless.

They receive boxes after boxes of $300 bottles of alcohol, clothing from Nordstrom's or Neiman Marcus. One person said he received such a huge tower of Harry & David's goodies that he can't finish it all at home. Well, I thought, you could at least bring it to the hospital to share with everybody. After all, there was more than one person in the room when the procedure was underway.

The only time they've shared with anesthesiologists, and the staff, is when they receive cheap See's chocolates or unwanted gifts. The nicest gift I ever got was when the surgeon received, another, Nordstrom's tie and he didn't want it so he gave it to me. Gee thanks a lot. I'll just put this next to the 50 other ties I never wear. When does an anesthesiologist ever wear a tie?

Some people say that the anesthesiologist not being acknowledged is the greatest complement to us. You can bet if there was a problem with anesthesia, you know something like recall, lost airway, or cardiac arrest, they would remember us very well. There would be no sushi dinner on Rodeo Drive for Christmas, more likely a piece of paper with a lawsuit on it. So enjoy that last red velvet cupcake. Sometimes it's better not to be remembered than to be remembered at all.

How Not To Go Christmas Shopping

Through great personal anguish and sheer stupidity, here are some lessons I've learned about how not to go Christmas shopping with the family.

5. Don't go shopping in the early afternoon on the busiest shopping day of the year. By the time you find parking, you and your spouse will be at each other's throats.

4. Don't go shopping if the kids are hungry or it interferes with their nap times. They will be grouchy and uncooperative. Guaranteed to ruin your shopping trip.

3. Don't spend too much time at the first store you enter. There is a tendency to shop enthusiastically at the first store, where everything looks inviting and you have all the energy in the world. But very soon the kids get bored and whiny and you have less stamina to shop other stores.

2. Don't shop when your wife is having PMS. Enough said.

1. This is a cardinal rule for you guys out there. Don't let your wife catch you looking at another woman, no matter how much younger and hotter she is than the wife. Nothing good can come of this, even if it is all "innocent."

There you go. Now go out there and shop til you drop to turn this country's economy around. Your president will love you for it.

Christmas Party

How long does it take to finish off twenty boxes of pizzas and buffalo wings? In the case of our department Christmas party about ten minutes.

Petri Dish Cookie

Thanks to Not So Humble Pie, we have the perfect dessert for the Microbiology department Christmas party.

Burka Barbie

For the little girl who dreams of growing up illiterate and being forced into marriage with a total stranger. At least these burkas are of Italian design.

Alternative Christmas Trees

In the Wall Street Journal today, there is a hilarious article on alternative Christmas trees. Why spend $200 on a standard green dead or faux tree when you can recycle your trash to make your own personal statement? It is "green" in an ecologically correct way. There are pictures of trees made from coat hangars, Mountain Dew cans, and even beer bottles. Read it and you'll never look at a toilet brush the same way again.