Why is it important for you to connect with current students?
Somebody has to take care of me. Whatever your career is, you must replace yourself with at least two people who are of your caliber or better. You have to look at who's going to take over your position. As I get older, I have to realize that I am not going to be here forever, but I want people in my business in my hobby. This is not a job. My father taught me that. People hate their jobs, but love their hobbies. My hobby is medicine or pre-hospital medicine. It’s a matter of having an open attitude and realizing that this is the best hobby in the world. Do your hobby and have a great time. I want folks, whatever level they're at, to replace themselves and bring people in.
What do you hope UNE COM students learn from their work with you?
If nothing else, just to look at what we get to do on a daily basis. Tongue in cheek, I'll say that we do things to humans that are quite painful, and when we're done doing it, they look at us and say thank you. If students decide to go into Emergency Medicine, they have to realize that they are going to see people who come to us for many different reasons. We have no choice, and we can't say no. I see everybody. If they're coming to us, they're coming for a reason. If they're sick, you want to do everything for them, just like you would your family. Patients are family, a dysfunctional family sometimes, but still a family. We focus on the most important thing, the physician patient relationship. I stress physician because too many folks call themselves a doctor which is confusing to patients. We are their physicians. <>
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