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May 1999
Volume 63 |
Number 5
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VENTILATIONS
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| Do You Remember
When 'Hero' Meant More Than Just A Sandwich? |
"Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio?" These very famous words
sung by Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel in "The Graduate" suggested
in 1967 that traditional values were eroding. The heroes of World
War II had now "stepped aside" to make way for America's cultural
and moral revolution. The time-honored values of previous generations,
marriage, buying a house, having children, earning a living and
retiring were being challenged by a younger, more educated, yet
still immature hippie generation who questioned "why?" Spurred
on by a controversial "conflict" in Vietnam where military leaders
were attempting to keep the world safe for democracy, college
students refused to accept personal risk for intangeable dogma.
Slowly, respected figures like presidents and generals were viewed
as having flawed human qualities.
Investigational reporting, such as the kind that Woodward and
Bernstein used to bring down Richard Nixon's administration, has
since set the temperament for scrutiny of high-profile figures.
Unfortunately, the insatiable appetite for juicy gossip about
and personal idiosyncrasies of famous people by the American public
has resulted in an exploitation of their personal lives by opportunistic
photographers, reporters, gossip columnists, talk-show hosts and
nightly news journals.
The rise in popularity of sports figures and music stars has
occurred largely because of two factors: promotion of various
products and the need for gossip about their lifestyles. Astronomical
salaries coupled with bizarre personal habits (e.g., Dennis Rodman
or Marilyn Manson) has devalued the larger-than-life status of
these professionals as established by their predecessors (e.g.,
Hank Aaron or Tony Bennett). As time went on, sports heroes devolved
into greedy crybabies, and music stars degenerated into self-consumed
drug addicts.
The average American, in pursuit of the inside story, has probably
learned more than he or she wishes to know about current and past
public figures. As a result, heroes and public role models in
government, the military, sports or entertainment are unlikely
to become a common occurrence unless they lead lives similar to
Mother Teresa (to date, I do not believe that any dirt has been
dug up on her).
So what is society to do now that the Roy Rogers, Joe DiMaggios,
Amelia Earhardts, Martin Luther Kings and Dwight Eisenhowers have
all passed on? There are two avenues that most Americans can continue
to follow. First, role models for the average person regarding
personal life values and morals have always been parents and/or
other close relatives or guardians. I am sure that we all have
images of a favorite person during our childhood that provided
the standards of honest work, loyalty, dedication, high quality,
positive attitude, generosity, kindness and love that we employ
on a daily basis. I would venture to say that all successful people
(engaged in legitimate work) patterned part of their persona on
an adult in their past. Second, in our professional lives as anesthesiologists,
there were obviously a few physicians who exemplified the principles
and practices that we envisioned to be the standards to achieve.
These robust and decisive individuals demonstrated by their actions
the means to calm a chaotic situation and control the tenuous
status of the patient. They manifested patience and offered a
guiding hand during our training years when our skills were not
quite as crisp as they are today.
As we mature in our specialty, our mentors age. We become the
teachers and role models for the next generation of anesthesiologists
who will eventually replace us. Thus, it is important to remember
this cycle throughout our careers. Young physicians ought to respect
the retiring generation, for they were the mentors of their mentors.
For those senior physicians who are still in practice for a "few
more years," it may be appropriate for the younger staff to reflect
on their past contributions toward making their current practice
environment thrive. Perhaps, a few less on-call responsibilities
or a few less stressful cases (i.e., the 600 lb. mask case) might
be considered when making out the daily roster.
For those physicians, like me, who are the current "establishment,"
it is important to buffer the old from the new by putting things
into perspective. One can emphasize to the "young turks" the stabilizing
effect or positive political impact that senior staff have with
hospital administrators, surgeons, local politicians and even
managed care organizations. Moreover, as demands are placed on
anesthesia groups to provide more efficient clinical service,
it is often in the best interest for all group members to do those
things in which each one may excel. Frequently, hospital negotiations,
Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations
preparation, lobbying, fiscal guidance and policy drafting can
be performed more quickly and easily by those who have been around
the system for a while.
On a daily basis, within our practices, departments or communities,
there are individual physicians whose performance standards and
interpersonal attributes are refined sufficiently so as to serve
as role models. While heroes and public figures have often been
role models to previous generations, it is not necessary to look
to today's paparazzi for exemplary philosophies on conducting
our own lives. We have many "local heroes" or role models who
can serve as good examples of patience, congeniality, leadership
and clinical acumen.
Finally, for those senior members of groups who have given decades
of dedicated service, cut them some slack because, after all,
we're not getting any younger!
- M.J.L.
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