County by David Ansell

Author:David Ansell
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-0-8973-3632-1
Publisher: Academy Chicago Publishers
Published: 2011-06-29T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 13

1983: Moving On

I SAT ON THE CHAIR in front of an oversized desk. The large walnut conference table to my left, where morning report was held, looked forlorn without the usual complement of residents and attending physicians sitting around it to discuss cases. The bookshelves were filled with medical textbooks and bound journals, lined up like soldiers, not one out of place. The room was ice cold. The air conditioner in the corner window blasted arctic air across the room.

The desk in front of me was covered with piles of journal articles. Behind the desk sat Dr. O., the Chairman of Medicine. His brow was furrowed. He was reading an article. He did not acknowledge my presence. His modus operandi. I did not take this personally. He was like this to almost everyone. Avuncular and quirky, Dr. Quentin Young, my former chairman, left County Hospital shortly after the County Board took over from the Governing Commission. His replacement, Dr. O., was a brilliant physician, but an unhappy man and glacier cold. “He lacked the milk of human kindness,” one of his colleagues said of him. Dr. O. did not suffer fools. He was a master of psychological intimidation whose icy stares and long silences could cast a pall on even the most fearless of us. I gritted my teeth and braced myself every time we met. Today, I squirmed in my seat and waited to be recognized. I was at a disadvantage. I needed something from him. A job. My residency was about to end and I wanted to stay at County. He looked up from his article, eyebrows raised in query, his hooded eyes, which made him look reptilian, scanned me from head to toe. A prominent temporal vein snaked along his temples.

I had reasons to be concerned about his response to my job inquiry. I had been outspoken and willing to express my disagreements with Dr. O. We clashed on occasion. I did not think he liked me much. But it was hard to tell with him. One recent confrontation stood out. I had organized a meeting between the residents and him. To say it had not gone well would be a serious understatement. Dr. O. had recently appointed one of the attending physicians to be departmental vice chairman. None of us wanted this doctor to be in this position of authority.

I arranged the meeting to give Dr. O. our feedback. Dr. O. did not like to receive feedback. Before the meeting, all the residents expressed trepidation about speaking first. Dr. O. had a sharp tongue and a reputation for ripping young residents to shreds. I made a deal with the residents. “Okay, I’ll start and then you need to jump right in behind me. All right? You’ve got my back?” They all agreed. The meeting was at the end of the day in a small conference room. We sat and waited for the showdown. The dim ceiling light gave the room a yellowish hue. The staccato rhythm of Dr.

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