CASE

“Whistle-blowers take a lot of heat – particularly when you are a nobody”

As a resident, I worked for a while with a pediatric intensivist who was an incredibly bright doctor. He was Board certified in both pediatric intensive care and anesthesia. His anesthesia privileges gave him wide access to drugs, and it was known that this doctor had a cocaine habit. One day he came to work wired out of his mind. We were doing rounds and all I could think of was how to protect the patients? He was far beyond being able to carry out his responsibilities and in his drug-induced state was exposing patients to terrible risk. At the same time, I thought whistle-blowers take a lot of heat, particularly when you are a nobody.

Later, I learned the chief resident reported this doctor to the chief of the department. He went into rehabilitation and now he practices at another hospital in another state.

CASE

“Missing drugs”

As a resident in anesthesiology, I was assigned for the first few months to an attending who would be my direct supervisor. I learned a lot from her and I still use a method of case write-up that she taught me. Sometimes, however, I thought she behaved oddly; for example, I would find her sitting with her legs crossed in an awkward position and she would jump up quickly when she saw me.