Ed and Ron were honored to have Dr. David D. Alfery on the show. He is the author of Saving Grace: What Patients Teach Their Doctors about Life, Death, and the Balance in Between. We loved this book, because it will resonate with any professional. Please listen if you are prepared for a very moving and profound discussion.

About Dr. David Alfery

Dr. David Alfery was raised in the North but moved to Louisiana to attend Tulane University where he obtained a BA in English. After graduating from LSU Medical School in New Orleans, he spent a year as a surgical intern at the University of Kentucky in Lexington before doing his residency in anesthesia at the University of California in San Diego. He stayed on there for an additional year of fellowship training in cardiothoracic anesthesia. In 1980 he moved to Nashville, Tennessee where he spent a thirty-six-year career in private practice. Dr. Alfery has served as a Chief of Anesthesia, President of the Tennessee State Society of Anesthesiologists, and was a founding member of Anesthesia Medical Group, one of the largest anesthesia practices in the United States. For twenty years he served as an Oral Examiner for the American Board of Anesthesiology, ending his tenure as a Senior Examiner. He holds an academic appointment at Vanderbilt University Medical Center as Adjunct Associate Professor of Anesthesiology. Dr. Alfery has authored 10 chapters in medical textbooks and 41 peer reviewed articles in anesthesia medical journals. He invented several anesthesia devices for which he has been awarded 17 US and International patents.

Use these show notes to follow along with the audio:

Segment one:

“For 36 years, I had the greatest job in the world.” —Dr. Alfery, author of Saving Grace
Saving Grace, the title of Dr. Alfery’s book, is a play on words with several meanings. One of them is about Grace, a 19 year old patient that Dr. Alfery was able to treat during the course of his career. More info at this link https://www.amazon.com/Saving-Grace-Patients-Doctors-Balance/dp/1666737941
Dr. Alfrey described the medical profession as, “99% boredom and 1% sheer terror”. I’m sure many of you out there can relate.

Segment two:

We are super excited to welcome a new sponsor to the show today. Work. Now Locally. Welcome to the Wonolo team! Check them out there: https://www.wonolo.com/soul/ @Wonolo
“Accept immediately that when a patient appears in acute distress they really are in as much pain as they appear.” —Dr. Alfery, author of Saving Grace
Ed talked about the axiom of the presenting problem today and asked Dr. Alfery to compare that to medicine and how best doctors determine the cause of acute pain.

Segment three:

As an intern, a mistake made by Dr. Alfery revealed a secret of medicine. Mistakes are commonly made. He has a great saying for this. “Forgive but remember.”
Dr. Alfery told a great joke on the show today, “What do you call the person who finishes very last in your medical school class?” Doctor.
There is something significant about getting in touch with our inner core whether you are religious or not. Dr. Alfery stated that he doesn’t think anybody would ever object to “I’ve already prayed for you today.”
“The medical missions [to the Caribbean and Romania] were probably the most rewarding part of my career.” —Dr. Alfery

Segment four:

“I could be teamed with 4 or more total strangers coming to work for the first time in a complex operation and we still functioned well together.” Dr. Alfery talked about this quote from his book today and described HOW this is even possible.
“If you have enough fame and enough money, you can buy the worst [health]care in America.” —Dr. Alfery
A big THANK YOU to Dr. Alfery for joining us today. Folks, if you want an inside look into how Dr. Alfery has come to understand that having someone as a patient is an absolute privilege then you should read his book. More info here: https://www.amazon.com/Saving-Grace-Patients-Doctors-Balance/dp/1666737941

Bonus Content is Available As Well

Did you know that each week after our live show, Ron and Ed take to the microphone for a bonus show? Typically, this bonus show is an extension of the live show topic (sometimes even with the same guest) and a few other pieces of news, current events, or things that have caught our attention.

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