July 1st

Those that spent the last four years where I did know what today is. We interrupt our regularly scheduled wonkishness for a few thoughts of celebration, and of caution.

Life is short, and Art is long; opportunity fleeting; experience perilous, and decision difficult. The physician must not only himself do what is right, but also to make the patient, the attendants, and externals cooperate.

- Hippocrates, Aphorisms

Generosity he has, such as is possible to those who practice an art, never to those who drive a trade. Discretion, tested by a hundred secrets, tact tried in a thousand embarrassments, and, what more important, Herculean cheerfulness and courage.

- Robert Louis Stevenson, The Physician

Paramedic pathophysiology (unabridged): Blood goes round and round; air goes in and out. Any variation on this is bad.

- Unknown

You can map out a fight plan or a life plan, but when the action starts, it may not go the way you planned, and you're down to your reflexes - that means your training. That's where your roadwork shows. If you cheated on that in the dark of the morning, well, you're going to get found out now, under the bright lights.

— Joe Frazier

A mistake is a mistake even if you get away with it.

-- Ed Viesturs

The best part of your worst day.

-- sign on the wall of a critical care transport team

Let us develop a kind of dangerous unselfishness. One day a man came to Jesus, and he wanted to raise some questions about some vital matters of life. At points he wanted to trick Jesus, and show him that he knew a little more than Jesus knew and throw him off base....
Now that question could have easily ended up in a philosophical and theological debate. But Jesus immediately pulled that question from mid-air, and placed it on a dangerous curve between Jerusalem and Jericho. And he talked about a certain man, who fell among thieves. You remember that a Levite and a priest passed by on the other side. They didn't stop to help him. And finally a man of another race came by. He got down from his beast, administered first aid, decided not to be compassionate by proxy. Jesus ended up saying, this was the good man, this was the great man, because he had the capacity to project the "I" into the "thou," and to be concerned about his brother.

- Martin Luther King, Jr

Must remember: a license never replace eyes, ear, brain.

- The Karate Kid

[On resisting the temptation to become complacent on the mountain] Just because you love the mountains doesn't mean they love you.

- Lou Whittaker

And, finally and forever:

I swear by Apollo the physician, and Asclepius, and Hygieia and Panacea and all the gods and goddesses as my witnesses, that, according to my ability and judgement, I will keep this Oath and this contract:

To hold him who taught me this art equally dear to me as my parents, to be a partner in life with him, and to fulfill his needs when required; to look upon his offspring as equals to my own siblings, and to teach them this art, if they shall wish to learn it, without fee or contract; and that by the set rules, lectures, and every other mode of instruction, I will impart a knowledge of the art to my own sons, and those of my teachers, and to students bound by this contract and having sworn this Oath to the law of medicine, but to no others.

I will use those dietary regimens which will benefit my patients according to my greatest ability and judgement, and I will do no harm or injustice to them.

I will not give a lethal drug to anyone if I am asked, nor will I advise such a plan; and similarly I will not give a woman a pessary to cause an abortion.

In purity and according to divine law will I carry out my life and my art.

I will not use the knife, even upon those suffering from stones, but I will leave this to those who are trained in this craft.

Into whatever homes I go, I will enter them for the benefit of the sick, avoiding any voluntary act of impropriety or corruption, including the seduction of women or men, whether they are free men or slaves.

Whatever I see or hear in the lives of my patients, whether in connection with my professional practice or not, which ought not to be spoken of outside, I will keep secret, as considering all such things to be private.

So long as I maintain this Oath faithfully and without corruption, may it be granted to me to partake of life fully and the practice of my art, gaining the respect of all men for all time. However, should I transgress this Oath and violate it, may the opposite be my fate.

Wish me luck!