Crispy Doc

Despite having left clinical medicine a couple of years ago, I remain an ER doc at heart. What this means is that I seldom get sentimental on specific holidays. I’ve had to work a lot of them over the years, which generally shields me from nostalgia over missed greeting card brunches and the like. Why did this particular Father’s Day …

I rise earlier than everyone in the family, and I cherish that quiet time for a bike ride through coastal fog, a cup of coffee in solitude and time to immerse myself in the latest New Yorker (on days when I am off). It may epitomize a formerly dormant antisocial quality. I’ve always valued my quiet time, my ideal day …

Yesterday a friend and I took a trip to an unlikely natural landscape that was hiding just miles from suits and skyscrapers: We went brown water rafting in the LA river. Yes, LA has a river. No, the water isn’t really brown, although it is plenty sketchy. A couple of decades as an emergency physician have disrupted my circadian rhythms …

My string of days off began with a bike ride, weightlifting, reading the New Yorker lazily on the sofa. A friend I hadn’t seen in years came over for coffee. We had reconnected after they received a life-altering diagnosis (something that is becoming more frequent among my peer group). Interestingly, health was a minor part of the overall conversation. It …

Last week I listened to the latest podcast from the Mad Fientist, which was an interview of the author of the book, Die With Zero. The interview subject had the swagger of a Silicon Valley tech bro – typically an immediate turnoff in these sorts of interviews – but there was enough substance in the message that I tried not …

I awoke with no alarm shortly after 5am today. A few stray beams of light crept into our bedroom at the edge of curtains and blinds, set to birdsong that was cheerful chaos. A chimney cap came off in a storm, so the Mockingbird that considers our house its territory likes to sing atop the chimney for maximum amplification within …

In half an hour, I’m having coffee with a friend who is closing in on his 80th year. He’s a physician I respected back in the days when I was the voice in the middle of the night requesting his help in caring for a patient – always kind and good-humored, never shot the messenger. I’ve gotten to know him …

A morning worth remembering. Yesterday a large swell hit the coast. I woke up early (without an alarm!) and was one of the first handful of guys to paddle out at my local spot. It was a tough paddle, chest to head high, and unfortunately my leash broke before I made it into the lineup. I had only the one …

A little over two years ago I left clinical medicine completely for an administrative position involving population health. The position has been a wonderful Act Two that allows me to use my brain in new ways, problem solve creatively with a team I really appreciate, and is orders of magnitude less stressful than the emergency department. At the start of …

I Heard It Before I Saw It It was a slightly overcast end to the day, an early evening on the coast. I was taking out the trash – the last thing I expected was a moment of wonder. Then I heard the call for the first time in a year – it could only be a hooded oriole. An …