12 years after his death, a mentor's lessons still live on.

Dr Anita Chakravarti is a colleague and friend of mine who provides leadership and energy to the Saskatchewan Living Well Physician Wellness Initiative.  This worthy endeavour is a partnership between the Saskatchewan Medical Association, the University of Saskatchewan College of Medicine  , and the Student Medical Society of Saskatchewan  . Anita is cataloguing work in this area; she recently asked me to write a few words about the Barrie Reynolds Memorial Lecture which is held in memory of one of my mentors, Dr Barrie Reynolds.  Barrie was my program director for most of the five years of my Anesthesiology residency.  Sadly, he killed himself in January 2000, shocking his family, colleagues and friends. Here’s what I had to say:

Dr Barrie Reynolds worked for over 25 years in the operating rooms, intensive care unit and delivery suites at Royal University Hospital.  He was an expert clinician and teacher.  He also had an unbelievably large and giving heart, always finding time for anyone in need.  Residents in particular would flock to Barrie if they needed advice, someone to listen to their story, or someone to go on the offense on their behalf.  Barrie also had a knack for seeking out those in need.  

Barrie made himself so available to all of us we thought we knew him as well as we let him know us.  Ultimately we all learned too late we didn't know Barrie as well as we thought. In spite of all his accomplishments and the love and respect of his family, friends and colleagues, Barrie had a silent struggle with depression. He committed suicide on January 4, 2000.

The Barrie Reynolds Memorial Lecture was created through the combined generosity of Barrie’s family and his colleagues at Royal University Hospital.  The lecture is held annually in January.  A guest speaker is invited to Saskatoon to talk about the art of medicine.  Past topics have included physician wellbeing, bioethics, professionalism, and diagnostic failure.  

Barrie died over 12 years ago but he left an indelible mark on hundreds of healthcare professionals who are working in Saskatoon and beyond.  He taught us to practice medicine to a high standard, to give back to our profession, family, and community, and that we are all vulnerable to mental illness.   

Flying the (Safe and) Friendly Skies

Last month I flew down to Regina on our local charter airline.  We buckled up, listened to the safety instructions, taxied to the runway....then taxied back towards the hangar.  Over the intercom the pilot explained he was unable to complete all parts of the preflight checklist so he needed to have his mechanics review the situation.   We all agreed this was a very good idea and got off the plane.  We were assured by the ground crew  that we would be either be back on the plane within short order or we would be moved to the next hour’s flight. 

Five minutes later we were back on our plane.  We again fastened our seatbelts and prepared for takeoff.  But what surprised and delighted me was the pilot’s next step.  He got out of the cockpit, faced us, and explained in plain language that he, his co-pilot, and mechanic had identified the problem (a switch needed resetting), executed the solution, and successfully completed the preflight checklist.  “Full disclosure!” popped out of my mouth before I could catch myself.  My traveling companions, both who also work within the health system, laughed at me.  

Why did this experience strike me as being extraordinary? I’ve experienced multiple similar delays with other airlines.  But I have never been so well informed about the presence of a problem, the proposed solution (including a Plan A and Plan B), and the complete resolution of the problem as I did this time.  I felt completely comfortable that all steps had been taken to ensure my safety.  I thought about how confident I was that all the right things were being done by this pilot, the mechanics, and the airline. 

Can we be confident our patients can say the same when they experience any delay, a complication, or a change in plans?   Sadly, I know the answer to that question is no.  We must keep working on creating an open, transparent space where our patients can feel the same way I did while flying with my team.