My application essay for Cal/ACEP Rep for 2009

“Given one well-trained physician of the highest type, he will do better work for a thousand people than ten specialists.”

~ William James Mayo, M.D.

Emergency medicine is the youngest and most diverse medical specialty. We can reassure patients about H1N1 virus and their home BP measurement of 160/90, while detecting a pneumothorax on ultrasound and placing a chest tube on the trauma patient. If we choose to, we can become certified experts in pediatrics, toxicology, sports medicine, high altitude, & deep sea diving.

Because of this broad training, we have the ability to speak the language of every specialty: Monteggia’s fracture, Stanford Type A dissections, retinal detachments, retrograde urethrogram, Brugada syndrome, and ectopic pregnancy are words that even our astrocytes retain. Moreover, the ED is truly the front door to the hospital. Putting these factors together, I believe emergency physicians are uniquely poised to transform from the newbie to the "big dog" at the head of the medical community.

Our field has numerous strengths, yet there are many challenges. For example, we are legally responsible to see every patient regardless of ability to pay. Ironically, there is no funding set aside to pay for these visits. Upon graduation, some residents will work at an hourly wage for a healthcare corporation, while administrators skim heavy “management” fees off the top. Naturally, we need leaders who can represent Emergency Medicine in the political, medical, and business world.

My calling is to be the doctor with a business toolbox to represent physicians in these crucial areas. Today, I ask for your vote to begin my path towards making a difference not only for our patients, but also for you. Thank you. http://dr.samko.googlepages.com/