My Medical Background

After earning my medical degree and completing my residency in anesthesiology, I joined the staff of a small rural hospital and earned board certification. After a year, I decided to move to a larger city and start a brand new practice in office-based anesthesia, a novel idea in that region at the time.

Doctors are not taught how to market and promote themselves in medical school or residency, so I had to develop these skills very quickly. I wrote my own advertising copy, and I created patient oriented brochures. My practice primarily involved dentists and plastic surgeons, and I eventually had clients in dozens of offices in 3 states.

After 6 years, the medical malpractice insurance landscape dramatically changed. A major underwriter left the market, and despite having never been sued, my premiums drastically increased to the point that my practice was no longer viable, and I very reluctantly closed it. I spent the next 8 ½ years providing locum tenens services. While the actual practice of anesthesia was similar in most facilities, the paperwork, procedures, layouts, and personalities were quite different. I learned to quickly adapt to changing environments and integrate into new teams in order to perform my job efficiently at a high level. I was frequently offered full-time staff positions, but I preferred to remain independent.

After a great deal of thought and soul-searching, I finally decided to leave clinical practice. I had always loved writing, and I decided the time had come to pursue it. I see medical writing as an excellent opportunity to combine professional writing with my years of medical experience.