THE EMERGENCY ROOM

I have spent the past several weeks looking through old journals/sketch books from my years in the emergency room...it seems to be one of things you do when the bulk of your time is in yesterdays and not tomorrows...and have decided to act on an idea I've had for a long time, editing and selecting the drawings to create a book I could publish. With the digital technology now available it can be done quite easily. The first version will consist of drawings and sketches with little or no text, but I will have the option to go back and add more narrative if I wish to do so. Here is the brief introductory note I've written for the book which I hope to have printed in the next several days.

When I left my practice in 1981 to pursue a career in art I sought part-time work in our emergency room, perhaps 20-30 hours per week. I was offered a position covering vacation time for the full time staff and would work full time for 3 months, alternating with 3 months off. It sounded doable....so I accepted the offer. Because I was covering vacations, I had no fixed work schedule and my shifts were very haphazard with no chance for me to develop a routine. Added to this were the difficulties of dealing with a fresh and painful divorce as well as a major change in my career.

My 4 years as an emergency room physician were stressful, demanding, and fatiguing, but I would not trade them for anything. Between the support of the staff and my ever present sketch book. I not only survived but perhaps even thrived a bit.

All drawings were done with a Parker 45 fountain pen.


CHARTING

MY FEET

RESIDENT

BOW TIE

THE GURNEY