Alex is a true scholar and gentleman when it comes to his training in emergency medicine. At a time when opportunities to learn skills in regional anesthesia can be difficult to come by, Alex has left no stone unturned to improve and help deliver better patient care in the ED. Maybe what’s most impressive has been his willingness to share knowledge along the way. He regularly stays after shifts to help other learners develop their skills as well. His unselfishness and desire to see others improve as physicians are just a couple reasons we’re proud to work alongside him and why he’s a RIP CITY Resident.

You’ve taught people how to fly-fish before and you seem to enjoy helping people learn new procedures in the ED; is there any overlap between the two?

The guy who taught me to teach people to fly fish was all about minimalism. Speaking plainly. Giving only essential instruction. Not overwhelming your learner with expert level insights while they are still a novice. He was clear that keeping it simple is not the same as dumbing it down. It is a distillation of meaning, not a dilution. I have taught around 15 people to fly fish small trout streams over the years and in general it is great fun to watch people gain competence and build confidence. Teaching procedures is super similar, as you point out.

Flannel or Hawaiian shirt?

Kinda boring, but flannel. As anyone in my class will tell you, there are about five non-scrub garments I wear with any frequency.

What was the last movie you watched?

No Country for Old Men - finally got around to it. Wow.

Would you rather fight 1 horse-sized chicken or 10 chicken-sized horses?

10 chicken sized horses. They sound nicely punt-able. Horse sized chicken sounds somewhat more dangerous.

What’s one thing you have for every shift in the ED?

The critical care fanny pack of course.