Ron Litman’s contributions to mentorship and career development through grit and perseverance.
Adam Adler MD, Ana Corcino MD, and Julia Gálvez Delgado MD
Today is the 2nd anniversary of Dr. Ron Litman’s death. Three of his former colleagues submitted the following to celebrate and remember his career and the influence he had on them and so many of us. Dr. Adam Adler is an attending physician at the Texas Children’s Hospital, Baylor College of Medicine. Dr. Ana Corcino is an attending physician with Anesthesia Specialists of Bethlehem, P.C., St. Luke’s University Hospital, Bethlehem, PA. Dr. Julia Gálvez Delgado is an attending physician at the University of Nebraska Medical Center; Children’s Hospital & Medical Center, Omaha, NE. Julia is a member of the PAAD’s executive council and a frequent contributor to the PAAD.
Adam Adler
On the eve of Rons’ second Yahrzeit (Yiddish for anniversary-and generally refers to those that have passed), we stop to reflect on a unique individual whose passion for connecting with others remains his greatest professional legacy. Back in 2015 (hard to believe 8 years and a global pandemic have passed), we listen to an impactful talk on the impact and power of “NO”. Eight years past and it was the message that Ron had sent to the entire department of Anesthesiology at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) that still reverberates in my memory. Thankfully, as fate brought us together recently in Omaha and we started to reminisce about past times, Ron of course came up (as he often does by those who knew him), and this email he had sent all those years ago. To my excitement, Dr. Gálvez Delgado saved Dr Litman’s message during her time at CHOP. We are honored for the opportunity to collaborate with the PAAD editorial board and share Ron’s message:
Original email text from Ron Litman’s message sent on 3/4/2015 to the Department of Anesthesiology at CHOP:[GU1]
From Ron Litman, in reference to this TEDx lecture:
Thanks for sending, it was great. It made me pause and think about all the “NOs” I’ve had throughout my career that shaped who I became. I agree with the speaker that there’s almost always a comma after the NO, which represents the real opportunity. Here are my NOs:
· Applied to many US Medical Schools: NO. (No comma)
· Applied to Medical School in Mexico: NO, until I gave some guy in Brooklyn $1500 in cash.
· Applied to Osteopathic Medical School: NO, but they offered me a spot the day before classes started, as long as I bring them $1500 that day.
· Applied to Pediatric Residency: NO, but eventually got third rate internship and was able to transfer to good program.
· Applied to Anesthesia Residency: NO, except for Mt. Sinai (Columbia even sent me a letter that started “Dear Mr. Litman” and explained that they only take physicians as anesthesia residents).
· Applied to CHOP fellowship: NO, but Mike Broennle (fellowship director in 1988) overrode their decision and took me anyway because he figured it would stop me from calling him so often.
· Applied to CHOP to be an attending virtually every year from 1991 to 1999: NO, until Bill Greeley took pity on me in 2000 and offered me a job, but…
· Applied to State Osteopathic Medical Board of PA for a license: NO, until I completed 12 months as an intern again because my two residencies and fellowship weren’t good enough (a great attorney got them to reduce it to 4 months).
Email Response from a respected colleague Ana Corcino at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (March 2015)
“Dear Ron… Thank you for being so stubborn in the face of all those NOs. You are one of my favorite colleagues. Not only are you a brilliant clinician and researcher: you never say “NO” to any of us. You are a generous, optimistic and dedicated leader. You are always available for a quick consult, a thoughtful insight, a dependable ear. You have never looked down on my basic clinical work, but have helped me with calls and suggestions on articles to read and techniques to be tried. You were my knight in shining armor when I was bullied by a powerful surgeon. "Let's switch cases" you said, and never made me feel insecure or slighted. You are intrepid, funny, compassionate, kind and an awesome teacher. MR. Litman, you rock. Ana (Corcino)”
…
Ana Corcino (Reflection on Ron Litman’s 2015 message), April 2023
Ron Litman picked one of the worst days of my life to die. I had just suffered a big blow to my career when I heard the news of his passing. Limping on my bad hip (replaced two weeks later), I hid in a call room to cry. Selfishly, irrationally, I was angry at him. For years, Ron was my work counsel, sounding board and irreverent friend. Now he was gone and I felt so alone. Yet, as happens over time, I mourned my losses and moved on. When Julia Gálvez Delgado sent me an email she had saved from 2015 in which I thanked Ron for his fortitude in showing all the naysayers they were wrong… I found another opportunity to thank Ron. I write this on Easter morning, a celebration of resurrection. I am not religious. The nuns in my Catholic school in Puerto Rico called me a rebel because I questioned dogma and didn’t follow rules. And Ron was Jewish. So it makes me laugh when I find myself, a pediatric anesthesiologist with 30 years experience, thinking: “What would Ron do”? » Like a mantra, WWRD has become my go to when faced with a clinical conundrum, a crisis in the operating room or a difficult personal interaction. My patients, colleagues and students indirectly benefit from Ron’s opinions, guidance and memory. This wonderful PAAD as well as his classic textbook on Pediatric Anesthesia are his legacy. Blessed with both a medical and legal mind, Ron channeled the power of NO. His lesson? Never take NO as a reflection of your self worth. While NO is a full sentence, it is not the end of the conversation. Say NO to bullies, say NO to poor medical judgment, say NO to ridiculous rules that hinder clinicians, say NO to lousy leadership. But say YES, with passion, to taking great care of children. No matter where or when, the kids and Ron Litman rock.
Julia Gálvez Delgado (Reflection on Ron Litman’s 2015 message), April 2023
I first met Ron Litman in a 5K mud run in the Belmont Plateau park in Philadelphia right at the beginning of my fellowship in 2010 and had the honor of learning from him during fellowship and subsequently as his colleague for 9 years.
As I reflect on Ron’s life and his contributions, I am drawn to many key moments where our paths intersected in notable ways. He had a way of seeing through to the root of an issue and was never afraid to share his opinion, especially when it was difficult and challenged the status quo.
One of the last times I had an opportunity to interact with Ron in practice was shortly before he received his diagnosis. He had just returned to work from a few weeks off due to an illness that he presumed was related to Covid, but ultimately was not. He was happy to see me as he relieved me from the OR so I could get on a plane for an interview for a leadership position in Omaha. Ron expressed support and happiness for this new opportunity, and also had very positive things to say about the faculty and programs at the University of Nebraska and the Children’s Hospital in Omaha. I never ceased to be amazed at just how many people in the pediatric anesthesiology community worldwide he has interacted with and influenced their careers. Ron’s encouragement opened a path for me to explore new challenges and to consider the possibilities in front of me.
As Ron’s e-mail demonstrates, life is full of challenges and obstacles… full of ‘No’. He taught me not to make it harder by saying ‘no’ to myself.
Adam Adler (Reflection on Ron Litman’s 2015 message), April 2023
I was blessed to know Ron as both a clinician and teacher but more importantly, as a mentor and friend. While this email above resonated with me all these years, it is the unspoken message as both a mentor and a friend that is most unique, a deep personal reflection, seldom shared with others let alone and entire department. As physicians and pediatric anesthesiologists, we are all highly successful and it is rare to see such honest reflections from a mentor, let alone such an esteemed colleague and full professor at University of Pennsylvania.
On all of our phone calls since I left CHOP, Ron was always certain to ask me about family, self and self-care, a testament to his drive to care for others.
A most valuable memory of Ron was one I shared with my co-fellows and his family last year. I share this with everyone as a testament to his legacy.
‘I recall walking the streets of Philadelphia one night before we started fellowship thinking to myself, there isn’t a person in this city that I know. This, being an incredibly challenging time of leaving my close friends and in the wake of getting divorced.
Our beloved Ron invited us over to his home for a welcome drink followed by a walk to the square in front of the art museum to see the fireworks show. I remember leaving that night feeling happy to have a place and grateful to know all of you!!! It was then that my new city didn’t feel so lonely.
His career and anesthesia accomplishments were second to none but it was Ron’s personality that has remained a stand out to me above all. Ron had the amazing ability to make people feel welcome and comfortable. He made it a point to bring up the juniors and especially the students. I have tried to model my early career in this fashion and have found incredible joy in doing so. Certainly, his legacy is that he is missed for his advice, caring and compassion for others and above all, his humility.
In fact, a couple years ago I was working with a random surgeon in the OR here at Texas Children's. He listened to me instructing a trainee on intubation and said. I remember as a medical student, rotating at CHOP and this guy Ron Litman told me something similar, did you know him. That must have been a good 15 years prior and this surgeon recalled his name like it was yesterday.
Sadly the last time I got to see Ron, he was in a golf kart with Todd Kilbaugh at the Phoenix SPA trying to run me over (as a joke of course). But I do love that memory of him’
Ron embodied the mission of wellness in medicine. He kept it light, fun without missing an opportunity to show his caring for our wellbeing. Ron was not afraid to tell his stories, good and bad, and delve into the personal aspects of life, and why we will always remember him as our mentor.
University of Nebraska Medical Center; Children’s Hospital & Medical Center, Omaha, NE.