Proust questionnaire: Shannon Lee Dutchyn, MD

Issue: BCMJ, vol. 54, No. 9, November 2012, Page 482 Proust for Physicians
By: Shannon Lee Dutchyn, MD,

proust portrait of Dr. Dutchyn

What profession might you have pursued, if not for medicine?
Theatre and music.

Which talent would you most like to have?
I’d love to be able to draw. I can write a song, but I can’t even draw a stick man!

What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Helping my daughter to overcome a potentially debilitating condition. 

Who are your heroes?
Ordinary people with meagre resourc­es who make a difference in the world.

What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Someone to love, something to do, and something to hope for.

What is your greatest fear?
That I’ll wake up one day and Dave Richardson will be prime minister of Canada!

What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
Procrastination.

What characteristic do your favorite patients share?
Intelligence and the ability to help themselves with guidance.

Which living physician do you most admire?
Dr Brendan Martin.

What is your favorite activity?
Singing and playing piano. Which just nudges out completing the New York Times crossword.

Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
Incidentally. My daughters detest that word!

What technological medical ad­vance do you most anticipate?
A tricorder like they have in Star Trek. Wouldn’t it be great to just scan your patient and know what was wrong with him?

What is your most marked characteristic?
I guess I speak my mind.

What do you most value in your colleagues?
Competence and a sense of humor.

What is your greatest regret?
Not taking a professional role at Winnipeg’s Stage West Dinner Theatre opposite David Cassidy (from The Partridge Family). 

How would you like to die?
Instantly, without pain or suffering.

What is your motto?
Hard work is for people who are short on talent.

Shannon Lee Dutchyn, MD,. Proust questionnaire: Shannon Lee Dutchyn, MD. BCMJ, Vol. 54, No. 9, November, 2012, Page(s) 482 - Proust for Physicians.


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Halpern SD, Ubel PA, Caplan AL, Marion DW, Palmer AM, Schiding JK, et al. Solid-organ transplantation in HIV-infected patients. N Engl J Med. 2002;347:284-7.

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