How to Become One of Your Own Heroes

All of us know that heroes come in all shapes and sizes.What is your definition of a hero? The dictionary definition of a hero is a person of “distinguished courage or ability, admired for brave deeds and noble qualities.” If one of your medical students asked you a question “about the need to evaluate new born babies” would you immediately “jot down five points and rushed off to the Obstetrics department to try them out”?

In Aesop's Fable "The Lion and the Mouse" the hero is the tiny mouse who frees the large lion when he is caught in the ropes by the hunter. The mouse chews through the ropes freeing the lion. The mouse proved all though he was small he could be a friend to the mighty lion.

Virginia Apgar began to learn the violin and cello at 6 years of age and played concerts with her older brother on piano and with her Dad, scientist and inventor, Charles Apgar on piano. In 1933 Virginia Apgar became "one of Columbia University's first female M.D.'s" she specialized in the male-dominated area of medicine surgery. She became tired of the chauvinism she was experiencing during her internship and decided to switch her focus the new field of anesthesiology. In 1949 she became the first full professor of anesthesiology at Columbia.

One day a medical student of Dr. Apgar asked her "about the need to evaluate newborn babies." Dr. Apgar said, "That's easy, you'd do it like this." She grabbed the nearest piece of paper, jotted down the 5 points of her Apgar Score and then rushed off to O.B Obstetrics & Gynecology to try it out."

What are Dr. Virginia Apgar's 5 point Score for new born babies?

1) Appearance, skin color

2) Pulse, heart rate

3) Grimace, reflex irritability

4) Activity, muscle tone

5) Respiration, breathing

Dr. Apgar's name is the Pneumonic. As a physician she assisted in over 17,000 births. She was a lifelong musician always carrying her viola or cello with her to play chamber music with other amateur musicians in the Cities she was lecturing in. She also crafted musical instruments a violin, viola and cello.

Dr. Virginia Apgar knew from her research that birth is most dangerous time of life. Her Apgar Score quickly assessed the overall health of new borne babies saving the lives of millions of new born babies each year. When Dr. Apgar was alerted to a problem she immediately thought of how to solve it.

What are the 3 secrets to becoming your own hero?

1) Be a good listener and be observant. Be both interested and curious about solving a problem.

2) Always have a paper and pencil ready, where ever you are, in case you think of a solution to your problem. Think of yourself as a detective like Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson and look for your solution at work or at home.

3) Have a burning desire to help others and you will be giving yourself the best gift of all, caring about others.

by Dr. Madeline Frank

Madeline Frank, Ph.D. business owner, teacher, researcher, speaker and concert artist.She writes a monthly newsletter "Madeline's Monthly Article & Musical Tips" and a monthly radio show "Madeline's One Minute Musical Radio Show".
If you need a speaker contact Madeline at mfrankviola@gmail.com