We have some really interesting physicians as members of iMedExchange, and since those of you that aren't members don't get to hear from them, we'll continue to profile some of them in our blog. Today I'd like to introduce you to Thomas Lansen, MD. Dr. Lansen is a neurosurgeon in New York City.
Why did you become a surgeon? I loved (and still love) to study history as an undergraduate, but I didn't want to teach -- so history as a livelihood didn't seem promising. So, looking around, I became interested in chemistry, then in the biochemistry of the brain. I committed to a residency in Psychiatry at the famous Bellevue-New York University program, in order to pursue studies in Biological Psychiatry. However, I had a great rotation as a senior medical student, in Neurosurgery. When I quickly became bored with clinical Psychiatry, I switched to Neurosurgery. I've never regretted the choice.
Is there a certain topic you are passionate about? I'm a one-trick pony. The reform of medical liability tort is vital to the survival of American medicine. Our ability to attract quality students to medicine, the satisfaction of physicians in their work, and the cost of medical care (while actual verdict awards are not that large a percentage of the health care dollar, the endless tests we all order for our legal protection are a huge percentage), all depend on the resolution of this issue.
Is there a current event you are following closely? Clearly, we're all deeply involved in the upcoming election and the financial crisis. Although I'm a lifelong conservative Republican, I am the co-founder of New York Physicians for Obama. I think the time has come for a cooler, more international approach to our role in the world.
What publications do you read regularly? I read the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal. I also take a look at my professional journals, Neurosurgery and the Journal of Neurosurgery.
What do you like about New York? Though I was born in the Chicago area, I've lived in New York for 30 years, off and on. I love the fact that I've had season tickets to the Metropolitan Opera for 30 years, yet I live in a home surrounded by woods, deer, granite outcroppings, and running streams. I can howl at the top of my lungs at a Jets or Yankees game, and quietly contemplate Jackson Pollock at the Metropolitan Museum. I can wander for twenty blocks, sampling everything from falafel to gyros at the Ninth Avenue Food Festival, or enjoy a quiet dinner at La Panatiere in Westchester.
What do you do on your time off? I continue to read and write history, including a history of medicine here in New York. I like to invest, and my wife and I travel a fair amount.
Speaking of travel, do you have a favorite vacation spot? My wife and I spent a bit of time each winter at St. Barts in the FWI, for about 15 years. We loved the French food, beaches, music, people, ambience. About 4 years ago, we bought a small house near the beach in Old Naples, Florida. It's a little like our home in New York -- a charming old beach town, surrounded by a burgeoning metropolitan area where you can visit everything from Home Depot to Publix. We love it.
