“We can go anywhere you want and you can take any job offer you think best, as long as it’s within Red Sox Nation,” declared my New England sports-obsessed wife, Betty. I was considering what practice to join as I neared completion of my specialty training.  We landed in Connecticut—close enough to easily visit Betty’s family in Rhode Island and my parents in New Jersey and squarely within Red Sox Nation.

Betty and I met at a wedding. Betty’s cousin married my cousin and we were intentionally seated at the same table. What a coincidence that we were both living in Boston at the time!

I was in the middle of a surgical internship when we met.   We had two dates when I came out of the hospital one evening after working over 50 hours straight and my car wouldn’t start.  Beside myself, sleep deprived, and unwilling to wait for AAA, the only thing I could think of was to call Betty, who lived relatively nearby.  Without hesitation, she picked me up, drove me across Boston to my apartment, put me to bed, and came back at 5:00 the next morning to take me back to the hospital. 

Betty’s act of selfless kindness sealed the deal for me and we continued to date. Our ultimate engagement was nudged along by Howard and Sherry Schultz, of Starbucks fame.  This was 1985, before Howard had built Starbucks into the corporate giant it is today.  We met the Schultz’s while on vacation in Cozumel, Mexico. We enjoyed each other’s company and spent our vacation together relaxing on the beach, wondering how all the beach chairs could possibly be taken by 7:00 am, playing Trivial Pursuit, and going out for dinners.  Towards the end of the week, in her typically direct fashion, Sherry asked, “So when are you guys going to get married? Just do it”. 

I was fortunate to have been accepted to the University of Michigan’s six-year Inteflex medical program.  I was still 23 when I received my MD degree, owing to my late-year October birthday.  I was so young!  Some might think it very intense, yet I actually had it pretty easy and had very little pressure.  Michigan’s program was unique, compared to other six-year medical programs.  Inteflex spread its basic medical science classes out over two and a half years, as opposed to the traditional two years, so that I was taking an undergraduate elective at the same time as taking standard medical school classes.

I’m very grateful for my Michigan experience, though in hindsight there was no rush.   I wish I had developed other interests and taken time to expand my horizons. Many classmates took a year off to do other things. At the time I couldn’t think of anything else to pursue for a year.  In retrospect, I wish that I had come up with something. 

I completed my anesthesiology residency and fellowship training in cardio-thoracic anesthesia at Yale. I joined an excellent private practice at an academic medical center with a strong cardiac surgery program.  I had the privilege of serving for many years as the President of our private practice, Vice-Chairman of our academic department, and holding numerous hospital medical staff leadership positions, including a term as the hospital’s Medical Staff President.

After a few twists and turns, I found myself as a regional clinical and operational leader for a national anesthesia company. The private-equity backed company underwent consolidation and restructuring in 2023 and my role was eliminated. I wasn’t ready to retire, but neither desired another all-consuming job, nor wanted to practice clinically anymore. 

I was having breakfast with my former practice’s management consultant. We had stayed in touch over the years and she had since folded her boutique firm into a larger consulting business.  After learning of her current work and about the larger consulting firm I asked, “Have you ever thought about having a physician as part of the team?”  She looked firmly back at me across the table and said, “Alan, why do you think we’re having breakfast together?”.

I joined the team and I’ve pivoted to the consulting world.  I like to say that I lend a clinical eye and physician’s perspective to client work with medical practices, hospitals, state Medicaid programs and other healthcare organizations. I enjoy it immensely. It keeps me focused, and I’ve acquired a new skillset and an additional fund of knowledge.

The protagonist in Once a Runner, a cult classic running-themed novel, is described as having “…. logged more miles than he cared to calculate, and now he was reduced to this….Miles of trials and trials of miles.” I’ve logged many, many miles, though my runs are now only occasional. 

I began running at Michigan. I connected somehow (neither of us can remember exactly how we met) with a South African MBA student, Neville, who encouraged me to run.  We ran together every day for over two years.  Though we live in other parts of the US ever since our Michigan days, we remain close and stay in touch.

I’ve run countless road races and multiple marathons, and I’ve competed in sprint and olympic distance triathlons. I’d be embarrassed to tell you how many race T shirts I have, none of which I can bear to part with, no matter how old or ratty.   Every T-shirt tells a story.

I’ve run with the same local group of friends for over thirty years.  What began as a group of several men who casually met for weekend runs, evolved into a group of close friends.  The “running guys” are my confidants, advisors, “brain trust”, and source of endless kidding and laughter.  These days there’s more fast walking than running and we have longer breakfasts than in earlier years when we’d grab a quick post run coffee and hurry back to our young families.

Betty and I are blessed with two wonderful children, one in Brooklyn and one in Cambridge, MA.  Both went to the same college. Betty and I really enjoyed going to the parents’ weekend programs during our kids’ college years.  When our son was a senior and our daughter a freshman, I was speaking with the college President.  He asked me what year student we had and I replied that we had two at the school.  He asked, “How do you like that two-child discount?” I looked back at him, quizzical, as I had recently inquired about any available multi-student tuition break.  He smiled, gently poked me in the chest, and followed with: “Gotcha for a second, didn’t I?”. I thought him a great guy and an excellent President, though I wasn’t amused in the moment.

We’ve acquired another family. Our daughter met her husband on an overnight bus while traveling in Vietnam. He was from Vienna and traveling the country along with his best friend.  The bottom line is he moved to the US, he and our daughter were married and the couple now live together in Brooklyn. It’s a funny story, and one I’m happy to share with anyone who contacts me after this spotlight. Our son refers to his sister as having a starring role in her own rom-com.  We adore our son-in-law, as well as his family in Vienna.  We just visited, stopping in Vienna to see them on our way back from a fabulous trip to Croatia.

Betty, family, and I have traveled extensively.  Standout trips have been hiking the Inca trail in Peru to Machu Picchu, kayaking among humpback whales in Alaska, a Galapagos Islands cruise, several trips to Spain, Morocco, and hiking to the bottom of the Grand Canyon.

Life can be messy. Ten years ago, my brother told me he had end stage kidney disease and urgently needed a kidney transplant.  Within six weeks he had one of my well functioning kidneys.  Unfortunately, he passed away six years ago. After my father passed in 2022, I moved my mother near to Betty and me. Friends ask if we plan on staying in town or moving. With responsibility for my mother, we’ve no plans to move anytime soon.

I wish I was less narrowly focused in high school, more outgoing, and had gotten to know my classmates better.  It’s been fascinating to read the Classmate Spotlights and I applaud everyone for their interesting lives and for their accomplishments. Feel free to reach out to me. Michael should have all of my contact information.  I’d love to hear from you.