Disconnections
In The Premonition published in 2021 author Michael Lewis introduced me to some talented people who tried to make a difference during the years leading up to and continuing during the current pandemic. Lewis profiles the personalities and work of a few unique individuals who predicted what was coming and developed simple strategies that might […]
View MoreTyranny of the Past
Shortly after beginning my family medical practice in 1978 I was privileged to care for a young couple with 4 children who were expecting their 5th child. The pregnancy, labor and delivery went well. Our first memorable disagreement occurred during the two month old “well-child checkup” when the mother informed me they would not permit […]
View MoreGeneralists
At the start of my 4th year of medical school in the fall of 1973, I approached a faculty surgeon for a letter to recommend me for post graduate training. The well regarded doctor was “shocked” that I was seeking a residency in the relatively new specialty of Family Practice. He noted that I had […]
View MoreSpecialization
Legendary doctor Sir William Osler was born in Canada in 1849. He studied medicine in Canada and moved to the US and later, England. He employed his immense intelligence, curiosity, energy and compassion to improve medical care world-wide. He authored textbooks, lectured around the world, wrote volumes of letters, taught at the bedside and practiced […]
View MoreBorn in Havre
I was born in Havre Montana located sixty miles east of Chester on US Highway 2. My hometown Chester’s population hovered around 1000 from the year of my birth until my high school graduation in 1966. Havre, with a population of about 5,000, was the nearest town that had a hospital in 1948. Over my […]
View MoreTrain Wreck
On September 25, 2021 an Amtrak passenger train derailed on the sparsely populated high plain between Joplin and Chester Montana. A local resident witnessed the accident from a gravel road crossing while waiting for the train to pass by. The train never passed and a “wall of dust filled the sky”. About 141 passengers and […]
View MorePromoting Windblown
After observing several cycles of this pandemic’s ups and downs, I have decided to resume efforts to promote my book. Windblown; The Remarkable Life of Richard S. Buker Jr. MD; A Family Doctor is now available in hardback, paperback or e-book. Visit my website http://larryhalversonmd.com/ , click on “Buy Windblown” and click on “editions”to purchase […]
View MoreFriendly fire
Frequent use of the term “friendly fire” has caused me some discomfort. I imagined it was a recent journalistic creation, but I was wrong. According to an essay published by the Poynter Institute, the term was first used during WWI. Author Roy Peter Clark wrote, “It is used accurately only when it describes a force […]
View MoreRacial Prejudice
In the summer of 1963, my parents, my older brother and I boarded the westbound Western Star in Chicago. Our passenger car was designed with three bench seats on each side of a center aisle. As the fourth person in our party, I was seated behind my family next to a soldier in full dress […]
View MoreLearning
“The best thing for being sad,” replied Merlin, beginning to puff and blow, “is to learn something. That’s the only thing that never fails. You may grow old and trembling in your anatomies, you may lie awake at night listening to the disorder of your veins, you may miss your only love, you may see […]
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