UPDATE FROM CYRIL ERNEST

 Cyril Ernest. Retired Cardiologist  (Update No: 7)

Cyril sent this update for the Blog at my request. I am most grateful to him.

Speedy, here is my resume of my career in the USA as a Cardiologist.

The year was 1972 and the date- February 28th - when I landed in JFK airport in New York. To pick me up was my lifelong buddy Lareef Idroos.

It is 2021 November now and I wonder how the intervening years have passed by so quickly it seems. I did my internship and residency in Internal Medicine and switched to Cardiology for my Fellowship. This was not my choicest of appointments, but our Professor Dr Ernst Grief saw something in me and offered me the Fellowship and I accepted it. I finished my Cardiology training in 1977 and obtained my FACC and I moved to California. Initially I was in a Sri Lankan Group but I subsequently switched to a solo practice and I joined up with an Indian doctor to continue my Cardiology. My partner died about 10 - 12 years ago and I have been on my own since then. I used to be an invasive cardiologist in my earlier years but switched to non-invasive practice subsequently, letting my partner do all the invasive work. This was due to twofold reasons - exposure to radiation and the anxiety it entailed until a case was completely done. I sold my practice to a Family Practitioner and I still do work in his office, primarily taking care of my patients who have insisted on my being their Cardiologist. I do a lot of the non-invasive work, checking on Echocardiograms, Holters, Stress tests, EKG’s . I am also the sole Cardiologist at the local County Hospital and I do see my share of the numerous Cardiac patients who come to the clinic.

Speedy you have inherited an enormous load of keeping track of the numerous requests of your batchmates, a thankless task! But I am sure you are able to handle it.

Lucky was an efficient blog “master” which he handled very cleverly. I am not sure what his illness was that he decided to hand over his chores to you. Whatever it is, my sincere wishes for him to recover.

Best wishes Speedy - a worthy successor