Thanks to the encouragement of a chemistry teacher, George Alec Rooke, M.D., Ph.D., solidified his interest in scientific research during his senior year of high school. A year-long study abroad program during undergrad at Stanford University inspired him to pursue medicine, and mentors during medical school guided him toward anesthesiology. Now in the senior years of his career, Dr. Alec Rooke reflected on his medical career and the many contributions he has made to the advancement of medicine in a letter he wrote to the anesthesiology community after becoming a member of the FAER Legacy Society.
In telling his own personal story and those factors that led him to become an anesthesiologist, he shares his hopes and concerns for the future of our specialty, and most especially for anesthesia research and geriatric anesthesia.
Throughout his career, Dr. Rooke has remained committed to the advancement of medicine, implementing practical clinical applications...
