|
 Jean-Paul Achkar, MD, FACG
on his father Edgar Achkar, MD, FACG
He was Dr. Edgar Achkar to the rest of the world. To his two bemused, giggling boys, he had a much less lofty title: Poop doctor.
Can you really blame us? After all, consider the job details from a young boy’s perspective: People passing gas. Stool samples. Tubes shoved up, well, you know where.
So as he worked tirelessly to build a career, winning the respect of his peers and several accolades, my father received a somewhat more comical reception in his own home. I'm fairly certain the "Poop Doctor Award" was not the kind of reception he anticipated after years of training and dedication to his specialty.
It would take a few years before I began to appreciate exactly what he did. Dad helped me land one of my first high school summer jobs, working on an inflammatory bowel disease registry job at the Cleveland Clinic. It was my first real introduction to the field, courtesy of Dad – and I was hooked.
Later, as I entered medical school, his guidance would prove invaluable. There was, of course, what you would expect of a good father – the wise advice, the calm reassurance, the heart-felt congratulations for a job well done. "As I progressed in my career trying to decide what kind of doctor I wanted to be, he was always there with gentle guiding advice but never any pressure to go into the “family business”. After considering different specialties, including pediatrics and surgery, I came back to where my heart guided me, Gastroenterology. I knew I had big steps to follow in, but I also knew that Edgar would be there with me in my journey." |
As I progressed in my career trying to decide what kind of doctor I wanted to be, he was always there with gentle guiding advice but never any pressure to go into the “family business”. After considering different specialties, including pediatrics and surgery, I came back to where my heart guided me, Gastroenterology. I knew I had big steps to follow in, but I also knew that Edgar would be there with me in my journey. Even though we’re in the same field, and work at the same hospital, we have our own Mason-Dixon line – he covers the esophagus and stomach, and I cover the small bowel and colon. His work ethic, communication skills, leadership abilities, and his no BS approach to problems, were all guiding principles for me as I developed into the physician I now am.
And now, some 30 years after the jokes and giggles and funny nicknames, Dad can take solace in paybacks. Recently, when my boys had friends over, I heard some muffled laughs from another room. I heard them talk about what their dads did and there was no mistaking what came next: “Poop doctor”. Yes, Dr. Edgar Achkar, you can smile now, things have come full circle!
Happy Father’s Day and thanks for all the support along the way.
|
