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‘‘ REMEMBERING...

When we lose someone we love,

we should remember that the MET SUDARSHAN IN 2008 when he joined the He wasn’t only passionate about his work as a doctor. This man was

person has not become nothing. I Suburban hospitalist group. Initially, I didn’t know what a walking encyclopedia of sports trivia and facts...and of course all
to make of his training as a nephrologist and wondered if
things Michael Jordan. On some days, I was convinced he knew more
‘Something’ cannot become his work as a hospitalist was a temporary gig until he sorted about basketball trivia and scores than medicine. He was equally
well versed in the nuances of the stock market and often tried in vain
out his professional goals. Little did I know that he would
go on to become a permanent fixture at Suburban Hospital
‘nothing,’ and ‘nothing’ cannot over the next 12 years, leaving his footprint everywhere as a teacher, to teach me how to read the various market charts. His working
knowledge of the financial market was astonishing, and his absolute
patient advocate and friend. trust in capitalism would often get our more liberal colleagues worked
become ‘something.’ Science can up with his casual comments about the problems with social safety
Pre-Sudarshan, as a community hospital-based program, the nets and government regulation. I’m convinced he got some of us riled
help us understand this because hospitalist group did not have any focus on training the next up just to see our reactions…why else would he buy a Prius while
generation of clinicians. That changed with Sudarshan. He was talking about leaving the big oil companies alone?
matter cannot be destroyed—it a strong believer that part of being a good clinician was to impart
the knowledge and experience that we gather over the course of Of course, it was just as easy to talk to him about everyday life.
can become energy. And energy our professional lives to the student community. As such, he We’d often discuss good cheap food and where to find the best Bánh mì
worked with the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing and other NP sandwiches (although I was ultimately unable to convince him to drive to
can become matter, but it cannot programs in the area to host NP students for their inpatient the Eden Center in Falls Church for true hole-in-the wall, cheap-as-dirt
clerkship. He would arrange their rotation through the med/surg Bánh mì sandwiches made by a Vietnamese grandmother who spoke
be destroyed. In the same way, units, review their notes and management, and hold regular no English). I would always get a good laugh as we talked about our
didactic sessions. I would often find him in the hospital, long after latest fight against the urban jungle and his efforts to eradicate all
our beloved was not destroyed; everyone had left, catching up with his work since he had spent unwanted critters and weeds in his lawn. Or wonder about his sanity
so much time with his students. He was a true teacher and mentor. as he explained the virtues of using a Faraday cage with his phone.
he has just taken on another He was also a patient safety advocate as our group’s medication As often quoted, I’ll most miss his ability

form. That form may be a cloud, reconciliation champion. We would be regularly subjected to his to get us to laugh a little louder, smile a
battle cry, “We don’t do surgery; we don’t do procedures; all we do
a child or the breeze. We can see is prescribe meds; we better at least get the med rec right.” He would little bigger and live just a little bit better.
gently chastise our colleagues who didn’t live up to his ideal for
our loved one in everything.” med rec and, in his mild-mannered way, made us all better clinicians. — ERIC PARK, M.D.

—Thich Nhat Hanh Sudarshan Siva, M.D.
Buddhist Monk

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