Ego Reduction

Some of the lessons being learned from Haiti involve more than technical aspects of medicine.

"Back in Boston, I'm a hot shot. The nurses have to respect me," Feliz says. "Here, I'm just a worker bee. I cleaned the OR floor after surgery. I carried dead bodies down the street. I was in traffic carrying dead bodies. That makes you human. I came here a very fancy doctor, and I'm leaving here as a humble man."

Three things make a great doctor. And only one of them is inherent talent. The others are dedicated, talented staff, and first-rate equipment provided by a society that values its members. Too often the last two are forgotten in the self-congratulation directed towards the first.