The Survey Says …

Our thanks to the many readers who responded to our recent survey; your input is valuable direction to the editorial team. Some highlights of the responses:

Most popular sections

• Feature articles, 80%*
• Inside Scope (research and other news), 78%*
• Looking Back (history), 55%*
• Limelight (faculty awards and honors), 55%*
  *percent who always or frequently read

Topics of greatest interest

• Research activities, 55%
• Medical School’s role in national topics/current affairs, 50%
• Medical School history, 41%
• Alumni news/profiles, 30%

General

• 4.8% response rate
• 36% read from cover to cover
• 81% get most of their Health System news from Medicine at Michigan

“I will not go online to read the magazine. I sincerely hope that you will continue the print version,” one reader wrote. Another said, “I strongly urge you to move entirely to an online version.” Fully 72 percent prefer a print issue. We will develop an option for readers to request an online-only subscription, but rest assured that we will continue producing the print version for our readers who prefer that format.

Rick Krupinski, Editor
rkrup@umich.edu

Powerful Alternative

A follow-up to “Breath by Breath” (spring 2010) … I was a pediatric intern in the mid-50s when I served a month in the polio center on the very top floor of University Hospital. It was a bit awe-inspiring to first go into the large room with all the massive equipment. (Besides the “tanks” we also had “rocker beds.”) There was the anxiety of the patients and staff when we had a storm, and fear of losing power. We did have a special protected line but on occasion the lights would flicker. There was an emergency protocol on how to quickly get enough manpower to manually run the machines. During that period, a big breakthrough was the development of the “frog breathing” technique. This allowed a number of our patients to learn to “swallow” air into their lungs; it was not great, but gave a little extra time in an emergency.

I always enjoy the very well-written Medicine at Michigan.

Arthur L. Norins, M.D. (Residency 1956)
Cupertino, California

Famliy Ties

I was so pleased to see this article (“Breath by Breath,” spring 2010) about my father, James L. Wilson, whom I remember so fondly as a truly humane man who cared deeply for the patients he treated. This article reinforces my memories. I only wish my children and grandchildren could have known him!

Ann Wilson Rounds
San Mateo, California

Remembering Residency

Dr. Woolliscroft’s note (From the Dean, spring 2010) reminded me of my experience. I was a junior intern at University Hospital from 1944-45. When I was on the medicine ward, our resident declared that rather than share the call responsibility three ways between him and his two interns, he would magnanimously take second call every night, leaving the two of us to handle problems and admit new patients. So we took particular delight the next morning on rounds watching him try to present cases about which he knew nothing.

Belle Calkins Richards
(M.D. 1944, Residency 1945)
Helena, Montana

A Second Opinion

I agree with Dr. Heetderks’ comments on the term “surgery” (@umich.edu, spring 2010). Dr. George E. Block was vehement in teaching that surgery was a body of knowledge, a way of practicing medicine, a philosophy,

Don Greer, M.D. (Residency 1972)
Boerne, Texas