Gwendolyn Boatman, MD

Bio

I was born on the Gulf Coast, near Galveston, Texas. Ever since the old Harrison Ford movie called "The Mosquito Coast," I've had a nickname for my place of birth. Having been born with a little bit of wanderlust and a strong dislike for bugs, I knew my Texas days would be numbered. I held out until age 19 when I decided I was finally one mosquito past my tolerance level.

I migrated to Lexington, Kentucky, the "Heart of the Bluegrass," where I received my undergraduate and medical degrees. And, yes, the grass is sort of blue, if you have the right sunlight and a good imagination.

As Uncle Sam had most generously agreed to provide my medical education, I found myself with a Doctor of Medicine sheepskin in my hands and Lieutenant stripes on my shoulders. I did my internship and Anesthesiology residency in the United States Navy and served four years beyond that. Three of those years were spent in Yokosuka, Japan. It took me about three years to master chopsticks, about three months to like sushi and about 3 days to realize there's no place like home.

My last year as a Naval Officer was spent in Southern California. Though I left the Navy for 5 years of private practice in New Jersey, I never got past California Dreaming and in 1990 I returned to the Golden State to work at Kaiser Permanente in San Diego. Despite my love of Southern California, I was lured to the Wine Country in 2002 by the only thing that could tempt me away from San Diego sun: the prospect of working in a truly outstanding department providing exceptional anesthesia care.

Being the somewhat older mother of a 12-year-old son, my outside interests are, of necessity, somewhat limited. I am a pretty fair gourmet chef and love to entertain friends in my home. I am also a voracious movie buff and I love to read, though I favor fiction over non-fiction the majority of the time. One of my most unusual addictions is current events; I am a self-confessed news hound and access news sites several times a day. As part of a healthy lifestyle, I exercise religiously but I admit that I am a couch potato at heart.

My Medical Specialty

More details about my specialty:

I chose anesthesia because it requires:

-- manual skills ("good hands")

-- a broad knowledge of physiology, pharmacology and pathology (a "good head")

-- quick intuition and common sense

-- rapid, sometimes split-second, responses to ever-changing situations

And, because it's the most fun of all medical specialties.

My specialty interests and affiliations within my field:

I have a special interest in the research being done into how narcotic pain medications may actually sensitize people to pain.

Current projects or research:

I am currently between projects.

Great health resources that I refer to:

I spend a lot of time researching Pubmed for professional presentations. For personal health information, I rely on the Web, Yahoo!Health being one of my favorites.

An interesting story from my training:

I thought the most interesting thing about my training was that I actually survived it!

Interests

Currently reading:
"The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest" (the last book in the "Millenium" trilogy)

My favorite book or author:
"Cold Mountain", "Silence of the Lambs"

Great movie:
"House of Flying Daggers", "Slumdog Millionaire", "Up", "Avatar", "Toy Story Three"

Hobby Photos & Links:

My handmade and hand-decorated "Nemo" birthday cake.

Thousand of great recipes from Gourmet and Bon Appetit
Recipes from the cooking channel

Family & Friends

People in my life:

Even after 15 years together, my partner and I are best friends and inseparable companions.

My children and people I care about:

My son was born on New Year's Eve. I like the fact that the whole world celebrates on his birthday because he is a special kid. He is 12 years old, extremely tall (and handsome) for his age. He still loves trains and loves to swim.

An interesting story about my family or friends:

I have a pact with my family and friends: I promise not to tell stories about them if they promise not to tell stories about me.

Our beloved Jack Russel terrier, Rita, who had been our faithful companion for 15 years, died July 5, 2010. but she will always be "my dog".

Travel

An adventure I've had:

The most exciting, though not especially "good" exciting, experience I ever had was when a bear ripped into my tent one night when I was camping in the Shenandoah mountains.

Favorite place in the world:

I love any spot that has beautiful, clear, warm water with lots of fish. I love to snorkel. Of course, I am always well aware that by going into the ocean, I become part of the food chain.

One of my recent trips:

This year, we vacationed in Hawaii twice, once as an "adults only" vacation (for our 15th anniversary) to the Big Island and once on a "family vacation" to Maui. Both were great trips with great snorkeling. It was our first trip to the Big Island and we had a very active time: hiking, snorkeling, kayaking. It was awesome but I had never realized how stark much of the island is. The miles of lava fields look almost like a moonscape.

A Photo of One of My Favorite Places:

My photo of the Maui beach at Black Rock

My photo of a Kauai rainbow.