January 28, 2008

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MAIL BAG

THANK YOU FOR Cathy Gulli and Kate Lunau’s excellent article on the doctor shortage (“Adding fuel to the doctor crisis,” Health, Jan. 14). The perfect storm, as I see it, was created by the coming together of three issues: too few places for physicians to be trained in our medical schools, an increasing overemphasis on specialization, and a new generation of physicians—male and female—who are seeking more balance in their lives.

INTERVIEW

Q: Did you always see yourself as Arab-American? A: When I was 18 or 19, I remember going through customs in England and they asked me my nationality. I said, “Lebanese.” I’d never even been to Lebanon! This caused me to be detained for about six hours until they reached my father to confirm that I really was born in America.

NEWSMAKERS

As the clock runs down on another Boston Celtics home victory, a disco anthem blares and the arena scoreboard flashes clips from a 1970s episode of American Bandstand. One onscreen dancer in particular gets the crowd on its feet, cheering during every game: a bearded man whom Celtics faithful call “Gino” because of his tight T-shirt, which bears the name and image of Montrealborn singer, composer and onetime disco heartthrob Gino Vannelli.

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