Pre-flight checklist

Medicine can learn from aviation!!!

A lot has changed since I left USAF in 2000, but the leaders have suggested reading lists. Below is DHA leader Lt. General place’s list .

My comments-

1. General Colin Powell’s book is quite good, I have an autographed copy!

2. Any book by Malcolm Gladwell is a must read!! I have read them all.

3. Being a 3000 ht pvt pilot, flight surgeon and heart surgeon, I so agree medicine and surgery have a lot to learn from aviation community. From CRAFT for copying clearance, to 5Ts for outermarker inbound (time, tune, turn, talk, tires) to GUMPs before landing, (gas, undercarriage, mixture, prop, seatbelts) - every time! Every DANG time!

But — “checklists” have been pushed and embraced by nursing staff.. docs not so much, so honestly they are silly simple, useless. Kinda like asking the lt col navigator to write a pilot’s check list (any mil pilot can tell you the three useless things in flying )

Yet, we need to include things on the preop checklist that are not routine… and we need a post procedure debrief to discuss what we can improve or do better on next time.

This is a good list from the General

https://health.mil/News/Articles/2022/03/11/Check-Out-of-the-DHA-Directors-Professional-Reading-List-for-Your-Next-Read?utm_medium=govdelivery&utm_source=email