Name: John R. Cooper, Jr., M.D.
Faculty Rank: Clinical Professor of Anesthesiology, Baylor College of Medicine
I grew up in: Meridian, MS
Family: My wife, 2 children (both long out of the nest), and 3 dogs.
Education: College - Mississippi State University; Tulane University School of Medicine; Internship - University of Tennessee & City of Memphis Hospitals; Residency - University of Mississippi; Fellowship in Cardiovascular Anesthesia and Critical Care Medicine - University of Mississippi & The Texas Heart Institute & Texas Children's Hospitals.
Years practicing medicine: 51
What drew you to Anesthesia? Meeting James F. Arens, M.D. (Chief of Anesthesia, Ochsner Foundation Hospital) as a sophomore medical student at Tulane.
What was your first job? Staff Anesthesiologist and Co-Director of the Intensive Care Unit, Ochsner Foundation Hospital, New Orleans, LA.
Who/what is your biggest inspiration? Arthur S. Keats, M.D. (Chief of CV Anesthesia Texas Heart Institute, former Chairman of Anesthesiology, Baylor College of Medicine)
During your career, what was your biggest accomplishment? Being asked to become an Associate Examiner for the American Board of Anesthesiology and being a member of the In Training Council.
If you had not practiced Anesthesia, what would you have done? I probably would have become an internist or perhaps a specialist in one of the subspecialties of internal medicine.
If you could share one piece of advice to Residents and Fellows what it would be? Keep moving forward no matter what you encounter and focus on your patient.
You may not know this about me, but… I am very interested in genealogy.
What do you collect? Toy soldiers and books (both to a limited extent).
What are you reading right now? Day of Battle by Rick Atkinson (a history)
Words of Wisdom to live by? If you lose your temper, you have lost.
