68yo Anesthesiologist Becomes Most Board-Certified Anesthesiologist in the World In Vain Attempt for Promotion

Dr. Aweku’s operating room is a well-oiled machine. It should be, considering Dr. Aweku became the first anesthesiologist to become board-certified in 20 different specialties. This certification shattered a record previously held by herself, which she beat only last year on her 67th birthday.. Now, at 68, she has once again established herself as the most board-certified anesthesiologist in the world.

“At first, I was doing it because hospital admin told me it was a necessity if I wanted to continue doing certain types of cases. So I said sure, I’ll take the pediatric boards. I took the cardiac boards because I heard that some of the starting cardiac anesthesiologists were getting paid 100k more than me!” She exclaims.

And on it goes, for each board exam she has a reason, a specific incident, a story. She took the ultrasound boards when she overheard one of her male colleagues say “Ultrasound is not a skill in my wheelhouse.” Hoping this would prove her to be a more competent anesthesiologist to her peers and superiors, Dr. Aweku continued to collect certifications, but somehow, with each new credential, another roadblock emerged to prevent her from earning a pay raise or even a slight modicum of recognition.

When Dr. Aweku inquired why she had not yet received a promotion, the executive suite first offered “tight hospital budgets” as a justification. Then, it was simply not her turn, and someone else deserved a promotion for their recent research accomplishments. Of course the next attending to deserve a promotion was considered a generally nice and commendable guy, and it didn’t hurt that he had spent time golfing with the department chief.

Given the growing list of reasons for which promotions were being given out to others, Dr. Aweku’s strategy has changed multiple times over the years. At first she decided to focus on research, contributing to multiple clinical case reports, textbooks, and panels. She became a principal investigator with focus on anticoagulation strategies for patients on ECMO. When this did not yield appropriate results, she decided to become an expert golfer, spending most weekends on the green at the same country club as the department chief— but he never seemed to be available to play a couple rounds with her. When the department started to employ more millennial and Gen Z attendings, she learned to DJ, playing clubs all over the city before doing a notable night at the Boiler Room, where Kaytranada was in attendance and praised her for a “sick set.” In all this time, since she started, despite being the most decorated, well-rounded attending in the department, Dr. Aweku’s salary has only increased by $10,000, and since starting as a clinical instructor in Anesthesiology, she has only received one promotion, to Assistant Professor.

Outside of the hospital, Dr. Aweku is simple and humble. She usually cooks at home, and enjoys quality time with her fish, Sir William Osler, the most low-maintenance pet she could find given her dedication to her career. She has won the best teacher award consistently from multiple residency classes and hosts a monthly mentorship group primarily focused on being a prominent anesthesiologist as a person of color.

This is not to say that the department doesn’t regard Dr. Aweku in high esteem. For her most recent board certification, the department held a pizza party in her honor, held in the department break room. Dr. Aweku, however, was not in attendance, as she was in a room working solo, and her request for a break to grab a slice was denied.