Ohio State Critical Care Specialist Philip Diaz

How has critical care medicine changed since you started practicing?

There have been important advances in technology, such as the widespread availability of bedside ultrasound as a diagnostic tool. At the same time, we have had better recognition of the limits of technology and have adopted a more conservative approach to many of our more invasive procedures, realizing in some cases “less is more.” However, I think the most important advance is the development of the team approach to the patient care. … Now, rounds are multidisciplinary with nurses, respiratory therapists, pharmacists, dietitians and social workers all contributing to the daily plan of care for the patients.

What would you have been if you had not become a doctor?

One of the aspects of my job at Ohio State that I enjoy the most is teaching. So if I were not a doctor, I may have been a high school teacher. Alternatively, one of my passions outside of work is tennis. I played college tennis, and during medical school, I had a part-time job as a tennis instructor. So I also might have been have become a club tennis pro.