Historical anecdote of anesthesia in Colombia*

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to share my memories about something so special in my life. I was watching my father, Hernando Medina, draw a seal under the guidance of a Patriarch – Maestro Juan Marín – whom I was to meet later during my residency at the Military Hospital, Colombia.

I can’t remember the exact date, but it was around April 9, 1948, when my father was studying Medicine and was planning on specializing in “administering anesthesia”, under the supervision of a professor who had just arrived from Venezuela and then he was going to work in a Hospital called San José. One of his gifts was being a talented draftsman; so at home, in one of Bogota's neighborhoods, I recall a Maestro who guided him to draw the seal that Anesthesiologists so proudly pin to their lapel: their CREST.

I had the honor to receive my specialist diploma at the Military Hospital in 1975, and my tutor was one of the icons who led me to choose my profession. Reading the article “Remembering Juan Marín Osorio”¹ many memories that were transcendental to my professional decision came back to me.

Funding

Personal funds.

Conflicts of interest

The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.