Lee Fleisher, MD

Robert D. Dripps Professor and Chair of Anesthesiology and Critical Care
Perelman School of Medicine
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA
Undergraduate: University of Pennsylvania (1981)
Medical School: SUNY Stony Brook (1986)
Internship (surgery): University of Minnesota (1987)
Residency (anesthesiology): Yale New Haven Hospital (1990)

What stands out in your mind today about your years at Yale New Haven hospital?

One of the things that I very much enjoyed about Yale New Haven was the collegiality and the friendships I developed. On my very first day there, I met three individuals with whom I have remained friends with for almost 25 years. One of them, Dr. Mark Weiss, works with me at Penn, while Dr. Paul Barash, who was then the chairman of the anesthesiology department, and Dr. Stanley Rosenbaum are still on the Yale School of Medicine faculty. Yale remains a world-class medical center, but with a small-town feel and campus.

How did Yale New Haven prepare you for your current leadership role?

Leadership is, in many ways, learned through the role models you observe, and I met great role models at Yale. Watching how people acted and treated each other was incredibly positive. That aspect of being a leader is what I learned there — and I like to think that I've brought a little bit of Yale to Penn and my role here.