Dr. Craig quotes from St. Elsewhere

[to Westphall] Do you know what people call this place? Not St. Eligius, St. Elsewhere! A dumping ground, a place you wouldn't want to send your mother-in-law!

I cut when I'm ready! Not tonight, not tomorrow, today!

[talking to media] I am sick of this hospital snidely referred to as 'St. Elsewhere'. Let me tell you something, St. Eligius isn't elsewhere. This is the place to be!

You know, that Cummings kid may be a good hospital administrator, but sometimes he can be a real hard nose. I don't like people like that.

[to Ehrlich] Now, I'm going to give you a little motto that the head of surgery, Dr. David Domedian, said to me in my residency: " Going into surgery, wash your hands. When you're coming out, watch your hands ".

Listen, Ehrlich, surgeons are like the marines. A few good men and you have to be special to cut it! Sniveling and whining doesn't cut it!

It may come as a shock to you, Ehrlich, but you're a doctor, not a delivery boy! No wonder you're four steps behind all the surgery residents around here. You're too busy studying to be an orderly!

If you act with authority, people will tell you anything.

Man can not live on Bearnaise sauce alone.

It's women like that that give the X chromosome a bad name.

[having just transplanted the heart of Jack's wife into Mrs. Leighton's body] If it's any comfort, your wife has given that woman a second chance. She's a living example of Nina's compassion for others. [pause] I'm sorry.

I'm a surgeon, not a sex object.

[as Dr. Caldwell approaches] A grown man catches it in his fly? Pathetic!

Mr Broadwater. How are we this morning?

Feelin' pretty good.

Well, I have some good news, and I have some bad. Two of the major vessels to your heart, the left anterior descending artery, and the circumflex artery, are 90% obstructed.

[stunned] But I feel fine.

You didn't feel "fine" when you had those chest pains walking up a flight of stairs, now did you?

Did I have a heart attack?

No, but when we put you on the treadmill, your electrocardiogram indicated ischemia. And the angiography - do you remember when we put the dye through the heart? Revealed obstructions... VERY serious obstructions.

[clutches his chest, breathing heavily] 90% obstructed?

[holds up a long rubber tube] Let me show you something, Mr Broadwater - what does this look like to you?

A rubber tube.

Arteries are tubes. They carry the blood and oxygen from the heart. Now, bear with me. If we obstruct the flow of blood and oxygen to the brain... [ties a tight knot in the tube] What do you think happens?

[gets up unsteadily] I-I don't believe this. I'm only 40 years old here. Doc, you...

[curtly, shouting] You're fat. You smoke. Your father died of a heart attack when he was 42.

But Doctor, there must be SOMETHING...

You are walking a tightrope, Mr Broadwater. If it isn't the stairs today, it'll be washing the car tomorrow, or bouncing your little boy on your knee - or, if you're lucky, when you're sleeping.

[sits back down weakly] Ohhhh, my dear God.

Now, for the good news. [pause] I'm going to save you.

How?

Triple bypass.

Surgery?

[nods firmly] We'll give you a few moments to think about it, notify your loved ones. Do I have your complete cooperation? [holds out his hand]

[shakes it half-heartedly] I guess so.

Excellent.

Dr. Westphall

Sometimes, I fear I'm not too liked around here.

Oh now, Donald, it's all right. I'm not out to win any popularity contests. The work what's important, not the recognition...

Dr. Westphall

Absolutely right.

Even though I should have won last year.