We were delighted to reconnect with Peter Miles Waterman, MD, an accomplished alum of our department. Dr. Waterman’s academic journey began with a BA in Speech Science from the University of Pittsburgh, followed by his MD from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine in 1973. He completed his residency in anesthesiology with us in 1976, serving as Chief Resident in his final year.
Following his residency, Dr. Waterman became a valued member of our faculty, working as an attending anesthesiologist at UPMC Presbyterian and Eye and Ear Hospital from 1976 to 1990. During his time as a faculty member in our department, he took on key leadership roles, including Coordinator of the Cardiac Anesthesiology Fellowship and Director of Medical Student Education, where he mentored and shaped the careers of countless future anesthesiologists.
Dr. Waterman also made significant strides in the field of transplant anesthesiology and was recognized as our department's expert on malignant hyperthermia (MH). He served as a consultant to the Malignant Hyperthermia Association of the United States (MHAUS) and conducted important clinical trials on dantrolene, the drug of choice for treating MH. His research also included work on the artificial blood substitute Fluosol, further demonstrating his dedication to advancing the field.
In 1990, Dr. Waterman transitioned to private practice, joining TriCity Anesthesia, Anesthesia Resources in Tempe, Arizona, where he worked until his retirement in 2021.
Recently, Dr. Waterman reconnected with us to share updates on his career and reflect on his experiences with the University of Pittsburgh/UPMC.
What was your area of focus and educational background?
I was a Pitt Phi Beta Kappa graduate in Speech Science prior to attending medical school, also at Pitt. The summer after my second year in medical school, I participated in an American Society of Anesthesiology-sponsored anesthesia clerkship at Presby. I spent the entire summer with Ake Grenvik in the ICU… I was hooked!
How did your training prepare you for your career?
I was fortunate to be able to follow two separate career paths. I taught at UPMC and the University of Pittsburgh, where I became an Associate Professor of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine for 14 years. Then to everyone’s surprise, including my own, I joined several of my former residents in private practice in Arizona. Private practice involved caring for patients at multiple locations and hospitals, frequently on the same day. The experiences I had as a resident rotating through various hospitals within the UPMC system served me in good stead.
What was your most memorable time as a trainee?
When I was Chief Resident, my department Chair, Peter Safar, took me to the West Virginia Society of Anesthesiology meeting at Cheat Lake, just outside of Morgantown. One afternoon, many of the speakers, including Dr. Safar, decided to go waterskiing on the lake. Naturally, Dr. Safar volunteered his Chief Resident to drive the boat. The fact that I had never done such a thing mattered not at all to my boss. I remember Peter standing beside me in the boat, reaching into his swimsuit, and pulling out his inhaler. He took two puffs, jumped into the water, grabbed the tow rope, and commanded “GO!” I spent the rest of the afternoon zooming over the water, fearful I was going to be responsible for the drowning of Dr. Safar and his fellow anesthesiology leaders.
What was it like working with Thomas Starzl?
When Tom Starzl came to Pitt, he brought with him the exclusive rights to cyclosporine. That made Pitt the only institution in the Western hemisphere that could do liver transplants. Dr. Peter Winter, who was the department Chair at that time, needed someone whom he could assign as Tom’s personal anesthesiologist. He chose me! Tom was terrific. We went to the training lab and practiced three-lobe liver resections. We worked constantly. When he felt everyone was ready, we did transplants. They were long, they were complicated, and they were bloody. To this day, my personal record of a 257-liter blood loss in a single case still stands! Along with several of my colleagues, we developed a rapid infusion device that was eventually bought by Haemonetics. The pump permitted us to transfuse blood at 37°C to patients at six liters per minute. Of course, Tom could lose seven liters of blood per minute…
Those early transplants took between 24 and 36 hours. I was there the entire time. Presby was kind enough to provide catered meals. It wasn’t unusual to find large trays of sandwiches and large metal cans of coffee on the OR front desk at 3:00 in the morning. When the other anesthesiologists came to work the next day, you could hear them say “I see Peter’s in OR 6 again.”
Who from the program made the biggest impact on your training and why?
I trained at Pitt with tremendous people - R. Brian Smith, Maurice Alban, Joe Marcy, Peter Safar, and Ake Grenvik. These doctors were giants in the field of anesthesiology and critical care. They all demanded perfection. The values they demonstrated every day and their approach to patient care were admirable and long-lasting. It was never enough that you did something; you had to perform it well and with style. They were artists in the operating room.
What recommendations or advice would you give to an incoming resident?
My advice to incoming residents is simple…READ. You can’t ever learn enough. Find several journals that you read every month. I would also recommend publications like Current Reviews in Anesthesiology, which gives a brief but excellent overview of a topic every two weeks. The physical demands on a busy anesthesia resident can be exhausting. It is important to not neglect your daily reading.
How was your Pitt Med experience different from being a trainee?
Training and then teaching at the same institution is a tremendous experience. The difference is responsibility. Faculty must take care of patients as well as residents, CRNAs, and CRNA trainees. The end result can be exhausting. A good faculty member must teach continually as well as publish and lecture.
The more one teaches, the easier it becomes to explain things in a simple, understandable way. This is turn, improves your lectures and papers. Residency is about learning a new vocabulary and new concepts. Teaching is all about explaining what you’ve learned.
How are you enjoying retirement?
Retirement is a blast. Most of my colleagues agree on one thing—they are so busy now, they don’t know how they had time to work! I’m enjoying more time with my family and that is a blessing. My wife and I enjoy fly-fishing and are on the water at every opportunity. We live in Arizona, so our winters are magnificent. Our summers however… not so much. Unknown to many Easterners, Arizona has high mountains, pine forests, and excellent trout fishing. We have a cabin only 2.5 hours away from our home in Tempe. It’s nestled in the White Mountains at 7,000 ft. It is always cool, and the fishing is excellent. Now that’s retirement!!!