Expertly Unscripted: 3 Minds, 36 Questions, Zero Filter!

In this edition of the ESRA Updates, we’re thrilled to introduce a new feature “Expertly Unscripted”: a light-hearted and playful interview. For this first number, we will interview our incredible 2024 ESRA Awardees.
This time, we step away from the operating room and research lab to discover more about the personalities behind the awards. We asked them quirky, unexpected questions that reveal their fun side, favorite things, and even how they’d handle an alien invasion!

🏆 Carl Koller Award

The Carl Koller Award is the recognition of ESRA for an outstanding lifetime contribution to the field of Regional Anaesthesia and/or Pain Medicine.

 Admir Hadzic
Professor of Anaesthesiology
Director, NYSORA (The New York School of Regional Anaesthesia)
Founder: NextLevelCME; e-Learning Management System in Medicine
Consultant, Department of Anaesthesiology, Ziekenhuis Oost-Limburg, Genk, Belgium

1. Win a Nobel Prize or star in a blockbuster movie?
   When I was younger, I was all about winning the Nobel Prize. Now, I’d rather be in a blockbuster—fame, fun, and no one asks for footnotes!
2. Have a robot assistant or a personal chef?
   I am not a foodie, so a personal chef would be wasted on me. A robot assistant, though? Now that’s someone who can remind me to eat in the first place!
3. Be able to teleport or time travel?
   Teleport, for sure—why mess with the past?
4. Always have to whisper or always have to shout?
   I’d go with whispering—people lean in and listen to you when you whisper.
5. Give a lecture while juggling or while riding a unicycle?
   Definitely juggling—at least I’d keep it interesting without the ego trip of a unicycle. Cyclists are too busy bragging about Strava stats anyway! It’s not my fav crowd
6. Drink only green smoothies forever or eat only chocolate bars forever?
   Neither—I’m not big on chocolate, and I prefer meat over smoothies. After all, cows have mastered the art of turning grass into something actually delicious!
7. Have 10 clones of yourself or 10 different superpowers?
   Definitely the 10 superpowers—dealing with 10 versions of myself sounds like a nightmare.
8. Ride a dolphin to work or have a pet dragon?
   If these are the only two choices, then pet dragon, no contest, though my Dodge Viper is better than either option
9. Have a talking pet or be able to talk to plants?
   Definitely a talking pet.
10. Be a professional magician or a professional stand-up comedian?
    Professional stand-up comedian, for sure—it’s like playing music on stage with punchlines as my riffs!
11. In three words, how would you handle an alien invasion?
    I would hide in my music studio!
12. What’s the best advice you didn’t take, but really wish you had?
    “Don’t hit snooze”—could’ve conquered the world by now if I’d just listened!

🏆 Recognition of Education in Pain Medicine Award

ESRA undertakes to support outstanding innovative activities or developments in the field of Pain by annually awarding the Pain Medicine Award. This award is a reflection on excellence in teaching & clinical education in the field of pain medicine.

Athmaja Thottungal
Consultant- Anaesthesia and Pain management,
Kent and Canterbury Hospital
East Kent University Foundation NHS Trust, UK

1. Have X ray vision or super hearing?
   X ray vision.
2. Eat spicy food every day or never eat sweets again?
   Spicy food everyday.
3. Only wear scrubs or only wear formal clothes for a year?
   Only wear scrubs.
4. Ride a rollercoaster or a camel to work?
   Camel to work.
5. Always have to speak in rhyme or never be able to tell a joke again?
   Always have to speak in rhyme.
6. Work from a hammock or from a bouncy castle?
   Work from a hammock.
7. Know everything about the past or everything about the future?
   Know everything about past.
8. Dance like no one’s watching or sing like no one’s listening?
   Dance like no one is watching.
9. Only communicate via hand signals or through interpretive dance?
   Through interpretive dance.
10. Wear flip-flops in the snow or boots on the beach?
    Flip-flops in the snow.
11. In three words, how would you handle an alien invasion?
    Love, laugh and be merry.
12. What’s the best advice you didn’t take, but really wish you had?
    Learn to say NO.

🏆 Recognition of Education in Regional Anaesthesia Award

ESRA undertakes to support outstanding innovative activities or developments in the field of Regional Anaesthesia by annually awarding the Regional Anaesthesia Award. This award is a reflection on excellence in teaching & clinical education in the field of regional anaesthesia.

Vincent Chan
Head, Regional Anaesthesia & Pain Programme
Department of Anaesthesia and Pain Management, University Health Network Professor of Anaesthesia, University of Toronto

1. Pizza or pasta?
   Pasta.
2. Teach in your pajamas or perform a block in a superhero costume?
   Perform a block in a superhero costume.
3. Cats or dogs?
   Dogs for sure.
4. Operate in outer space or underwater?
   Outer space.
5. Never drink coffee again or never sleep in again?
   Never drink coffee again.
6. Ice cream for breakfast or cereal for dinner?
   Ice cream for breakfast.
7. Fly to a conference in a hot air balloon or on a magic carpet?
   On a magic carpet.
8. Be invisible for a day or read minds for a day?
   Read minds for a day.
9. Only use emojis to give a lecture or sing all your responses in a Q&A session?
   Use emojis to give a lecture (probably a lot more difficult).
10. Always be 10 minutes early or 20 minutes late?
    10min early.
11. In three words, how would you handle an alien invasion?
    Fight or flight.
12. What’s the best advice you didn’t take, but really wish you had?
    Start my golf game earlier in life.