Lancaster Physician Summer 2017 - 19

SUMMER 2017

Passion Outside of Practice
It's our pleasure to highlight a Lancaster City & County Medical Society member's "passion outside of practice"
in each issue of Lancaster Physician. Beyond their commitment to health care, LCCMS members have
many other talents, skills, and interests that might surprise you. In this issue, we're thrilled to feature Douglas
Morrissey, MD and his passion outside of practice.

Douglas Morrissey, MD

When my wife (who is an organizational consultant)
recently told me she could not find the right size shelves
for an organizing project, I felt a little ping of excitement.
I knew I likely would be heading out to Lezzer Lumber to
find the right materials for a new woodworking project. I
treasure the few times a year when I have the opportunity
to wear a tool belt and become covered with saw dust.
For this particular project, she wanted painted cabinets
with flush doors. So, I loaded up the standard MDF
panels for the doors and boxes. I had to pause in the
hardware section, however, to study up on European style
hinges, which were a novelty to me. Later, we decided (to
my great delight) that a solid maple countertop would
work best to finish off the project; so, we picked out two
9-foot long 5/4 unfinished boards to glue together. The
shavings from the planer smelled good, and the finished
top is such a thing of beauty. It is a sensuous experience
to craft wood.
My introduction to woodworking was practical at first.
Over two decades ago, I needed furniture in my house
and was on the tight budget of a first year medical
student. Fortunately, a friend had a woodworking
workshop. Pine was less than a dollar per board foot
at that time, so we had a lot of pine furniture. I love
the look of natural wood, so we didn't need to spend
money on stain.
That was 23 years ago, and now I have the extra money
to have a workshop of my own with a table saw, drill
press, planer, router, and a 12" DeWalt sliding compound
miter saw. Pine now gives way to maple, hickory and
my preferred wood, cherry. My humble workshop has
produced mainly larger pieces: bookshelves, a loft bed,
nightstands, a homework center, blanket chests, hickory
stair treads, and my favorite - the Colonial Williamsburg
paneling in our dining room.

Passion Outside of Practice:
Woodworking

LANCASTER

PHYSICIAN

Woodworking is an escape from medicine for me in so
many ways. The wood does what I ask it to. If I tell a board
to be 35-5/8 inches long, it will be precisely that long.
That is quite a contrast to the counseling, negotiating,
and motivational interviewing that comprise much
of my day in the office. The wood projects are physical
and relatively permanent. Unlike HA1C victories or
conquering infections with antibiotics, I can keep them at
home to admire and explain to visitors. Go ahead and ask
me about them-I don't mind.

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Lancaster Physician Summer 2017