On this episode of the Prosperous Doc®, our host Shane Tenny, CFP® welcomes Dr. David Callaway to discuss the complex issue of gun violence in America. Dr. Callaway brings a distinctive perspective to the conflict, approaching it from the standpoint of a physician, a veteran, a gun owner, a law enforcement officer, a father, and a leader in his community.
“We’re recording this in mid-2023,” host Shane Tenny says. “Already, there have been more mass shootings in our country than there have been days in the year. We're pacing about 330 mass shootings as it's often defined, which is atrocious.”
Hearing these numbers is jarring and figuring out how to solve this problem is downright daunting. Where does the solution begin?
Dr. Callaway is an emergency medicine physician at Atrium Health in Charlotte, North Carolina, the region's only Level I trauma center. He’s been practicing medicine for about 20 years and served as a physician with the United States Navy and the Marine Corps, as well as in Iraq with a mobile surgical unit. After leaving active duty in 2005, Dr. Callaway spent the bulk of his career working on security and violence-related issues with law enforcement and now serves as a sworn Task Force officer with U.S. Marshals. Needless to say, he has extensive experience with guns, violence, and the law.
Together, Shane and Dr. Callaway needle through tough gun violence topics. Dr. Callaway shares his beliefs in coalitions and the importance of getting everyone to agree on a single issue.
Tune in to hear about Dr. Callaway’s belief in gun safety and gun ownership accountability as two of the first steps to be prioritized in combating gun violence.
Name: Dr. David W. Callaway, MD, MPA
What he does: Dr. David W. Callaway is a Professor of Emergency Medicine at Atrium Health where he serves as the Director of the Division of Operational and Disaster Medicine and Enterprise Chief of Crisis Operations and Sustainability. Outside of the medical center, Dr. Callaway also serves as the Chief Medical Officer for Team Rubicon, an international disaster response NGO, and as a sworn U.S. Marshal Task Force Officer.
Company: Atrium Health
Words of wisdom: “You can’t have a right without responsibility.”
Connect: LinkedIn
Top takeaways from this episode
[02:56] Unique perspective: Dr. Callaway’s background and expertise give him a very unique outlook on the topic of gun violence. He approaches the issue from four unique standpoints: as a physician, a law enforcement officer, a father, and an American.
[07:27] Common denominator: When it comes to complex systemic issues, Dr. Callaway likes to first get everyone to define the actual problem. With gun violence, he believes the problem is the remarkable death rate each year and it being the leading cause of death among children.
[11:53] Build the coalition: During his time in Iraq and Afghanistan, Dr. Callaway saw success with coalitions to solve public safety issues. He has also seen coalitions as effective in solving problems in healthcare as well.
[16:38] Key players: Physicians can play a major role in the fight against gun violence. As natural leaders, they see the impacts of gun violence first-hand — both its immediate and lasting effects.
[23:07] A narrow focus: Dr. Callaway believes the focus should be on gun safety and accountable gun ownership. While he agrees assault rifles shouldn’t be in the streets, he points out that most gun deaths are from pistols, and half of them are suicides.
[26:26] Get engaged: Regardless of specialty, Dr. Callaway believes every physician can get involved in the fight against gun violence by familiarizing themselves with their professional society’s gun violence and firearm injury prevention policy and learning from the leading groups in the space, like AFFIRM, RAND Corporation, Kaiser Family Foundation, and The Pew Charitable Trusts.
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Disclaimer: Prosperous Doc podcast by Spaugh Dameron Tenny highlights real-life stories from doctors, dentists, and those whose work can help them to encourage and inspire listeners through discussions of professional successes and failures in addition to personal stories and financial wellness advice. Spaugh Dameron Tenny is a comprehensive financial planning firm serving doctors and dentists throughout the U.S. To find out more about Spaugh Dameron Tenny, visit our website at http://www.sdtplanning.com . You can also connect with our host, Shane Tenny, CFP®, at shane@prosperousdoc.com.
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