I Quit to Protect My Patients: A Doctor’s Ethical Line in the Sand

In this powerful episode of From Print to Pod, Dr. Sulana Misra, the author of I Quit as a Civil Surgeon. This Is Why shares the deeply personal and political reasons behind her decision to resign as a USCIS-designated civil surgeon. As immigration policy shifts and ethical boundaries blur, she opens up about the weight of responsibility, the threat to patient data, and the moral dilemma of participating in a system she no longer trusts. This conversation sheds light on how medicine, ethics, activism, and patient care intersect in times of social upheaval.

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Takeaways:

• Resigning can be a form of advocacy: Dr. Misra chose to step away from her federal role to stand by her ethics and speak out against harmful immigration practices.
• Physicians must protect patient trust: The attempted access to her full EMR—including non-immigration patients—was a red line that underscored growing federal overreach.
• Ethical discomfort is a red flag: Dr. Misra encourages clinicians to listen to their bodies and instincts when something feels wrong in their practice or environment.
• Silence is not neutral: Staying quiet in the face of injustice can be complicity, especially when physicians hold trusted voices in society.
• The personal cost is real: Her decision meant loss of income and opportunity, but it also brought clarity, solidarity, and a deeper commitment to justice and patient care. 

 

Chapters:

00:00 – Welcome & Introduction

00:45 – What Is a Civil Surgeon?

02:00 – Why Dr. Misra Took the Role

03:30 – What Prompted Her to Quit

07:00 – Ethics, Safety, and Listening to the Body

09:40 – Impact on Her Practice and Colleagues

11:00 – Advocacy Through Resignation

12:00 – Grassroots Physician Activism in LA

13:00 – Patient Data and Ethical Responsibility

14:20 – Final Reflections and A Call to Physicians

 

 

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