The Emperor Has No Clothes!

The Emperor's New Clothes is a fairy tale by Danish poet and author Hans Christian Andersen about an emperor who unwittingly hires two swindlers to create a new suit of clothes for him. The tale has become a widely recognized metaphor, often referenced in situations where an obvious truth is ignored or denied by the majority.The phrase "the emperor has no clothes" is commonly used to describe scenarios in which people, fearing judgment—whether for appearing ignorant, unenlightened, irreverent, unpatriotic, or politically incorrect—hesitate to acknowledge a clear reality. In many cases, this reluctance to confront the truth becomes so ingrained that the falsehood is perpetuated unconsciously by the majority.

This blog should not be mistaken for anything other than what it really is - it serves a clear purpose: exposing truths that others cannot or will not acknowledge. For too long, no one has had the courage or willingness to confront the "Emperor" and say, "You have no clothes! You are naked!" This reluctance to speak out is not uncommon—it happens in government, corporations, organizations, and, yes, even in anesthesia schools. The truth is often uncomfortable; no one wants to admit it because it can hurt.

Surely, those who claim to be "reflecting Christ in anesthesia education" wouldn't engage in anything unethical or untoward—would they? They must have the best interests of the school and its students at heart, right? But as the saying goes, where there’s smoke, there’s fire. The motivation for starting this blog was a strong hunch that many alumni have experienced abuse, mistreatment, or insults from those in leadership at MTSA. That hunch has proven as accurate as the certainty of the sunrise. Malfeasance of this nature rarely happens in isolation.

Already, emails are pouring in—it's absolutely astonishing! To illustrate the point, I’ll share some remarks from alumni shortly.

First, allow me to share a submission from someone who was a member of the interview committee in years past. This person had "great concern" about the interview process and wrote the following letter to the school:

"I have great concern over the tabulation of our voting scores for potential candidates. I know for certain that scores are being manipulated. The way I know that numbers were manipulated is because the scores were read back for -applicant- and they were all in the teens. I know for a fact that my score was not in the teens. I also know that one other person's score was not in the teens. I noted that you made the comment that you thought something was "fishy." Indeed, something is “fishy”. Next year some system of checks should be in place to prevent this from happening. Firstly, what has happened is just plain wrong. Secondly, this could prove legally catastrophic for the school if candidates can prove that the interview process is flawed. There needs to be some way of proving, should this matter ever arise, that it is not possible for this to happen. I see this as a liability for the school. One simple method would be to count the votes immediately after every candidate in plain site of each committee member. Finally, I consider it a waste of each person’s time to have their vote taken away by the manipulation of scores. It is disheartening, infuriating, and dishonest. I hope you understand my hesitancy to identify myself. I write this anonymously for a variety of reasons."

How is this possible? Admissions to the school are being manipulated? Of course "rational" thought mandates that you should attack the person sending this letter. Enter damage control mode - Attack the whistleblower! Discredit them by whatever means possible. Make it seem as if THEY are behaving in a malevolent fashion. That sort of behavior belongs on Capital Hill (if anywhere) not within an entity claiming that they are "reflecting Christ"! (At this juncture, please reread the title of this blog).

Here are some comments about this blog so far. Again, all from alumni -- some claiming to have been didactic and clinical instructors and committee members. All anonymous just like the school likes to do (we'll talk more about the malevolent use of anonymity at a later date).

"I have never seen a 2 blog entry be so spot on in my life".

"Nepotism. It is unbelievable that this is allowed to continue. It totally takes individual perception and critical thinking out of play. Add in friends and church members and you get the mess that is now MTSA. Favoritism at its best".

"The level of success in teaching RN's to become COMPETENT CRNA's is dropping . . . fast". (I hear this all the time from a variety of sources).

"Wonder why the alum's are not giving? ARE YOU KIDDING ME?? The way we were treated in school and now you want more money??! The school uses fear and intimidation on a daily basis".

"It is this alum's feelings that there are many problems facing MTSA today. It seems with the growth that the school has undertaken these problems have been magnified".

"Bring in some nationally ranked credentialed CRNA talent. You don't see a university with all the professors graduates of that institution".

"You have alienated your alum. And their families".

"The "we own you" part that the Dean likes to throw out when angry, does not cut it with me and is why I will not support the school while this is allowed. They want to build a top school but refuse to come out of the dark ages".

"Thank you for this blog".

"Thanks for stepping up".

"Your blog is, IMHO, very accurate".

"As a former member of the admissions committee, I have seen this [nepotism] first-hand . . . especially for friends of the family and SDA church members".

"Some of the students now are so unprepared coming out I've had to personally instruct them on basic anesthesia".

Speaking out on disparate discipline: "This is also corrupt! Once again, I have been in on this too"!

"Complete, and I mean complete, lack of objectivity".

"The school is full of greed and is rapidly flooding the anesthesia market in Nashville".

Wow, I am truly overwhelmed by the influx of comments. So much, so soon. Where is Nelda Faye Ackerman when you need her? Expect a blog about her soon.