Why “happy” doctors die by suicide
22 Dallas Medical Journal June 2019
by Pamela Wible, MD
He was the go-to sports guy in Washington, DC. A masterful surgeon with countless
academic publications, he trained orthopaedic surgeons across the world and was the top
physician for professional sports teams and Olympians.
Dr. Benjamin Shaffer had it all.
Yet Ben was more than a stellar surgeon. He was a kind, sweet, brilliant, and sensitive soul
who could relate to anyone—from inner-city children to Supreme Court justices. He was
gorgeous and magnetic, with a sense of humor and a zest for life that was contagious.
Most of all, he loved helping people. Patients came to him in pain and left his office
laughing. They called him “Dr. Smiles.”
Ben was at the top of his game when he ended his life. So why did he die?
