John Gillean

John Gillean, born and raised in a small town outside Texarkana, Arkansas, attended University of Arkansas for medical school. He practiced medicine for 17 years before he “became an administrative type,” as he put it. Today, he is senior vice president and chief medical officer of CHRISTUS Health. Read more about him below.

Q. What music have you listened to today?
A. I’m going to be embarrassed to admit it, but I actually like Coldplay. I’ve been listening to Coldplay and Maroon 5. My children would be proud. They think I’m a little old, but nevertheless, I like it.

Q. What is your favorite word?
A. Patience.

Q. When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A. Something in science. I don’t think I talk about being a medical doctor necessarily, but science of some sort.

Q. What is your favorite cocktail?
A. Martini. A gin martini. A vodka one is not a martini.

Q. What is your greatest extravagance?
A. Probably the 52-inch LCD TV I bought last year.

Q. What is your favorite thing about Los Angeles?
A. The weather.

Q. What was the last thing that inspired you?
A. I was in Washington last week, touring the monuments, and I think you can’t go to the Lincoln Memorial, the Jefferson Memorial, and not be inspired. The Jefferson Memorial in particular-reading the quotes from him and just the presence in that monument.

Q. What is your fondest childhood memory?
A. Eating ice cream.

Q. What is the best advice you have received?
A. To be more relaxed, to try to listen, and to not overreact.

Q. Who is the one person living or dead you would most like to meet for a drink?
A. Shakespeare.

To read about Gillean’s panel on medical tourism, click here.

*Photo by Aaron Salcido.