Anna Pou’s Professional Path

Five Days at Memorial

Anna Pou’s identity as a demanding surgeon and patient advocate develops alongside the choices that later define her public reputation.

increasing

Bearing strength in each event

decreasing

A Family of Care A Family of Care from "Five Days at Memorial". A Family of Care Medicine at Home Anna Pou grew up in a large family shaped by her father’s work as a physician and her mother’s care for eleven children.

A Family of Care from "Five Days at Memorial". A Family of Care Medicine at Home Anna Pou grew up in a large family shaped by her father’s work as a physician and her mother’s care for eleven children.

A Family of Care Medicine at Home Anna Pou grew up in a large family shaped by her father’s work as a physician and her mother’s care for eleven children. She learned that helping others was both a vocation and a family practice. Early Instincts A drowning emergency at a party revealed her ability to act decisively. That moment anticipated the confidence and urgency she would bring to her later medical career.

A Return to Medicine A Return to Medicine from "Five Days at Memorial". A Return to Medicine Changed Direction Pou initially left the premedical path to work as a medical technologist, but later returned to medical school.

A Return to Medicine from "Five Days at Memorial". A Return to Medicine Changed Direction Pou initially left the premedical path to work as a medical technologist, but later returned to medical school.

A Return to Medicine Changed Direction Pou initially left the premedical path to work as a medical technologist, but later returned to medical school. She trained in surgery and developed a demanding specialty in head and neck cancer reconstruction. Patients at the Center The work required technical stamina and long operations. Pou’s commitment to patients with severe disease became a defining feature of her professional life.

Back to New Orleans Back to New Orleans from "Five Days at Memorial". Back to New Orleans A Professional Homecoming Pou joined Louisiana State University and began working at Memorial and Charity Hospital.

Back to New Orleans from "Five Days at Memorial". Back to New Orleans A Professional Homecoming Pou joined Louisiana State University and began working at Memorial and Charity Hospital.

Back to New Orleans A Professional Homecoming Pou joined Louisiana State University and began working at Memorial and Charity Hospital. Her return linked her specialist practice to patients who often had limited access to care. Proving Herself Some nurses doubted that the diminutive new surgeon could withstand all-day operations. Pou responded through intense work and a forceful style that earned respect but did not win everyone over.

The Crisis Surgeon The Crisis Surgeon from "Five Days at Memorial". The Crisis Surgeon Choosing to Stay Pou stayed at Memorial when the storm threatened because she believed her skills might be needed.

The Crisis Surgeon from "Five Days at Memorial". The Crisis Surgeon Choosing to Stay Pou stayed at Memorial when the storm threatened because she believed her skills might be needed.

The Crisis Surgeon Choosing to Stay Pou stayed at Memorial when the storm threatened because she believed her skills might be needed. She helped move equipment, care for patients, and coordinate evacuation amid deteriorating conditions. An Ethical Turning Point As patients remained and rescue was uncertain, Pou participated in medication decisions later described in sharply different ways. The crisis challenged the identity she had built around healing and advocacy.

A Career Under Scrutiny A Career Under Scrutiny from "Five Days at Memorial". A Career Under Scrutiny Arrest and Public Defense Pou was arrested and became the focus of an intense public dispute.

A Career Under Scrutiny from "Five Days at Memorial". A Career Under Scrutiny Arrest and Public Defense Pou was arrested and became the focus of an intense public dispute.

A Career Under Scrutiny Arrest and Public Defense Pou was arrested and became the focus of an intense public dispute. She stopped operating for a time, relied on family and colleagues, and maintained that she had tried to provide comfort. A New Public Role After the grand jury declined to indict, Pou returned to surgery and became a prominent advocate for disaster medical immunity. She spoke about disaster care but did not publicly explain the patient injections in detail.

Childhood in New Orleans

Late 1970s–1997

2004

August 28–September 1, 2005

2006 onward