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(50 reviews) Author: Visit Amazon's Danielle Ofri Page ISBN : 9780807073322 New from $17.95 Format: PDF
Download for free medical books PRETITLE What Doctors Feel: How Emotions Affect the Practice of Medicine POSTTITLE from mediafire, rapishare, and mirror link (50 reviews) Author: Visit Amazon's Danielle Ofri Page ISBN : 9780807073322 New from $17.95 Format: PDFFrom Booklist
*Starred Review* Tucked inside a white lab coat or scrub suit is a welter of human emotions that can play a large role in a doctor’s decision-making process. Ofri, an internist at New York’s Bellevue Hospital, explores the emotional core of doctoring. Suturing together her own experiences, the plights of memorable patients, and interviews with other physicians, she examines the diverse feelings—anger, grief, shame, disillusionment, gratitude, humility, joy—that can fluster or elevate physicians. “Fear is a primal emotion in medicine,” she writes, and doctors worry about making a mistake or even killing a patient. Sadness is an occupational hazard, and “A thread of sorrow weaves through the daily life of medicine.” Then there’s empathy. Is it innate, acquired, or both, and why do third-year medical students lose it? Ofri exposes her emotional side as she recounts the story of a longtime patient, an undocumented immigrant from Guatemala who finally receives a heart transplant but dies shortly after the procedure. Ofri admits, “Doctors who are angry, nervous, jealous, burned out, terrified, or ashamed can usually still treat bronchitis or ankle sprains competently.” Yet her insightful and invigorating book makes the case that it’s better for patients if a physician’s emotional compass-needle points in a positive direction. --Tony Miksanek
Review
“Taut, vivid prose. . . . She writes for a lay audience with a practiced hand.” —New York Times
"Here is a book that is at once sad and joyful, frightening and thought-provoking. In her lucid and passionate explanations of the important role that emotions play in the practice of medicine and in healing and health, Danielle Ofri tells stories of great importance to both doctors and patients.” —Perri Klass, author of Treatment Kind and Fair: Letters to a Young Doctor
“An invaluable guide for doctors and patients on how to ‘recognize and navigate the emotional subtexts’ of the doctor-patient relationship.” —Kirkus Reviews
“Yet her insightful and invigorating book makes the case that it’s better for patients if a physician’s emotional compass-needle points in a positive direction.” —Booklist (starred review)
“Rich and deeply insightful. . . . A fascinating journey into the heart and mind of a physician struggling to do the best for her patients while navigating an imperfect health care system.” —Boston Globe
“With grace, courage, humility, and compassion, Bellevue Hospital physician Ofri gives voice and color to the heartbreak, stress, and joy that attends medical practice.” —Library Journal
“A fabulous read.” —Greater Good
"Here is a book that is at once sad and joyful, frightening and thought-provoking. In her lucid and passionate explanations of the important role that emotions play in the practice of medicine and in healing and health, Danielle Ofri tells stories of great importance to both doctors and patients.” —Perri Klass, author of Treatment Kind and Fair: Letters to a Young Doctor
“An invaluable guide for doctors and patients on how to ‘recognize and navigate the emotional subtexts’ of the doctor-patient relationship.” —Kirkus Reviews
“Yet her insightful and invigorating book makes the case that it’s better for patients if a physician’s emotional compass-needle points in a positive direction.” —Booklist (starred review)
“Rich and deeply insightful. . . . A fascinating journey into the heart and mind of a physician struggling to do the best for her patients while navigating an imperfect health care system.” —Boston Globe
“With grace, courage, humility, and compassion, Bellevue Hospital physician Ofri gives voice and color to the heartbreak, stress, and joy that attends medical practice.” —Library Journal
“A fabulous read.” —Greater Good
See all Editorial Reviews
- Hardcover: 232 pages
- Publisher: Beacon Press; 1 edition (June 4, 2013)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0807073326
- ISBN-13: 978-0807073322
- Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.9 x 8.5 inches
- Shipping Weight: 14.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
What Doctors Feel: How Emotions Affect the Practice of Medicine PDF
We hope that our doctors will provide us with exemplary care, sound advice, and the proper medication for what ails us. We do not always keep in mind that the person treating us is a fallible individual who may be exhausted, having a difficult day, or struggling with personal problems. In "What Doctors Feel," by Dr. Danielle Ofri, the author parts the curtain that separates the layperson from the medical practitioner, revealing how emotions can play a key role in the doctor-patient relationship, especially in "clinical situations [that] are convoluted, unyielding, or overlaid with unexpected complications...."
We like to think that, after we are admitted to a hospital, we are in good hands. After all, we are protected by protocols that arise from "evidence-based medicine, clinical algorithms, quality-control measures, even medical experience." Unfortunately, an inpatient is subject not just to infections, but also to medical error. The most well-meaning surgeon or clinician can misdiagnose an illness, prescribe the wrong drug, or perform a procedure incorrectly. Fatigued, distracted, depressed, and anxious doctors are more likely to make mistakes than those who are well-rested, unhurried, and calm.
Other scenarios are worth noting. Certain patients complain endlessly; their physicians may became exasperated and subconsciously tune them out. (On the other hand, some doctors may go the extra mile for their more cooperative and appreciative patients.) In today's litigious society, there are specialists who will not take on "difficult" cases for fear of being sued. Troubled doctors may self-medicate with drugs or alcohol, and burned out physicians may be reluctant to admit that they have become thoroughly disillusioned with their profession.
I needed this book. After finishing a surgery clerkship, I was at the lowest place I had been all year. A friend told me at the beginning of the rotation to keep a copy of my personal statement in my pocket, because at times, I would forget why I had chosen to enter medicine. I didn't take his advice, but recognize now that I did become that detached and disillusioned. Thankfully, the combination of a family medicine rotation and having this book to read when patients "would rather not see a medical student" has served the same purpose - if anything, I understand better than ever why I am doing this.
I chose to pursue medicine after realizing that I needed more emotional attachment to the people, and the cause, that I wanted to work for. We talk a lot about `hidden curriculum' in medical school, but I'd take it a step further and say your book discusses the `neglected curriculum' of medical school. I'm almost done with my first year on the wards now, and am familiar enough with patient care to identify with all the `feelings' assigned as chapter titles. Countless times, I've wondered how residents and attendings deal with difficult patient deaths, the joy of successful treatment, medical errors, the reprimanding that takes place during M&M, litigation, etc. All we have to learn from are the behaviors our supervisors respond to these situations with, and so much is left unspoken on account of being `resilient.'
I can't thank Dr. Ofri enough for her willingness to be vulnerable and brutally honest. I greatly appreciated the work she did to present different perspectives on each emotion, with many of the stories not having classic `happy endings.
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