On Doctoring: New, Revised and Expanded Third Edition Review

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(More customer reviews)...the science of health. The art and science of the human spirit.
These are given every year to first year students by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and in my opinion, it is like a trusted physician's black bag in which you have the practitioner's stethoscope and blood pressure cuff and plenty of simple pharmacies for a house call--one in which the doctor is not in a hurry to run.
Let not the title catch the layperson off kilter--it's chocked full of good stuff for the rest of us humans who just like to read classic and near-classic works. Like some of my favorites: Because I Could Not Stop for Death by Dickinson, Larynx by Neruda, House Calls by Lewis Thomas and A Summer Tragedy by Arna Bontemps. There's a superb essay on wonder and the evolution of the human spirit by Melvin Konner. There's a Vonnegutian reworking of Frankenstein ( "a crass medical genius" with my real supervisor's first name--I'm grinning as I type this). There's a Chekhov piece on the loss of hope and sadness when one loses a child. Then there's copies of art--Munch, Rockwell, Fildes. Plus, lots, lots more.
First year medical students who usually are to busy to read anything for enjoyment, are missing out on a great collection if they don't stop to smell some of these literary roses. We lay folk with a taste for a great read or two will take us this slack and pass the word on how superb is this collection.

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Few subjects hold more universal appeal than that of medicine, and surely few books have evoked medicine's drama and magic more powerfully than On Doctoring. In its many forms, from age-old ritual to the cutting edge of modern science, medicine concerns us all. It is a human profession, practiced by people who have dedicated their lives not only to science but also to humanity. In the words of the great physician-writer Sir William Osler, "The physician needs a clear head and a kind heart; his work is arduous and complex, requiring the exercise of the very highest faculties of the mind, while constantly appealing to the emotions and higher feelings." It is the humanity in medicine that has inspired the pens of countless writers, and that has now been captured in this remarkable anthology of medical literature. This newly expanded edition of On Doctoring is an extraordinary collection of stories, poems, and essays written by physicians and non-physicians alike -- works that eloquently record what it is like to be sick, to be cured, to lose, or to triumph. Drawing on the full spectrum of human emotions, the editors have included selections from such important and diverse writers as Anton Chekhov, W. H. Auden, William Carlos Williams, John Keats, John Donne, Robert Coles, Pablo Neruda, Ernest Hemingway, Raymond Carver, Alice Walker, Kurt Vonnegut, and Abraham Verghese. Among the new authors included in this edition are Rainer Maria Rilke, Lisel Mueller, and May Sarton. In this era of managed healthcare, when medicine is becoming more institutionalized and impersonal, this book recaptures the breadth and the wonder of the medical profession. Presenting the issues, concerns, and challenges facing doctors and patients alike, On Doctoring is at once illuminating and provocative, a compelling record of the human spirit.

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Magic in Practice - Introducing Medical NLP: The Art and Science of Language in Healing and Health Review

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If you're really interested in finding out about NLP you will love Magic in Practice. Although aimed at doctors and health professionals its appeal is much wider than that.
Garner Thomson and Khalid Khan write with clarity from their own extensive experience. Their book includes an elegant description of NLP, is full of case studies and exercises and, uniquely, references current research that places NLP in a scientific context.
You will find `algorithms for change' that give you a structure to use NLP creatively in your own work and show how elements of NLP fit together systemically. This is much more than just a recipe book of techniques.
If you've heard about NLP and want to read something more scientific, and you want to start applying NLP in your own work and life and you want to make your communication life-enhancing, whatever the context - Magic in Practice is for you.

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Between a third and half of all patients seeking help from the medical profession are suffering from medically unexplained symptoms, and we are facing an epidemic of complex chronic conditions that have no easily discernible pathology or cause. Pressure for a model of 'whole-person' health care has been growing over the past 25 years, but, no practical, costeffective, integrative model has been suggested, until now.Medical NLP - developed out of the work of Dr Richard Bandler and the field of Neuro-Linguistic Programming - offers for the first time a practical methodology and explicit interventions to help tackle this debilitating array of problems. Supported by new research and extensive clinical experience, Medical NLP offers the only internationally recognised and licensed health practitioner training that seamlessly integrates psychosocial therapeutic approaches with the existing biomechanical principles and time constraints of the consultation process.Written in an accessible style for doctors, nurses, therapists and all other allied health professionals, this is a book about solutions, rather than problems. Featuring real-life case studies it shows how Medical NLP can be used to achieve more positive outcomes for both patients and the professionals from whom they seek help.Uniquely, an interactive website has been set up to answer questions, host discussions and provide support for readers who wish to explore further the practical application of the skill sets provided in the book. 'This book shows us the structure of those times when we've watched a colleague with a patient and thought, 'What a great doctor!' We know Medical NLP is effective, and, here, the reasons why it works are explained in terms of contemporary neuroscience. Applying what can be learned from this book will transform the way we interact with our patients, and make those interactions more exciting, stimulating and rewarding.'Dr Jonathan BannisterConsultant and Honorary Senior Lecturer in Pain Medicine and AnaesthesiaWinner: Medical Futures Innovation & Enterprise Award 2007'I can honestly say I've been waiting for something like this since the very beginning of my medical career'Dr Ayan Panja,General Practitioner and author'Be aware that Medical NLP is very powerful. It can and will change your life and the lives of your patients, for the better. Garner Thomson has all the skills to help you take you and your patients' lives forward. How do I know? Well he did it for me - but don't take my word for it. See for yourself in his book.'Mr John Wood FRCSConsultant Orthopaedic Surgeon'This book can help the counsellor to expand the art of the possible in therapy. It spells out the mechanics of carrying hope and just how significant this is in achieving the goals of a therapeutic relationship'Carol ErvinePsychologist and counsellorAlso available: I Will Need to Break Your Other Leg - ISBN 1905140215 The Love Trap - ISBN 1905140118 Essential Carer's Guide - ISBN 190514007XHammersmith Press is an independent publishing house producing books for the general public and health professionals that promote better health and well-being through a greater understanding of the human body and mind, with a particular emphasis on the importance of nutrition and diet.Some of the areas we publish in include:-Neuro-linguistic Programming (NLP)-Overcoming Chronic Fatigue Syndrome-Natural Health & Weight Loss-Holistic Medicine-Thyroid Health-Medical stories- Healthy eating-Traditional medicines-Infertility-Menopause-Diabetes

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Advice to the Young Physician: On the Art of Medicine Review

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(More customer reviews)There are many "doctor books" targeted to prospective physicians and healers, but few address the crucial "art of medicine." It is a difficult subject to talk or write about, or even teach. However, Dr. Colgan accomplishes both goals, through a careful study of the foundations of modern medicine, and how the art of medicine has evolved over centuries, from Galen and Hippocrates to Dr. Colgan's own teachers. Besides the great anecdotes and historical background (and even poetry), Dr. Colgan also offers crucial advice to future healers on how to strengthen the patient-physician relationship, and improve the "art".
It is an inspiring book, which encourages readers to go forth and make their own contributions to the art of medicine.

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Advice to the Young Physician introduces the origins of important teachings that form the basis of medicine as it has been taught by some of history's greatest educators in medicine. Advice to the Young Physician reveals how to make the transition from technician to healer.

This book reinforces the humanistic side of patient care, which is often overshadowed by the focus on highly technological elements. Medical students, residents, fellows, physicians, and allied health practitioners often forget the intricacies of the genomic makeup of adenoviruses, yet they remember the tips, anecdotes and aphorisms related by mentors, educators, and experienced physicians. The art of medicine comes from insights gained from unique and dynamic experiences between the physician, an enthusiastic medical student and the human patient, and is rarely found in books or taught in a universal and systematic way.

Advice to the Young Physician provides numerous examples of best practices in order to internalize and practice the art of medicine, including tenets taught by Hippocrates, Maimonides, Osler, Peabody, Schweitzer and others.

Advice to the Young Physician targets aspiring and new physicians with the intent to make them better physicians. It hits the mark. An effective mix of the writings of some of medicine's giants, as well as clinical experiences of the author, the book offers an historical framework and personal context to understand the attributes and attitudes of the good physician. It is a quick read that rewards the reader with a sampling of 4000 years of medical wisdom sprinkled with practical advice for the modern day doctor.

--Richard G. Roberts, MD, JD, Professor of Family Medicine, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, President World Organization of Family Doctors, Past President American Academy of Family Physicians

This is a small book and easy to read. It comprises several inspiring sketches of ancient and modern physicians whose reputations were based as much on their dedication to the humanism of medicine as it was to the science of medicine. Those who teach medical students and residents will find it a good source of medical history that, besides being important in itself, will add a new dimension and a little lightness to morning rounds.

The author makes it clear that in our era of high technology it is easy to underestimate the importance of uniting humanism with science in caring for the sick. He also provides some practical information on such topics as how to present a case to attending physicians and how to communicate well with patients. The ancient physicians that history remembers were not only astute observers of signs and symptoms but also were deeply concerned about the psychological health of their patients and how disturbances in their emotional health often manifested

in physical symptoms.

Colgan starts with Hippocrates and Maimonides whose names many young physicians are familiar with. The former for the aphorism 'first do no harm" and the latter for being one of the first to call medicine a 'vocation" and a 'calling."

The following 'greats" are included in the book:

Dr Albert Schweitzer whose 'reverence for life" led him to his missionary medical work in Africa. He wrote Out of My Life and Thought and received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1952.

Sir William Osler (1849-1919), known to some as the father of internal medicine, was a respected physician and teacher. He was the author of the Principles and Practice of Medicine, used for decades as the bible of medicine. But his fame rested equally on his dedication as a mentor to young physicians. He often gave graduation addresses to medical students reminding them to maintain a life-long interest in continuous learning and to treat the whole patient not just the disease.

Francis Weld Peabody (1881-1927) a teacher at Harvard who had written a book The Care of the Patient in which he discussed how older practitioners often complained that younger doctors' mindsets were so often over-concerned with testing that they sometimes forgot about how to take care of the whole patient.

Dr. Theodore E. Woodward (1914-2005) who was famous for his dedication to patients. Once during a snowstorm he hitched a ride on a snowplow to see his patients at the hospital. He is responsible for the epigram 'when you hear hoof beats think of horses not zebras."

Dr Edmund Pellegrino, respected for his studies in bioethics. His interest in protecting the sanctity of the doctor-patient relationship has particular importance in our current era when it seems that the art of medicine seems to be overshadowed by the business of medicine. He discusses this in his essay 'The Commodification of Medical and Health Care."

Dr. Paul Farmer also is deeply concerned with the ethical ramifications of the commercialization that is overtaking the health system. He is devoted to improving public health on a worldwide scale.

The author finishes up with some practical tips such as how to take a good history and how to avoid malpractice suits. He mentions the importance of finding a reasonable balance between our personal and professional lives. To offset the pressures that are sure to arise in caring for patients he reminds us as, Osler said, to look for the 'poetry in life," meaning to really try and understand the human side of the patients we treat.

Throughout the book Colgan refers to doctors as 'healers." He suggests that healers are those who rise above the merely technical aspects of their craft and connect with patients in a special way-a way that respects their uniqueness and their human nature. It's hard to describe in scientific terms what a healer is.

As the author points out, most doctors know them when they see them.

Edward J. Volpintesta, MD

Bethe

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