Doctors Afield
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Edited by Mary G. McCrea Curnen, Howard Spiro, and Deborah St. James
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Format: ClothPrice: $65.00
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"Our intent was to provide a book that would let the everyday practitioner understand that he or she had stories to tell, roads to walk, pictures to paint, tunes to play—and that there is life outside, even after, medicine."—from the preface
This book examines the lives of twenty-seven physicians—twenty-one men and six women—who have combined the aim to heal with other pursuits such as art, writing, music, or politics. Their fascinating testimonies illustrate the personal gratification and inspiration that can be gained from integrating medicine with another passionately engaging activity.
The book includes a wide array of individuals and interests, from the toymaker A. C. Gilbert and the writer Gertrude Stein to a wine grower, an astronaut, a coin collector, a cabaret singer, and a minister. Most of the stories are told by the principals themselves; the lives of the four deceased subjects are related by others. Although a few physicians tell of giving up medical practice for a new field of endeavor, most attest that the partnership between medicine and another interest has invigorated them and given them new energy to care for and relate to patients.
Howard M. Spiro, M.D., professor of medicine at Yale University School of Medicine, and Mary G. McCrea Curnen, M.D., D.P.H., clinical professor of epidemiology and pediatrics at Yale University School of Medicine, are director and associate director, respectively, of the Program for Humanities in Medicine. Deborah St. James is manager of editorial services, pharmaceutical division, Bayer Corporation.
This book examines the lives of twenty-seven physicians—twenty-one men and six women—who have combined the aim to heal with other pursuits such as art, writing, music, or politics. Their fascinating testimonies illustrate the personal gratification and inspiration that can be gained from integrating medicine with another passionately engaging activity.
The book includes a wide array of individuals and interests, from the toymaker A. C. Gilbert and the writer Gertrude Stein to a wine grower, an astronaut, a coin collector, a cabaret singer, and a minister. Most of the stories are told by the principals themselves; the lives of the four deceased subjects are related by others. Although a few physicians tell of giving up medical practice for a new field of endeavor, most attest that the partnership between medicine and another interest has invigorated them and given them new energy to care for and relate to patients.
Howard M. Spiro, M.D., professor of medicine at Yale University School of Medicine, and Mary G. McCrea Curnen, M.D., D.P.H., clinical professor of epidemiology and pediatrics at Yale University School of Medicine, are director and associate director, respectively, of the Program for Humanities in Medicine. Deborah St. James is manager of editorial services, pharmaceutical division, Bayer Corporation.
Prepared under the auspices of the Program for Humanities in Medicine, Yale University School of Med
Howard M. Spiro, M.D., professor of medicine at Yale University School of Medicine, and Mary G. McCrea Curnen, M.D., D.P.H., clinical professor of epidemiology and pediatrics at Yale University School of Medicine, are director and associate director, respectively, of the Program for Humanities in Medicine. Deborah St. James is manager of editorial services, pharmaceutical division, Bayer Corporation.
"Our intent was to provide a book that would let the everyday practitioner understand that he or she had stories to tell, roads to walk, pictures to paint, tunes to play—and that there is life outside, even after, medicine."—from the Preface
"A sense of adventure and exploration leads doctors afield into realms that complement or supplant their calling in medicine, and we are the richer for these strayings. Doctors Afield splendidly documents these myriad journeys."—Thomas P. Duffy, M.D., from the Foreword
"These vignettes belie the commonplace notion that medical practice desiccates the soul and shrivels the imagination. Instead, they reveal how medical life and the creative imagination nourish each other."—E. D. Pellegrino, M.D., Georgetown University
"In sports, they call it cross-training; in medicine it can rightly be called cross-enriching: putting together a life of medicine and another pursuit—music, art, politics, or poetry. The sketches in this book are themselves enriching, showing us the possibilities for living a fuller, more creative life."—Daniel Callahan, The Hastings Centern (cover version)
"A quirky, intriguing collection of portraits of an extraordinary group of physicians—21 men, 6 women—whose leisure time is spent immersed in creative pursuits. . . . Each subject, after a brief introduction by the editors, tells his or her own story, and they are . . . remarkable. From painting (Sir Roy Caine and others), music (F. Norman Vickers: Jazzdoc), and writing (Rafael Campo: A Prescription for Poetry), we head all the way to astronautics, learning how William Thornton found himself doing physical exams on board the space shuttle Challenger. . . . A diverting glimpse into some unusually creative minds."—Kirkus Reviews
"Why would any physician who has devoted so many years to acquiring knowledge and skill choose to go afield? For those profiled in [this] book, their sidelights have been with them in one way or another since childhood. They discovered that the energies devoted to these activities were refreshing or recreating or otherwise rewarding. To learn more, read this engaging book! . . . Appealing not only to any physician but also to anyone interested in how physicians find the means to cope with the challenges of practicing modern medicine. All levels."—Choice
"[Doctors Afield] shows, not unexpectedly, that physicians may actually be inquisitive, fascinating people with a wide spectrum of ‘outside interests.’ Most of us in medicine know many colleagues like this so these stories are fun to read."—Richard Jones, Connecticut Medicine
"Doctors Afield, details the lives and philosophies of twenty-seven contemporary physicians whose extraordinary talents, imagination, and dedication have complemented their work in medicine and have also acted as a springboard for other endeavors. . . . A fascinating group of individuals with inspiring lives."—Erica Dun, Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine
ISBN: 9780300080209
Publication Date: September 10, 1999
Publishing Partner: Prepared under the auspices of the Program for Humanities in Medicine, Yale University School of Med
Publication Date: September 10, 1999
Publishing Partner: Prepared under the auspices of the Program for Humanities in Medicine, Yale University School of Med
256 pages, 6 1/8 x 9 1/4
