Writer, M.D. ─ The Best Contemporary Fiction and Nonfiction by Doctors

"For centuries, doctors have turned to the written word, giving voice to their unique perspectives through literature. Writer, M.D. celebrates this tradition with a wide-ranging selection of writings--both fiction and nonfiction--by some of today's most beloved physician-writers. These stories explore a range of emotions deeply felt by doctors--an acute awareness of our mortality, of the interplay between medicine and humanity, of the weight of responsibility carried by the profession. They also bring into sharp focus the point of view of the patient, illuminating the experience of grief, trauma, illness, and aging that doctors witness through their work. From Abraham Verghese on the lost art of the physical exam to Pauline Chen on the strangely intense relationship between a med student and her first cadaver; from Atul Gawande on practicing to be a doctor to Ethan Canin on love and growing old--Writer, M.D. provides a one-of-a-kind peek into the minds of those who deal with enormous existential issues and traumatic situations on a daily basis, showing us what really makes doctors tick"--

Leah Kaminsky is an award-winning writer and a practicing family physician. She is the author of four books, including Stitching Things Together, a collection of poetry. She has studied writing at the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, New York University, and Vermont College of Fine Arts, and is currently at work on her first novel. She lives in Melbourne, Australia.