Table of Contents

Intoduction: Why Doctors Act That Way

Chapter 1: The Doctor Can't See You Now
Julia, part one 
Chapter 2: We Build a Better Doctor?
Julia, part two
Chapter 3: Scared Witless
Julia, part three
Chapter 4: A Daily Dose of Death
Julia, part four
Chapter 5: Burning with Shame
Julia, part five
Chapter 6: Drowning
Julia, part six
Chapter 7: Under the Microscope 
Julia, part seven

Afterword
Acknowledgments
Notes
Index

About the Author

Danielle Ofri, MD, PhD, is an associate professor of medicine at the New York University School of Medicine and has cared for patients at New York's Bellevue Hospital for more than two decades. Ofri's books and articles have become academic staples in medical schools, universities and residency programs. She is the editor in chief of theBellevue Literary Reviewand writes regularly for theNew York Times.

Reviews

“Taut, vivid prose . . . She writes for a lay audience with a practiced hand.”
—New York Times

“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

“An invaluable guide for doctors and patients.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“Insightful and invigorating…makes the case that it’s better for patients if a physician’s emotional compass-needle points in a positive direction.”
—Booklist, starred review

“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

“Ofri gives voice and color to the heartbreak, stress, and joy that attends medical practice.”
—Library Journal

“A fabulous read.”
—Greater Good

“Essential reading in Medical HumanitiesShe weaves together personal anecdotes and medical learning in a compelling account of her medical decisions and reflections. Highly recommended.”
—Sara van den Berg, Professor of English, Saint Louis University

“Dr. Ofri's real-life experiences can be incorporated into a variety of health science curricula bringing course theory together with practical application. Readers gain critical insight into why applying theory in the practice of medicine requires empathy for the physicians.”
—Christine Whittrock, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Temple University

“Part of medical education now is not only core competencies from a factual standpoint but also a social standpoint. Dr. Ofri has a way of communicating those lessons in a clear a cogent and very personal fashion.”
—Beth Dollinger M.D., Arnot Ogden Medical Center

“The perfect book for my teaching on the subject of lack of empathy in medical school students.”
—James Asa Shield, Jr., MD, Professor, Chairman, Department of Psychiatry, Virginia Commonwealth University