We all face death at one point in our lives. We witness the death of family members and friends, and face our own eventual demise. We listen to accounts of people who have died, and sometimes feel remorse and grief, and other times seeing it as some far off event, something not entirely affecting us. But how do people who have to deal with death and disease every day see it?
As Dr. Pauline Chen explains in her book Final Exam, physicians seem to have an even greater aversion to death than the general population. From the very beginning of medical training, death is at the forefront of everyone's mind. And it affects the psyche like nothing else can. As a result, most physicians seem to avoid discussing death at all costs, which makes palliative care precarious at best.
In this memoir, Dr. Chen explains many circumstances in which she faced death, from the corpse she had to dissect to an infant everyone tries to save. She looks into herself to see exactly how she felt during these experiences, throughout her training and practice as a transplant surgeon. She explains how the common idea of physicians, held by the public and the physicians themselves, of being somehow immortal develops over time.
Her discussion is riveting, and I found it remarkably difficult to put the book down at all. She sprinkles in a bit of medical history, particularly on views of physicians and the concept surrounding gross anatomy. She sees the need for more training to prepare aspiring physicians on this universal truth. She encourages seeing the patient for the person, rather than a collection of diseases, to treat them emotionally as well as physically. And yet, the reader can feel her struggle as even she has difficulty doing exactly that.
Her writing is remarkably easy to read as well, though some terms may confuse readers not familiar with the terminology. She does a good job at explaining a great deal of the training it takes, and gives a glimpse into the world of medicine that anyone would appreciate.
As an aspiring physician myself, I found Chen's book to be both frightening and encouraging. It is certainly the best glimpse into the medical field as a whole I have ever experienced. As such, I most certainly give the novel a rating of 5 of 5 stars.
Written by Chelle
Final Exam: A Surgeon's Reflections on Mortality
by Pauline W. Chen
ISBN: 9780307263537
$11.16 on Amazon.com
I appreciate the recommendation, I'll have to read it.
Living is easy with eyes closed, misunderstanding all you see.
That sounds very interesting. I would love to read it. I have a friend going into the medical field. Maybe this would help me understand?
Nice review :)