amber_lea84's review
5.0
I read this book to try to understand some of the interactions I've had with doctors and why they went the way they did. I wanted to have more empathy for why doctors sometimes seem a bit moody or erratic and to understand why I sometimes feel like I can't win no matter what I do. Basically, I wanted to know if there was something I could do differently, or some way I could read the situation differently to get better results.
I think this book is a must read for anyone with a chronic illness or who for any reason has to deal with doctors on a regular basis. I feel like this book did a lot to help me understand what it's like to be a doctor, which has definitely helped me understand how to better interact with doctors. While we all know that doctors are busy people who often have an inhuman amount of work to do, I feel like this book gave me a much clearer picture of what they go through every day. I feel better able to deal with doctors who seem frustrated because I see them as people who maybe need my help and not adversaries who are upset with me in particular. I definitely feel empowered to have more meaningful interactions with doctors after reading this book.
I think this book is a must read for anyone with a chronic illness or who for any reason has to deal with doctors on a regular basis. I feel like this book did a lot to help me understand what it's like to be a doctor, which has definitely helped me understand how to better interact with doctors. While we all know that doctors are busy people who often have an inhuman amount of work to do, I feel like this book gave me a much clearer picture of what they go through every day. I feel better able to deal with doctors who seem frustrated because I see them as people who maybe need my help and not adversaries who are upset with me in particular. I definitely feel empowered to have more meaningful interactions with doctors after reading this book.
dandymom1216's review
4.0
I read this aloud to my partner, who is an EM physician. I certainly felt more connected to the text than he and I felt like I really learned something... while I believe he felt the author was pandering to a non-medical audience. As a college career counselor, I wish my aspiring doctors would read this book, or books like it, to understand the taxing emotional toll medicine can take not only in medical school, but throughout your life.
Looking back, I really don't think this book is FOR doctors. What does it tell them that they don't already know? Perhaps it provides a voice to their experiences? I think this is more for people who are interested in learning more about the profession from an outsider's perspective. I'm glad I read it, but if I loan it to a friend I won't ask them to return it.
Looking back, I really don't think this book is FOR doctors. What does it tell them that they don't already know? Perhaps it provides a voice to their experiences? I think this is more for people who are interested in learning more about the profession from an outsider's perspective. I'm glad I read it, but if I loan it to a friend I won't ask them to return it.
kjgross's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
slow-paced
4.0
Excellent, thought provoking, emotional.
shreyaasher's review
4.0
A must read if you’re interested in medicine! Medicine is rooted in human connection, which necessitates emotion. I thought Dr. Ofri did a wonderful job using narrative and statistics to underscore why the medical field needs to be more attuned to doctors emotions, and what happens when it is not.
samesfoley's review against another edition
4.0
This review can also be found on my blog.
What Doctors Feel explores how doctors’ emotions impact both their own lives and the lives of their patients. This isn’t a non-fic where you’ll find yourself getting bored. Dr. Ofri writes conversationally and includes specific examples from her years as a doctor to get her point across. The only downside being that you’ll have to be someone who can stomach hearing about some less-than-pleasant things. I didn’t feel myself losing interest at any point while reading, and found this to be quite a compelling read. I was expecting there to be more of an academic focus, but Dr. Ofri relies fairly heavily on anecdotal storytelling. Make no mistake: she always specifies whether her assertions can be backed up by solid research or whether they are yet unexplored hypotheses. This combination helps the reader learn while also being able to tie everything discussed to real-life situations.
High empathy scores predict which students will excel in their clinical clerkships, who will be nominated by their peers for exemplary professionalism, and who will be ranked as highly empathic by residency program directors and by patients themselves.
One thing I found quite fascinating was the differences medical students can experience during their third year of med school. This is the time students spend in clinic, following interns and residents around while learning all they can. This third year can be a roll of the dice and make or break the student’s education as well as influence their path moving forward. Medical students also adjust to the humor used by physicians and in doing so can begin using phrases that phase out empathy -- by making jokes about drug addicts, for instance, instead of empathizing with their difficulties. Indeed, there is a documented decline in empathy at this point in a medical student’s education. While Dr. Ofri is clear to caution that these results are preliminary, studies have shown that patients of doctors with higher empathy scores experience things like better medication compliance, higher quality of life, and even less severe colds.
When continuing into residency, Dr. Ofri shares how there is little to no time for clinicians to process emotional situations. She shares specific instances of doctors who witnessed traumatic deaths without so much as blinking, only to break down later on in the throes of PTSD. Additionally, doctors are driven to strive for perfection. It makes sense after all, patients can die from mistakes. But there is often a dichotomy perceived: either you are a perfect doctor or you are a failure, no grey areas allowed. In the medical field, it is difficult to learn from one’s mistakes without feeling an overwhelming sense of shame and self-doubt -- and shame can prevent someone from coming forward to admit their mistake. Coming forward may be the right thing to do, but studies have also shown that acknowledging and discussing such errors leads to changes in clinicians’ behavior that prevent future mistakes.
Fear, like all emotions, is neither good nor bad; it is simply one of the normal states of being. Overwhelming fear can be incapacitating, as I learned during my first code. But appropriate fear, as I witnessed in my obstetrician, can be crucial for good medical care, especially during critical situations.
Overall, I really enjoyed this read and recommend it to anyone interested in the inner workings of the healthcare industry, particularly where the impact of emotions is concerned.
What Doctors Feel explores how doctors’ emotions impact both their own lives and the lives of their patients. This isn’t a non-fic where you’ll find yourself getting bored. Dr. Ofri writes conversationally and includes specific examples from her years as a doctor to get her point across. The only downside being that you’ll have to be someone who can stomach hearing about some less-than-pleasant things. I didn’t feel myself losing interest at any point while reading, and found this to be quite a compelling read. I was expecting there to be more of an academic focus, but Dr. Ofri relies fairly heavily on anecdotal storytelling. Make no mistake: she always specifies whether her assertions can be backed up by solid research or whether they are yet unexplored hypotheses. This combination helps the reader learn while also being able to tie everything discussed to real-life situations.
High empathy scores predict which students will excel in their clinical clerkships, who will be nominated by their peers for exemplary professionalism, and who will be ranked as highly empathic by residency program directors and by patients themselves.
One thing I found quite fascinating was the differences medical students can experience during their third year of med school. This is the time students spend in clinic, following interns and residents around while learning all they can. This third year can be a roll of the dice and make or break the student’s education as well as influence their path moving forward. Medical students also adjust to the humor used by physicians and in doing so can begin using phrases that phase out empathy -- by making jokes about drug addicts, for instance, instead of empathizing with their difficulties. Indeed, there is a documented decline in empathy at this point in a medical student’s education. While Dr. Ofri is clear to caution that these results are preliminary, studies have shown that patients of doctors with higher empathy scores experience things like better medication compliance, higher quality of life, and even less severe colds.
When continuing into residency, Dr. Ofri shares how there is little to no time for clinicians to process emotional situations. She shares specific instances of doctors who witnessed traumatic deaths without so much as blinking, only to break down later on in the throes of PTSD. Additionally, doctors are driven to strive for perfection. It makes sense after all, patients can die from mistakes. But there is often a dichotomy perceived: either you are a perfect doctor or you are a failure, no grey areas allowed. In the medical field, it is difficult to learn from one’s mistakes without feeling an overwhelming sense of shame and self-doubt -- and shame can prevent someone from coming forward to admit their mistake. Coming forward may be the right thing to do, but studies have also shown that acknowledging and discussing such errors leads to changes in clinicians’ behavior that prevent future mistakes.
Fear, like all emotions, is neither good nor bad; it is simply one of the normal states of being. Overwhelming fear can be incapacitating, as I learned during my first code. But appropriate fear, as I witnessed in my obstetrician, can be crucial for good medical care, especially during critical situations.
Overall, I really enjoyed this read and recommend it to anyone interested in the inner workings of the healthcare industry, particularly where the impact of emotions is concerned.
vrog12's review
4.0
I read this because I had realized that I'm over a quarter done my residency already and I fear I will never know enough to be useful to my patients.
Were my fears assuaged? To put it bluntly, no, but the job of this book wasn't necessarily to take away my fear. It was just a relief to read actual stories of other residents and staff (in the US) and their experiences with mistakes, bad luck, and the pressures of being a physician. All of the stories were relatable, and I felt my stomach sink and my heart race as they unfolded because I imagined myself in those same situations.
The only thing I didn't agree with in this book was one of the author's earlier points about humour in medicine. I don't think that all humour erodes empathy. I agree that there are degrees of humour that is deemed acceptable, but I do not believe her assertion that in general, medical jokes contribute to a loss of empathy throughout medical training. It's part of my style to have some fun with my job and relate to my patients and if that happens to be through humour, then think it's valuable. The jokes made behind closed doors are sometimes coping mechanisms (as Ofri insists) but I don't think that this necessarily undermines the relationships that I build with my patients. Some people are harder to relate to than others but I can't say I've ever blamed it on the degree of inappropriate humour.
Read if you're interested to see how physicians actually respond to the traumas and stressors in their lives. Empathy goes both ways, and all of us are trying to do the best that we can; unfortunately when something goes wrong, this is often overlooked.
Were my fears assuaged? To put it bluntly, no, but the job of this book wasn't necessarily to take away my fear. It was just a relief to read actual stories of other residents and staff (in the US) and their experiences with mistakes, bad luck, and the pressures of being a physician. All of the stories were relatable, and I felt my stomach sink and my heart race as they unfolded because I imagined myself in those same situations.
Spoiler
The story about the pediatrics resident holding the dying baby in the supply closet absolutely tore me apart, as did the attachment I felt towards Julia.The only thing I didn't agree with in this book was one of the author's earlier points about humour in medicine. I don't think that all humour erodes empathy. I agree that there are degrees of humour that is deemed acceptable, but I do not believe her assertion that in general, medical jokes contribute to a loss of empathy throughout medical training. It's part of my style to have some fun with my job and relate to my patients and if that happens to be through humour, then think it's valuable. The jokes made behind closed doors are sometimes coping mechanisms (as Ofri insists) but I don't think that this necessarily undermines the relationships that I build with my patients. Some people are harder to relate to than others but I can't say I've ever blamed it on the degree of inappropriate humour.
Read if you're interested to see how physicians actually respond to the traumas and stressors in their lives. Empathy goes both ways, and all of us are trying to do the best that we can; unfortunately when something goes wrong, this is often overlooked.