A review by vrog12
What Doctors Feel: How Emotions Affect the Practice of Medicine by Danielle Ofri
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.