Table of Contents

1. Introduction 2. Ancient Times 2.1 Hammurabi 2.2 Hippocrates 2.3 Early Greeks 3. Medieval Medicine 3.1 Rhaze 3.2 Avicenna 3.3 Maimonides 4. The Twentieth Century 4.1 Sir William Osler 4.2 Francis Weld Peabody 4.3 Albert Schweitzer 5. Modern Masters 5.1 Theodore Woodward 5.2 Paul Farmer 5.3 Edmund Pellegrino 6. Survival Tips for the Young Physician 6.1 The Art of Presentation 6.2 Practice Makes for Better Practice 6.3 Good Communication 7. Civility 8. Lessons Learned from Private Practice 8.1 Choosing Good Practice 8.2 Searching for the True Poetry of Life 8.3 A Doctor's Journal 8.4 Physician, Heal Thyself 9. The Healer Index Photo Credits

Reviews

From the reviews: The title is literal and so is the approach, so the general reader might well pass up this 145-page admonition-except that Colgan, perhaps inadvertently, illuminates a crucial, often neglected element of the current debate on national medical care: physicians' obligation to serve patients' urgent needs, irrespective of compensation. The University of Maryland Medical School associate professor recounts a history of this beneficence, predating the Hippocratic Oath and extending to heroes of the modern medical era. Several, including Sir William Osler, are associated with Johns Hopkins. Parsed out, the message is emphatic: The patient comes first. - Lew Diuguid, John Hopkins Magazine, February 28, 2011 Advice to the Young Physician targets aspiring and new physicians with the intent to make them better physicians. It hits the mark. An effective mix of the writings of some of medicine's giants, as well as clinical experiences of the author, the book offers an historical framework and personal context to understand the attributes and attitudes of the good physician. It is a quick read that rewards the reader with a sampling of 4000 years of medical wisdom sprinkled with practical advice for the modern day doctor. -Richard G. Roberts, MD, JD, Professor of Family Medicine, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine & Public Health, President, World Organization of Family Doctors, Past President, American Academy of Family Physicians Dr Colgan's emphasis on humanistic medicine molded my outlook and practice as a student. He is a teaching physician after the form of the great leaders he writes about here. He insists we remember our royal heritage, put first our duty to our patients, and honor the calling society has privileged us with. - David A Edwards, MD, PhD, Anesthesiology Resident, University of Florida In Advice to Young Physicians: On the Art of Medicine, Dr. Richard Colgan reflects on the "art" of medicine and what it means in today's culture and argues effectively for a more active and central role of it in health care training. By featuring some influential healers from ancient times to present day and drawing from personal experience, Dr. Colgan shows how there has always been recognition of the "human" side of medicine...This text does more than offer practical tips (which are very relevant to any young healer). It also helps to reignite a passion that exists for many who start out in training and find themselves worn down and jaded by the formal didactics and stresses that are faced, such as long hours away from family and friends, the heaviness of dealing with pain and suffering, and the culture of medicine, which at times can be cold and seemingly lacking in humanity. The reader comes to see the power of the art of medicine, that which is "outside of the scientific realm," when caring for the patient. - Stephanie Fleegle, M.D., Second Year Family Medicine Resident, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania "Award-winning professor ... offers history, practical advice and inspiration to help young doctors become healers rather than mere technicians in straight ahead prose with a liberal sprinkling of anecdotes. The first half of the book profiles inspiring physicians ... . more practical matters in the second half advising on communicating well and with civility establishing a good practice, 'searching for the true poetry of life' in the midst of one's work, and facing the sometimes quixotic task of caring for and healing fellow human beings." (CUA Magazine, Vol. 22 (2), 2010) "This work reflects the author's personal definition of the art of medicine. ... Each chapter opens with an abstract and ends with a list of references and list of further reading and resources. ... physicians of all ages and at various points in their careers would benefit from reading this book. It would make a great graduation gift to new physicians. It is readable and compact enough to fit in the pocket of a standard white lab jacket. I recommend this book ... ." (Marie-Alberte Boursiquot, The Linacre Quarterly, Vol. 77 (4), November, 2010) "Richard Colgan, MD, begins to explore this frontier in Advice to the Young Physician: on the Art of Medicine. ... On reading Advice to the Young Physician, one leaves wanting a little bit more, happy to be a caring physician, and overwhelmed by the extensive future reading list. ... Dr. Colgan brings this forward to share with others both experienced and prospective. It serves as an invitation to be something different, to join the society of healers." (Kent Bream, Family Medicine, Vol. 43 (2), February, 2011)