A quirky, intriguing collection of portraits of an extraordinary
group of physicians - 21 men, 6 women - whose leisure time is spent
immersed in creative pursuits. To Curnen and Spiro (both professors
at Yale's School of Medicine) the range of their subjects'
extracurricular interests attests to "the continued presence of
creative energy in their lives. . . . A sense of adventure and
exploration leads doctors afield into realms that complement or
supplant their calling in medicine, and we are richer for these
strayings." Each subject, after a brief introduction by the
editors, tells his or her own story, and they are, on the whole,
remarkable. From painting (Sir Roy Caine and others), music ("F.
Norman Vickers: Jazzdoc"), and writing ("Rafael Campo: A
Prescription for Poetry"), we head all the way to astronautics,
learning how William Thornton found himself doing physical exams on
board the space shuttle Challenger. Although psychiatrist George W.
Naumburg Jr. graduated from the Yale School of Medicine, "Yale also
contributed to his career in wine making by providing him a
background in chemistry and biology." Back in the roaring 20s,
Naumburg recalls, "we tried unsuccessfully to make beer, and our
Concord grapes proved worthless for anything but jelly" - but he
now owns his own Westchester County, New York, winery. Others have
followed a calling to "The Spiritual Life" (including a prison
priest), to government, and to collecting (old maps, medals). The
editors keep themselves in the background, letting these
physicians' often passionate voices be heard, as when Andrew W.
Nichols chronicles years of public-health work in the Third World
and among the US poor, followed by his triumphant election to the
Arizona House of Representatives: "No longer the supplicant before
policy makers, I could influence those policies so consequential to
the lives of my constituents." A diverting glimpse into some
unusually creative minds. (Kirkus Reviews)
"Our intent was to provide a book that would let the everyday
practitioner understand that he or she had stories to tell, roads
to walk, pictures to paint, tunes to play-and that there is life
outside, even after, medicine."-from the preface This book examines
the lives of twenty-seven physicians-twenty-one men and six
women-who have combined the aim to heal with other pursuits such as
art, writing, music, or politics. Their fascinating testimonies
illustrate the personal gratification and inspiration that can be
gained from integrating medicine with another passionately engaging
activity. The book includes a wide array of individuals and
interests, from the toymaker A. C. Gilbert and the writer Gertrude
Stein to a wine grower, an astronaut, a coin collector, a cabaret
singer, and a minister. Most of the stories are told by the
principals themselves; the lives of the four deceased subjects are
related by others. Although a few physicians tell of giving up
medical practice for a new field of endeavor, most attest that the
partnership between medicine and another interest has invigorated
them and given them new energy to care for and relate to patients.
Howard M. Spiro, M.D., professor of medicine at Yale University
School of Medicine, and Mary G. McCrea Curnen, M.D., D.P.H.,
clinical professor of epidemiology and pediatrics at Yale
University School of Medicine, are director and associate director,
respectively, of the Program for Humanities in Medicine. Deborah
St. James is manager of editorial services, pharmaceutical
division, Bayer Corporation. Prepared under the auspices of the
Program for Humanities in Medicine, Yale University School of Med
General
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