The Human Side of Medicine: Learning What It's Like to Be a Patient and What It's Like to Be a Physician

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At a time of great change in the technology and delivery of medical care, what is timeless, unchanging and of premier value both to patients and physicians is the human side of medicine, the non-technical part. Two premises inspired this work: first, that it is as important for a physician to master the human side of medicine as its biology and technology, and second, that the human side can be taught. Attending to the human side refines diagnosis and treatment by recognizing the uniqueness of each patient's experience, and it enriches the experience for all those in the caring professions. Physicians who have always put their patients' interests first and never compromised their professional values have preserved their identity, vitality and enthusiasm as caring doctors. This is a study of what keeps the practice of medicine stimulating: not fascinating cases, but fascinating people and relationships, the best reasons to enter medicine. Laurence A. Savett believes that learning about the human side of medicine will help to attract talented and compassionate people to a career in medicine and will provide a context for later learning in medical school, and that teaching the human side of medicine as a primary subject is critical to becoming a good doctor.

Reviews

"Dr. Savett beautifully articulates the intricacies of human illness, the experience of being a patient and a doctor, and the doctor-patient relationship....Few books capture as well the essence of what it means to be a physician."-Paul W. Evans, M.D. Portland, ME
"Humanism in health care is not as rare a commodity as the popular rhetoric would have us believe. Larry Savett's book describes his way of practicing medicine, which I had the privelege to experience when he was my personal physician. As he teaches medical students and undergraduates, Dr. Savett is able to inspire them toward a values-based practice."-Marie Manthey, M.N.A., R.N., Minneapolis, MN Author of The Practice of Primary Nursing
"I am impressed by Dr. Savett's ability to place complex ideas and emotions, and distill the essence and values of the profession, into a readable, enjoyable, and insightful book for students, residents, physicians, and patients."-Gregory M. Vercellotti, M.D., F.A.C.P., Senior Associate Dean for Education and Professor of Medicine, University of Minnesota Medical School
"The Human Side of medicine should be considered required reading for anyone considering a career in medicine...including those who are interested but unsure about medicine and those who are firmly committed....Dr. Savett's life experiences are woven into the fabric of the text giving the book credibility and warmth....So much of this book is about being a good listener."-William H. Harvey, Ph.D Professor of Biology, Earlham College President, Central Association of Advisors for the Health Professions
"This book makes an important and unique contribution to the art of healing. It is adroitly fitted to the issues surrounding the under-attended position: that healing can be understood most effectively through patients themselves and their families."-Madgetta T. Dungy, Ph.D., Assistant Dean of Faculty Affairs University of Iowa College of Medicine
"What a special gift this book is, not only for the general public, but also for those like me who teach, and those who have come to learn in medical school....Dr. Savett shares the process of practicing humanistic medicine by explaining how to stand in the patients' shoes and look through their eyes, while actively listening to their stories. This highly readable, useful book is a treasure."-Susan Resnik, DrPH Facilitator, Doctor/Patient Communication Segment, University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine Author of Blood Saga: Hemophilia, AIDS, and the Survival of a Community

Author Bio

LAURENCE A. SAVETT, M.D. practiced primary care internal medicine in Gloucester, Massachusetts, and St. Paul, Minnesota, for 30 years. Dr. Savett teaches about the psychological and social dimensions of medicine and the doctor-patient relationship at the University of Minnesota Medical School, where he is Clinical Professor of Medicine, and at Macalester College and the University of St. Thomas, where he helps advise pre-medical students and other pre-health professional students. He has served on the admissions committee of the University of Minnesota Medical School and the board of the Central Region of the National Association of Advisors for the Health Professions. He is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians.