"The Soul of a Doctor" is one that I've had on my list of must-reads since I did a unit of Clinical Pastoral Education 2 summers ago. One of my biggest struggles of the summer was with the Doctors, who in some cases seemed to have a sense of detachment from the patients that I couldn't begin to comprehend (admittedly, being the overly-empathetic individual that I often am.) As I progressed through the essays, I got a genuine sense for the process of transformation that all doctors go through at some point during their careers. I think this is a fantastic read for anyone, not just someone training to be a priest or hospital chaplain. We all encounter doctors and medical staff, and having a window into their spiritual and emotional challenges can only broaden our understanding of this demanding profession. This collection of essays and reflections was deeply insightful, and about two years overdue for me. The authors of the pieces are Harvard medical students during their third year residencies. The book is part of a larger project to fully examine the American system of medical education, in hopes of creating a more holistic model of care than that which we currently have. It's also an effort to hold ourselves to higher standards in response to the Institute of Medicine's report, To Err Is Human. Point being, we can provide better care than that which we currently offer.
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