Bookshelf
| How Doctors Think, Jerone Groopman, M.D. |
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How Doctors Think, Jerome Groopman, M.D. **** As you are sitting there in that sterile exam room with nothing on but a 2 mm paper gown, freezing your butt off and wondering what torture implement they're about to pull out next, have you ever wondered, "What the hell is this guy thinking?" Well, you are not alone. Dr. Groppman does an admirable job here of trying to give us some insight. This book is not so much about the everyday thoughts of doctors ( since they are just people like the rest of us), but more about the thought processes that go into recognizing, diagnosing and treating disease. He uses real case studies (including himself) to go through myriad issues such as radiologist's margins of error, dealing with sick kids and their parents, the effect drug companies and maketing have on treatments and fast decisions made in the ER. These issues are presented in a very readable way, and no particular medical knowledge is needed to understand and enjoy this book. As a veterinarian I was able to draw parallels on virtually every topic presented as our medicine daily grows closer to the human model. However, it is very interesting that a lot of the pitfalls and cognitive errors that doctors are prone to are just related to human nature. Rather than conveying a sense of distance between doctors and their patients, I think Dr. Groopman's big effort here is to show that doctors are just real people that, despite their training and dedication, can make mistakes; and also to demonstrate that we as patients should ask questions and take an active role in our healthcare process. A great book that everyone should read!
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| Last Updated on Tuesday, 23 September 2008 10:58 |