What happened that changed the priestâthe revered healer of antiquityâinto a person of science? How was the modern doctor made?
Physician is Rajeev Kurapatiâs earnest attempt to answer this question and others central to the practice of medicine. For instance, how have the advances of medical technology influenced societyâs perception of death? How do physicians balance thinking with feeling when dealing with critically ill patients? How do we meet the needs of patients seeking a personal connection to their doctor in what may seem to be an emotionally deficient medical landscape? Is it possible to overcome some of the compromises weâve had to make along the way? What is the promise of modern medicine and its limitations? And notablyâas medical care becomes more and more digitized and automated, will the medical degreeâa universal badge of respectabilityâcontinue to hold value?
Dr. Kurapati, a practicing hospital physician, succeeds in gracefully exploring the depths of what it really means to be a doctorâand a patientâat this time in our human history, and his blueprint for building a stronger future of healthcare is an important and valuable one.