Pauline W. Chen: A Surgeon's Reflections

Medical Student Burnout and the Challenge to Patient Care

I write this week about American medical student burnout. It's a complex issue in medical education and one that has profound implications for future doctors and for patients.

I hope you have a chance to read the article, as well as Tara Parker-Pope's post. And please do leave a comment on Tara's blog if you feel so moved. I've learned a lot from those comments.

Stories in the Service of Making a Better Doctor

In this week's "Doctor and Patient" column, I report on residency programs that have begun to incorporate narrative medicine into their training. Narrative Medicine uses reading, writing, and the approaches utilized in literary criticism as a way to strengthen the humanistic side of healing.

I had the chance to visit two of these programs and to speak to individuals involved in this work. What I learned was fascinating. I hope you have a chance to read the column and to post a comment on Tara Parker-Pope's "Well" blog.

What Does Grace Mean to You?

This week, I write about actress and playwright Anna Deavere Smith's latest show, "Let Me Down Easy," which I saw recently at the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge, Mass. A portion of the show is devoted to health care and to the stories of patients and doctors. Ms. Deavere's observations on stage (and off in a podcast interview) shed light on how patients and doctors listen to one another and how grace can emerge in medicine.

I hope you can take a few minutes to read the column, listen to the podcast (link on the same page), and leave your thoughts on the "Well" blog about what grace means to you.

The Choices Patients Make

In this week's "Doctor and Patient" column, I write about Amy Silverstein's memoir, Sick Girl and how it helped me to better understand some of the decisions patients make.

I look forward to hearing what readers think about this week's column. You can post comments below or on Tara Parker-Pope's "Well" blog.

The Dance Before the Diagnosis

This week's column appeared in print in Tuesday's Science Times section and is now up for comments online through Tara Parker-Pope's "Well" blog.

Tara begins her post with a heartbreaking story about one of her experiences during her mother's illness.

Much thanks to all who have taken the time to read the columns and to those who have  posted.