Connect
MJA
MJA

How to live as doctors

Martin B Van Der Weyden
Med J Aust 2004; 180 (7): 313. || doi: 10.5694/j.1326-5377.2004.tb05960.x
Published online: 5 April 2004

Our lives are shot through with “shoulds”. We should all enjoy complete physical, mental and social well-being and should all realise happiness and inner tranquillity. Underpinning the “shoulds” are the “how to” books, such as those on how to lose weight, be fit, eat for health, or deal with depression, diabetes or dementia. Books on how to create wealth, succeed in business, cope with office politics, and so on, cater for many in the community, but how should doctors live?

In The art of living...the art of medicine. The wit and wisdom of life and medicine: a physician’s perspective, Edward C Rosenow III, a US physician, tackles this question. His insights and advice — such as “unless the physician has a balanced life and is truly enjoying life, then he or she can't effectively practice medicine, the science, as well as the art” — are interspersed with many arresting or amusing quotations. For example, in The art of living, he cites the transcendentalist Ralph W Emerson on living: “We are always getting ready to live but never living!”, and Abraham Lincoln on happiness: “Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be!”.

When analysing the art of medicine, advice and aphorisms come thick and fast. For example, in the interactions between doctors and patients “It is amazing how much you’ll hear when no one is talking!” or with other doctors, or others involved in healthcare (citing Mark Twain): “I can live a month on a good compliment”.

Interestingly, Rosenow’s overall message is simple and timeless. He is convinced that the art of medicine cannot be taught; it is imparted by role models and mentors.

If doctors ever need a guide for living — this is it.

  • Martin B Van Der Weyden1

  • The Medical Journal of Australia


Correspondence: 

Author

remove_circle_outline Delete Author
add_circle_outline Add Author

Comment
Do you have any competing interests to declare? *

I/we agree to assign copyright to the Medical Journal of Australia and agree to the Conditions of publication *
I/we agree to the Terms of use of the Medical Journal of Australia *
Email me when people comment on this article

Online responses are no longer available. Please refer to our instructions for authors page for more information.