Medical Humanities: An Introduction

This is the text for a class I am taking. Have to give it five stars. Thought-provoking in a way that not many texts about the science of medicine are.A great overview of the relatively recent field of Medical Humanities, and the "human" side of health care. I think this book should be a part of the curriculum at every good medical or nursing school.

The class I needed this book for kinda scared me but once I was able to read the textbook it really laid everything out for me. Would really recommend getting! Well written!

WOW! Eye-opening revelations combined with matter of fact, hands-on tools. The text is both enlightening and comprehensive. The individual case studies struck a chord with me the most (with some striking too closely to home), but the powerful provider/patient interactions combine traditional teaching methods along with personal guidance for both real and abstract application.More importantly, however, the steps I aim to follow as I navigate the deterioration of my beloved 90 year old mother, upon whom I rely on for daily advise and fortitude, and who has put my mind at ease as I begin to grieve her impending and welcomed (only from her end) death, while she continues to rejoice her well-lived and "blessed" life. She is yearning to "go gracefully", as her cognizance is in tact but her aching body is rapidly deteriorating. I am in awe but grief-stricken by her motivation (and I am inclined to fight it), while I am also strangely calmed by Dr. Carson's intuitiveness, thoughtfulness, and subtlety for each of our journeys. Thank you, Ron, for a life of thought, change, and philanthropy, your inspirational words and your constant example of a life and career worth immeasurable praise. You are a cherished role model with matter of fact, hands-on tools. You leave the student/reader with valuable tools, while allowing for individual wisdom and personal choice. The text is both enlightening and comprehensive. You are a cherished role model who continues to teach, push boundaries, astound us with your intellect, but, more importantly, enable us walk through a life filled with challenges, triumphs, and tragedy, whether it involves the loss of a child or parent, or encompasses the societal need for knowledge and empathy. Your book is both enlightening and easy to relate to... just like you. KUDOS!

Thanks

As a longtime student of literature, writing, and philosophical ideas, this illuminating book brings together fact, history, thought, provocation, hypotheses, truth, and intrigue. It is craftily written and poses scenarios requiring careful attention and dissection. Given the importance of ethics in medicine, the design, analysis, and the study of policy, research, integrity, and uncertainty in this comprehensive volume is both resourceful and enthralling. As a layperson, I learned much from this book, and it emphasizes my commitment to emit as well as require a moral fortitude and sense of empathy for myself and those caring for me. I truly believe this collaboration will assist budding care-takers on all levels to demonstrate a stronger sense of comprehension and compassion. This is a must-read for a vast group, from the college student interested in the humanities to the seasoned medical educator or conscientious physician inclined to delve deeper into the interpretations of the medical humanities.

What an inspiration to learn about medicine in this book through not only accounts of who created/discovered the science and how it is practiced today but through narratives from those the field serves, those who practice the profession, and those - the community - affected by the field. As a researcher and practitioner in the field of health law, I hope many medical students, their professors, and their clinical and administrative team members in practice read and work with this book's many excellent insights arising from careful readings of these narratives as I did and continue to.