Conversation. That set of skills, theyre good lawyers and bad ways. The bad way is to give all the facts and none of the meaning, retreat to the medical books medical vocabulary. Here is the data. The effective conversation is here is what i know, and im worried. I am worried about these kind of complications. And now word about these other ones. Im very hopeful certain things. I wish that they talk about i worry, i hope my wish. I wish it were true then we could cure this i hope that we will be able to buy the more time. The more you may end up back in hospital again. Heres the data, here is the understanding. I am on your side on this. Uni have been fooled. Tell a story of my dad. I thought he was sick towards the very end. This is etched on of the moment. And then he woke up. More days. Host you know, as you say some of those phrases, i am concerned. Reminds me of the importance of the art of language as a doctor. Remember in School Mentors told me, dont ask patients, are you taking
So we did not teach people along the way the science of the aging body. That is the skills required to achieve the best possible outcome and what has happened is our medical values but the second course to are the lowest paid people in our profession . Not us surgeon but the psychiatrist in geriatricians and palliative and primary care physicians but if they take time to talk to people to allow people to have the time to talk and get an understanding of what matters in peoples lives and then plan accordingly but we could do an operation or colonoscopy. I did not even know there was a field call geriatrics. Did you in school . It grew like pediatrics crew where folks are so specialized with Infectious Diseases or primary care that they do for older patients and as i think about these issues what is happening to geriatrics today . Guest it is in decline with more elderly people than ever were treating fewer people than we did one decade ago actually the geriatrics profession says were so
On weekends, and i would write i would do all sorts of things for motivation. Im a real deadline person so i tent to get things done, but its hard to get things done when youre exhausted. So id work in here in the living room, upstairs, library of congress. I just kept going. And i played all sorts of tricks on myself. I would break down my increments and think, if i got used to saying to my daughter, if anything happens to me, destroy the postits that say in this 15minute increment you do this and that. I found if you work in those short chunks youre getting things done. Im a great listmaker and i love to cross things off my list. So thats how i gets done. Up next, after words, this week, dr. Atul gawande in his latest book, being mortal. The author argues that with all that medical science can solve in the modern era its still deficient in the area of aging and dying. This program is an hour. Atul, great to see you again. Congratulations on the book, being mortal. Thank you. The book
Being mortal. Guest thank you. Host the front cover i love it. Its got a piece of grass on the cover and its got so much potential symbolism. I immediately thought of walt whitman and his book leaves of grass. He is a famous quote i bequeath myself to the dirt to grow in the graph that i love. What does a leaf of grass mean to you and why did you decide to put on the cover . Guest cover . Guest its a biblical reference actually and it refers to the idea that on the one hand we all come from something fertile but also the idea that grass is temperate. In the process of writing this book being mortal which i think is terrific by the way, its one of the few times we can have an honest conversation in a public forum about our mortality and endoflife issues. Did it hit you, did it strike you hey im not going to be around here forever. Maybe i should talk to my patients differently about their goals . What impacted writing this book and doing the research for this book have on your own pract
This was the first one to be brought to the United States in the mid19 century. So its remarkable in that way. Host its on display for anyone who is walking by . Guest absolutely. The technology of course is whats remarkable about this. You are watching booktv on cspan2 with top nonfiction books and authors every weekend. Booktv, television for serious readers. Up next on booktv, after words with guest host dr. Martin mccarry, surgeon at Johns Hopkins hospital and professor of health policy. This week doctor atul gawande and his newest book being mortal medicine and what matters in the end. In the awardwinning author argues it was all the medical science can solve in the modern era. It is still efficient any area of aging and dying. This program is about one hour. Host great to see you again. Congratulations on the book, being mortal. Guest thank you. Host the book cover i love it. Its got a piece of grass on the cover, and its got so much potential symbolism. I thought of walt whitman