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116. Abraham Verghese Thinks Medicine Can Do Better

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Oct 14, 2023

Guest

Abraham Verghese

Abraham Verghese, a physician and best-selling author, shares insights on the vital role of empathy in healthcare. He distinguishes between curing and healing, advocating for more patient interaction over screen time. Verghese reflects on his early life in Ethiopia, navigating identity, and the pivotal moments during the AIDS epidemic that shaped his career. He emphasizes the necessity of maintaining compassion in an increasingly technology-driven medical landscape, using storytelling to bridge gaps in understanding and highlight serious societal issues.

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ANECDOTE

HIV in Rural Tennessee

Verghese treated numerous HIV patients in rural Tennessee, witnessing a surprising trend of men returning to their hometowns after contracting HIV in cities.
This experience highlighted the human aspect of the epidemic.

question_answer

ANECDOTE

Stigma and Tragedy of HIV

Verghese faced prejudice from colleagues who questioned his care for HIV patients, revealing the stigma surrounding the disease.
One patient, upon receiving a positive diagnosis, tragically committed suicide by cop, highlighting the devastating impact of societal stigma.

question_answer

ANECDOTE

Home Visit and Healing

Verghese's home visit to a dying patient reinforced the importance of healing beyond curing.
This act of presence provided comfort and a sense of being there.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

From Ethiopia to Empowerment

02:06 • 9min

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From Consulting to Academia: A Journey of Reflection

11:12 • 6min

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Understanding HIV: Stigma and Compassion in Medicine

17:15 • 15min

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The Human Side of Medicine

32:23 • 5min

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Fiction, Data, and the Human Experience

37:50 • 13min

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Integrating Data Science Across Disciplines

50:31 • 4min

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Harrison's Textbook of Medicine

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The Citadel

A. J. Cronin

The Citadel follows the life of Andrew Manson, a young and idealistic Scottish doctor, as he navigates the challenges of practicing medicine across interwar Wales and England. The novel confronts traditional medical ethics and highlights issues of social and health inequalities, drawing from Cronin's own experiences as a physician. It is noted for its influence on the formation of the National Health Service.

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• Mentioned in 2 episodes

My Own Country

Abraham Verghese

My Own Country: A Doctor's Story by Abraham Verghese recounts his time as an infectious disease specialist in Johnson City, Tennessee, during the early years of the AIDS epidemic. The book explores themes of empathy, prejudice, and the human condition as Verghese becomes deeply involved in the lives of his patients. It is a powerful narrative that blends medicine with personal reflection, highlighting the challenges faced by both patients and healthcare providers in a conservative community.

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Uncle Tom's cabin

Harriet Beecher Stowe

Published in 1852, 'Uncle Tom’s Cabin' is a seminal work by Harriet Beecher Stowe that depicts the harsh realities of slavery in the United States. The novel follows the story of Uncle Tom, a dignified and religious enslaved man, and Eliza, a fugitive slave, among other characters. It highlights the cruelty and injustices of the slave system and the emotional toll on enslaved individuals and their families. The book was a massive success, selling over 300,000 copies in its first year and becoming the second-best-selling book of the 19th century after the Bible. It played a significant role in fueling the abolitionist cause and is credited with influencing public opinion on slavery.

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Cutting for Stone

Abraham Verghese

The novel tells the story of twin brothers Marion and Shiva Stone, born of a secret union between an Indian nun and a British surgeon. Orphaned at birth, they grow up in Ethiopia, bound by a deep connection and a shared fascination with medicine. The story follows their journey through love, loss, and the complexities of family, as they navigate their lives from Ethiopia to New York City. The book delves into themes of love, betrayal, forgiveness, and the unbreakable bonds of family, set against the backdrop of medical miracles and the tumultuous history of Ethiopia.

#2002

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The Signal and the Noise

Why So Many Predictions Fail – but Some Don't

Nate Silver

In this book, Nate Silver delves into the world of prediction, examining why many predictions fail and how some succeed. He uses case studies from diverse areas like baseball, elections, climate change, financial crashes, poker, and weather forecasting to illustrate statistical principles. Silver emphasizes the importance of probabilistic thinking, humility, and acknowledging uncertainty in making predictions. The book is praised for its accessible explanation of complex statistical concepts and its wide-ranging coverage of predictive methods.

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The Covenant of Water

Abraham Verghese

The Covenant of Water, set in Kerala on South India's Malabar Coast, spans the years 1900 to 1977. The novel revolves around three generations of an Orthodox Saint Thomas Christian family, particularly the life of Mariamma, a twelve-year-old girl who marries a 40-year-old widower and becomes the matriarch known as Big Ammachi. The family is plagued by 'The Condition', a mysterious affliction where at least one member of each generation dies by drowning. The story intertwines with the life of Digby Kilgore, a Scottish doctor, and explores themes of family, faith, love, loss, and medical progress. The novel is a testament to the hardships of past generations and the interconnectedness of lives through time and space.

Abraham Verghese is a physician and a best-selling author — in that order, he says. He explains the difference between curing and healing, and tells Steve why doctors should spend more time with patients and less with electronic health records.

RESOURCES:

The Covenant of Water, by Abraham Verghese (2023).
"Abraham Verghese’s Sweeping New Fable of Family and Medicine,” by Andrew Solomon (The New York Times, 2023).
“Watch Oprah’s Emotional Conversation with Abraham Verghese, Author of the 101st Oprah’s Book Club Pick” (Oprah Daily, 2023).
"How Indian Teachers Have Shaped Ethiopia's Education System," by Mariam Jafri (The Quint, 2023).
“How Tech Can Turn Doctors Into Clerical Workers,” by Abraham Verghese (The New York Times Magazine, 2018).
Cutting for Stone, by Abraham Verghese (2009).
"Culture Shock — Patient as Icon, Icon as Patient," by Abraham Verghese (The New England Journal of Medicine, 2008).
“The Cowpath to America,” by Abraham Verghese (The New Yorker, 1997).
My Own Country: A Doctor's Story, by Abraham Verghese (1994).
"Urbs in Rure: Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection in Rural Tennessee," by Abraham Verghese, Steven L. Berk, and Felix Sarubbi (The Journal of Infectious Diseases, 1989).

EXTRAS:

"Are You Suffering From Burnout?" by No Stupid Questions (2023).
"Would You Rather See a Computer or a Doctor?" by Freakonomics, M.D. (2022).
“How Do You Cure a Compassion Crisis?” by Freakonomics Radio (2020).
The Citadel, by A. J. Cronin (1937).
Uncle Tom's Cabin, by Harriet Beecher Stowe (1852).

SOURCES:

Abraham Verghese, professor of medicine at Stanford University and best-selling novelist.

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