David Black's book Medicine Man chronicles Aaron Kenigsberg's third year
of medical school. In the process of describing his hectic life it teaches the
reader three very important things. It educates the reader about the future of
medicine, it shows how dedicated a doctor must truly be, and it contrasts the
medicine of the past with that of the present and future.
Aaron Kenigsberg's entire third year of medical school seems to be one of
harried excitement. The constant activity which Aaron and his fellow students must
endure teaches the reader a very important thing about doctors. Doctors must be
extremely dedicated to their profession. If they voluntarily undergo four years
of sleepless nights and non-stop days, then they must be dedicated. Black does
an excellent job describing the constant influx of patients that stream in and out
of Aaron's life. Despite these horrible pressures Aaron manages to do quite well
throughout the book.
Overall, this book, with its essays illustrating the effects of medicine
on the mind and spirit, begins to truly enlighten the reader on what the future of
medicine will be. It proves that sickness, and the subsequent recovery, depend largely
on the psyche of the patient. In other words, if the patient is convinced the sickness
will persist then he will not recover, and vice-versa. Therefore, it can be determined
that it is just as important, if not more so, for the doctor to have a large body of
technical knowledge. This is a very interesting idea in today's impersonal world of
huge health care plans and unknown doctors. It is also very interesting to note how much
medicine has and is currently changing.
One of the most interesting aspects of the book is its description of the current
revolution in medicine. It contrasts the relative...