One Doctor

Close Calls, Cold Cases, and the Mysteries of Medicine

By: Brendan Reilly

Narrated by: Rob Shapiro

Length: 15 hrs and 7 mins

Publisher's summary

An epic story told by a unique voice in Ameri­can medicine, One Doctor describes life-changing experiences in the career of a distinguished physi­cian. In riveting first-person prose, Dr. Brendan Reilly takes us to the front lines of medicine today.

Whipsawed by daily crises and frustra­tions, Reilly must deal with several daunting challenges simultaneously: the extraordinary patients under his care on the teeming wards of a renowned teaching hospital; the life-threatening illnesses of both of his ninety-year-old parents; and the tragic memory of a cold case from long ago that haunts him still.

As Reilly's patients and their families survive close calls, struggle with heartrending decisions, and confront the limits of medicine's power to cure, One Doctor lays bare a fragmented, depersonal­ized, business-driven health-care system where real caring is hard to find.

Every day, Reilly sees patients who fall through the cracks and suffer harm because they lack one doctor who knows them well and relentlessly advocates for their best interests.

Filled with fascinating characters in New York City and rural New England-people with dark secrets, mysterious illnesses, impos­sible dreams, and many kinds of courage - One Doctor tells their stories with sensitivity and empathy, reminding us of professional values once held dear by all physicians.

But medicine has changed enormously during Reilly's career, for both better and worse, and One Doctor is a cautionary tale about those changes. It is also a hopeful, inspiring account of medicine's poten­tial to improve people's lives, Reilly's quest to understand the "truth" about doctoring, and a moving testament to the difference one doctor can make.

©2013 Brendan Reilly, M.D. (P)2014 Tantor

This really is how it is to be a doctor.

As a practicing internal medicine doctor for over 20 years, I can tell you that this book really is accurate. Dr Reilly expertly explains the joys and struggles of being a primary care doctor. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to know how doctors think.

Future physician - best book I’ve ever purchased.

Every future physician, every current physician, every HOSPITAL ADMINISTRATOR, and EVERY patient should read this book. It gives a real sense of what a doctors job/life entails. In conclusion: everyone should read this book. Should be standard reading along with other American Classics. Great insight. Incredible understanding.

very interesting and a lovely voice

The stories of his patients, you felt everything the doctor felt. When Fred died it was just awful. Plus, you learn so much of the medical profession itself. It was suprising to learn how much goes on behind the scenes when you are in the hospital. I loved the book.

Loved the narrator of a fascinating story

The book itself was very engaging, skillfully written intertwining patient stories with good information about insurance and the medical system. But most impressive to me was the narrator’s skill a dialec

Excellent

A very real and comprehensive study of "a day in the life" of a Doctor. The story of Dr Reilly is spot on. Any of us would be fortunate to have a doc like Brendan Reilly. This book is thoughtful, concise and a must listen. In my all time top 10 of books listened to or read. Thanks Doc, I hope I can find a Doc like you in this lifetime.

Good insight into a general MD/lost role of a true family doctor

Presented as an internist/teaching/family doctor’s case-by-case (hospital-based) with personal insights and some general healthcare realities of our western medical system. Some of the stories were a bit long, but the medical insights were worthwhile for me.

A Page Turner

I don't usually choose documentaries as a favorite. This book defies all my past favorites. The doctor tells his story in an interesting fashion. This is life, illness, death, but most of all the account of a caring physician. Unfortunately with the restructuring of medicine today, not many, if any, doctors like him exist. I would love to read a similar account of the family doctor who does not make hospital calls, and the hospitalist whose practice is entirely the hospital. Meanwhile, I loved this book and the time it depicted.

Don't you wish he were your own doctor?

Wonderful, well-told stories of his own patients. And excellent treatises on the state of medicine today. A balanced view of the good old habits & personal patient care that is being lost, as well as some of the new-fangled capabilities of today's science, good AND bad. Good perspectives on the art of General Practice. I'm giving a copy of this book to my own Primary Care Doc for her own encouragement.

A masterful story that engages mind and heart

Brendan Reilly is a masterful storyteller of heart gripping experiences as a doctor. His narrative is non-nonsense but with a depth that moves and prompts to self examination. A wonderful treat for the mind and heart narrated by brilliant Rob Shapiro who brings the story to life with his beautifully modulated voice.

insightful and entertaining.

So worth my time. The narrator left me engaged and wishing for more stories like this book.