“The advice of the elders to young men is very apt to be as unreal as a list of the hundred best books,” said American author and doctor Oliver Wendell Holmes. Nonetheless, sometimes it’s helpful to hear from those who have gone before—if only to know you’re not alone.
And doctor writers are indeed not alone. From Anton Chekhov to Michael Crichton, they have a long history of success. Writer Andrea Crawford explored the doctor-writer connection in the magazine Poets & Writers last year. “Medical training, like writing,” she found, “requires a long view of life; and learning to always be aware of—and separate from—one’s emotions helps to sharpen observational skills.”
Here are some quotes from doctor-writers. Do any ring true for you?
