A Doctor's Journey

The tragic. The comic. The inspirational. Poignant tales that show what forms the fabric of today's physicians.

Practicing neurologist Frederic A. Mendelsohn takes you on an insider's journey through the sometimes startling landscape of American medicine today. Inspired by his own encounters during thirty-five years of clinical practice, Mendelsohn's stories range from the tragic to the droll, but each speaks in some way to the incredible strength of the human spirit. Here's a taste of the remarkable stories in A Doctor's Journey: "Searching for Salvation" - A teenage boy is seriously injured in a boating accident, but the effects of his accident are even greater on the boy who injured him. "Casanova Complex" - A gifted surgeon who looks like Tom Cruise - "if Tom Cruise were on steroids" - gets an unexpected fifteen minutes of fame while romping with a hospital nurse. "Wally the Whale" - A tale about several epileptic patients, but mostly about Wally, an unforgettable character who tries to murder the good doctor. "Angela's Angel" - A young woman, critically injured in a motor vehicle accident, makes a miraculous recovery, but the infant daughter of her angelic sister - who has been part of that recovery -- suffers a heartbreaking medical tragedy of her own. "Mambo Mendez" - Part confessional, part memoir, part introduction to the author's musical heritage, this story shows the struggle of blending family life with the rigors of a medical practice. Mendelsohn also explores the notion that a strong background in Debussy, Ravel and Satie may do as much to prompt the mental creativity and flexibility essential to successful doctoring as does a comprehensive training in phrenic nerves and conversion disorders.