Stories for a humanistic medicine

In this first article for the feature Humanism and Medicine, Rita Charon in troduces an excerpt from Richard Selzer's introduction to his latest book, The Doctor Stories. In her introductory and concluding comments, Charon con templates the role of stories in medicine and how both truth and healing ca n be found in both listening to and telling stories. In the excerpt present ed, surgeon and writer Selzer muses on his twin crafts. As a writer, Selzer can fully appreciate that which he witnesses in his life as a doctor. His ruminations on his own dual citizenship suggests that all doctors, perhaps, can deepen their commitment to medicine, to their patients, and to themsel ves by strengthening their capacity to behold their patients and to grasp t heir predicaments. Selzer also traces his origins and, by implication, proj ects his future. As practicing physicians and medical educators, readers of Academic Medicine might be inspired to do the same.