Editorial Review:

A brilliant transplant surgeon brings compassion and narrative drama to the fearful reality that every doctor must face: the inevitability of mortality.
When Pauline Chen began medical school, she dreamed of saving lives. What she could not predict was how much death would be a part of her work. Almost immediately, she found herself wrestling with medicine's most profound paradox-that a profession premised on caring for the ill also systematically depersonalizes dying. Final Exam follows Chen over the course of her education and practice as she struggles to reconcile the lessons of her training with her innate sense of empathy and humanity. A superb addition to the best medical literature of our time.

Customer Reviews:

Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0

How to become a better doctor:

Dr. Chen's book is a must read for any consumer of modern medicine. In an easy to read narrative style Dr. Chen presents a lucid view of the profession with brutal honesty. One cannot help but be impressed with her sense of mission and her call for greater compassion for the termianlly ill. Her admonistion to any doctor that she should put herslef in the shoes of the patients and ask herself "What would I do if I were the patient?" And "how can I be a better doctor?" should be the new motto for the heling... more info

A balm to my spirit:

I just finished Final Exam.
Three weeks ago, we marked the fourth anniversary of my son's death. In a week, we will remember him on what would have been his thirteenth birthday.
I found Andrew having seizures and called the paramedics. After seven hours of surgery, the neurosurgeon could not find a way to tell me that Andrew had died. Instead, he described in horrible, excruciating detail what he had done to try to save my son and what we could expect if Andrew survived. I have only been able to... more info

Lovely reading:

Autobiographical, well written and organized, sensitive and upbeat, Dr. Chen shares with us her experiences as a medical student and as a doctor. I enjoyed the chapter on dissection of the human body and the stories of patients. It reads as if one were talking to a friend. Thanks for the lovely book.

Final Exam:

This book is an excellent resource for caregivers who work with terminally-ill people: clergy, social workers, hospice volunteers, family members, etc. It provides a clear picture of the daily world of professional medical personnel, offering a rare insight into the personal dilemmas and struggles they encounter, but which are not shared with others.

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