In the Foothills of Medicine

In the Foothills of Medicine shares one doctor's intriguing true story from the front lines of medicine. Dr. Robert McKersie writes vividly and passionately about the patients whom he saw, touched, and thought about during his intense inner city internship in family medicine and medical treks to remote villages in Nepal. The book shelves are lined with memoirs, personal accounts, and narratives by young doctors, residents, and graduating medical students. In the Foothills of Medicine, written candidly in clear and simple prose that goes beyond the usual account of the experiences of becoming a physician, ranks far above the best. The power of the idealism explodes from the pages without once mentioning it. The sense of social responsibility and humanitarianism, the value conflicts, and the awareness of medicine's imperfections are stated forthrightly. Most importantly, it is not only the story of a young doctor engrossed in his vocation, but a young man finding himself as a person. -Edward J. Eckenfels, Emeritus Professor, Rush University Medical Center McKersie has produced a marvelous memoir, fusing his journey to become a physician and his encounter with humanity in inner city Chicago and, yes, Nepal! Along the way, he rejects society s failure to provide vital health services, offering an alternative vision of solidarity and caring. The result: a thrilling and imaginative narrative, giving voice to an emerging physician leader. -Dr. Quentin Young, Co-founder of Physicians for a National Health Program, Former President of the American Public Health Association