These days, there are a lot of doctor writers. A handful have become household names. One or two dozen more have significant talent and impact, mostly in non-fiction but also in fiction and poetry. Hundreds – maybe thousands? – more write regularly for blogs and journals.

I’m not talking about scientific articles and analyses here. I’m talking about what a medical student in one of my classes once referred to as ‘real writing.’

She said this in a large room full of doctors and future doctors,...