Practice Makes Perfect:: How One Doctor Found the Meaning of Lives

by David Roberts

Have you ever wondered what is going on inside your doctor’s head when you’re behind that closed examination room door? Practice Makes How One Doctor Found the Meaning of Lives helps us to understand the potential depth, sanctity, and humor within the doctor-patient relationship from both perspectives, as Dr. David Roberts makes rounds and cares for patients. Dr. Roberts has just completed his medical training and starts out in the private practice of Internal Medicine in a Midwestern college town. He is twenty-nine years old, but looks sixteen, inspiring most patients to comment, “You look too young to be a doctor!” On his first week of hospital rounds, an angry middle-aged man dies in such a dramatic, direct manner that our doctor, and the young nurse working with him, believe he has killed this patient. From this point onward, we listen and learn with Dr. Roberts and Dr. Mark Edwards, his senior partner, as they together navigate their first five years of private practice as primary care physicians. Written in the currently popular narrative non-fiction style, throughout Practice Makes Perfect the reader follows Dr. Roberts as he cares for twenty different and unique patients. As he encounters each new human being seeking help, we are invited inside the good physician’s head to see and better understand the complexity of both successful and strained patient-doctor relationships. The reader sees him quickly formulate his initial impressions, analyze the data, argue with himself and sometimes others, including his patients, and struggle with his own doubts and certainties in order to help his patients to heal. Through a series of fascinating, humorous, and poignant patient stories, this “professional coming of age” book chronicles Dr. Robert’s journey of finding the human dignity in each patient and learning something about himself, to a growing confidence in his abilities as a physician. Using a lively and entertaining style, the author takes us inside his own mind to help us understand what doctors think, say and do, (and what they don’t say or do), each time we walk into the examination room as patients seeking help for our maladies. We see Doctor Roberts honestly reflect upon his own failures, successes, doubts and certainties, to learn the truth that his patients have to teach him about life. In discovering each person’s innate dignity, he finds his own true calling as a physician and healer. Each chapter begins with an epigraph, setting the stage for the patient story. In addition to meeting and learning from each patient, the reader also follows the growth and development of the fledgling practice from the first two physicians, Drs. Edwards and Roberts, to the addition of new partners, until they at last outgrow their small office and move to a new professional office building adjacent to their hospital. Recognized as one of America’s Best Doctors for many years, the author’s broad experiences as a practicing physician, a hospital and medical group executive, and national speaker allow him to paint an exciting and heartrending portrait of our healthcare system, and help the reader to find his or her place within it. You simply cannot listen to the news these days without hearing about what is wrong with healthcare. In stark contrast, seeing patients with Dr. Roberts helps us understand both what is right, and what could be better, about ourselves and our relationships with physicians, as we seek and then discover with him the dignity of each human spirit.

Genres: Medical, Nonfiction

296 pages, Paperback

First published February 22, 2013

About the author

The author's nom de plume is David Roberts, M.D. He graduated from The University of Michigan Medical School in the 1970s, and completed his Internal Medicine residency training in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He began in private practice in the early 1980s. The book chronicles the first five years of his medical practice.

In addition to medical practice over the past 30+ years he has held a variety of administrative positions, from his first position as an Internal Medicine Residency Program Director at his large, Midwestern community hospital to being the President of New Mexico's largest health plan.

In 1990, he began giving presentations on interesting and unusual patients at his state's American College of Physicians (ACP) annual meetings. These presentations became extremely popular, and are often the highest rated sessions at the conference. Each of Dr. Roberts' cases is presented in a mystery format, with him sequentially revealing the patient's medical history, examination findings, laboratory, and x-ray studies. Having given more than fifty of these presentations, usually to audiences of 200 to 1,000 physicians, David has learned the basic mechanics of creating interesting patient "mysteries" that keep an audience hanging until the end. These patient cases have become an important part of the foundation for his writing career.

In 2009, David began to sense that healthcare, even in the face of the enormous national political focus, struggled to "change from within." Building on his deep love for his patients, and his thirty years of continuous medical practice, he left his executive role, returned to the care of his patients, and to begin writing their stories. From this decision comes Practice Makes Perfect: How One Doctor Found the Meaning of Lives.

One of the great honors of his career, and most relevant as a source of expertise for this book, he was named one of America's Best Doctors in 1997, and every year since then. He has also been named a "Top Doc" and the Number 1 Geriatrics Specialist every year since returning to practice in the Albuquerque metropolitan area, where he currently sees patients three days per week.

A lively, entertaining, and very popular national public speaker, David continues both his national medical presentations as well as regional and local engagements. He also addresses large lay audiences on medical topics. He lives in an adobe home in the beautiful desert south of Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Reviews

[Deborah · Rating 4 out of 5]

So much truth written on these pages. Interesting patients with conditions that are difficult to diagnose. This doctor never gave up in his quest to be a better physician even when times were
financially tough.

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thoughtful book by a promising new author that examines the unique relationships that develop between doctors and their patients and an rare look into the early career of a physician. The author tells the stories of several patients and their families that are at times humorous or surprising, but never without pathos for their illness or medical situation. His introspective quality resonates with those of us searching to find meaning in their work and deeper self understanding, whether physician or not. The author expertly describes his characters and revisits them throughout the book to reinforce his themes of development and lasting connections. Also revealed through the story telling is the author's seemingly unquenchable curiosity, which for the most part serves to benefit of his patients, whether it be uncovering a rare diagnosis or simply listening to their private confessions. My one criticism of the book is the author's sometimes apologetic tendency, which although it gives a window into of the depth of his care, can also be viewed as an inappropriately placed burden. Overall, I felt the book is important for its descriptive quality of the kind of collaborative relationship that must exist between patient and physician to achieve health and what we can all learn in the context of such a relationship.

[Silpa Raju · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hilarious and thoughtful! The author weaves wisdom and stories of personal growth into amusing anecdotes.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was fortunate enough to win a (signed!) copy of this book through a Goodreads giveaway.

I really enjoyed this book. It follows the first few years of a young doctor's private practice, and I think what I enjoyed most about it is the "behind the scenes" stories both about patients and their stories, and about the inner monologue of a doctor as they go about their work.

The book is quite well written (especially for someone in a profession you don't necessarily equate with good writing). It's written in a conversational style, and does a great job of balancing the correct medical jargon with good explanations of what the heck that all means for the layperson.

There's also some interesting philosophical meanderings woven into the story, which gives the book that extra something more than just watching Untold Stories of the ER or some such program showing medical stories on tv. All the stories tie together into the doctor's journey of self-discovery and of growth as a physician.

If you're nosy like me and enjoy reading people's medical stories, and enjoy a good memoir, this one should be on your to-read list.

[David Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

How does a young doctor get from the worst possible first week on the job to being one of America's Best Doctors 15 years later?

Many have had a rough start to a new career, but few people have a "customer" drop dead in front of them, presumably due to their actions. This book chronicles the first five years of the practice of David Roberts, M.D., and his senior partner, Mark Edwards, M.D.

Funny, spiritual, full of wisdom. "I laughed and I cried, sometimes simultaneously," wrote one reviewer.

Written in the style of James Herriot (All Creatures Great and Small and several other books), we are invited into the examination room with Dr. Roberts and 20 different patients, for a highly authentic journey into the patient-doctor relationship. To say that each patient has an amazing story would be an understatement.

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I wrote this book, so the review has the danger of a strong bias. So, I tried to construct the quote using only the comments and observations of others.

[Kay Daniels · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this heartfelt memoir, David Roberts recounts some of the most memorable patients from his first year in private practice.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it!

I never knew all the ins and outs of a doctor's life, all the intricacies and details of patients would be so interesting to read about! I have learned a lot and wish there was more! Thank you for the insight!

[Gail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Different

This book is not what I expected. It was more philosophical rather than patient based. I guess with my that medical background I am looking to be educated or entertained by books written by medical professionals.

[Sharon Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting Tale

I enjoyed this tale of Dr Roberts early years as a community physician. His diagnostic skills seemed to be both interesting and medically correct.

[deanna muse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect indeed.

I laughed, cried and learned so much about doctors, patients and life. If I move to New Mexico, will you be my PCP?

[Janet Hobbs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Appealing

Funny and thoughtful and heartfelt. I laughed out loud a few times. As a patient, I hadn't realized how sensitive doctors can be.

[Aleta Proffitt · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a realistic look into a young medical practice. I was touched by his thoughtful and introspective writing.

[Anna Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A memoir covering the first five years of the practice of David Roberts, M.D. with his partner, Mark Edwards, M.D. More than just a chronicle of patient cases and experiences, David interjects his personal philosophy and specific ideas to practice medicine better.