Practicing from the Heart in the age of Technology - All articles and poems are by Reza Ghadimi, unless otherwise noted.
Thank you, Dr. Waters, and The DO (Journal of the American Osteopathic Association), for reviewing this book.
Dr. Waters’ observation of the core message of this book is a testament to its importance, especially for our students. You can read the full review in this week’s The DO. As Dr. Waters thoughtfully puts it: “…(Ghadimi) provides dozens of heartfelt reflections on what is central to everything we do – the simple act of caring for another person. I was struck by the unique voice of each one (vignette, essay) even though the subjects are many and varied. …They’re all personal observations, steeped in the experience of a long career in patient care.” (Daniel J. Waters, DO, MA, FACOS-D, FACS – The DO) This, along with other reviews by leaders of our profession, reveals the need to address the increasing disparities in patient care in our country and around the world. I appreciate their support and hope that all in healthcare read this book. Reza Ghadimi ---------------------------------------------------------------- Here is the full text of Dr. Waters' review: (Re-Printed with permission from 'The DO') “Practicing From the Heart (In the Age of Technology),” Reza Ghadimi (Foreword by Humayun (Hank) Chaudhry, DO, MACP), ThPulse/PAPulse, LLC (2021) 264pp. By Daniel J. Waters, DO, MA This enjoyable, self-published volume arrived in the mail on the very same day I first saw something about ChatGPT®. It took me awhile to read the collection of essays and reminisces. By the time I was done, Bard® (Google) had arrived and, as of this writing, there are a half dozen or so more on the way. As a New Jersey native, I’m a diehard fan of Bruce Springsteen, but we might have to tweak one of his lyrics to, “Is that me, baby, or just some brilliant A.I.?” Now, I don’t think a chatbot, even on a good day, could do what Ghadimi has done. He has organized his musings (vignettes might be a better word) in 12 chapters headed by the calendar months, although the stories told are not in chronological order. He’s been a practicing physician assistant for decades, and even though he’s not a physician, his close professional association to physicians provides a unique observational perspective on where we are and, just maybe, where we’re heading. We’re all prone to parallax, and so a take from another angle can be illuminating. Ghadimi does not rail against technology or progress, instead he readily admits to using one of the first home computers (from Radio Shack!) to write. He provides dozens of heartfelt reflections on what is central to everything we do — the simple act of caring for another person.Some of the stories are less than a page, others are much longer. I was struck by the unique voice of each one even though the subjects are many and varied. This would be a good book to keep in your office and maybe read a bit between cases or patients. Skip around the story selections if you’d like — short or long, each is a stand-alone piece. They’re all personal observations, steeped in the experience of a long career in patient care. Perhaps, in the end, what will separate us from purely programmable authors is our ability to contextualize. I certainly hope so.
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