At SGIM today I finally met Lisa Sanders in person. We have communicated by email and phone calls, but virtual meetings are never the same. Our conversation was delightful, as if we had known each other for years. Get two internists together, especially two who love writing, and great conversation ensues.
We talked a bit about her new book – she tells me Oct 6 is the likely publication date. The book was 4 years in the making. She is excited about publicizing her book – so here is a big tip – she is available for Grand Rounds. Now the subject of her talk.
Her column was part of the inspiration for House. I have written about why I do not watch this show – and here she is a medical consultant! So of course I asked her to reflect on the show.
She finds the medicine details the most difficult to watch, because (surprise) they do not always get the details correct. She understands that the dysfunctional personality of House is the attraction – and she accepts this inaccurate and untenable role model as a fictional device which makes the show popular.
She loves two things about the show – the focus on the diagnostic process and the admission of errors. She obviously loves the diagnostic process. House makes the thought process more explicit than we often do on the wards. That explicit discussion of thought process frames her book and her monthly cases.
She also likes the frank discussion of errors. She (and many others) find such discussions too often lacking in the real world of medicine. Only when we admit our diagnostic and therapeutic errors will we learn to avoid that error in the future.
When you meet Lisa, you think, I would like her as my doctor. She has the passion for internal medicine that students and residents need to see.
So, plan to buy her book, and consider inviting her for Grand Rounds this fall. She has great stories to tell, and you will enjoy getting to know her. I certainly enjoyed it myself.
