Written with a Hint of Jealousy

Today I confirmed an epiphany that I had prior to starting my blog. The mix of writing and fame can produce a powerful potion. A potion that has the ability to bring giants to their knees, convert seeds to redwood trees, and even doctors and swamped medical students to a state of silent, devoted attention. Just kidding about the first two.

Picture this: A group of medical students are bombarded by classes, readings, electives sign ups, lockers, buying supplies, moving in, and socializing. We've been receiving thirty to forty emails a day from interest groups, organizations, social events, deans etc. But we push it all aside to sit in silence for a few hours.

Just beyond them are the busy clinicians and scientists with nationally recognized research projects and dozens of patients to see and surgeries to do.

At 1pm everyone gathers.

An brief speech is given by a med student to introduce a famous UCSD physician who has the privilege of introducing national best selling author of Cutting for Stone, Abraham Verghese. I've never seen a introduction to an introduction to an introduction before, but today was a novelty.

There is a hierarchy of big fish in the medical community but only one will be heard today.

For a full hour, not a single whisper is heard, nor computer open while Verghese lectures about meaning, physician suicide and his experiences as a bedside doctor. When Verghese's voice is not audible, it's so silent that the rythmic beeping of a a construction truck can be heard just outside.

And after an hour of talking, his advice and words of wisdom are solicited from both practitioners and students. We wanted to know about his opinions on the use of hands as a doctor, of smell in his book, and the relevance of the characters in his book.

Never mind what the accomplished dean sitting in front of him may think of hands and patient contact.

We are the congregation and he is our pastor.

Forget the emails, the medical school planning, our families, and all other activities.

The man has come. The man who placed words on a page and became widely recognized for it.

And we all look on, starstruck with great admiration of our poetic hero.

Now, Abraham Verghese is more than a great writer. He is a physician born in Ethiopia who has lived a marvelous and inspirational life. And, although I doubt he has much time to attend to patients while touring the U.S. after writing his book, I know him to be an articulate human being with sound advice.

But what makes our faculty, and deans and two hundred other busy students take three hours out of their days to offer undivided attention to another human being?

Can writing really be THAT powerful?

Can fame make us sacrifice THAT much of our day?

Is Abraham Verghese part SuperGod or just another physician?

Well done, Dr. Verghese, you have captivated us all.