Progress Notes: One Year in the Future of Medicine

A groundbreaking approach to training doctors could transform the future of health care.

For decades, physicians have been trained on the textbook of the body, from the corpse in a cadaver lab to the patient in a procedure suite. This type of training usually leads them to specialize in specific organs or systems and breeds an increasingly impersonal view of medicine in which the importance of person-to-person care--the hallmark of a good relationship between doctors and patients--has been lost.

In this engrossing narrative, you'll meet seven extraordinary students who embarked on a new way to train doctors that attempts to regain what's been lost. These medical students follow patients instead of physicians, accompanying patients to primary care appointments, emergency room visits, and even surgical procedures, developing deep connections and understanding the intricate interplay between the health of our bodies and the health of our communities. They learn the textbook of a community in addition to the textbook of the body.

Through poignant stories of these seven students and the people they meet as patients, Dr. Abraham M. Nussbaum illustrates the power of becoming a doctor and the possibility of changing the way we train doctors. As the students acquire a wealth of knowledge about the human body, they also navigate immense challenges and responsibilities. Throughout the year, they go about their lives, find love, and start families, all while getting to know their patients and their lives. Progress Notes follows the evolution of medical education and is a must-read for premedical students, medical students, and medical professionals seeking insight into the changing landscape of their field as well as for readers captivated by medical dramas and the pursuit of transformative care that benefits us all.

Abraham M. Nussbaum, MD, is the chief education officer at Denver Health and a professor of psychiatry at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. He is the author of The Finest Traditions of My Calling: One Physician's Search for the Renewal of Medicine.