In this memoir of his life as a student, doctor, and patient with advanced colon cancer, Dr. Bank (emeritus, medicine; genetics and development, Columbia U./Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center, New York) offers insights into medical education, practice and care by really good and bad doctors in the U.S. over the last 70 years. The retired hematologist also presents prescriptions for improving America's current healthcare system and his views on the Affordable Care Act as a good start toward that end. Annotation ©2013 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
This book describes the life and times of a physician-scientist over the last half-century. Part One is about the author's struggle with colon cancer and the lessons he learnt from the experience; Part Two is about his life growing up, the pretzel bakery, his family, being educated at Bronx Science, Columbia College, Harvard Medical School, and his medical training at the Boston City Hospital and the NIH. Part Three, the major portion of the book, describes the author's experiences as a practicing physician and hematologist at Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center over 40 years. It also presents his views on what it takes to be a good doctor and to practice good medicine. Part Four is about medicine today, the crisis in medical care and in obtaining affordable health insurance in the United States, and potential solutions to these problems. And finally, it also describes the author's views on how changes in America over the past few decades have transformed our society from that of the meritocracy as known in the early days to that of the present society dominated by financial considerations.
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