A Mentor's Legacy

Through the Undulations of a Long Career — A Mentor’s Legacy is a moving tribute to her teacher by Ranjana Srivastava, a humanistic oncologist from Melbourne, Australia. 

I heard Ranjana speak a few years ago at a conference and was impressed. Since then, I've read a number of her moving essays in the NEJM. A friend from Australia got me a copy of her book, Dying for a Chat (not available in the U.S.).  This short 75 page volume starts by describing the case of a 90-year-old woman whose care went terribly wrong in a sophisticated Australian medical center. The experience led her to reflect upon medicine, especially about doctor-patient communication. The book is a gem, available only in Australia.

Through the Undulations of a Long Career — A Mentor’s Legacy, in the March 7, 2019 NEJM, will resonate with medical students, trainees, and practitioners at all stages of our careers.  The author visits a retired physician who had mentored her as a student and trainee.  “Students loved him because he wasn’t just erudite but also humane. His concern for and interest in the whole person were plain to see.”

Her declining mentor “was someone who was less interested in pointing out my shortcomings and fixing my defects than in helping me find my way. When I slowed down, he persevered. When I found my feet, he stepped into the background. As a result, I am a better person and a more contented physician.”

For those who don’t have access to the NEJM, I have placed a PDF online.