Homework 22- Book Response # 1

Book Response # 1

Mountains Over Mountains- The Quest of Paul Farmer, A Man Who Could Cure The World By Tracy Kidder

Précis-

Chapters 1-4

I first met Doctor Farmer when I was traveling with American missionary troops. He came off as cocky and out of place with the Americans in Haiti.  After that brief encounter, I saw him on the plane back to the United States, and we started talking a bit. We exchanged contact information, but I didn’t hear from him until five years later. He invited me to his practice in Boston. At this point he was teaching a class at Harvard Med and working out of Brigham to practice medicine. At the hospital he seemed like a normal American Doctor, white lab coat and all. After spending a couple of days with him here, he invited me to his “real practice” in Haiti. He spends eight months out of the year in Haiti, in a hospital called Zanmi Lasante. It is the most successful hospital in Haiti, and Doctor Farmer runs it.  Of the months I spent with Doctor Farmer, I’ve seen him cure many, and never ask for anything. In fact he and his charities basically fund the Hospital. He is very generous and takes pride in curing his patients. He will literally not rest until all of his patients are being cured the best they can.

Insights from the book-

“Everyone had to pay, that is, except for almost everyone. And no one- Farmer’s rule- could be turned away.” Page 21

“A man with gastritis in late middle age. In Haiti, Farmer told me, could mean thirty years old, since 25 percent of all Haitians die before age 40.” Page 25

“The study was for him a command- to worry more about his patients’ material possessions than about their beliefs.” Page 35

“I would say, “The objective is to inculcate in the doctors and nurses the spirit to dedicate themselves to the patients, and especially to having an outcome-oriented view of TB.’ He was grinning, his face alight. He looked very young just then. ‘In other words, Fuck you.’ “ Page 42

Personal Thoughts-

I found there to be many interesting insights in this book. The last quote from the book that I posted above was my favorite from the book so far. It shows what doctor Farmer is about. He wants to help at any cost. That's what all doctors mindsets should be. Trying to give as much help and care to their patients as possible. Medicine shouldn't be about money. It should be about helping the patients get better. Doctor Farmer understands this, as he gives almost all of his money to his charities and directly to his hospital in Haiti. One of the reasons I would never become a doctor is because it is a proffesion of greed. Well at least for some doctors. And I don't want to become that greedy doctor. I rather be a greedy something else.