Letter to a Young Female Physician: Notes from a Medical Life
- Downloads：1502
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-06-03 05:19:06
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Suzanne Koven
- ISBN：1324007141
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
- Download
Summary
In 2017， Dr。 Suzanne Koven published an essay describing the challenges faced by female physicians， including her own personal struggle with "imposter syndrome"—a long-held secret belief that she was not smart enough or good enough to be a “real” doctor。 Accessed by thousands of readers around the world， Koven’s “Letter to a Young Female Physician” has evolved into a deeply felt reflection on her career in medicine。
Koven tells candid and illuminating stories about her pregnancy during a grueling residency in the AIDS era; the illnesses of her child and aging parents during which her roles as a doctor， mother， and daughter converged， and sometimes collided; the sexism， pay inequity， and harassment that women in medicine encounter; and the twilight of her career during the COVID-19 pandemic。 As she traces the arc of her life， Koven finds inspiration in literature and faces the near-universal challenges of burnout， body image， and balancing work with marriage and parenthood。
Shining with warmth， clarity， and wisdom， Letter to a Young Female Physician reveals a woman forging her authentic identity in a modern landscape that is as overwhelming and confusing as it is exhilarating in its possibilities。 Koven offers an indelible account， by turns humorous and profound， from a doctor， mother， wife， daughter， teacher， and writer who sheds light on our desire to find meaning， and on a way to be our own imperfect selves in the world。
Koven tells candid and illuminating stories about her pregnancy during a grueling residency in the AIDS era; the illnesses of her child and aging parents during which her roles as a doctor， mother， and daughter converged， and sometimes collided; the sexism， pay inequity， and harassment that women in medicine encounter; and the twilight of her career during the COVID-19 pandemic。 As she traces the arc of her life， Koven finds inspiration in literature and faces the near-universal challenges of burnout， body image， and balancing work with marriage and parenthood。
Shining with warmth， clarity， and wisdom， Letter to a Young Female Physician reveals a woman forging her authentic identity in a modern landscape that is as overwhelming and confusing as it is exhilarating in its possibilities。 Koven offers an indelible account， by turns humorous and profound， from a doctor， mother， wife， daughter， teacher， and writer who sheds light on our desire to find meaning， and on a way to be our own imperfect selves in the world。
Reviews
Maureen Grigsby
，
I would actually give this one a 3。5。 I usually really like a medical memoir， but this one just didn’t do it for me。
Amaia
，
A thoughtful， sensible and intelligent essay and medical memoir， observant and analytical of the subtle and faceted dilemmas of a conscious physician， heart-warming but also brutally honest， this is the letter I should have read in my early years of medical training， or maybe even before I took this path。 I found myself in many of this memoir’s instances， and the idea that literature makes us better doctors is something I find comfort in for many years。Feminism aside—as this is not my cup of tea A thoughtful， sensible and intelligent essay and medical memoir， observant and analytical of the subtle and faceted dilemmas of a conscious physician， heart-warming but also brutally honest， this is the letter I should have read in my early years of medical training， or maybe even before I took this path。 I found myself in many of this memoir’s instances， and the idea that literature makes us better doctors is something I find comfort in for many years。Feminism aside—as this is not my cup of tea—， this book is wonderful and highly recommended。4。5* 。。。more
Gretchen
，
I bought this because I jokingly said it was written to me （“young” may be a stretch。 But I’d call myself medium aged anyway）。But after reading it I decided I was right！ It was written to me。 This is a beautiful collection of essays on the author’s experience of being a physician， a wife， a mom， a daughter， a human。 She is a talented writer and her style is very engaging。I enjoyed it very much。
Amanda Meyer
，
I'm not in the medical field so personally I didn't find this book interesting。 That said however， if you are in the medical field this is an interesting read to see the different sides。 I'm not in the medical field so personally I didn't find this book interesting。 That said however， if you are in the medical field this is an interesting read to see the different sides。 。。。more
Diane Bateman
，
This is a well written Memoir that made me smile ， cry and laugh 。 I thought it was a great life story put into words 。 I would recommend you to read this amazing story 。
Michelle
，
This was a very thoughtful examination of the events and pressures in a female doctor's life as she progressed through medical school， residency and family and career， and how the rest of her life with her parents， husband and children intersected with her career as a doctor。 It was well written and an enjoyable read。 Thanks to NetGalley for this advance review copy。 This was a very thoughtful examination of the events and pressures in a female doctor's life as she progressed through medical school， residency and family and career， and how the rest of her life with her parents， husband and children intersected with her career as a doctor。 It was well written and an enjoyable read。 Thanks to NetGalley for this advance review copy。 。。。more
Sue Hayward-Ault
，
My thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to review this book。The memoir itself wasn't so much about her role as a physician but the journey taken。 It would be an advantageous read for anyone thinking about a career in medicine because it highlights that for many it doesn't matter how far you have progressed he feeling of inadequacy isn't far behindShe sees her patients as people not medical models and like the majority of those of us working in a medical role finds time spent with the patient is s My thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to review this book。The memoir itself wasn't so much about her role as a physician but the journey taken。 It would be an advantageous read for anyone thinking about a career in medicine because it highlights that for many it doesn't matter how far you have progressed he feeling of inadequacy isn't far behindShe sees her patients as people not medical models and like the majority of those of us working in a medical role finds time spent with the patient is sadly lacking。 This added to her own personal story it was a worthwhile read。 It may be a little tedious in parts with medical quotes and references but that may only benefit those who are perhaps using this book as a study aid。 。。。more
Terri
，
“I find my patients much more interesting than their diseases”。And I find this physician much much more interesting than her profession❤️This is a book about stories。 The stories we tell ourselves about where we come from， who we are， and what we need to be “real”， to be true to that tiny kernel of truth each of us is searching for deep inside。 In this poignant memoir， Dr。 Suzanne Koven， a Harvard faculty internist， opens up wide and tells us her story。 Or rather， stories。 Starting with her chil “I find my patients much more interesting than their diseases”。And I find this physician much much more interesting than her profession❤️This is a book about stories。 The stories we tell ourselves about where we come from， who we are， and what we need to be “real”， to be true to that tiny kernel of truth each of us is searching for deep inside。 In this poignant memoir， Dr。 Suzanne Koven， a Harvard faculty internist， opens up wide and tells us her story。 Or rather， stories。 Starting with her childhood， Dr Koven tackles full on her push me-pull you relationship with her mother， a story-teller and feminist role model in her own right， who retrained as a lawyer late in life， battled her own demons and refused to settle for “nonsense” in any capacity。 The authors treatment of her relationship with her physician father is much more complex。 Circling， always circling， her coverage here is wispy， sparse - we get the sense of a relationship hovering， fluttering on the perimeter of her life; lacking definition， comfort and safety always just out of reach。 Growing up， then， it was perhaps no surprise that Dr。 Koven， early on her journey of self-discovery， leaves her studies in English and Literature to “find herself” as a physician。It’s fascinating （and in many parts， heartbreaking） to hear about her journey， - as a female medical student and then physician in the 80’s， Dr Koven struggles with identity issues， centering on what we now know of as “imposter” syndrome。 Never feeling good enough， not nearly as good as everyone else （read “male” here， but the syndrome isn’t necessarily gendered ） through all the medical knowledge and skills needed， impossible hours， patient trauma and gut-wrenching responsibilities。 Balancing it all with motherhood， family illness， menopause， and inevitably the horrifying losses that come with parental decline。 We ache for Dr。 Koven through it all， feeling with her as she reveals insights painstakingly gained that lead her to a final story we cannot help but cheer for。 “The experience of the body is never only about the body。”In illness or in health， our lives become our stories， - how we tell them and the power they hold to define， defeat， or release us。 And on the flip side - hearing others stories transforms us; providing empathic connection and insights that reveal new meaning， aiding us as diagnosticians， as physicians， and ultimately， expanding our lives as people。 Coming back full circle to her first love - the magic of story-telling， language and reading - Dr。 Koven comes to realize a new beginning for herself， and a final phase to a more fulfilling medical practice。 One that allows her to teach others， integrating both the art and the science of medicine， acknowledging and cherishing both the “male”and the “femaleness” in each of us。 I loved this book。 There are so many insights crammed in here， so much to think about， that I suspect I will be reading this one again very soon。 A big thank you to Edelweiss， the publisher， and the author for an advance review copy of this book。 All thoughts presented are my own。 。。。more
Schizanthus Nerd
，
Your training and sense of purpose will serve you well。 Your humanity will serve your patients even better。 Although each essay in this book can be read separately， together they paint a picture of Suzanne Koven’s life， from her childhood recollections of her father’s orthopedic practice and always choosing to be the doctor during childhood games of Careers to her own residency and eventually her work as a doctor。 Throughout， the reader witnesses Suzanne struggling to maintain a work-life Your training and sense of purpose will serve you well。 Your humanity will serve your patients even better。 Although each essay in this book can be read separately， together they paint a picture of Suzanne Koven’s life， from her childhood recollections of her father’s orthopedic practice and always choosing to be the doctor during childhood games of Careers to her own residency and eventually her work as a doctor。 Throughout， the reader witnesses Suzanne struggling to maintain a work-life balance， parenting her children， caring for her ageing parents and figuring out how to be the best doctor she can be for her patients。 I find my patients much more interesting than their diseases。 Although I was introduced to a number of the author’s patients， albeit de-identified and with some details changed， there were times I was holding out for a resolution that failed to come。 I wanted to know what became of these people whose stories I was just becoming invested in。 For some reason I also became invested in the story of the white pine trees， where the infection of one may result in the infection of its neighbours。 My biggest frustration with this book was not learning whether the two pine trees survived or not。 Why do I care so much about this？ Perhaps it was because of what those trees symbolised to the author。 Regardless， I felt cheated by not knowing their fate。My favourite parts of this book involved the author’s relationship with her mother and how it changed throughout her life。The reflections on what it is that makes a good doctor would be particularly valuable for newly trained doctors， who are finding their feet in a world where having empathy for their patients can prove just as important as knowledge of their medical conditions。 Students worry about knowing enough。 Patients worry about them caring enough。 Content warnings include （view spoiler）[ableism， attempted suicide， eating disorders， racism， sexism and sexual harassment （hide spoiler）]。Thank you so much to NetGalley and W。 W。 Norton & Company for granting my wish to read this book。 I’m rounding up from 3。5 stars。Blog - https://schizanthusnerd。com 。。。more
Tracy
，
Essays about being a doctor， a mother and daughter set generally in the background of medicine。 Suzanne Koven writes of her initial ambivalence to become a doctor， imposter syndrome and how much she loves her work。
Nikki
，
I have conflicting feelings about this book and some of it doesn't sit well with me。I’ve worked in the medical field alongside many specialists， general practitioners and their patients to know the issues surrounding medical care。 Some of these issues do include sexism， racism， and ableism which were issues briefly raised in this book but were quickly dismissed because they didn’t apply to the experience of Koven directly as an upper-middle class white woman。 Ultimately， this was her personal st I have conflicting feelings about this book and some of it doesn't sit well with me。I’ve worked in the medical field alongside many specialists， general practitioners and their patients to know the issues surrounding medical care。 Some of these issues do include sexism， racism， and ableism which were issues briefly raised in this book but were quickly dismissed because they didn’t apply to the experience of Koven directly as an upper-middle class white woman。 Ultimately， this was her personal story written in a series of essays around the fact that she was a medical professional who also had other hats to wear throughout her life。 This book was indeed relatable from a female perspective。 This was a story about a woman juggling her career in medicine whilst becoming a mother of three， a daughter providing end of life care to ill & aging parents， all while experiencing Imposter Syndrome which left her wondering if she was good enough or smart enough for any of these roles。 The key take away from this book in regards to physicians applies to all physicians and not just females and that would be the importance of empathy。 “See in the face of every patient the face of someone you love，” instead of becoming disassociated from patients during their 15 minute appointments。 Patients want their doctors to care about their wellbeing。 Many of the "problematic" patients get evaded and they just want doctors to listen and care about them。 This book was not what I thought it was going to be。 I thought there would be more insight for the future of females in medicine as this was addressed specifically to young female physicians。 I thought there would be more to offer the next generation of physicians or at least address the problematic areas within the medical field more thoroughly。 It was an interesting read but I don’t think I would recommend this one。 Thank you to NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Rachel
，
My daughter is currently studying medicine so I was interested to read this book from a female doctors point of view。 I really enjoyed her perspective on all the ups and downs of life as a practicing doctor whilst holding down a family and the way in which her loyalties were so divided between caring for her family versus caring for her patients。 A must read for anyone considering entering the profession。
Jim Higgins
，
Yes， it’s about doctoring， but also about literature and the aging of parents and many other things。 Highly recommended。
Anna W。
，
I really-really， truly enjoyed this book。 I’m kind of a closet medical or psychological narrative junkie。 I did not do well in the sciences growing up， and reading about them in delightfully crafted narrative style books brings me great joy， likely in the way some read about Hollywood stars or dramatic cultural celebrations。 I feel， somewhere in my mind， that these people have the answers。 But the joke’s on me because I do realize these people are just that: people。 Author Dr。 Koven is just a pe I really-really， truly enjoyed this book。 I’m kind of a closet medical or psychological narrative junkie。 I did not do well in the sciences growing up， and reading about them in delightfully crafted narrative style books brings me great joy， likely in the way some read about Hollywood stars or dramatic cultural celebrations。 I feel， somewhere in my mind， that these people have the answers。 But the joke’s on me because I do realize these people are just that: people。 Author Dr。 Koven is just a person， and she has collected delightful observations about her training， patient-doctor interactions， and the medical community as a whole。My favorite part was that， when surveyed， most patients only truly desire that their doctor listen to them。 Listening is all that’s needed， but sadly most doctors only get fifteen minutes with each patient。 I think this helped me realize the demands that are placed on doctors’ time and psychological well being。 They cannot possibly have the time to truly meet patients’ needs by listening， but yet they know that’s what they most want， more do even than being healed。 “It occurs to me that I can no more divide myself neatly into doctor and person than I can divide my patients into patients and people。 That I always feel I do my best work when I play the boundary， when I bring myself as a person to the patient as a person。 When I go off the charts a little。”While this may be a “letter” to young female physicians， I definitely learned a lot not being in the medical profession。This book was provided to me as an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Chantal Lyons
，
I am not a doctor， nor am I even American， but so much in this book connected with me - and I would recommend it to anyone。As you might expect from the "Letter" in the title， the book isn't anything like a chronological narrative; more a series of essays， many of which have interconnecting themes。 Koven is an absolutely superb writer， her prose meditative and careful， reminiscent of the tone of Natalie Goldberg。 There were so many lines I wanted to earmark and remember forever。 It is always fasc I am not a doctor， nor am I even American， but so much in this book connected with me - and I would recommend it to anyone。As you might expect from the "Letter" in the title， the book isn't anything like a chronological narrative; more a series of essays， many of which have interconnecting themes。 Koven is an absolutely superb writer， her prose meditative and careful， reminiscent of the tone of Natalie Goldberg。 There were so many lines I wanted to earmark and remember forever。 It is always fascinating to peer backstage into medical school， training， and hospital life。 There was much less focus on "problems with the body" in this book compared to many other I've read by medical writers （Do No Harm， Fragile Lives， Adventures in Human Being， etc。）， although there was enough of it to keep my medical/scientific curiosity satisfied。 Koven， however， focuses much more on the people behind the illnesses， and what it means to relate to other people as a human and a doctor。 The most prevalent theme is that of her own family， and the ends of her parents' lives， which she writes about with frankness and beauty。 So often I thought while reading， "yes， that is exactly it"。 I hope I will remember all the lessons that Koven imparted in this book， and that there are more books to come。（With thanks to W。 W。 Norton & Company and NetGalley for this ebook in exchange for an honest review） 。。。more
Cynthia
，
4。5
Marika
，
Dr Suzanne Koven reflects on her life as a physician and how despite being brilliant， still suffered from imposter syndrome。 She writes about balancing family and profession， being a mother and a daughter and always with self reflection。 Dr Koven finds comfort in works of literature， something that readers will find themselves identifying with。* I read an advance copy and was not compensated。
Kathleen
，
Letter to a Young Female Physician is a compelling， beautifully written memoir。 It could also be titled Letter to a Young Female as author Suzanne Koven describes universal situations faced by women。 She deals with insecurity about her appearance and her weight， has conflicts with her mother and husband， and has to balance her children and her career as a physician。 However， this is not a “how to” book。 It’s a brutally honest look at a woman’s life。Her parents were successful professionals， her Letter to a Young Female Physician is a compelling， beautifully written memoir。 It could also be titled Letter to a Young Female as author Suzanne Koven describes universal situations faced by women。 She deals with insecurity about her appearance and her weight， has conflicts with her mother and husband， and has to balance her children and her career as a physician。 However， this is not a “how to” book。 It’s a brutally honest look at a woman’s life。Her parents were successful professionals， her father an orthopedic surgeon and her mother a lawyer although she was a stay-at-home mother during Suzanne’s childhood。 She observed that her father “wore the pants and made the money。 I wanted that。” She married in med school and had three children， all the while coping with the strenuous demands of her career in internal medicine。 Koven describes the feeling of not being good enough， the “imposter syndrome”， but also a deep set reaction to her troubled relationship with her mother。 Koven has had a life long battle with weight， as did her parents。 She tries every diet， nothing works， so she finally consults a psychologist and confides that when she overeats， she has argues with herself。 The therapist asks her whom she is really arguing with and she realizes it is her mother。There are many moments like this in Letter to a Young Female Physician。 There is also a description of racism in hospitals with a startling look at the way doctors reacted to it。 This is a powerful book， sometimes difficult to read because Koven is so emotional and vulnerable。 5 stars。Thank you to NetGalley， W。 W。 Norton & Company and Suzanne Koven for this ARC。 。。。more
Kimberly Barnes
，