ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an unique insights into life, frequently witness love, inspiration and courage, form close connections to extraordinary people, gain deep satisfaction from helping a diverse range of people, and are learning about amazing advances in medicine, every day. Satisfaction may seem an odd word for this work, which is often emotionally harrowing – but its satisfactions are deeply nourishing. It is a deep satisfaction very much like the one that a carpenter experiences in restoring a fragile and tea chest, or that a science teacher experiences in bringing a fifth grader to that sudden, mind shifting recognition of what atoms are. The chapter aims to misery, trauma, injustice, anger, bullying, violence and death on a daily basis. Medicine, like any work which involves contact with a lot of human misery – and human stupidity – tends to shrivel the heart.
