By Kathryn Ruscitto, Advisor
I am an avid reader, belong to two book clubs, and receive a steady stream of great recommendations from my health news feed. Recently, I had the opportunity to read two excellent books by local physician authors: Dr. Mary Jumbelic, retired Chief Medical Examiner of Onondaga County, and Dr. Sarah Matt, surgeon and health technology expert. Two very different books, but both outstanding and musts for your reading list.
What caught my attention was how these physicians have used their medical skills and experience and translated them into a new medium: writing for a general audience.
Dr. Mary Jumbelic
I asked Dr. Jumbelic when she first realized she wanted to write. Throughout her career, she kept journals and notes about her work, not realizing how important they would be later in life. After retiring, she entered a writing contest and then began taking classes, evolving into a seasoned author with an incredible voice that merges technical forensic expertise with deeply personal reflection.
Her most recent book, *Speak Her Name: Stories from a Life in True Crime, is a true “can’t put it down” read. The cases are fascinating on their own, but what makes the book especially compelling are her insights into violence against women, her role as a medical examiner, and the ways her professional and personal lives intersect over time.
Dr. Sarah Matt
Dr. Sarah Matt has also drawn on her surgical and technical expertise to write a strategic and highly readable look at the future of technology in health care. A mid-career physician, she has broadened her impact by working across the health technology landscape, including leadership roles with health technology companies and digital health initiatives.
Her book, *The Borderless Healthcare Revolution*, offers a thoughtful analysis of opportunities to remove barriers to care and fully harness technology, from telemedicine to remote and robotic surgery, to improve access and outcomes. She blends the perspectives of clinician, strategist, and health technology leader, and she has also embraced newer formats such as blogging and social media to teach and to share emerging ideas.
Why Do Doctors Write?
Physician-author Dr. Danielle Ofri has written that the compulsion of doctors to write may be an extension of the same curiosity that draws them to medicine in the first place: a deep desire to understand people. Doctoring provides powerful tools for getting “under the hood,” but writing can reach into the spaces where those clinical tools fall short, especially the emotional and human dimensions of illness and care.
Whether it is planning for retirement or exploring a current interest, physicians as authors offer a rich area to explore..
Resources
Dr. Mary Jumbelic https://maryjumbelic.com/about
Dr. Sarah Matt
https://www.drsarahmatt.com/
Lancet article on why doctors write
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(97)80120-1/abstract
Danielle Ofri, “Why Do Doctors Write?”
https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-weekend-essay/why-do-doctors-write