The Fortunate Physician: Learning from Our Patients

John Berger's book A Fortunate Man describes the life of a country doctor, John Sassall, who, through thoughtful work with patients and dedicated self-inquiry, creates a set of circumstances that enable him to learn from his experiences with his patients. Not only does he learn how to be a more skillful clinician but through the physician-patient relationship he also learns more about himself. The author explores A Fortunate Man from the vantage points of contemporary psychoanalysis and narrative medicine. He will demonstrate that the narratives of Dr. Sassall's clinical encounters and the portrait of his professional and emotional maturation have much to teach the practicing physician about the jointly created physician-patient relationship.