Additional information
by Barrett Rollins (Author)
A fast-paced account of a giant of 20th century medicine, First the Patient details how David Nathan saved patients with his medical skill and rescued institutions with his visionary leadership.
The miraculous triumphs of modern medicine--antibiotics, insulin, cancer cures, longer and better lives--are the fruits of its firm grounding in science. But too often, the healing touch, the empathy of a physician for the patient, and the art of medicine, can be neglected in pursuit of breakthroughs. David Nathan never accepted that bargain. A brilliant hematologist thoroughly steeped in scientific rigor with a research track record to prove it, Nathan was above all a humanist, a caring physician who never failed to put the patient first even when that patient was his research subject. This same humanism, along with the profound psychological insights it affords, propelled Nathan to the top ranks of academic leadership. He served first at Boston Children's Hospital, then at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute where, as president, he rescued a hospital on the brink of extinction after its doctors administered a fatal chemotherapy overdose. First the Patient is the story of a physician who left an indelible imprint on medicine through his relentless focus on the patient.Author Biography
Barrett Rollins is an oncologist and cancer researcher who has published over one hundred scholarly articles, chapters, and books including In Sickness: A Memoir. He is the Linde Family Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and was, for sixteen years, chief scientific officer at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Born and raised in Cleveland, he graduated from Amherst College--which has also given him an honorary D.Sc.--and received his M.D. and Ph.D. from Case Western Reserve University where he was honored with its Distinguished Alumni Award. He is a long-time trustee of the Interlochen Center for the Arts and lives in Boston with his wife and dogs.
