Author’s Note:

Most of us see medicine as a captivating world that glimmers with hospital heroism, quirky injuries, and excitement. That was certainly the way I perceived it when I was growing up. So much of my awareness was shaped by what I saw on a screen, and it’s no wonder: we’re besieged by striking health headlines, enormously popular medical TV shows, and digitally curated depictions of what it means to be a doctor.

This kind of exposure does have its uses. A TV show can help a high school student realize their calling. A compelling news story can be a bridge between medical professionals and the general population. But I’ve come to realize a profound truth: the reality of medicine is rendered unrecognizable in media.

There is no substitute for real stories told by the people who lived them. A surgeon chilled by the aftershock of witnessing a death, a nurse comforting a patient with witty banter, a doctor feeling the unimaginable relief of saving someone—these moments are why this book was written.

To all the contributors who shared their moments:

I am forever indebted to you.

Thank you for your inspiration. Your moments, large or small, heartbreaking or hysterical, strange or comforting, are the fabric of this deeply personal collection. Without your enthusiasm and dedication—without your voices—this book would not exist. This has been an ambitious project. But together, through painstaking hours of reading, writing, and editing, we have illuminated the mysteries and magic of medicine. Although I never imagined what I was getting myself into, let alone that I’d be welcoming my first uninvited gray hairs during this process, collecting your experiences has been the most rewarding undertaking of my life. May these stories hearten those who work in the field but feel unheard, and may they entrance those who are seeking to understand this world.