Sacred Space: Stories from a Life in Medicine

I love the book! This book depicts the human aspect of the medical profession as it should be, before patients became numbers and before doctors became enslaved to the insurance companies/HMO's.

Clif Cleaveland, M.D., MACP and former president of the ACP, has described over 30 events in his medical career, mostly dealing with patient care. There is, as well, a brief autobiographical account of his early life, education, and the medical training that molded him into one of the outstanding practicing physicians in the country. Even after many years of caring for patients and handling administrative duties, it is apparent that he uses concern and empathy with each patient encounter. There are not many such unjaded physicians left because of the extraneous factors that invariably interfere with patient care. Dr. Cleaveland demonstrates the value of patience in unraveling complex and refractory clinical problems, for in many instances, compassion and understanding overcame barriers that had developed between the physician and the patient. Young doctors reading this book will be stimulated to learn more about their patients' backgrounds and to listen.This book would be an inspirational gift to anyone in the arena of medical care, whether nurse, patient, student, or physician. One reader's response to the book was as follows: "I feel lucky to know him (Dr. Cleaveland) as a friend; I wish that he were my doctor." Highly recommended.