Symptoms of Unknown Origin: A Medical Odyssey »

Clifton K. Meador, M.D., is Clinical Professor of Medicine at the Vanderbilt School of Medicine and Meharry Medical College as well as director of the Meharry Vanderbilt Alliance. He is the author of eight books, including A Little Book of Doctors' Rules and Med School: A Collection of Stories of Medical School, 1951 to 1955.

Sometimes the labs just do not add up. Sometimes the symptoms are so unrelated they make no sense. Sometimes the patient is worried medical science can only continue to harm them. In any case, the patient is suffering and looking for answers. The problem is the practitioner is at a loss to help them. Meador (Vanderbilt School of Medicine) describes some of his clinical experiences with difficult patients and the lessons learned in this collection of case studies and commentaries. He urges doctors to, above all, listen to the patient, to consider all possible contributors to symptoms, to make diagnoses in such case only after extremely careful consideration, and to expect to be humbled on occasion. Annotation ©2005 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Doody Review Services

Reviewer:Sally Ling, M.D.;FACP(University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine)
Description:In this beautiful book, the author, an experienced internist and endocrinologist, shares the stories of his patients who had challenging symptoms or problems that could not be resolved when they were treated according to the prevailing biomedical model of disease. The author shares his gifts as a physician in a way from which we can all abundantly learn.
Purpose:The book artfully illustrates that for many patients that we encounter, an expanded model of disease is necessary to understand, enlist, and direct them to uncover the causes of symptoms which henceforth could not be explained by the narrower biomedical model. To be able to help a patient decipher or demystify a complex situation, usually at the same time simplifying the patient's medical regimen, can only be a worthy goal.
Audience:Physicians already in practice are likely to most appreciate the complexity and depth of the scenarios described. Dr Meador's writing is powerfully provocative in spite of his humble voice. This book should be read by all physicians.
Features:The author describes several patients that were in his care over his 50-year career. Each patient's story illustrates fascinating circumstances and Dr. Meador brings us into his doctor-patient relationships to understand and appreciate how he navigated the course.
Assessment:This book is a gem. It should be read by all physicians.