Praise for

THE GOOD DOCTOR

Case studies of grit paragons like these doctors are a great starting point for understanding the path forward—and fun to read!

—ANGELA L. DUCKWORTH, PHD, Christopher H. Browne Distinguished Professor of Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania and New York Times bestselling author of Grit

The Good Doctor is a great read, especially at a moment where cynicism about our institutions and individual motivations prevail. With humanity and warmth, Tom Lee reminds us why the best physicians still view medicine as a calling. These seven profiles are each exhilarating and inspiring for all prospective and practicing clinicians, as well as those seeking reassurance about the humanity of healthcare.

—JON PERLIN, MD, PHD, President of Clinical Services and Chief Medical Officer at HCA Healthcare

In The Good Doctor, Tom Lee gets to the heart of the most pressing crisis facing physicians today: burnout. Telling the stories of seven physicians, he shows how each creates deeper meaning in their work and in their lives by bringing the care of their patients to a different level, one which resonates deeply and insulates them from our profession’s stressors. Dr. Lee’s message is elegant in its simplicity.

—LARRY H. HOLLIER JR., MD, Surgeon-in-Chief of Texas Children’s Hospital

Dr. Lee shares the stories of extraordinary doctors and identifies the core qualities they all display, including empathy, resilience, strong sense of purpose, and the ability to create communities where they work. Healthcare organizations should study these stories to understand what motivates clinicians and what undermines those motivations, so we can support them in doing the noble work of patient care.

—JESSICA DUDLEY, MD, Chief Medical Officer of the Brigham and Women’s Physicians Organization

For years we have known that burnout is largely related to dysfunctional systems and processes, not a defect in the people who dedicate their lives to heal others. Tom has beautifully tipped the scales back in the right direction via intimate storytelling about the human spirit—a spirit that rises from trauma, that heals when no cure is possible, and that loves despite all odds.

—ADRIENNE BOISSY, MD, Chief Experience Officer of Cleveland Clinic Health System

Tom Lee uses these inspirational stories to teach a powerful lesson. They show us what grit looks like and how a few individuals who find meaning in their work are having remarkable impacts.

—FREDERICK P. CERISE, MD, CEO of Parkland Health & Hospital System, Dallas

You won’t be able to put this down as you get into the profiles of these seven good doctors. Tom Lee provides insights into resilience, grit, and passion, providing a framework for doctors to focus their careers to avoid burnout and to serve their patients in a meaningful manner.

—LEE SACKS, MD, retired Chief Medical Officer of Advocate Aurora Health

Good doctors like the physicians in this book inspire through their perseverance, resilience, and recognition of the need for mentoring throughout life.

—PHILIP E. STIEG, MD, PHD, Chairman and Neurosurgeon-in-Chief at Weill Cornell Brain and Spine Center

The stories of Joe Sakran and others in The Good Doctor show that determination and excellence have not gone out of style in medicine and are being reinvented by a new generation of physicians.

—ALLEN KACHALIA, SVP of Patient Safety and Quality and Director of the Armstrong Institute for Patient Safety and Quality of Johns Hopkins Medicine