Rafael Campo: Why Doctors Write
Why Doctors Write
A doctor writes an order in the chart.
A doctor writes prescriptions to be filled.
A doctor writes the patient’s history
in order to record it in the chart.
A doctor writes because she must. She writes
prescriptions that to patients seem like cures.
A doctor writes the mystery of death
in stark abbreviations: DNR--
do not resuscitate--and DNI.
A doctor writes prescriptions for more pills.
A doctor writes because he must, because
he watched another patient die last night.
A doctor wrote an order in the chart:
DO NOT INTUBATE, which the nurse transcribed.
A doctor writes invisibly upon
a patient’s chest, the stethoscope’s black curl
like punctuation, breath like poetry
heard almost lovingly. A doctor writes
because she must, because she can’t deny
the body speaks, and what it tries to say
is more than what’s recorded in the chart.
A doctor writes because he can’t prevent
the heart attack, because he can’t stop death
no matter what new pills he might prescribe.
A doctor writes an order in the chart.
A doctor writes a poem that no one reads.
A doctor writes because he must, because
not one of us can stop the final cure.
A doctor writes because she tried to stop
but couldn’t. Nurses question orders; night
falls mercilessly again. Doctors write
because they must, because the ICU
is like a dream we think we can decode.
A doctor writes a poem in the chart,
though none can read its invisible lines,
or understand the mystery of death.
Discussion Questions
What was your initial reaction to this poem? What resonated with you?
Code status has a strong presence in this poem. Do not resuscitate. Do not intubate. And then Campo plays with this word code towards the end of the poem. How do you interpret this?
What role does writing play in your life?
Reflections from #MedHumChat
“A doctor writes because she tried to stop but couldn’t.” A very simple, bare statement about the doctor’s irrepressible drive to create and make meaning”—@ESilvermanMD
“even as a student, medicine seems to seep into all parts of my life. in the poem, it seems that the writing for art or creativity or joy is almost indistinguishable from the writing as a task or chore and vice versa”—@melanie_fritz_
“I’m reminded of the motivation in some doctors to do everything and exhaust all options. (Let me decode this mystery/Let me de-code this patient.) I’m also reminded that the act of weighing options in thoughtful deliberation is itself serving the patient.”—@csebastian
“Writing is a way for me to process the extraordinary experiences I have in medicine, a way of decoding my responses and emotions to those encounters, and connecting with those who have similar experiences”—@jennifermcaputo
“Writing has always been a lifeline for me. It’s a way to process, create, express, meditate, communicate, live into and discover my most authentic self. In so doing, I find my relationships, with people and the world, richer.”—@marypanwriter
About this #MedHumChat
“Why Doctors Write” was the centerpiece of a #MedHumChat discussion on April 20, 2019 exploring Writing in Medicine. This chat was also part of a live podcast recording at the Doctors Who Create Conference 2019.
We were honored to be joined by special guests Dr. Margot Hedlin, MD (@MargotHedlin) and Dr. Grace Oliver, MD (@MGraceOliver). Dr. Hedlin is a writer and Internal Medicine Resident at NYU, whose work you can follow here. Dr. Oliver is an activist, writer, and Family Medicine at KUMC who you can learn more about here.
The pieces for this chat, along with the discussion questions, were selected by Colleen Farrell.
About the Author
Rafael Campo is an American poet, author, and internal medicine physician. He is currently the Director of Literature and Writing Programs of the Arts and Humanities Initiative at Harvard Medical School. You can learn more about him here.