I Really Didn’t Want to Become a Doctor

Tales and Musings from a Family Doc Retired After 50-Plus Years

Howie C. Wolf

This book traces memoirs of a family doctor who shunned the notion of becoming a physician as he observed his family doctor father while growing up. To spend so many years in school—only to have meals, sleep, and vacations interrupted by needy patients—offered no allure. Not until his third year of college did he make the career choice, and his tale traverses his experiences from college, medical school, internship, U.S. Navy, to practicing in Colorado. His story includes abundant patient anecdotes, plus his take on racism, medical malpractice, and health reform. Dr. Wolf’s humanism is evident throughout, and is evidenced by the fact that the royalties from his book will go to a Boulder County low-income clinic he helped found in 1977.

Hamilton Books

Pages: 88 • Trim: 5½ x 8½

978-0-7618-6962-7 • Paperback • August 2017 • $31.99 • (£25.00)

978-0-7618-6963-4 • eBook • August 2017 • $30.00 • (£25.00)

Subjects: Biography & Autobiography / Personal Memoirs, Biography & Autobiography / Medical (incl. Patients), History / Modern / 20th Century, History / Modern / 21st Century, History / United States / State & Local / Midwest (IA, IL, IN, KS, MI, MN, MO, ND, NE, OH, SD, WI)

I Really Didn’t Want to Become a Doctor

Tales and Musings from a Family Doc Retired After 50-Plus Years

Paperback

eBook

Summary

This book traces memoirs of a family doctor who shunned the notion of becoming a physician as he observed his family doctor father while growing up. To spend so many years in school—only to have meals, sleep, and vacations interrupted by needy patients—offered no allure. Not until his third year of college did he make the career choice, and his tale traverses his experiences from college, medical school, internship, U.S. Navy, to practicing in Colorado. His story includes abundant patient anecdotes, plus his take on racism, medical malpractice, and health reform. Dr. Wolf’s humanism is evident throughout, and is evidenced by the fact that the royalties from his book will go to a Boulder County low-income clinic he helped found in 1977.

Details

Hamilton Books

Pages: 88 • Trim: 5½ x 8½

978-0-7618-6962-7 • Paperback • August 2017 • $31.99 • (£25.00)

978-0-7618-6963-4 • eBook • August 2017 • $30.00 • (£25.00)

Subjects: Biography & Autobiography / Personal Memoirs, Biography & Autobiography / Medical (incl. Patients), History / Modern / 20th Century, History / Modern / 21st Century, History / United States / State & Local / Midwest (IA, IL, IN, KS, MI, MN, MO, ND, NE, OH, SD, WI)

Author

Dr. Howie Wolf grew up in a small Iowa town, where his father was the only doctor. After graduating from the University of Iowa College of Medicine, he interned at the University of Texas Medical Branch Hospital in Galveston, TX, and then served two years in the US Navy. “Howie” then practiced more than 53 years in Colorado and is now retired, living in Boulder with his wife.

Table of Contents

Foreword
Prologue
Early Years
Education: College & Medical School
Internship
United States Navy
Private Practice Begins in Longmont
Lafayette Practice
Teaching
Clinica Campesina
Activities
Examining an Old Adage: Doctors Should Avoid Lawyers
Final Chapter