Charles Black, MD

General Surgery

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Charles Black, MD, is a general surgeon and former Op-Med Fellow who writes on the philosophical dimensions of a life, often drawing on lessons learned from three decades in medicine. His work can be found on Medium.com at https://medium.com/@chuckbphilosophy

I Was a General Surgery Resident. Why Was I Delivering a Baby?

Why I Chose to Be Unemployed Rather Than Stay At My Hospital

When Hope Becomes Denial of a Terminal Illness

Sometimes You Need to Say No, for the Patient and Yourself

Good Enough Is Good Enough, in the OR and in Life

The Question Every Patient Conversation Should Include

Medicine Is Worth the Sacrifice, But Only If You Don't Sacrifice Yourself

You Are Your Most Important Patient: A Lesson Learned the Hard Way

Resilience Can Only Take Us So Far

An Old-School Solution To a New Epidemic

The Danger of Removing Professionalism from the Profession

I Thought I Saved My Patient's Life. He Didn't Think So

The Pursuit of Autonomy, Mastery, and Purpose in Medicine

The Pitfalls of Extrinsic Motivation in Health Care

The Most Important Investments You Should Not Be Ignoring

The Curse of Knowledge Can Lead to Unnecessary Suffering

I Took the Trip of a Lifetime Because My Patient Could Not

Hope Theory Can Cure Our Burnout