Richard Selzer is an American doctor and writer born on June 24, 1928 in Troy, New York. At a young age, he demonstrated an intense interest in biology and psychology. Thus, after graduating from Union College, he attended Albany Medical College for his MD. Afterward, he joined the Army for two years and then became a medical professor at Yale University. Throughout his career in the medical field, Selzer also published novels and short stories that focused on his life as a surgeon.
In 1982, Richard Selzer wrote and published a book entitled Letters to a Young Doctor. It does not detail the technical aspects of being a medical professional, but rather the intensity of emotion that underlies the discipline. From seeing patients die to witnessing a live being revived, doctors experience the absolute highs and lows of humanity. In this series of letters and short stories, Selzer details exactly what it feels like to be a doctor.
Upon its publication, Letters to a Young Doctor received rave reviews from critics and audiences alike for its daring and brutal depiction of life as a surgeon. Kirkus Reviews puts it best when they say this book is “about the human calling of doctoring--and the lifelong learning that goes on among patients, hospitals, and staff.”
