In Search of Medicine's Moral Compass

By Rob Tenery, MD

In an age where uncertainty rules the day, Dr. Rob Tenery has given us a book that explains how health care has evolved into a $2.6 trillion enterprise. He does this with carefully researched histories and a series of challenging and thought-provoking commentaries on the most important issues of the day. Dr. Tenery’s book focuses on a time when doctors and patients worked together to determine the best course of treatment—solutions now being ceded to large corporations and the federal government. He relates, as only a physician can, the challenges, fulfillment, and ethical dilemmas of caring for patients and making the best decisions for their health and well-being. Whether contemplating what doctors can do when nothing can be done, or thinking about the state of the medical profession, his insights are based on real-life experiences with his patients and colleagues. Dr. Tenery brings a perspective and a set of values gained from his father and grandfather, who, together with the author, represent over a century of caring for patients. This book gives you the opportunity to step into the shoes of a dedicated third-generation physician and to see the changing nature of health and medical care through his eyes. This physician of over thirty-seven years is sharing his collected writing for a better understanding of why medicine is a profession and not just another business.

• Language: English
• Publisher: The Small Press
• Release date: Nov 11, 2011
• ISBN: 9781612547862

Rob Tenery, MD

Rob Tenery, MD, entered practice in 1974, but his experience in medicine goes back to before his fifth birthday as he watched his father and grandfather minister to their sick and injured patients. He has carried the lessons he learned throughout his career, not only as a physician, but also as a participant and spokesman on behalf of the medical profession. His first exposure to being an author began when he wrote commentaries as president of his local county medical society. That experience led to eight years as a monthly contributor for American Medical News. During that tenure he was appointed to the American Medical Association’s Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs, where he first began to question the whys of the many problems impacting the way health care was being delivered. He subsequently authored the book Dr. Mayo’s Boy: A Century of American Medicine, which chronicled the changes in medicine over the last one hundred years through poignant vignettes of his experiences. While continuing to maintain a full practice, last year Rob created a website, Echoes for the Future, which discusses the impact many of the social issues facing our country have on health care delivery. Woven into his discussion is the relevance of the founding principles of the medical profession. Rob shares his free time with his wife of forty-seven years, Janet, and their children and grandchildren. They currently reside in Dallas, but are spending more time at their 1820s adobe home, which they have recently remodeled, in Santa Fe, New Mexico.