DOCTORS

As Becker illustrated, death-denial often shapes our behavior in highly subtle and unconscious ways. Yet, when it comes to its most literal application—facing death in real time—we have ample evidence of the difficulties created by death denial. Nowhere is the manifestation of death denial more blatant than in the world of medical treatment.

Medicine has death-denial built in to its core; it is designed to prevent or delay death. While the incredible advances in modern technology and research have increased our lifespan and reduced suffering, the push for longer lives leaves little room for acknowledgement and discussion of mortality. It begs the question, at what point do we acknowledge our mortality, rather than fight it?

Nowhere is the manifestation of death denial more blatant than in the world of medical treatment.

In this newsletter, current and former medical doctors from a variety of specialties address their lived experiences of confronting mortality and death denial while practicing medicine. These doctors share a desire to better the world and the human experience, which includes life and death. The interviews lend themselves to a larger commentary on how societal attitudes towards death and dying shape how we approach medicine as a field, and end-of-life care in particular. Medicine is designed to help us live longer, fuller lives. However, viewing medicine as antithetical to death is problematic. As we learn from these interviews, medicine is a necessary part of the conversation because death, ultimately, is central to life.