About the Book
After completing grueling residencies, the competition for subspecialty fellowships in the medical world is intense. And few fellowships, if any, are more selective than cardiology at Johns Hopkins. This is the story of one of these fellows, Dr. Daniel Munoz. Readers go to work with Dan every day while he learns to practice heart medicine at the highest level. They witness the hypercompetitive selection process, experience the wisdom and rigor of Dan's mentors, see him diagnose and treat patients, navigate the sensitivities of families, help save lives, sometimes lose lives, and often stay up days and nights on end. How Dan survives, how he learns the ups and downs of his trade, sorts out his own interests within cardiology, and earns the right to enter the highest ranks of his field, is at the heart of this intense narrative.
About the Author :
DANIEL MUNOZ, M.D., graduated from Princeton University with a degree in economics, worked as a laboratory research assistant in the lab of renowned neurosurgeon Dr. Ben Carson, and served as an intern for Senator Edward Kennedy, concentrating on issues of healthcare reform. He attended the Johns Hopkins University Medical School, during which time he took a one-year hiatus to earn a master's degree in public administration from the Kennedy School at Harvard University, returned to earn his M.D., and was then accepted as a resident in internal medicine at Hopkins. He is now one of nine fellows in the coveted Cardiology Fellowship program at that hospital. JAMES DALE is an executive, consultant, and author. He rose from copywriter to CEO of Doner Advertising, an agency that advises major corporations, including Chiquita, Ford, BP, Arby's, and Verizon. He has acted as a marketing consultant to numerous companies, from entrepreneurial startups to major consumer brands.
Review :
"From the book's beginning, Dr. Daniel Munoz captivates readers with [the] life-changing story that decided his future. . . . Alpha Docs thoroughly allows readers to understand how cardiologists are made. Highly recommended."--Medical Library Association
"In simple, compelling prose, Alpha Docs captures the reader's attention with gripping case histories, the astonishing breadth and complexity of top-notch medical training, and often wry, sometimes pointed character sketches of the attending physicians who trained Munoz."--Hopkins Medicine magazine "An insider's view of the high-stakes world of cardiology, Alpha Docs offers a vivid and fast-paced exploration of the cauldron that creates doctors in the twenty-first century."--Danielle Ofri, M.D., Ph.D., author of What Doctors Feel: How Emotions Affect the Practice of Medicine
"[A] heartfelt medical-education memoir . . . a successful portrayal of just how hard it is, intellectually, emotionally, and physically, to train as a physician specialist."--Booklist
"A firsthand account of [Munoz's] training as a cardiologist at the elite Johns Hopkins Hospital . . . This engaging book will interest those considering a career in medicine as well as readers who want to learn more about cardiology. A solid choice for aspiring doctors and armchair practitioners."--Library Journal
"Munoz recounts his year as a cardiology fellow at Baltimore's Johns Hopkins University Hospital, in this memoir of his search for more experience and wisdom--and his place in medicine. . . . Munoz begins to find his niche in the medical world, and his journey will inspire doctors in training and patients alike."--Publishers Weekly
"[A] satisfying immersion into what medical specialization requires . . . There is polish to the patient vignettes, giving them deeply human appeal. . . . The book is enjoyably idiosyncratic and elucidative."--Kirkus Reviews
"Alpha Docs is a compelling and informative account of the training of a cardiologist at John Hopkins Medical School, my own alma mater. The outstanding tradition set by the school's founders has had a lasting influence on my career, and Dr. Munoz carries on that tradition. In his quest to personify the archetype of 'the ideal healer, ' Munoz exhibits knowledge, wisdom, largeness of mind and heart, and an admirable degree of aequanimitas (clear judgment in moments of grave peril)."--Denton A. Cooley, Ph.D., founder and surgeon-in-chief, the Texas Heart Institute and author of 100,000 Hearts: A Surgeon's Memoir
"With the complexities of medicine and its potential depersonalization ever increasing, Dr. Munoz's extraordinary book captures the humanity and nuance necessary for preparing the doctors of the twenty-first century."--David A. Meyerson, M.D., J.D., Johns Hopkins Medicine, national spokesperson, American Heart Association
From the book s beginning, Dr. Daniel Munoz captivates readers with [the] life-changing story that decided his future. . . . Alpha Docs thoroughly allows readers to understand how cardiologists are made. Highly recommended. Medical Library Association
In simple, compelling prose, Alpha Docs captures the reader s attention with gripping case histories, the astonishing breadth and complexity of top-notch medical training, and often wry, sometimes pointed character sketches of the attending physicians who trained Munoz. Hopkins Medicine magazine
An insider s view of the high-stakes world of cardiology, Alpha Docs offers a vivid and fast-paced exploration of the cauldron that creates doctors in the twenty-first century. Danielle Ofri, M.D., Ph.D., author of What Doctors Feel: How Emotions Affect the Practice of Medicine
[A] heartfelt medical-education memoir . . . a successful portrayal of just how hard it is, intellectually, emotionally, and physically, to train as a physician specialist. Booklist
A firsthand account of [Munoz s] training as a cardiologist at the elite Johns Hopkins Hospital . . . This engaging book will interest those considering a career in medicine as well as readers who want to learn more about cardiology. A solid choice for aspiring doctors and armchair practitioners. Library Journal
Munoz recounts his year as a cardiology fellow at Baltimore s Johns Hopkins University Hospital, in this memoir of his search for more experience and wisdom and his place in medicine. . . . Munoz begins to find his niche in the medical world, and his journey will inspire doctors in training and patients alike. Publishers Weekly
[A] satisfying immersion into what medical specialization requires . . . There is polish to the patient vignettes, giving them deeply human appeal. . . . The book is enjoyably idiosyncratic and elucidative. Kirkus Reviews
Alpha Docs is a compelling and informative account of the training of a cardiologist at John Hopkins Medical School, my own alma mater. The outstanding tradition set by the school s founders has had a lasting influence on my career, and Dr. Munoz carries on that tradition. In his quest to personify the archetype of the ideal healer, Munoz exhibits knowledge, wisdom, largeness of mind and heart, and an admirable degree of aequanimitas (clear judgment in moments of grave peril). Denton A. Cooley, Ph.D., founder and surgeon-in-chief, the Texas Heart Institute and author of 100,000 Hearts: A Surgeon s Memoir
With the complexities of medicine and its potential depersonalization ever increasing, Dr. Munoz s extraordinary book captures the humanity and nuance necessary for preparing the doctors of the twenty-first century. David A. Meyerson, M.D., J.D., Johns Hopkins Medicine, national spokesperson, American Heart Association"
An insider s view of the high-stakes world of cardiology, "Alpha Docs" offers a vivid and fast-paced exploration of the cauldron that creates doctors in the twenty-first century. Danielle Ofri, M.D., Ph.D., author of "What Doctors Feel: How Emotions Affect the Practice of Medicine"
[A] heartfelt medical-education memoir . . . a successful portrayal of just how hard it is, intellectually, emotionally, and physically, to train as a physician specialist. "Booklist"
A firsthand account of [Daniel Munoz s] training as a cardiologist at the elite Johns Hopkins Hospital . . . This engaging book will interest those considering a career in medicine as well as readers who want to learn more about cardiology. A solid choice for aspiring doctors and armchair practitioners. "Library Journal"
Munoz recounts his year as a cardiology fellow at Baltimore s Johns Hopkins University Hospital, in this memoir of his search for more experience and wisdom and his place in medicine. . . . Munoz begins to find his niche in the medical world, and his journey will inspire doctors in training and patients alike. "Publishers Weekly"
[A] satisfying immersion into what medical specialization requires . . . There is polish to the patient vignettes, giving them deeply human appeal. . . . The book is enjoyably idiosyncratic and elucidative. "Kirkus Reviews"
"Alpha Docs" is a compelling and informative account of the training of a cardiologist at John Hopkins Medical School, my own alma mater. The outstanding tradition set by the school s founders has had a lasting influence on my career, and Dr. Munoz carries on that tradition. In his quest to personify the archetype of the ideal healer, Munoz exhibits knowledge, wisdom, largeness of mind and heart, and an admirable degree of "aequanimitas" (clear judgment in moments of grave peril). Denton A. Cooley, Ph.D., founder and surgeon-in-chief, the Texas Heart Institute and author of "100,000 Hearts: A Surgeon s Memoir"
With the complexities of medicine and its potential depersonalization ever increasing, Dr. Munoz s extraordinary book captures the humanity and nuance necessary for preparing the doctors of the twenty-first century. David A. Meyerson, M.D., J.D., Johns Hopkins Medicine, national spokesperson, American Heart Association"
Advance praise for "Alpha Docs"
An insider s view of the high-stakes world of cardiology, "Alpha Docs" offers a vivid and fast-paced exploration of the cauldron that creates doctors in the twenty-first century. Danielle Ofri, M.D., Ph.D., author of "What Doctors Feel: How Emotions Affect the Practice of Medicine"
[A] satisfying immersion into what medical specialization requires . . . There is polish to the patient vignettes, giving them deeply human appeal. . . . The book is enjoyably idiosyncratic and elucidative. "Kirkus Reviews"
"Alpha Docs" is a compelling and informative account of the training of a cardiologist at John Hopkins Medical School, my own alma mater. The outstanding tradition set by the school s founders has had a lasting influence on my career, and Dr. Munoz carries on that tradition. In his quest to personify the archetype of the ideal healer, Munoz exhibits knowledge, wisdom, largeness of mind and heart, and an admirable degree of "aequanimitas" (clear judgment in moments of grave peril). Denton A. Cooley, Ph.D., founder and surgeon-in-chief, the Texas Heart Institute and author of "100,000 Hearts: A Surgeon s Memoir"
With the complexities of medicine and its potential depersonalization ever increasing, Dr. Munoz s extraordinary book captures the humanity and nuance necessary for preparing the doctors of the twenty-first century. David A. Meyerson, M.D., J.D., Johns Hopkins Medicine, national spokesperson, American Heart Association"
