Summary:

After caring for a patient, a surgeon records the case in his personal journal. He writes what he knows about the patient: name, age, problem, solution, and how the surgery went. The factual, disconnected doctor rarely has a full conversation with his patients if he isn’t talking about surgery. After a while, however, the highly skilled surgeon realizes how important it is to develop a good relationship with his patient. He starts to develop a new technique in patient care and learns new lessons in his 15 journal entries.
After caring for a patient, a social worker records the case in her personal journal. She deals with the patient’s family, friends, fears, and emotional problems. She has compassion for every person she meets, whether it’s a mom who just lost her husband or a man who comes in for a simple, easy procedure. However, she starts to bring this stuff home with her and develop an unhealthy amount of involvement, resulting in some depression. Her journey through the exact same 15 cases as the surgeon is her own: to detachment, which will help her and her patients alike.