title: The voices of neurosurgeons: doctors' non-medical writing.
abstract: Biomedical publishing is an integral part of medicine--both to those who produce it and those who consume it to improve the care of their patients. Non-medical writing by surgeons usually takes the form of creative non-fiction, generally reflective essays on moving and emotionally charged situations such as working in the trenches in war-time or in natural disasters, or dealing with individual patients. Such writing is both creative and cathartic for neurosurgeons, and can help educate patients thus improving the doctor-patient relationship. The purpose of this article is to encourage fellow neurosurgeons to pursue this enjoyable and valuable endeavour, to utter a call to arms so to speak.
authors.affiliation: Division of Neurosurgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bernstein
mesh_terms: D003405:Creativity; D006686:Hobbies / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007899:Leisure Activities / Q000523:psychology*; D009493:Neurosurgery; D010820:Physicians / Q000523:psychology*; D014956:Writing