As the coronavirus pandemic engulfs countries, including the US, the writings of a doctor are catching the eyes of American readers.
The daily notes written by Dr Craig Smith, a 71-year-old surgeon, are published on Columbia’s website and circulated on social media, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported. His notes serve as important dispatches to many who are seeking courage and even solace in this time of crises. His writing, which details the countless challenges faced by healthcare workers, has an audience that is no longer limited to his colleagues.
“The truth can be hard to find, and Dr Smith is able to depict the realism of the situation so that anyone, even non-medical people, can understand,” Isaac George, a cardiothoracic surgeon at Columbia was quoted as saying by WSJ.
The doctor-cum-writer started typing his notes on March 15, the day when New York surfaced as an epicentre of the American Covid-19 outbreak. At that time, his notes intended to provide to the faculty of his department, vital updates about the conditions that they need to be prepared for. “They have continued every day since then as the city’s hospitals have turned into battlefields,” the report adds.
Smith, who is the chairman of the department, is adept at striking a fine balance between data and literary elements and often cites the likes of John Wooden and Emily Dickinson, the report said. What, however, makes his staff email unique is his otherwise minimal approach to the language. Smith rarely uses this language.
“When he does, everyone listens closely,” George told WSJ.
Smith, now enjoys a considerable following, comprising avid readers, literary critics and doctors who view his notes as a blueprint to fight the pandemic.
On March 22 Smith wrote on his blog: “I am deeply flattered, and humbled, by the number of people who’ve taken time to tell me they appreciate my ‘Updates’.
“….I should state something that I assumed was obvious: the target audience for my Updates has always been the Department of Surgery family, and remains so. That people outside the family find value in some parts of the message is a welcome bonus, and perhaps a reminder that even Surgeons are human,” the post continues.
Dr Smith pens these moving notes from his hospital, which is presently under siege.
Smith studied medicine at Case Western and later picked Columbia for his residency and has continued there ever since. At Columbia, he is viewed as a highly-respected surgeon who was most known outside medicine for his successful quadruple bypass surgery on President Bill Clinton, the report said.
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