Many thanks to David Weill, MD, former Director of the Center for Advanced Lung Diseases and the Lung and Heart-Lung Transplant Program at Stanford University Medical Center for joining me on "The Art of Medicine with Dr. Andrew Wilner."Dr. Weill is the author of the new novel “All That Really Matters” and the memoir “Exhale”. He’s working on a 3rd book to be published next year.
I read “All That Really Matters” and couldn’t put it down. Although I am not a transplant surgeon like the protagonist, we definitely shared some similar experiences during our training and early careers. The novel leads us through the complex world of organ transplants, with the author as an expert guide. Even those without a medical background will have no difficulty following the plot and may perhaps identify with a character or two.
Dr. Weill told me that the novel allowed him to explore the moral and ethical issues involved in human organ transplant. During our 30-minute discussion, Dr. Weill filled me in on his 20 years of life-saving organ transplant work. Although immensely gratifying, this 24/7 activity wreaked havoc on his work/life balance.
Finally, Dr. Weill left his position as Director of the Transplant Program at Stanford to become Principal of the Weill Consulting Group, which focuses on improving the delivery of pulmonary, ICU, and transplant care. This transition allowed him to move back to his hometown of New Orleans, continue to help improve the transplant system, and provided an opportunity for him to write.
During our interview, we also discussed the practicalities and rewards of writing fiction, his long-term goals, and how he gets the writing done. It was indeed a pleasure interviewing David Weill! More about David can be found on his website: www.DavidWeill.com. You can purchase “All That Really Matters” or “Exhale” on Amazon.
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