Fazlur Rahman, MD | Why Empathy Matters in Oncology Care

Dr. Rahman was born and brought up in what is now Bangladesh. After his medical education in Dhaka, New York, and Houston, he practiced cancer medicine for thirty-five years in San Angelo, Texas. He is an adjunct professor of biology at Angelo State University and an advisory council member of the Charles E. Cheever Jr. Center for Medical Humanities and Ethics at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio. His articles, essays, and stories have appeared in many publications, including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Guardian Weekly, and more. In his book, Connected Lives, he passes along the wisdom and real-world situations he encountered during his decades of hands-on experience and daily interaction with patients and their loved ones.

During our conversation, Dr. Rahman shares what inspired him to pursue oncology despite his deep passion for poetry and literature, the important lessons his patients taught him, the reasoning behind selecting the five patients featured in his book, why empathy is essential in medicine, what challenged him the most in his career, and the practical advice he wants cancer patients to know.

To learn more, go to fazlurrahmanmd.com

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