No Apparent Distress: A Doctor’s Coming of Age on the Front Lines of American Medicine

Do you find it reasonable that a doctor could avoid a singular focus, as Pearson recommends, without sacrificing the quality of their work? Can someone involved in a field as serious as medicine afford to pursue other interests? Why or why not?

Does Pearson’s admission of depression and that she is a smoker affect her credibility as a medical care provider?

What aspects of medicine and medical school does Pearson feel are dehumanizing? Why does she feel this way? 

Throughout the text, Pearson relates the story of Mr. Rose. How does this story illustrate her progression as a doctor? 

Pick two patients Pearson discussed in the text and relate them to one of the book’s themes?

How does the first-person narration affect the memoir’s overall message? Is Pearson a reliable narrator?

Throughout the text, Pearson relates persistent regret. What does she most regret, and how, if at all, does she reconcile this regret?

Do you believe that Pearson’s identity as a writer has the potential to make her more effective as a physician? Less effective? Both? Discuss.