In his exceptionally thought-provoking and moving memoir, Grief Connects Us: A Neurosurgeon’s Lessons on Love, Loss, and Compassion, Joseph Stern, MD, grapples with grief and loss as he searches for compassion in a field notorious for neutrality.
As a neurosurgeon, Dr. Stern has long been familiar with death; but when his younger sister, Victoria, was suddenly diagnosed with acute leukemia, he found himself unprepared to accept her diagnosis. Her illness and death broke down the self-protective barriers he had built over the course of his 25-year career and led to a profound shift in his approach to medicine. Grief Connects Us shows that no matter which side of the patient-doctor relationship you find yourself on, empathy, vulnerability, and emotional agility can facilitate deeper, more authentic human connection and prepare us for life’s greatest challenges. Dr. Stern goes beyond simple reflection by providing concrete suggestions for how we can improve health care delivery to achieve this shared connection. To learn more or to order Dr. Stern's book, click here.
Education
Fellowship - Orthopedic Spine and Scoliosis Surgery, Dr. Jean Dubousset, St. Vincent de Paul Hospital, Paris, France
Residency - University of Michigan Medical School
Internship - University of Michigan Medical School
Medical School - University of Michigan Medical School
Joseph Stern, MD, shared his insights about the importance of communicating with family members of critically injured patients in the neurosurgical ICU.
A team of Carolina Neurosurgery & Spine Associates’ Physicians and staff traveled to Honduras in November 2021 to volunteer their time, expertise, and resources on a medical mission trip with NuVasive Spine Foundation (NSF).
