Hey Doc: Memoirs of a Rural Family Physician

Wisconsin family physician, Dr. James Damos, knows firsthand what rural practice can contribute to the body of medicine and to the communities they serve.

While most of today’s medical students will choose specialized fields of care in a city environment, James Damos bucked the trend. For the past few decades, medical schools have steered their students toward specialization and away from the option of serving as a doctor in a small community. Damos would like to see this changed.

Using real-life examples and illustrations from his own experience practicing in a small town, Dr. Damos provides a glimpse into the exciting challenges these doctors face day to day.

Damos also describes the health challenges his own family has endured, detailing their struggles with childhood cancer and Alzheimer’s Disease. These traumatic events and others described in this heartfelt memoir drive home the benefits of a close-knit community.

From the viewpoint of a doctor, a husband and a father, Jim Damos illustrates how genuine personal relationships and a connection with others is sometimes the best medicine.