Atul Gawande

Medicine American (Indian-born) 1965 102 quotes

Surgeon and writer on medical errors and checklists, quoted 'Better is possible. It is possible to mitigate disaster and calamity.'

Quotes by Atul Gawande

We are not just brains in a jar. We are bodies, and we are social creatures. And our lives are lived in the world, with other people.

Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End 2014

The volume of knowledge and skill has become so vast that no one person can master it all.

Better: A Surgeon's Notes on Performance 2007

The truth is, we are all terminal. We are all going to die. And the question is not whether we will die, but how we will live until we do.

Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End 2014

A good surgeon is not just someone who can cut well. It's someone who can think well, and someone who can communicate well.

Better: A Surgeon's Notes on Performance 2007

The problem is not that we are too busy. The problem is that we are too distracted.

The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right 2009

We've been wrong about what our job is in medicine. We think our job is to ensure health and survival. But really it is larger than that. It is to enable well-being.

Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End 2014

The difference between a good day and a bad day in surgery is often the difference between a good team and a bad team.

The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right 2009

The ultimate goal is not to live forever, but to live well.

Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End 2014

The three essential qualities of a good doctor are diligence, ingenuity, and righteousness.

Complications: A Surgeon's Notes on an Imperfect Science 2002

We are all fallible. We all make mistakes. The question is, what do we do about it?

The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right 2009

The human animal is a social animal. We need each other.

Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End 2014

Medicine is a science of uncertainty and an art of probability.

Complications: A Surgeon's Notes on an Imperfect Science 2002

The greatest danger is not that we aim too high and miss, but that we aim too low and hit.

Better: A Surgeon's Notes on Performance 2007

The problem with medicine is that it's a human endeavor. And humans are messy.

Complications: A Surgeon's Notes on an Imperfect Science 2002

The desire to live is a powerful force. But so is the desire to live well.

Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End 2014

Success in medicine is not just about curing disease. It's about helping people live their lives.

Better: A Surgeon's Notes on Performance 2007

The future of medicine is not just about technology. It's about humanity.

Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End 2014

The most important thing in medicine is to listen to the patient.

Complications: A Surgeon's Notes on an Imperfect Science 2002

We are all on a journey. And the journey is not always easy.

Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End 2014

The art of medicine is to keep the patient company while nature cures the disease.

Complications: A Surgeon's Notes on an Imperfect Science 2002