Book Club Questions
The Hospitalist
by Michael Weisberg, M.D.
1.) How would you describe the overall tone of the book?
2.) What is the purpose of the novel beginning and ending with letters of denial of payment from insurance companies?
3.) What is the author trying to say by listing the doctors who do and don’t get sued by Jumpy Johnson’s family?
4.) What would you do if you found yourself sick and in the hospital and the hospitalist comes to your room and tells you he/she is your doctor? Did reading this book change your thoughts?
5.) Have you had a discussion with your primary care doctor about the nature of your care should you be hospitalized and what role your primary care doctor will play?
6.) Who are the role models for Aaron Bernstein, Vijay Givagushrai and Jumpy Johnson. Discuss their influence on each man. What do we learn about the importance of role models through the saga of the two Thomas Kelly Jrs.?
7.) Did you realize the impact the AIDS epidemic had in medicine and medical training in the 1980’s? How does the book deal with the AIDS crisis? Why do you think the media ignored this issue?
8.) If you could choose one doctor from the book to care for you or a loved one, who would it be and why?
9.) How does the poem written by a 9 year-old at the end of the book tie together several of the book’s themes?
10.) If you could ask the author one question, what would it be?
