This book was so affecting that there were parts of it I read aloud just to hear Dr.

“This is a gripping, extraordinary story of one doctor's quest to find meaning, intimacy, and self-worth amid his demons and our racist and inhumane health care system. “His story will resonate, particularly with readers who feel as though they don’t quite fit in and those dealing with a family history of mental illness.” - Booklist It’s a gripping story that is also genuine and, at times, filled with humor and levity.” -Shondaland “ book is full of wild stories from his experiences in the medical world and complex depictions of racial bias and what that means for access and opportunity, as well as honest reckonings with the meanings of care, harm, and survival in a capitalist and white-supremacist society. “Bracing… astute, no-holds-barred insights offer a window into the world of medical practitioners - and also celebrate the nuanced and diverse humanity of physicians.” -NPR What saved him and his sanity was not medicine but storytelling: by sharing stories from his life and career, Chin-Quee learned how powerful the truth can be in helping to forgive yourself and others as you chart a new way forward.īy turns harrowing and hilarious, honest and human, I Can’t Save You is the fascinating true story of how looking within can change you and your life for the better.

To repair that, he began his own unflinching examination of what it means to be both a physician and a Black man today. Growing up in a family with a background of depression, he struggled with relationships, feelings of inadequacy, and a fear of failure that made it difficult for him to forge lasting bonds with others. Yet the truth is more complicated.Īs a self-described “not white, mostly Black, and questionably Asian man,” Chin-Quee knows that he doesn’t fit easily into any category. The raw and gripping memoir of a Black physician who confronts his past mistakes and relationships as he learns to find his own path forwardĪt first glance, Anthony Chin-Quee looks like a traditional success story: a smart, ambitious kid who grew up to become a board-certified otolaryngologist-an ear, nose, and throat surgeon.

Ducks memoir