The Last Doctor
Lessons in Living from the Front Lines of Medical Assistance in Dying
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The Last Doctor
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Narrated by:
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Jean Marmoreo
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Eve Crawford
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Written by:
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Jean Marmoreo
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Johanna Schneller
About this listen
NATIONAL BESTSELLER
*SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2022 WRITERS' TRUST BALSILLIE PRIZE FOR PUBLIC POLICY*
An urgently important exploration of the human stories behind Canada's evolving acceptance of Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD), from one of its first and most thoughtful practitioners.
Dr. Jean Marmoreo spent her career keeping people alive. But when the Supreme Court of Canada gave the green light to Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) in 2016, she became one of a small group of doctors who chose to immediately train themselves in this new field. Over the course of a single year, Marmoreo learns about end-of-life practices in bustling Toronto hospitals, in hospices, and in the facilities of smaller communities. She found that the needed services were often minimal—or non-existent.
The Last Doctor recounts Marmoreo's crash course in MAiD and introduces a range of very different and memorable patients, some aged, some suffering from degenerative conditions or with a terminal disease, some surrounded by supportive love, some quite alone, who ask her help to end their suffering with dignity and on their own terms.
Dr. Marmoreo also shares her own emotional transformation as she climbs a steep learning curve and learns the intimate truths of the vast range of end-of-life situations. What she experiences with MAiD shakes her to her core, makes her think deeply about pain, loneliness, and joy, and brings her closer to life’s most profound questions.
At a time when end-of-life care and its quality are more in the public eye than ever before, The Last Doctor provides an accessibly personal, deeply humane, and authoritative guide through this difficult subject.
©2022 Jean Marmoreo and Johanna Schneller (P)2022 VikingCritic Reviews
One of:
The Hill Times' 100 Best Books of 2022
TVO's "Books we couldn't stop talking about in 2022"
The Globe and Mail’s “64 books to keep you warm as the weather cools”
CBC’s “60 works of Canadian nonfiction to watch for in fall 2022”
"A remarkable book . . . extremely well-written, touching, full of love and nuance. Some humour, too, because both life and death are full of it. It is a must-read for anyone who wishes to understand the issue better."—Ottawa Citizen
“Dr. Jean Marmoreo has spent her medical career at the leading edge—of feminist practice, of comprehensive primary care, of pregnancy and birth care . . . and now as a witness to and faciliator of death. The moving and insightful moments of The Last Doctor offer a glimpse into the end of life in its complexity and beauty, and also into the remarkable gifts of one of Canada’s greatest family physicians.”—Danielle Martin, MD, bestselling author of Better Now: Six Big Ideas to Improve Health Care for All Canadians
“Powerfully honest and compelling, this book tackles the tough questions head on. MAiD is about choice, and these stories capture the truth of those who choose a dignified departure and the wonderful human beings who make it possible. Jean is one of those. In a simple yet profound way Jean makes the case that while MAiD does take away someone’s life, it first gives it back to them. That is indeed the power of good. Without the brave souls who take the risky, first steps we would have no Medicare, . . . no vaccines in this country. And without their compassion we would not have Medical Assistance in Dying to help those who want autonomy in life—and in death.”—Senator Pamela Wallin, Advocate for MAiD and Advance Requests, Member of the Special Joint Parliamentary Committee on Medical Assistance in Dying