After completing medical residency, Ofri began writing the stories of her medical training at Bellevue Hospital, the oldest public hospital and one of the busiest urban hospitals in the country. These essays were published in literary journals and eventually formed the basis of her first book . Ofri returned to Bellevue Hospital as an attending physician in 1998, where she continues to teach and practice medicine. In 2000, Ofri co-founded the Bellevue Literary Review, the first literary magazine to arise from a hospital, and considered the preeminent journal in its field. She remains Editor-in-Chief. Ofri’s writings have been included in Best American Essays 2002 and 2005, and Best American Science Writing 2003. Her essays and reviews have appeared in New York Times, New EnglandJournal of Medicine, The Lancet, the Los Angeles Times, and on National Public Radio. She is the recipient of the McGovern award from the American Medical Writers Association for her contributions to medical literature. She received an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Curry College. She writes regularly for the about medicine and the doctor-patient connection.
Books
Ofri published her first book, ', in 2001. This book traced the experiences of medical school and residency in an inner-city hospital. The essay "Merced" from this book was chosen by Stephen Jay Gould for Best American Essays 2002, and was also awarded the Editor's Prize for Nonfiction by The Missouri Review. Her second book, ', was published in 2005. It explores the aspects of teaching medicine to the next generation of physicians, as well as Ofri’s experiences as a “locum tenens” physician in the small towns of America. Ofri also writes about her own experience being a patient. The essay "Living Will" from Incidental Findings was selected by Susan Orlean for Best American Essays 2005. The essay "Common Ground" from Incidental Findings was selected by Oliver Sacks for Best American Science Writing 2003 and given Honorable Mention by Anne Fadiman for Best American Essays 2004. Ofri released her third book, in 2010. It discusses immigration and health care—two topics that dominated the public discourse in 2010. Ofri explores the cultural challenges in medicine and chronicles the experiences of immigrants and Americans in the U.S. health care system. Her fourth book, "What Doctors Feel--How Emotions Affect the Practice of Medicine," was published in 2013. This book examines the emotional side of medicine–the shame, fear, anger, anxiety, empathy, and even love—that impact patient care. Ofri's fifth book, "What Patients Say, What Doctors Hear" explores the doctor-patient conversation as the most powerful tool in medicine. Ofri's sixth book "When We Make Mistakes" interweaves several cases where care goes south and patients die with the efforts to, and difficulties in, preventing medical errors.
