Letters from the Pit

In a culture of comic book heroes, it's gratifying to be reminded that there are real heroes out there. Every day the staff of emergency rooms throughout the world are saving lives - 24/7/365. Dr. Patrick Crocker provides us an intimate glimpse into the growing mind of an emergency physician, from residency to retirement. Told in a unique first-person stream of consciousness style, you are right in the middle of the action, looking over the doctor's shoulder while he works. In this compilation of notable, frightening, funny, sad, and poignant cases, you'll see Dr. Crocker's struggles to Do No Harm in the most challenging of situations. Through these stories, you'll see him find the delicate balance between help and harm, empathy and self-preservation.

In a culture of comic book heroes, it's gratifying to be reminded that there are real heroes out there. Every day the staff of emergency rooms throughout the world are saving lives - 24/7/365. Dr. Patrick Crocker provides us an intimate glimpse into the growing mind of an emergency physician, from residency to retirement. Told in a unique first-person stream of consciousness style, you are right in the middle of the action, looking over the doctor's shoulder while he works. In this compilation of notable, frightening, funny, sad, and poignant cases, you'll see Dr. Crocker's struggles to Do No Harm in the most challenging of situations. Through these stories, you'll see him find the delicate balance between help and harm, empathy and self-preservation.

Dr. Patrick J. Crocker, D.O., attended the University of California, Berkeley, where he earned a B.S. and M.S. in Human Nutrition, graduating with highest honors and Phi Beta Kappa. He attended Des Moines University, College of Osteopathic Medicine and completed his residency in Emergency Medicine at Darnall Army Medical Center in Ft. Hood, Texas. He worked for approximately 30 years as Chief of Emergency Medicine, at Brackenridge Hospital, the Children's Hospital of Austin, and Dell Children's Medical Center, all in Austin, Texas. He is now retired and lives with his wife in the Texas hill country.