Ward Rounds

Five decades after a slim book of poems written by medical intern K. Dale Beernink first saw print, Ward Rounds is being re-issued. The poems present a doctor's view of various patients one might encounter in a hospital. The author, a brilliant student, fine musician, and talented writer, was diagnosed with myelocytic leukemia during his internship; he died three years later. His poems still find resonance today. They show that beyond the illnesses that bring people into contact with medical practitioners are complicated, unique human beings.