Remember the awe you felt when gazing into a human body for the first time? That moment in gross anatomy -- the common formative experience shared by every physician -- provided your first glimpse into the miracle that is the human body. How you responded to that miracle began your evolution into the physician, and person, you are today.

Yet once into patient care you quickly discovered that anatomical knowledge alone is not enough. The human condition is about more than muscle, bones and vital organs. What makes us who we are is how we deal with the situations that make up our lives -- whether those situations are self-chosen or out of our control. That is true of physicians, as it is true of us all. The fact is that physicians have personal lives and those personal lives cannot help but impact the kind of doctors you are. Yet it is a reality that often takes a backseat to the news coverage American Medical News provides each week.

It is a fact that bears examination. We have done so through a look at the life anatomy of some of your colleagues. The physicians whose stories follow represent a cross section of the profession. They come from a variety of specialties, are scattered across the country and have differing ethnic backgrounds. They were initially chosen because we believed something in their experiences would resonate with each of you.

One had a baby, one retired, one rebuilt his practice after a natural disaster. But there were also unanticipated twists -- one went to jail for Medicare fraud, another was violently assaulted in her office. And one story was cut short. Jose Felipe Gonzalez, MD, who planned to help us tell the story of a physician recovering from a serious illness, died suddenly at age 48.

Each physician portrayed in these pages agreed to let our reporters into his or her life for one year, a significant undertaking for both reporter and physician. We hope you enjoy the results. Perhaps when you've finished, you'll pause to reflect on your own life anatomy.