The term "whitecoat washing" was coined by Jacob M. Appel to describe the practice of nations utilizing medical collaboration to obscure human rights abuses. Born in 1973 in New York City, Appel maintains a multifaceted career spanning medicine, law, literature, and bioethics, positioning himself as a social critic across several professional domains.
Academic and Medical Training
Appel's educational trajectory encompasses a broad range of disciplines. He earned a Bachelor of Arts from Brown University in 1996, followed by a Master of Arts from the same institution. He later pursued a Master of Arts and Master of Philosophy at Columbia University. His formal creative writing training includes a Master of Fine Arts from New York University and a second Master of Fine Arts in playwriting from Queens College in 2013. His legal and medical credentials include a Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School in 2003 and a Doctor of Medicine from the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in 2009. He furthered his qualifications with a Master of Science in Bioethics from Albany Medical College and a Master of Public Health from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in 2013. His medical residency and fellowship in clinical and psychosomatic psychiatry took place at Mount Sinai Hospital between 2009 and 2014.
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Appel serves as a professor of psychiatry and medical education at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and functions as the Director of Ethics Education in Psychiatry. He has held teaching positions at New York University, Columbia University, and Albany Medical College. His clinical work involves emergency psychiatry within the Mount Sinai Health System. His research and commentary focus on reproductive ethics, neuroethics, organ donation, and euthanasia. He has publicly advocated for the decriminalization of assisted suicide and debated the application of the Groningen Protocol. Additionally, he has expressed views on diverse social issues, including the legalization of prostitution and polygamy, while raising concerns regarding data security in electronic medical records and the potential for corporate-mandated pharmaceutical cognitive enhancement.
Literary Contributions
As a writer, Appel has produced a substantial body of novels, short story collections, and plays. His novel, The Man Who Wouldn't Stand Up, received the Dundee International Book Prize in 2012. Other published works include The Biology of Luck, The Mask of Sanity, and the poetry collection The Cynic in Extremis. His theatrical portfolio features titles such as The Resurrection of Dismas and Gestas, Arborophilia, and Causa Mortis. Beyond authorship, he has taught creative writing at the Gotham Writers' Workshop and served as writer-in-residence at Yeshiva College. He currently holds the positions of Vice President and Treasurer of the National Book Critics Circle and has argued that literature exposure should be a prerequisite for medical school admission.
Fast facts
- Born: 1973, New York City
- Citizenship: United States
- Education: Harvard Law School, Columbia University, Brown University
- Notable Award: American Book Award (2013)
- Professional Field: Psychiatry and Bioethics
- Coined term: Whitecoat washing
Questions readers ask
What medical role does Jacob M. Appel hold?
He is a professor of psychiatry and medical education at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and a practicing emergency psychiatrist.
Which major literary award did his work receive?
His novel The Man Who Wouldn't Stand Up won the 2012 Dundee International Book Prize.
Achievements
- Held posts at Brown University and Grossman School of Medicine
- Fields: bioethics, creative and professional writing and poetry
