The Trophy Room He Emptied

In 2012, orthopedic surgeon Dr. Paul Kalanithi was 36 years old and standing at the summit of everything he had worked for. Stanford residency. Published research. A tenure-track professorship within reach. His office walls told the story — diplomas from Stanford, Cambridge, Yale School of Medicine. Every credential gleamed like polished brass. Then came the diagnosis: stage IV lung cancer.…