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4.21 AVERAGE
4.21 AVERAGE
emotional
A doctor in training talks about all the things that doctors have to take into consideration as they make life changing medical decisions on a day to day basis. Gawande’s prose is engaging and insightful at the same time.
informative
medium-paced
The beginning is solid, but it starts to drag a little in the middle. Worth it for the stories and reflections.
Recently I had to see a doctor for something that was bothering me. I went to my normal family physicians group, who referred me to a gastroenterologist, and eventually had to have a couple procedures in the hospital before I was offhandedly diagnosed with IBS. I say "offhandedly" because that's what it was: the gastroenterologist at first said I seemed to have had some kind of stomach bug that threw me out of whack, and then, when I asked further, finally said "Yeah, I think you have IBS." He didn't tell me what kind of foods I might try avoiding, only to take a probiotic every day, and didn't give me much more information.
I walked out of his office feeling a little confused. The doctor seemed almost dismissive of everything I had explained to him even though he was willing to do tests in the hospital. So when I read this book, I kept thinking of that office visit, which was rather unlike other visits I have had with other doctors, who have always seemed willing to listen and be open. By the end of the book I was kind of wishing that Atul Gawande (or any of the other good doctors mentioned in the book) were my doc. I enjoyed Dr. Gawande's openness and his very thoughtful approach to medicine. So often doctors are looked upon as omniscient beings with the whole of medical science at their fingertips, but Gawande blasts away this notion and effectively conveys that they are just as human as the rest of us.
A few things bothered me about the book: at times Gawande seems almost too thoughtful, making him seem hesitant and ineffectual; many of his stories are from him just starting out, which may have contributed to this impression. Also, he seemed at times a bit reserved from the patient themselves, reporting simply the facts and very little emotion. It seemed at odds with the way he made sure to follow up with many of his surgical patients at their homes, and the way he still remembers such specifics years later. Perhaps some of the emotional writing would have gotten in the way of the story, but it was hard for me to see the patients beyond simply what was wrong with them.
I was surprised to see that this book was published in 2002. A few things about it seemed somewhat dated. I would have pegged it at 1995 or thereabouts.
All in all, a solid book. I enjoyed it even if I didn't get much insight into why my gastroenterologist was so rushed (unless he's like the surgeon in the book who works 80 hours a week to pull in a $400k income and seems surprised when he gets burned out). But I certainly learned a lot about the way hospitals work and the way doctors think.
I walked out of his office feeling a little confused. The doctor seemed almost dismissive of everything I had explained to him even though he was willing to do tests in the hospital. So when I read this book, I kept thinking of that office visit, which was rather unlike other visits I have had with other doctors, who have always seemed willing to listen and be open. By the end of the book I was kind of wishing that Atul Gawande (or any of the other good doctors mentioned in the book) were my doc. I enjoyed Dr. Gawande's openness and his very thoughtful approach to medicine. So often doctors are looked upon as omniscient beings with the whole of medical science at their fingertips, but Gawande blasts away this notion and effectively conveys that they are just as human as the rest of us.
A few things bothered me about the book: at times Gawande seems almost too thoughtful, making him seem hesitant and ineffectual; many of his stories are from him just starting out, which may have contributed to this impression. Also, he seemed at times a bit reserved from the patient themselves, reporting simply the facts and very little emotion. It seemed at odds with the way he made sure to follow up with many of his surgical patients at their homes, and the way he still remembers such specifics years later. Perhaps some of the emotional writing would have gotten in the way of the story, but it was hard for me to see the patients beyond simply what was wrong with them.
I was surprised to see that this book was published in 2002. A few things about it seemed somewhat dated. I would have pegged it at 1995 or thereabouts.
All in all, a solid book. I enjoyed it even if I didn't get much insight into why my gastroenterologist was so rushed (unless he's like the surgeon in the book who works 80 hours a week to pull in a $400k income and seems surprised when he gets burned out). But I certainly learned a lot about the way hospitals work and the way doctors think.
informative
reflective
medium-paced
I waited until after my surgery to read this book, which was a good idea, and was really looking forward to it. I wasn't as wowed as I thought I would be though. His writing is excellent but as other have mentioned, each chapter feels as if it could stand alone, with little connecting the book together as a whole. I also felt that the issues Gawande presented are the same as many other medical books I've read - like the fallibility of doctors, uncertainty making medical decisions - so the material felt unoriginal and a little dry to me. Still worth the read, though.
hopeful
informative
reflective
medium-paced
I'm glad I read this book. Complications is enlightening to those in the medical field and those who are not alike. It is inspiring for the former group as it believes that the struggles doctors face everyday are universal and human and that they are not alone; it is eye-opening for the latter as the book uncovers the insides and secrets of medicine (plus the real-life cases teach some medical knowledge, too). Will definitely read Gawande's other books.