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4.16 AVERAGE
4.16 AVERAGE
A very interesting memoir from a neurosurgeon writing about his time of training. It was interesting how little things converged to move him into that specialty when it wasn't really something he would have chosen to do as a beginning medical student. But his growing love for the skills required to help people survive some horrendous illnesses is definitely transmitted in the pages. He is brutally honest about how difficult residencies were in the 80s (now there are limits on the hours they can work per week), and about how difficult dealing with such difficult illnesses can be, especially children with brain tumors. The chapter that moved me the most was "The Wheel of Life," which also contained some of his philosophy of life with a difficult case study.
I got this free with an audiobook subscription, but it is worth looking up whether you have Audible or not.
I got this free with an audiobook subscription, but it is worth looking up whether you have Audible or not.
A very interesting memoir from a neurosurgeon writing about his time of training. It was interesting how little things converged to move him into that specialty when it wasn't really something he would have chosen to do as a beginning medical student. But his growing love for the skills required to help people survive some horrendous illnesses is definitely transmitted in the pages. He is brutally honest about how difficult residencies were in the 80s (now there are limits on the hours they can work per week), and about how difficult dealing with such difficult illnesses can be, especially children with brain tumors. The chapter that moved me the most was "The Wheel of Life," which also contained some of his philosophy of life with a difficult case study.
I got this free with an audiobook subscription, but it is worth looking up whether you have Audible or not.
I got this free with an audiobook subscription, but it is worth looking up whether you have Audible or not.
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Cancer, Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Gore, Terminal illness, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Cancer, Gun violence, Dementia, Abortion, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy
Minor: Homophobia, Pandemic/Epidemic
challenging
informative
medium-paced
Loved this. The right mix of medical detail and human interest. You get to know the author himself too. I listened on audio....very well narrated.
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
interesting read. A lot of sad stories and I like in Do No Harm and some other surgeon memoirs I've read, while you can tell this author is devoted to his job, he doesn't seem to actually enjoy it or say why he does it, which felt off to me. He does the work, it clearly has a strong impact on him and the cases he describes are interesting, but he doesn't seem to have a passion for his work, but also doesn't really address it's lack either.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Medical content
Vignettes that remind us of not only the consequences we make for our patients in medicine, but that these decisions are as much ours as they are theirs.
Might not be as enjoyable if you are outside the neuro space
Might not be as enjoyable if you are outside the neuro space
dark
inspiring
medium-paced
informative