Reviews tagging 'Injury/Injury detail'

This is Going to Hurt: Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor by Adam Kay

66 reviews

stabilesero's review against another edition

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informative inspiring lighthearted reflective medium-paced

4.0

This isn't my usual read, and if it had been strongly my cup of tea, it probably would have been a 5 star.
Adam Kay provides a funny, reflective and truthful account about the UK's Healthcare system and the applaudable yet undervalued work of those employed by the NHS. 

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rebecca713's review against another edition

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3.0

if you want to be dissuaded from a career in medicine, this book is for you

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izzyvioletgrace's review against another edition

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challenging emotional informative reflective tense medium-paced

4.0

This book is a detailed insight into the life of a doctor. Informative and funny, yet shows the inhumane pressure doctors are put under. 

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mxss_winterfell's review against another edition

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emotional funny informative lighthearted medium-paced

5.0

An important book that manages to highlight the situation the NHS are in (which has only grown worse since publication) and talk about the real struggles and challenges of being a junior doctor in a funny yet informative way. With witty remarks and pithy comments throughout, Adam Kay's writing makes it easy to read through such a serious book in one sitting.

To anyone who uses, has used, or knows of the NHS service, I would recommend reading this book.

P.S. Grab a little thank you card or gift for your care team after your next hospital stay; goodness knows the government won't thank them

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anastasiak's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative sad fast-paced

5.0


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saviross's review against another edition

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challenging dark informative sad medium-paced

3.0

Very interesting to hear about these experiences working across various hospitals. At times, I honestly felt happy Adam is no longer working as a doctor, as sometimes his comments about patients were jarring and insensitive. I understand though that it is a very challenging job and, at the same time, Adam told many stories that made his care for patients very clear. I did enjoy Adam's writing though, and his ability to be humorous during times of stress was amazing. 

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kieransilika's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional funny informative reflective sad tense slow-paced

4.0

It was crazy to see how the writers pain was masked under the words of a light heart. He talked about things that would be scary, challenging, emotional and overwhelming like it was normal. Kay managed to give a great insight into a life in the NHS - balancing a non-medic point of view with an informative counter part. It makes me angry and annoyed.
the writer works on a labour ward where he is stressed and overworked, and on the other side of that: black women are 4 times more likely to die during labour than white woman. This really highlights the awful dynamic between stressed workers and inadequate healthcare - a clear change needs to be made for employee and patient benefit.
overall the book was informative and intriguing and definitely a great read.

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smupple's review against another edition

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funny reflective medium-paced

4.0


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bookbird's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring fast-paced

5.0

Jan 2023: This must be my third or fourth reread of this incredibly special book. Kay is a master storyteller, and it's his finely balanced combination of light and dark that make this book so impactful. A must-read for anyone who has ever had even the briefest experience of the NHS.

Jan 2024: I don't think I'll ever be able to properly express how highly I recommend this book.

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rosalie362819's review against another edition

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challenging funny informative sad fast-paced

3.0

Favourite quotes:
“It now seemed extreme and unreasonable in terms of what was expected of me, but at the time, I’d just accepted it as part of the job. The extra mile was the normal distance.”
“The depth of the lows is the price you pay for the height of the highs.”
“She bursts into tears, and out come all the will nevers, the crushing realization that forever is just a word on the front of Valentine’s cards.”
“The other thing I realize is that none of her many, many concerns are about herself; it’s all about the kids, her husband, her sister, her friends. Maybe that’s the definition of a good person.”
“He must realize we have the same chat every time, but it clearly doesn’t matter—he just wants to know there’s someone out there who cares. And actually, that’s a very large part of what being a doctor is.”
“I dress him again, look up to a God I don’t believe in, and say, ‘Look after him.’”
“You don’t cure depression, the same way you don’t cure asthma; you manage it. I’m the inhaler he’s decided to go with and I should be pleased he’s gone this long without an attack.”
“Medicine is the host who manages to keep you at the party hours after you first think about leaving.”
“It’s funny—you don’t think of doctors getting ill.”
“Think about the toll the job takes on every medical professional, at home and at work. Remember that all of them do an absolutely impossible job to the very best of their abilities. Your time in the hospital may well hurt them a lot more than it hurts you.”

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