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ipekreading's review
3.0
As a board certified ENT surgeon, Anthony Chin-Quee looks like a story of success. In his memoir he details his battle with depression, surviving residency and his experiences as a Black doctor.
According to a 2017 study the rate of depression in adults in the US is 7.1%, while depending on the measures a 2015 study found the rate of depression among residents to be somewhere between 20.9% to 43.2% (a number that has likely increased with the pandemic). Having lived with a resident in the last few years, I have witnessed first hand how the endless hours of work becomes catastrophic and incompatible with living a fulfilling life. While I have observed a lot on the topic, a perspective I didn't have was how being Black and not having a good support structure can add to the toil of residency.
Chin-Quee formatted his memoir in a unique way, sometimes written as a conversation with the voice in his head, sometimes a poem and sometimes a screenplay. There are some medical stories and there is a lot of personal reckoning through which he forges himself a path of survival. While this made me uncomfortable to read at times (which is potentially intentional), I can definitely see this being an important read for people in medicine.
According to a 2017 study the rate of depression in adults in the US is 7.1%, while depending on the measures a 2015 study found the rate of depression among residents to be somewhere between 20.9% to 43.2% (a number that has likely increased with the pandemic). Having lived with a resident in the last few years, I have witnessed first hand how the endless hours of work becomes catastrophic and incompatible with living a fulfilling life. While I have observed a lot on the topic, a perspective I didn't have was how being Black and not having a good support structure can add to the toil of residency.
Chin-Quee formatted his memoir in a unique way, sometimes written as a conversation with the voice in his head, sometimes a poem and sometimes a screenplay. There are some medical stories and there is a lot of personal reckoning through which he forges himself a path of survival. While this made me uncomfortable to read at times (which is potentially intentional), I can definitely see this being an important read for people in medicine.
razishiri's review
2.75
Meandering - parts were interesting and compelling, but it didn't feel like there was a cohesive message to me.
candelibri's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
tense
slow-paced
4.5
hegreenberg13's review
5.0
Read this book for my internship and wow I can't wait for it to come out so I can make everyone I know read it.
badpunsanduwu's review against another edition
2.0
I really wanted to love this , I really did. I always pick up medical memoirs to let me know I'm not alone in this and the ones I pick up generally work out . I was also intrigued by it being written by a black ENT doctor, never read from their side , so I was really hyped to get to know the insides of working in ENT.
I was really hoping it to get better in the very least where the author addresses some loaded statements in the beginning. ( which being him not liking his superior's way of handling things , which one can disagree with , but the way he speaks like his way is wayyy better and he'll never approach the way the senior approached it... Left a bad taste in my mouth, similar tone was used when he kept thinking he knew what's best for a completely mentally competent patient who is informed of everything that is to occur, doctor it's the patients' life stfu for once. ) This was never really addressed properly. And that's what set the rest of memoir's tone .
I can still appreciate a memoir even if I disagree , so I moved on with the story... But the poetry was making me cringe real bad. One of his poems was supposed to be inspired by a cancer patient and he ends making it about himself ( and the thing is , the author is self aware , he knows he's not the best at poetry and also that he made that poem about himself but that doesn't make me cringe any less )
Next , with talking to yourself kinda therapy sessions sprinkled throughout the book. I just could NOT with the constant back and forth with his subconscious.. I didn't come for that .. NOPE.. sorry... Can't do that.. ESPECIALLY the way it's narrated in the audiobook.
I just gave up the hope of liking it after this point , and was a passive reader.
He does talk about being POC in field and how he helped his juniors as well . And the part about finally letting go of generational trauma, both of these topics interested me, but the damage was already done. Most of the book i didn't care for it. And I wouldn't have got to the points i liked if i didn't think he'd address the statements in the beginning. Literally where's the change in the character arc. The author remains mostly the same throughout his narration and there's not many reflections about his actions and how things could be different with him maturing.
There's also descriptions of depression, self harm in it , so I advice looking into all the trigger warnings before going in.
I was really hoping it to get better in the very least where the author addresses some loaded statements in the beginning. ( which being him not liking his superior's way of handling things , which one can disagree with , but the way he speaks like his way is wayyy better and he'll never approach the way the senior approached it... Left a bad taste in my mouth, similar tone was used when he kept thinking he knew what's best for a completely mentally competent patient who is informed of everything that is to occur, doctor it's the patients' life stfu for once. ) This was never really addressed properly. And that's what set the rest of memoir's tone .
I can still appreciate a memoir even if I disagree , so I moved on with the story... But the poetry was making me cringe real bad. One of his poems was supposed to be inspired by a cancer patient and he ends making it about himself ( and the thing is , the author is self aware , he knows he's not the best at poetry and also that he made that poem about himself but that doesn't make me cringe any less )
Next , with talking to yourself kinda therapy sessions sprinkled throughout the book. I just could NOT with the constant back and forth with his subconscious.. I didn't come for that .. NOPE.. sorry... Can't do that.. ESPECIALLY the way it's narrated in the audiobook.
I just gave up the hope of liking it after this point , and was a passive reader.
He does talk about being POC in field and how he helped his juniors as well . And the part about finally letting go of generational trauma, both of these topics interested me, but the damage was already done. Most of the book i didn't care for it. And I wouldn't have got to the points i liked if i didn't think he'd address the statements in the beginning. Literally where's the change in the character arc. The author remains mostly the same throughout his narration and there's not many reflections about his actions and how things could be different with him maturing.
There's also descriptions of depression, self harm in it , so I advice looking into all the trigger warnings before going in.
deethiam's review
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0