Reviews tagging 'Domestic abuse'

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

21 reviews

camoo3032's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny informative medium-paced

4.0


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namitree's review against another edition

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dark informative reflective medium-paced
Watched the drama series adaptation last year and wanted to read the original material. Very informative on obgyn procedures and complications, the gruelling schedule of NHS junior doctors, and the government's callous campaign against said doctors. However, the unwarranted misogyny and fatphobia (among the MANY other disparaging remarks) was really off-putting and just unnecessarily cruel especially since these women were going through some of the most challenging and painful experiences of their lives.

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hellandhogwarts's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0


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ramreadsagain's review against another edition

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challenging emotional funny informative sad fast-paced
I don't usually give star ratings to memoirs and autobiographies.

This was excellent, I've never laughed so hard and so frequently at a book, and then had the last few pages nearly make me cry. Our NHS is something we need to grab on to with both hands and never let go, yet the UK government is making many willingly chuck it down the drain. The problems in the NHS (caused by government cuts etc) can be fixed by investing in the NHS and its doctors (and nurses, and other staff), not by getting rid of it. As someone who hopefully has 30-40 years before I start seriously needing healthcare, I am afraid for what that will look like in our country by then. Do I start saving now?

Some sections in particular were really informative, such as the part about how NHS access to fertility help works (i.e. arbitrarily and cruelly), and in general the ridiculous ways that junior doctors are treated in terms of where and how they work. My partner's sister will be a junior doctor next year and I'll be very interested (and probably saddened) to hear what has changed.

Loved this book, though could tell it had all gone through heavy editing. Would have liked a more realistic look at what his daily thoughts would have looked like jotted down back then.

Some heavy fatphobia in some places to the usual doctor tune of "why would they not just lose weight? fat people are idiots amirite" which was disappointing. It always amazes me how little doctors know about how that works. 

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kat_greenwood99's review against another edition

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emotional funny informative reflective medium-paced

4.5


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toriepeters's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful informative lighthearted sad fast-paced

5.0


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izzyvioletgrace's review

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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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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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leonormsousa's review against another edition

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challenging funny informative fast-paced

5.0

QUOTE
"So I told them the truth: the hours are terrible, the pay is terrible, the conditions are terrible; you’re underappreciated, unsupported, disrespected and frequently physically endangered. But there’s no better job in the world."

WHAT I ENJOYED
  • the bigger message: no health care provider does what they do for money, they do it to help other people and for passion
  • incredibly funny and witty
  • very honest and raw, maybe a consequence of the descriptive and factual tone: the author does not try to paint himself or anyone else in a good or bad light
  • great insights into the life of a medical care taker (doctor): 
    • the lack of working conditions
    • their struggles with balancing work with personal life
    • the pressure and the emotional weight they’re under
    • the feeling of unreadiness and how they grow as doctors with time
    • working in public vs private healthcare
  • the side notes explaining the more medical/technical terms really help guide us common people
  • the author narration in the audiobook is exceptional

WHAT I DIDN'T ENJOY
  • if you’re not from the UK or are not familiarized with its health and education systems, there might be a couple of things that you don’t grasp as well. it's not something that affects your reading experience much and tbh a google search can probably solve it... 

RECOMMENDED TO
  • everyone!
  • i feel like it’s an essential read to better understand and appreciate the work of health care providers
  • i imagine it might be especially interesting for other healthcare providers since they will probably relate to some of the experiences
  • the only exception to my recommendation is if you have triggers connected to medical content & pregnancies (recommend checking the full list of TWs)

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