A review by august_ambrosia
This is Going to Hurt by Adam Kay

dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

5.0

wow. when they said unflinchingly honest they meant it. i feel strange talking about diaries being so interesting they had me hooked from the first page, but as someone who is applying to med this year i thought it was such a fascinating look behind the eyes of someone who had been in my shoes. 

also, if you don't have the stomach for blood or gore or death, don't read this book. or this next section of my review.

i showed my friend (non-medic applicant) an entry about a woman who attempted to eat her own placenta and she went a bit green. i also won't forget the graphic detail of kay's first death, or the woman diagnosed with cancer who he spoke with for 2 hours. i won't forget the woman who refused cancer treatment at 32 weeks to give her baby the best chance at life and who delivered at 37 weeks, spending only two weeks with the baby. how could you forget that? they're stories that just stay with you. the breaking point for adam kay is described so graphically and in just around a page. really, its more of the last straw than a breaking point.

i am comforted by the fact that i still want to do medicine. i lingered on the page where kay spoke about how much he loves what he does, despite the horrible long-hour-and-no-pay overtime shifts and absolute lack of a social life. i think its noble that he kept going through all of the unsupported horrors. i also think its noble that he knew when to stop. i think its especially noble that he published this and refused to be silent about the truth. i will be buying my own copy and annotating the hell out of it. i've learnt so much. there's still so far to go. can't wait to begin.