megb64's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional funny reflective sad fast-paced

5.0


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markwillnevercry's review against another edition

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2.0

It was okay. At some places it was funny. Mostly it was just interesting to learn about how doctors are doing. I appreciate why this book was written and I think that the healthcare system is worth fighting for. However, I wrote down in my reading notes first a bunch of things that were a bit interesting and then a bunch of things that remind us that doctors are human and have no problem calling their patients fat. Feel free to see all the ways the writer fucked up.

Reading notes:

Monday, 6 December 2004
“All junior doctors at the hospital have been asked to sign a document opting out of the European Working Time Directive because our contracts are non-compliant with it.”

Monday, 8 August 2005
“The realization I could have caught HIV.”

Tuesday, 24 January 2006
Discrimination against Jehovah’s Witnesses and talk of when their consent was not considered in the hospital setting. 

Monday, 12 June 2006
A doctor telling someone to lose weight to help their medical condition, that is not directly connected to their weight.

Senior House Officer - Post Two
No, it is not “working” with the system of see once and then do. 

Wednesday, 27 September 2006
Comment about Greek people for no reason. 

Monday, 23 October 2006
Mentioning of “hermaphrodites” and assumptions about how intersex people look. 

Sunday, 21 January 2007
We get to hear that it is actually very simple to stop taking drugs as an addict. 

Senior House Officer - Post Three
As someone, whose whole family is Catholic, it is very funny to keep hearing the same joke about how all of the priests are lusting over small boys. It is definitely not getting old nor starts to feel uncomfortable, because of the amount of priests that are actually there to help people. 

Monday, 12 February 2007
Haha, it is so funny to make fun of people who come to hospital for a morning-after pill. So funny. 

Thursday, 16 August 2007
Oh, it’s nothing, just making fun of a patient who wanted to eat her placenta. 

Wednesday, 24 October 2007
I love getting to hear about a doctor possibly violating a protocol, by masturbating while working.

Tuesday, 8 January 2008
Just fatphobia. 

Monday, 17 March 2008
What a nice thing it is to call someone an idiot over a misspelling.

Monday, 21 April 2008
Someone fell face down into an opened abdomen? During an operation?

Thursday, 3 July 2008
It is at least nice to know that he cares about people’s mental health.

Thursday, 18 September 2008
Just a general discussion about how tourists “need” to bring their own medical equipment to countries like Uganda, since “they cannot possibly be up to code on hygienics”. Is this racism or what should I mark it under?

Saturday, 22 November 2008
What about we do not just blame porn and make sure that teens get to know more about their body?

Thursday, 19 February 2009
We sure do hate it when people choose names for their children, that are not Elizabeth and Charles.

Sunday, 26 April 2009
How do you work in OB/GYN and complain about the smell from vaginas? And making fun of sex workers?

Saturday, 18 July 2009
There is really no reason to describe how a patient looks in their private areas, specifically when they are a patient and you are a doctor in OB/GYN.

Wednesday, 19 August 2009
We love the constant reference to “Yeah, before we did not quite listen to the news”.

Saturday, 24 April 2010
Just because a patient is racist does not mean that you can make choices about how their body should look after you, it is not up to you.

Saturday, 1 May 2010
I’m tired. They cannot fathom to call someone a sex worker and call someone who just makes a remark a terrorist. 

Sunday, 14 November 2010
Well, he only half wants to make fun of a Muslim man, so it cannot be that bad. 


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dizzyizzy's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional funny informative reflective fast-paced

4.5


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kristin_thereader's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny informative lighthearted fast-paced

4.25


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wolf013's review against another edition

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emotional funny informative reflective sad fast-paced

4.75


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6emptynotebooks's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional funny informative sad fast-paced

4.5


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ninah17's review against another edition

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challenging informative sad fast-paced

4.0


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bennyholm's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny informative fast-paced

5.0


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afiya2004's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative reflective fast-paced

5.0


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lozababe's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny informative sad fast-paced

5.0

I have had this on my want to read list for a long time, but after watching the TV series (twice) it quickly moved up to my must read now list and it did not disappoint. 
Written as different chapters in Adam Kay’s life, from newly qualifying to the incident that lead him to quit medicine, this book covered all aspects of life as a doctor. Each chapter starts with an explanation about the post he is in and a few anecdotes from his life. It then moves onto diary entries from the time in each post.
The book had me laughing at the ridiculousness of some situations, cringing at others and tearing up at a few too. It opens your eyes to the dire state of the NHS and how doctors are always viewed as well paid for short hours when that’s really not true. They are underpaid, under appreciated and overworked in a system that is failing them. We are lucky to have our NHS in this country and we should appreciate it much more than we do sometimes. 
Adam’s writing is both informative and witty and it was a pleasure to read and was one that I flew through as it was so easy to read that I didn’t want to put it down at all.
The main takeaway that I have from this book is how much the system needs to change for those working for the NHS but in order for that to happen, governments need to stop trying to privatise parts of it and set unobtainable targets all while the expecting those that work there to spend the majority of their life at work and only getting paid for some of it. All of the staff are under tremendous pressure and they need their loved ones support before we lose all of them to easier and better paying jobs. 

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