hjb_128's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional funny informative reflective sad fast-paced

5.0


Expand filter menu Content Warnings

camoo3032's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional funny informative medium-paced

4.0


Expand filter menu Content Warnings

rhi_18's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional funny informative inspiring lighthearted sad medium-paced

4.25

Very medical. A lot of medical terminology and can be graphic. Eye opening. 
Interesting 

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

hellandhogwarts's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional funny informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0


Expand filter menu Content Warnings

leospressos's review against another edition

Go to review page

funny informative reflective fast-paced

4.5


Expand filter menu Content Warnings

markwillnevercry's review against another edition

Go to review page

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. 


Expand filter menu Content Warnings

izzyvioletgrace's review against another edition

Go to review page

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. 

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

bookbird's review against another edition

Go to review page

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.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

leonormsousa's review against another edition

Go to review page

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)

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

nelsvy's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional funny informative reflective fast-paced

4.75


Expand filter menu Content Warnings