Reviews with content warning for Suicidal thoughts - This Is Going to Hurt: Secret Diaries of a Medical Resident

Kinda gross, but like, necessarily so. Not for recommended for those with weak stomachs. It was funny, too, but I didn’t know how high I was gonna rate it until the very end. It was nearly a 5 star for me.

(Listened to as an audiobook)

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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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mshusky's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional funny sad fast-paced

4.5

Darkly funny and extremely poignant. There were times I found myself shaking with laughter at the wryly observed anocdotes, but then sobered by the next tale of triumph or despair.

The British medical system sounds like it is tettering on the edge of disaster, and I am concerned how it is in my country, with teh cutbacks and staff shortages from the stress of the covid era.

The British humour can be snarky, and at times Adam seems to be a bit of a snob, but also it shows how his empathy is drained as the years go by.

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rebecca713's review against another edition

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3.0

if you want to be dissuaded from a career in medicine, this book is for you

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katkatniss's review against another edition

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emotional funny informative lighthearted reflective sad fast-paced

5.0

Not a spoiler but it’s quite long and ranty.

Oof. Just accidentally finished This is Going to Hurt. It’s absolutely hilarious, the perfect blend of wit, humour, sadness, sensitivity and honesty. And the humour was so consistent throughout too. I’ve never read anything like it. I had to “ration my reading” too, in the words of the review by Jack Edwards—It was such a quick and irresistible read (great for reading slumps if you’re in one)! I couldn’t put it down and breezed through it in about three sittings. For some reason, in the beginning I thought that it might have been bordering on misogynistic at times, I couldn’t have been more wrong, it was respectful (now that I think about it, no one who witnesses childbirth like they do will likely be misogynistic, after seeing what women go through to give birth). Kay really has got such comedic talent. Even though I didn’t get all the medical jargon (I take full responsibility, he did a great job of explaining with humour, blame my memory), I still enjoyed it. And I love how he doesn’t explain and elaborate on the joke sometimes, just lays it out for us to see (like he acknowledges our being able to recognise it, like we are in on the joke), which is very smart and makes it even funnier somehow. Will definitely recommend (and have already).

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izzyvioletgrace's review against another edition

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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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eloiseug's review against another edition

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emotional funny informative reflective fast-paced

5.0

This book was simply incredible. The writing is funny, witty and sarcastic. The book gives you a real sense of all of the positives and negatives of being a junior doctor, along with a sense that you are really getting to know Adam as he was when he was practicing. Kay's writing is a triumph, and one of the best things I have ever had the privilege to read.

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