Scan barcode
A review by micksland
Working Stiff: Two Years, 262 Bodies, and the Making of a Medical Examiner by T.J. Mitchell, Judy Melinek
dark
emotional
informative
fast-paced
5.0
5 stars!
This memoir by Dr. Judy Melinek details her time as a medical examiner in New York City. People find a lot of creative ways to die in the Big Apple, and Dr. Melinek describes the process of autopsy and investigation with empathy and macabre humor. Americans really hate to think about death, preferring to see it as something that happens only in hospitals, separate from the "real world". The author encourages us to look at death in a more realistic and humane way, and I think that's a very valuable thing for readers to experience.
The memoir is told out of chronological order; first, we get more humorous anecdotes that draw the reader in and acclimate us to Dr. Melinek's narrative style. The stories get progressively darker as the narrative moves on, culminating in her work doing autopsies on victims of the September 11 terrorist attacks and, immediately afterwards, on an anthrax attack victim. The book pulls zero punches and is a much stronger work for it. Overall, highly recommended.
---
I would be remiss in writing this review if I did not speak about the surgical training aspect of the memoir. Dr. Melinek initially went to residency to become a surgeon before transitioning to pathology, but was driven out of the field by the inhuman working conditions. EVERY SINGLE MEDICAL MEMOIR that I have ever read has talked about the inhumanity of the working conditions in American surgical residencies. As a medical student, I was kept awake multiple times for 36 hour shifts, and that is nothing compared to the shit that surgical residents endure. Think about that: it is illegal to keep prisoners awake for 36 hours, but surgical training demands this on a regular basis. The cruelty is the point. It is an inherent part of the system for training surgeons in the United States. Everyone in the medical field knows this, and nothing will change until we call it out and demand better working conditions for residents. Call your Senators and Representatives and demand change - prevent the abuse that happened to Dr. Melinek and that is still happening to surgical trainees all around the country.
This memoir by Dr. Judy Melinek details her time as a medical examiner in New York City. People find a lot of creative ways to die in the Big Apple, and Dr. Melinek describes the process of autopsy and investigation with empathy and macabre humor. Americans really hate to think about death, preferring to see it as something that happens only in hospitals, separate from the "real world". The author encourages us to look at death in a more realistic and humane way, and I think that's a very valuable thing for readers to experience.
The memoir is told out of chronological order; first, we get more humorous anecdotes that draw the reader in and acclimate us to Dr. Melinek's narrative style. The stories get progressively darker as the narrative moves on, culminating in her work doing autopsies on victims of the September 11 terrorist attacks and, immediately afterwards, on an anthrax attack victim. The book pulls zero punches and is a much stronger work for it. Overall, highly recommended.
---
I would be remiss in writing this review if I did not speak about the surgical training aspect of the memoir. Dr. Melinek initially went to residency to become a surgeon before transitioning to pathology, but was driven out of the field by the inhuman working conditions. EVERY SINGLE MEDICAL MEMOIR that I have ever read has talked about the inhumanity of the working conditions in American surgical residencies. As a medical student, I was kept awake multiple times for 36 hour shifts, and that is nothing compared to the shit that surgical residents endure. Think about that: it is illegal to keep prisoners awake for 36 hours, but surgical training demands this on a regular basis. The cruelty is the point. It is an inherent part of the system for training surgeons in the United States. Everyone in the medical field knows this, and nothing will change until we call it out and demand better working conditions for residents. Call your Senators and Representatives and demand change - prevent the abuse that happened to Dr. Melinek and that is still happening to surgical trainees all around the country.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Suicide, Medical content, and Murder
Moderate: Child death and Blood