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Confessions of a Surgeon: The Good, the Bad, and the Complicated...Life Behind the O.R. Doors
As an active surgeon and former department chairman, Dr. Paul A. Ruggieri has seen the good, the bad, and the ugly of his profession. In Confessions of a Surgeon, he pushes open the doors of the O.R. and reveals the inscrutable place where lives are improved, saved, and sometimes lost. He shares the successes, failures, remarkable advances, and camaraderie that make it exciting. He uncovers the truth about the abusive, exhaustive training and the arduous devotion of his old-school education. He explores the twenty-four-hour challenges that come from patients and their loved ones; the ethics of saving the lives of repugnant criminals; the hot-button issues of healthcare, lawsuits, and reimbursements; and the true cost of running a private practice. And he explains the influence of the "white coat code of silence" and why patients may never know what really transpires during surgery. Ultimately, Dr. Ruggieri lays bare an occupation that to most is as mysterious and unfamiliar as it is misunderstood. His account is passionate, illuminating, and often shocking-an eye-opening, never- before-seen look at real life, and death, in the O.R.
272 pages, Paperback
First published January 3, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 248 reviews
October 5, 2015
What I remember of this book is that it was an interesting look at a surgical speciality. I like books like that. I'm always up for a medical memoir. But this isn't a review, this is why I am pissed off. Royally pissed off.
I read this a few years ago. It, like quite a few others, has disappeared from my booklist without trace. I used to report these disappearing books on Feedback and the advice was always to email Support. So I did. Total waste of time.
Occasionally I am able to prove it was on a list as I have an export file, but until 2015 when I started to find quite a few books missing I rarely did exports and mostly used to delete them when I did a new one. So I send this proof to Support and ... same result. Total waste of time.
I have a theory which I can't prove, but I believe it is the librarians and perhaps the combine process. (Boring bit follows) What I can't believe is that it is a GR bug, it is too random. It has to be a people problem.
This wasn't a review or a rant really. I'm just pissed off at finding another book and maybe review gone.
I read this a few years ago. It, like quite a few others, has disappeared from my booklist without trace. I used to report these disappearing books on Feedback and the advice was always to email Support. So I did. Total waste of time.
Occasionally I am able to prove it was on a list as I have an export file, but until 2015 when I started to find quite a few books missing I rarely did exports and mostly used to delete them when I did a new one. So I send this proof to Support and ... same result. Total waste of time.
I have a theory which I can't prove, but I believe it is the librarians and perhaps the combine process. (Boring bit follows) What I can't believe is that it is a GR bug, it is too random. It has to be a people problem.
This wasn't a review or a rant really. I'm just pissed off at finding another book and maybe review gone.
March 30, 2013
This book is fantastic, and I'd say it's a must read for everyone. "Confessions of a Surgeon" is entertaining and informative. I watch a lot of Grey's Anatomy, so I thought I knew a little bit about surgery (hahahhahahah not really), but this was a real look into the medical world. Dr. Ruggieri uses entertaining cases from his life to educate us, and provides a commentary on the current state of medical/surgical affairs. Be warned though, his account of current affairs is highly biased and emotional (obviously). I would advise not taking his words to heart because of the deep, but understandable bias the good Doctor holds. You also receive some knowledge about medical procedures and real surgical techniques, and I really enjoyed this being mixed in. This book was educational, and entertaining enough so that I won't instantly forget the valuable knowledge I have learned. Surgeons rock!
June 30, 2021
Do you know a high school or college student who is considering becoming a surgeon – or for that matter a physician? This book is a good choice for that person who you would like to enter the field wide-eyed.
I am not considering medical school. Confessions of a Surgeon did not scare me from medical school – or particularly inform or surprise me. He outlined numerous problems in the field: burnout from working long hours; the need to perform operations at all hours; the increasing requirement to take care of complicated older, sicker patients; rising malpractice insurance costs; worry due to potential lawsuits; decreasing reimbursements; increased government regulations; and the loss of autonomy.
Confessions of a Surgeon made me appreciate but also dislike surgeons.
All I see is a diseased appendix, a cancerous thyroid mass, a hernia, or an inflamed gallbladder. Yes, I realize there is a life, a soul, attached to these organs. In order to do my job effectively, however, I cannot allow it to be a distraction. There are no “feelings” inside the operating room, no time for reflection. Here, I do not consider myself human. (pp. 31-32)
An important message was that patients should educate themselves about their surgeons:
Do not be afraid to ask your surgeon how many operations he or she has performed. Does this guarantee success? Of course not. Do not be afraid to ask your surgeon to explain the potential major complications specific to your operation. Ask, “What is the normal major complication rate for my operation? What is your complication rate for my operation?” The answers should come quickly. And if the answer to the last question is zero, I would be polite, leave, and find another surgeon. (p. 70)
In sum, if I'd read this 40 years ago, I might have been surprised and enlightened. Instead, even Ruggieri's frequent attempts at humility rubbed me the wrong way.
I am not considering medical school. Confessions of a Surgeon did not scare me from medical school – or particularly inform or surprise me. He outlined numerous problems in the field: burnout from working long hours; the need to perform operations at all hours; the increasing requirement to take care of complicated older, sicker patients; rising malpractice insurance costs; worry due to potential lawsuits; decreasing reimbursements; increased government regulations; and the loss of autonomy.
Confessions of a Surgeon made me appreciate but also dislike surgeons.
All I see is a diseased appendix, a cancerous thyroid mass, a hernia, or an inflamed gallbladder. Yes, I realize there is a life, a soul, attached to these organs. In order to do my job effectively, however, I cannot allow it to be a distraction. There are no “feelings” inside the operating room, no time for reflection. Here, I do not consider myself human. (pp. 31-32)
An important message was that patients should educate themselves about their surgeons:
Do not be afraid to ask your surgeon how many operations he or she has performed. Does this guarantee success? Of course not. Do not be afraid to ask your surgeon to explain the potential major complications specific to your operation. Ask, “What is the normal major complication rate for my operation? What is your complication rate for my operation?” The answers should come quickly. And if the answer to the last question is zero, I would be polite, leave, and find another surgeon. (p. 70)
In sum, if I'd read this 40 years ago, I might have been surprised and enlightened. Instead, even Ruggieri's frequent attempts at humility rubbed me the wrong way.
April 19, 2012
I really couldn't decide how many stars to give this book. It did provide some intriguing insights into surgery, as well as some helpful advice to patients, but I didn't like the author's attitude some of the time. I shouldn't have been surprised, since he's a surgeon, but I found him arrogant at times, which is pretty much my #1 pet peeve. His nostalgia for the "old-school training of surgeons," even as he acknowledges that the new training and new practices benefit patient SAFETY is baffling. Other times, though, he was much more humble. As I read, I compared him to Atul Gawande, the author of Complications and Better, and a surgeon himself who still manages to be humble and thoughtful, and Ruggieri can't hold a candle to Gawande as far as writing style or personality.
February 23, 2019
As a medical professional I was disappointed in the way Ruggieri presented himself. He displayed the stereotypical arrogance I would expect from a surgeon. Additionally, there are key medical mistakes in this book (eg: defibrillating a "flatline" or asystole). I do not know why Ruggieri made these mistakes, perhaps it is from a time when medical procedures were done differently, maybe it was just laziness. I enjoyed reading more into the culture of medicine, but this was overall a boring read. I was not impressed by the flow of style of Ruggieri. I thing this book would have significantly benefited from more narrative type explanations of cases and procedures. There are great books in this genre, this is not one of them.
March 4, 2012
I don't know quite what to make of this book. It has more polemics and political commentary than I expected, and the author seems to take 3 pages to explain what could be explained in one.
The author opens most chapters with a real live example of what the chapter is about, then develops the theme. But the development always seems somewhat disjointed.
In spite of the above, I am left with admiration for the author, who is obviously a dedicated and competent surgeon who wants to do the right thing for his patients and improve his profession.
The "white coat code of silence" is the term the author gives to the way his profession protects the incompetents. This is actually one of the best sections. He opens with the example, describes how, as department head, he has to make a decision about renewing a surgeon's operating privileges, and how he waffled back and forth on what his decision should be and the factors that affect the decision. Ultimately, as one would expect, he made the right one.
He writes about knowing when to operate as opposed to how to operate, as well as the need for exploratory surgery. He gives kudos to the nurses, who are quick to recognize when the surgical patients are not recovering like they should be, and get the surgeon involved in the evaluation.
Overall, not a bad book, but one that can't seem to make up it's mind whether to editorize on what's wrong and how to fix it, or whether to write "a day in the life of a surgeon." I expected the latter, but got a lot of the former.
The author opens most chapters with a real live example of what the chapter is about, then develops the theme. But the development always seems somewhat disjointed.
In spite of the above, I am left with admiration for the author, who is obviously a dedicated and competent surgeon who wants to do the right thing for his patients and improve his profession.
The "white coat code of silence" is the term the author gives to the way his profession protects the incompetents. This is actually one of the best sections. He opens with the example, describes how, as department head, he has to make a decision about renewing a surgeon's operating privileges, and how he waffled back and forth on what his decision should be and the factors that affect the decision. Ultimately, as one would expect, he made the right one.
He writes about knowing when to operate as opposed to how to operate, as well as the need for exploratory surgery. He gives kudos to the nurses, who are quick to recognize when the surgical patients are not recovering like they should be, and get the surgeon involved in the evaluation.
Overall, not a bad book, but one that can't seem to make up it's mind whether to editorize on what's wrong and how to fix it, or whether to write "a day in the life of a surgeon." I expected the latter, but got a lot of the former.
October 1, 2018
“What is the white code of silence? Why are surprises nefarious malignancies to a surgeon? Is it true this surgeon worked iron before governing a scalpel?"
Ruggieri escorts us down a cold sterile hall to the O.R. as he enters hearing cracking ribs of a blonde boy undergoing CPR greet him as he exclaims “what the hell happened?” How forgoing relationships, romance or fun is common (surgery is a way of life).
Surgeons are the closest things to gods and showing weakness is not an option unless you desire to be devoured. I watched the actions mainly and admired these stone sentinels of self-reliance---who had to be in control of all outcomes (Ruggieri, 126).
Paul A. Ruggieri's description is symphonic and ambrosial in his ovary exam description being like “a bowl of warm jelly.” The white code of silence is substantive and illustrates why we may desire to consult “pro publica” pre-surgery. Brilliant surgical prose within. Buy it!
Ruggieri escorts us down a cold sterile hall to the O.R. as he enters hearing cracking ribs of a blonde boy undergoing CPR greet him as he exclaims “what the hell happened?” How forgoing relationships, romance or fun is common (surgery is a way of life).
Surgeons are the closest things to gods and showing weakness is not an option unless you desire to be devoured. I watched the actions mainly and admired these stone sentinels of self-reliance---who had to be in control of all outcomes (Ruggieri, 126).
Paul A. Ruggieri's description is symphonic and ambrosial in his ovary exam description being like “a bowl of warm jelly.” The white code of silence is substantive and illustrates why we may desire to consult “pro publica” pre-surgery. Brilliant surgical prose within. Buy it!
October 17, 2019
The book is ramble. The text is very uneven, from his frustrations with the nurses that refuse to sleep with him (because of his low income of course) to generalities on the system and boring insignificant personal happenings. So he would go into details about the body on which he studies Anatomy, than go into a few paragraphs on how Medicine is taught in the first semesters.
Ruggieri is a victim. And a bully. He is a true believer and a fine product of the system.
Ruggieri is a victim of a system raised by bullies like himself, petty goblins who perceive themselves as gods. Sadly, Ruggieri assumes what he has been told: that he is smart, competent, god-like and his unhappiness stems from the daily reality checks. He does not have the analytical power to understand that his education was long and expensive as a way of keeping an elitist gang. Yes, you have to have money and time and ambition in order to get there. Smarts are undesirable. So he is trained for years in competences that 1. he will never use 2. he does not remember beyond a few technical terms.
Most of the time Ruggieri is the bully. And emotion is his reason. He is special not because of the few operations he does, but because:
> More than thirty million people a year in this country enter hospitals to undergo surgery, for conditions including bad joints, clogged heart arteries, and diseased gallbladders.
Not only that there are thousands of surgeons, but the act is made possible by insurance, by pharmaceutical companies, by medical equipment producers and the numerous medical personnel that is not a surgeon.
Ruggieri is also a prick:
> I’ve long wanted to push open the O.R. doors and show the public the mysterious place where lives are improved, saved, damaged, and, sometimes, lost.
Yes, he can. But he never will. Because this book is not about giving the public access to his lair, but rather to bitch of how some people don't bow in awe when his disinfectant smelling body is passing though the halls.
The worst part: the lack of reason. For him, surgery is magical. Hence "a calling" and may the gods have mercy on the miserable getting on the hands of this gambler. All the accounts of the patients are the same way he goes on the morning at the end of his night shift: some background (to seem informed), the medical highlights (as to what to be careful of in order to avoid the lawyers), and the conclusion: the patient has never went up above the cadaver from Anatomy class.
Occasionally we get glimpses into Ruggieri's misogynism: the medical student is presented as male, the nurses as female, and the nurses don't bother with him as a student not because he is an entitled loser, but because he is long from making a good income.
And, of course, he is a conservative. Hence, he repeatedly notices how the new generations were not bullied proper enough and hence the force might not be strong enough with them in the operating room.
The second star is for his candid descriptions.
Ruggieri is a victim. And a bully. He is a true believer and a fine product of the system.
Ruggieri is a victim of a system raised by bullies like himself, petty goblins who perceive themselves as gods. Sadly, Ruggieri assumes what he has been told: that he is smart, competent, god-like and his unhappiness stems from the daily reality checks. He does not have the analytical power to understand that his education was long and expensive as a way of keeping an elitist gang. Yes, you have to have money and time and ambition in order to get there. Smarts are undesirable. So he is trained for years in competences that 1. he will never use 2. he does not remember beyond a few technical terms.
Most of the time Ruggieri is the bully. And emotion is his reason. He is special not because of the few operations he does, but because:
> More than thirty million people a year in this country enter hospitals to undergo surgery, for conditions including bad joints, clogged heart arteries, and diseased gallbladders.
Not only that there are thousands of surgeons, but the act is made possible by insurance, by pharmaceutical companies, by medical equipment producers and the numerous medical personnel that is not a surgeon.
Ruggieri is also a prick:
> I’ve long wanted to push open the O.R. doors and show the public the mysterious place where lives are improved, saved, damaged, and, sometimes, lost.
Yes, he can. But he never will. Because this book is not about giving the public access to his lair, but rather to bitch of how some people don't bow in awe when his disinfectant smelling body is passing though the halls.
The worst part: the lack of reason. For him, surgery is magical. Hence "a calling" and may the gods have mercy on the miserable getting on the hands of this gambler. All the accounts of the patients are the same way he goes on the morning at the end of his night shift: some background (to seem informed), the medical highlights (as to what to be careful of in order to avoid the lawyers), and the conclusion: the patient has never went up above the cadaver from Anatomy class.
Occasionally we get glimpses into Ruggieri's misogynism: the medical student is presented as male, the nurses as female, and the nurses don't bother with him as a student not because he is an entitled loser, but because he is long from making a good income.
And, of course, he is a conservative. Hence, he repeatedly notices how the new generations were not bullied proper enough and hence the force might not be strong enough with them in the operating room.
The second star is for his candid descriptions.
November 6, 2019
I have been hunting down and devouring every medical memoir I can find for the past few weeks, and so far, I have loved every one that I've come across. This one, being the memoir of a surgeon, promised to be a favorite. (I am working toward, someday, becoming a surgeon myself).
However, I was let down, and didn't find myself enjoying this one all that much.
There were some fascinating descriptions of procedures and operations, most notably a few pages describing a Thyroid surgery, but they were few and far between, not to mention the author's mediocre writing skills.
In my reading of medical blogs and posts online, I have gotten the impression that surgeons are generally regarded as assholes with control issues and God complexes. This book could be used as evidence for this stereotype.
I found the narrator, Dr. Ruggieri, to be absolutely insufferable. His candor and apparent willingness to share both good and bad sides of himself (though I cannot recall any of the good) would have better remained hidden by more description of hospital life and operations.
Ruggieri tells us that he loves being in the O.R. so much because he is "God" in there, and yes, he really does use that word - more than once, also calling himself "King of the O.R." He gives little evidence of concern for any of the patients mentioned, but shows much concern over legal trouble, his good name, and having the job require as little work as possible while adding up to the highest paycheck. He never mentions any of the nurse's names, and writes of O.R. scenes as if they are slaves in awe of his every movement.
There is nothing necessarily wrong with wanting to get home on time, cursing when a patient unexpectedly crashes, or bragging about your new Porsche. But the way that Ruggieri comes across to the reader is as a disenchanted, crass individual.
Besides being an asshole, he is also frequently annoying, using the word "fondle" when talking about human organs numerous times, and having ridiculous conversations with them as well.
A partially likable memoir (at times) about an entirely unlikable narrator.
However, I was let down, and didn't find myself enjoying this one all that much.
There were some fascinating descriptions of procedures and operations, most notably a few pages describing a Thyroid surgery, but they were few and far between, not to mention the author's mediocre writing skills.
In my reading of medical blogs and posts online, I have gotten the impression that surgeons are generally regarded as assholes with control issues and God complexes. This book could be used as evidence for this stereotype.
I found the narrator, Dr. Ruggieri, to be absolutely insufferable. His candor and apparent willingness to share both good and bad sides of himself (though I cannot recall any of the good) would have better remained hidden by more description of hospital life and operations.
Ruggieri tells us that he loves being in the O.R. so much because he is "God" in there, and yes, he really does use that word - more than once, also calling himself "King of the O.R." He gives little evidence of concern for any of the patients mentioned, but shows much concern over legal trouble, his good name, and having the job require as little work as possible while adding up to the highest paycheck. He never mentions any of the nurse's names, and writes of O.R. scenes as if they are slaves in awe of his every movement.
There is nothing necessarily wrong with wanting to get home on time, cursing when a patient unexpectedly crashes, or bragging about your new Porsche. But the way that Ruggieri comes across to the reader is as a disenchanted, crass individual.
Besides being an asshole, he is also frequently annoying, using the word "fondle" when talking about human organs numerous times, and having ridiculous conversations with them as well.
A partially likable memoir (at times) about an entirely unlikable narrator.
July 25, 2021
LOVED this book so much!
Full review on insta @thriller_chick
NOT FOR THE SQUEAMISH
Full review on insta @thriller_chick
NOT FOR THE SQUEAMISH
October 14, 2015
It's not a bad book. I could have given it a 3 star if I would not have been so annoyed at the writing style. There isn't any.
Ruggieri sounds like a decent man, excellent discerning surgeon, and a dedicated professional. But he does not write well. There are some words so often repeated. I and me being the most used pronouns.
Maybe I have become spoiled within such volumes of non-fiction and medical which have had such excellent progression and editing?
This book was interesting, but he takes 7 pages for what could be said better in two. It's jumpy in organization, despite trying to be chronological.
It was the MOST successful at impressing upon me the immense importance of staying out of the hospital unless there are no other alternatives.
Ruggieri sounds like a decent man, excellent discerning surgeon, and a dedicated professional. But he does not write well. There are some words so often repeated. I and me being the most used pronouns.
Maybe I have become spoiled within such volumes of non-fiction and medical which have had such excellent progression and editing?
This book was interesting, but he takes 7 pages for what could be said better in two. It's jumpy in organization, despite trying to be chronological.
It was the MOST successful at impressing upon me the immense importance of staying out of the hospital unless there are no other alternatives.
June 13, 2025
A book full of things only a male surgeon could get away with saying
February 13, 2012
True story 1: I was in graduate school in aerospace engineering before I finally gave up the idea of going to medical school and instead decided to be a rocket scientist. I thought for sure that I was going to be an orthopedic surgeon long before I thought I was going to work in satellites.
True story 2: From what Reggieri says in his book, life as a surgeon is very similar to life as a spacecraft systems engineer. He saves lives, I work on 100-million dollar satellites. For him, a bad outcome means more surgery or death. For me, it means a broken satellite and a very expensive insurance claim. There are many overpriced tools going into both of our jobs. And a lot of new-ish regulation. Finally, we both kind of thrive on "something" going wrong, being the hero in the middle of the night.
Honestly, this is one of the times I wish Goodreads allowed half-star ratings. I'd give this a three and a half. Ruggieri confesses what I've long suspected is true of my surgeons (I've had 13 surgeries). They think they're akin to gods. They don't get enough sleep. Seeing someone damage themselves pisses them off. And oh do they hate failure.
Ruggieri does a reasonable job of painting a picture of life on the other side of the scalpel. It's obvious he think there should be more transparency in medical (and medical error) reporting, and he touches that a lot. He seems to be an advocate for patient's right to know. All of that I can get behind...having searched for info on my doctors--and especially my surgeons--I can appreciate that I know next to nothing about any of the people that have cut into me. Sure, I know their accolades...but do I know their major complication rate? Nope.
I guess that I wished this book focused a little less on the disease itself. I found myself getting somewhat hypochondriac as I read pages of the book where he described someone feeling otherwise fine having a gut full of tumors. I also wish he was a little less repetitive. All in all, it was an interesting non-fiction title, but I'd avoid reading it if you get WebMD-itis.
True story 2: From what Reggieri says in his book, life as a surgeon is very similar to life as a spacecraft systems engineer. He saves lives, I work on 100-million dollar satellites. For him, a bad outcome means more surgery or death. For me, it means a broken satellite and a very expensive insurance claim. There are many overpriced tools going into both of our jobs. And a lot of new-ish regulation. Finally, we both kind of thrive on "something" going wrong, being the hero in the middle of the night.
Honestly, this is one of the times I wish Goodreads allowed half-star ratings. I'd give this a three and a half. Ruggieri confesses what I've long suspected is true of my surgeons (I've had 13 surgeries). They think they're akin to gods. They don't get enough sleep. Seeing someone damage themselves pisses them off. And oh do they hate failure.
Ruggieri does a reasonable job of painting a picture of life on the other side of the scalpel. It's obvious he think there should be more transparency in medical (and medical error) reporting, and he touches that a lot. He seems to be an advocate for patient's right to know. All of that I can get behind...having searched for info on my doctors--and especially my surgeons--I can appreciate that I know next to nothing about any of the people that have cut into me. Sure, I know their accolades...but do I know their major complication rate? Nope.
I guess that I wished this book focused a little less on the disease itself. I found myself getting somewhat hypochondriac as I read pages of the book where he described someone feeling otherwise fine having a gut full of tumors. I also wish he was a little less repetitive. All in all, it was an interesting non-fiction title, but I'd avoid reading it if you get WebMD-itis.
May 2, 2012
Dr. Ruggieri is a talented writer. I read a review of this book in the Wall Street Journal which led me to the library to read it for myself. This book educated me on the good and bad of surgery and surgeons. I appreciate that the book was not too descriptive of the actual surgeries. Each chapter leads the reader into one or two cases in which Dr. Ruggieri decides whether or not to perform an operation. Occasionally he chooses not to perform an operation despite peer pressure by other doctors. The writer lets you see how and why decisions are made both in emergency situations and known health problem situations. Dr. Ruggieri is very honest in his writing. He admits mistakes he made and describes what it is like to be sued. He also details the cost of his malpractice insurance and the often ridiculous processes required by the insurance company to document and protect against such lawsuits.
This is a great layman's guide to a world that we would otherwise not understand. It is valuable reading and I recommend this book to any reader who currently has a heartbeat.
This is a great layman's guide to a world that we would otherwise not understand. It is valuable reading and I recommend this book to any reader who currently has a heartbeat.
November 21, 2021
The book started off shaky. The author came off as arrogant, referring to surgeons as Gods. However, towards the middle of the book he started to redeem himself, talking about issues common in the medical field, such as burnout, and unreleased complication rates among surgeons.
I found it interesting how he talks about questions to ask your surgeon and warning flags, and why more tests is not a good thing.
Then once again he ruins it all by complaining in the last chapter how having to double check you are operating on the correct patient and the correct place is "a waste of his time" and how he hates the team atmosphere they're trying to build because he alone is liable, as he proceeds to snipe at patients, nurses then ends up walking out of the surgery room in a huff because he disagrees with hospital proceedure.
From God to relatable human to spoiled child.
I found it interesting how he talks about questions to ask your surgeon and warning flags, and why more tests is not a good thing.
Then once again he ruins it all by complaining in the last chapter how having to double check you are operating on the correct patient and the correct place is "a waste of his time" and how he hates the team atmosphere they're trying to build because he alone is liable, as he proceeds to snipe at patients, nurses then ends up walking out of the surgery room in a huff because he disagrees with hospital proceedure.
From God to relatable human to spoiled child.
November 8, 2019
The author of the book is clearly an egomaniac. God complex aside, throughout the book, he uses female nurses and female doctors as audiences for his egotistic monologues. All conversations he seems to have in this book go something like this: ‘Erin (not Dr. Erin ) what do you think about this complex issue. ‘ ‘I don’t know, Dr. Ruggieri’. ‘well, Erin, let me go on an entire diatribe about this topic while we do this surgery’. ‘Wow, Dr. Ruggieri! You’re so smart. What will we do when you retire?’ ‘ I don’t know, Erin, but my generation is so much better trained than the next generation. And to think the graduating medical students are mostly women nowadays! They won’t want to go into surgery, because women want families’. Nauseating.
January 1, 2020
I barely finished this book. Dr. Ruggieri prefaced his story by stating that he wrote it so the "truth would set him free," (can you get anymore cliched??) and ended it with a rant about the lack of upcoming surgeons qualified to treat the aging babyboomer population due to increasing malpractice lawsuits and strangling, nonsensical hospital regulations.
The rest of the time he was tooting his own horn of surgical expertise while trying not to sound like he was doing so.
Very disappointing read.
The rest of the time he was tooting his own horn of surgical expertise while trying not to sound like he was doing so.
Very disappointing read.
June 9, 2013
This memoir from a general surgeon isn't amazingly written, but it's OK. I have more complaints about the editing, as he's clearly a non-writer and better editing would have helped. What makes it enjoyable is the content, as most of us don't know a whole lot about a surgeon's life and Paul Ruggieri explains it with a fair amount of detail. Also, Ruggieri has a surgeon's swagger, but he also shows thoughtfulness and even a dose of humility, so he's likable.
August 6, 2019
Wow, this book gives you a surgeons perspective at a hospital. I wasn't shocked to hear some of the things that Dr. Ruggieri wrote about. I've heard most of it before. But to know that this is actually something that happens. They don't let truck drivers drive more than 8-10 hours a day but they will let someone who is cutting on us work 24,48,72 hours without sleeping but a few minutes. I think that this is an eye opener for some when it comes to jobs.
April 28, 2012
Paul Ruggieri is no Atul Gawande - his writing is coarse and the overall mood of the book glum. Probably one of the lower quality medical memoirs I've read.
September 28, 2021
i guarantee he masturbates to his own audiobook
what a prick
also he literally makes fun of patients
what a prick
also he literally makes fun of patients
June 24, 2017
A few things drove me a little batty about this book.
1. When recounting conversations, he often used the names for EACH time he'd start talking. "Erin, blah blah blah..." "Erin, blah blah blah." Dude, we get who you're talking to.
2. All of the complaints he had about the new regulations put in place came off sounding, "Kids these days don't know how good they have it. In my day, we had to operate uphill, both ways...In a snowstorm!!"
3. Not enough actual stories about patients and too much dropping hints about how awesome he is and how non-surgeons put him up on some pedestal.
All this being said, there were redeeming parts to the book. It just left me wanting to hear more about hospital life. It sounds like the author is a competent, skillful surgeon. I wish he came across better in print.
1. When recounting conversations, he often used the names for EACH time he'd start talking. "Erin, blah blah blah..." "Erin, blah blah blah." Dude, we get who you're talking to.
2. All of the complaints he had about the new regulations put in place came off sounding, "Kids these days don't know how good they have it. In my day, we had to operate uphill, both ways...In a snowstorm!!"
3. Not enough actual stories about patients and too much dropping hints about how awesome he is and how non-surgeons put him up on some pedestal.
All this being said, there were redeeming parts to the book. It just left me wanting to hear more about hospital life. It sounds like the author is a competent, skillful surgeon. I wish he came across better in print.
March 11, 2019
I wanted to give this book higher but by the end it had developed into pure whinging about the politics of his job and his annoyance at the increased checks and balances being put in place to ensure errors are not made in surgery. Sorry but considering how many errors he admits are made in the field I for one am a little confused.
He seems like a great doctor and I admire him for lifting the lid on issues in his field but this book seemed to lack focus and i was confused as to it’s intended audience. There was also a lot of repeating the same information. It made me wonder why it wasn’t more heavily edited. I enjoyed the patient stories and wish there were more .
He seems like a great doctor and I admire him for lifting the lid on issues in his field but this book seemed to lack focus and i was confused as to it’s intended audience. There was also a lot of repeating the same information. It made me wonder why it wasn’t more heavily edited. I enjoyed the patient stories and wish there were more .
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 11, 2021
If you want to read a rant about surgeons being sued for malpractice this is your book. Since I did not, I didn’t enjoy the book very much. I might have had more sympathy for him if he hadn’t been okay with surgeons operating whom everyone in the hospital knew were completely incompetent but no one wanted to step forward because doing so could hurt their own practice and reputation and referrals and thus their income. You can’t have it both ways.
December 3, 2020
A surgeon writes about his experiences and frustrations with the job.
The author spends some time talking about his memorable patients, which were interesting stories to hear. But he also spent a lot of time hammering home how he thinks surgery is a dying art and how he considers himself a god in the operating room. It was an interesting perspective to hear but did get old after a while.
The author spends some time talking about his memorable patients, which were interesting stories to hear. But he also spent a lot of time hammering home how he thinks surgery is a dying art and how he considers himself a god in the operating room. It was an interesting perspective to hear but did get old after a while.
January 3, 2020
This book was so close to being 5 stars and probably would have been up there for me, if I hadn't read "The Night Shift: Real Life In The Heart Of The E.R." first. Dr. Ruggieri does a good job of describing what a surgeons job is in the current medical landscape, at least in the US. He walks briefly through his training and how things have changed and are changing, both for better and for worse as time goes on. Unfortunately, the book turns more and more to complaining, and lamenting these changes as the book goes on. He also has a habit of explaining a change, why that change is a good thing, and then complaining about why he doesn't like it. While he states that he cares about his patients, it seems that care only extends to the point that it doesn't inconvenience him personally.
I understand that you can have multiple facets to your personality, but it is jolting to shift from caring doctor to control freak surgeon every couple of pages. Dr. Ruggieri feels he is one of the old school surgeons (from before mandated 80 hr max work weeks) and feels he is better for it, but fails to sum up a compelling case on why this is. His complaint in the last chapter of not enough new surgeons seems a counterpoint to his desire to return to "the old ways", which would result in fewer doctors, not more. There are arguements to be made for both sides, but Ruggieri's desire to be "the unquestioned king in his domain" of the O.R. doesn't seem to be the best way of solving those problems.
I understand that you can have multiple facets to your personality, but it is jolting to shift from caring doctor to control freak surgeon every couple of pages. Dr. Ruggieri feels he is one of the old school surgeons (from before mandated 80 hr max work weeks) and feels he is better for it, but fails to sum up a compelling case on why this is. His complaint in the last chapter of not enough new surgeons seems a counterpoint to his desire to return to "the old ways", which would result in fewer doctors, not more. There are arguements to be made for both sides, but Ruggieri's desire to be "the unquestioned king in his domain" of the O.R. doesn't seem to be the best way of solving those problems.
March 4, 2019
What an eye-opening read on surgeons and life in the OR. I learned some things from this and was shocked to know that I hadn't asked the surgeons I encountered in my life the questions he says we should ask. I had thyroidectomy - triple threat (Graves Disease, Hashimoto's Disease and Cancer) and Gallbladder removal - worst ever seen (I was told I was a drug seeker before I was ever able to get the surgery). So scary to learn some of things that he had encountered while doing surgery and being a new surgeon. Good information and read.
May 25, 2021
The only reason I knocked Dr. Ruggieri a star is due to the repetitive nature of his writing style. That being said, medicine is his profession, not writing!! Overall, an AMAZING read that combines traditional and progressive medicine. Does make me wonder what the future holds for surgery and those enthralled by this specialty.
January 31, 2019
Ruggieri is a pretty rough man, which I found fascinating because his job is so technical. This book practically convinced me to never go into surgery. The hours, the stress, the lawsuits- all of it weighs heavily.
Interesting to read how a brutal residency can make a great surgeon, and perhaps the labor laws introducing a 80 hour work week may have spared interns pain in residency, but spared them from being renown surgeons.
It’s a rugged process that makes talented, egotistic, God-complexed men and women, who do it all only to burn out within 10-15 years.
Sad.
Interesting to read how a brutal residency can make a great surgeon, and perhaps the labor laws introducing a 80 hour work week may have spared interns pain in residency, but spared them from being renown surgeons.
It’s a rugged process that makes talented, egotistic, God-complexed men and women, who do it all only to burn out within 10-15 years.
Sad.
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