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Twenty-Six
It takes forever to get to the trauma unit. First the stairs, then a long corridor at the end of which is the ER, by which time I am almost out of breath. We keep running until we're finally there.
On the bed is a young woman, unconscious and breathing heavily, and I immediately observe a huge hematoma on her left abdomen and car-tire marks on her legs. In TV shows, trauma unit activity looks so efficient, the medical staff ready and waiting with a syringe and defibril-lator in hand. But in reality, there is total chaos.
With raw candidness, Dr. Yael Dreznik takes off her gloves and walks us through her day, starting at the crack of dawn. At 05:00 am, her alarm clock sets off, and she heads out of her house, in com-plete darkness. She will walk out of the hospital gate and return the following morning, after a twenty-six-hour shift, completely drained.
Twenty-six gives us an insightful glimpse into the hectic and turbulent reality of hospitals, a place where one is always on the go, frantically chasing after the clock. The emergency room is always packed, and the crowded hallways and units are full of patients whose health could deteriorate at any second.
How many nerve-wracking events will be etched into the skin of this never-ending shift? How many moments of excitement and hope will this long day see? And how will it end?
The author describes the physical and mental hardships doctors, and in particular, the residents, go through, as they work under impossibly strenuous conditions. Nothing about their shift is certain – only that it will eventually end.
Yael Dreznik is a pediatric surgeon. She is married and has two daughters.
Twenty Six was written during her residency in the General Surgery Department.
This is her first book.
On the bed is a young woman, unconscious and breathing heavily, and I immediately observe a huge hematoma on her left abdomen and car-tire marks on her legs. In TV shows, trauma unit activity looks so efficient, the medical staff ready and waiting with a syringe and defibril-lator in hand. But in reality, there is total chaos.
With raw candidness, Dr. Yael Dreznik takes off her gloves and walks us through her day, starting at the crack of dawn. At 05:00 am, her alarm clock sets off, and she heads out of her house, in com-plete darkness. She will walk out of the hospital gate and return the following morning, after a twenty-six-hour shift, completely drained.
Twenty-six gives us an insightful glimpse into the hectic and turbulent reality of hospitals, a place where one is always on the go, frantically chasing after the clock. The emergency room is always packed, and the crowded hallways and units are full of patients whose health could deteriorate at any second.
How many nerve-wracking events will be etched into the skin of this never-ending shift? How many moments of excitement and hope will this long day see? And how will it end?
The author describes the physical and mental hardships doctors, and in particular, the residents, go through, as they work under impossibly strenuous conditions. Nothing about their shift is certain – only that it will eventually end.
Yael Dreznik is a pediatric surgeon. She is married and has two daughters.
Twenty Six was written during her residency in the General Surgery Department.
This is her first book.
234 pages, Paperback
Published March 14, 2023
About the author
Yael Dreznik
7 books28 followersYael Dreznik's path to medicine was far from traditional. Initially dreaming of a career in economics, she earned her bachelor's and master's degrees and began working at the Ministry of Finance. Despite her professional success, she felt a growing pull toward a different path—one that combined her desire to make a tangible impact with her passion for helping others.
At the age of twenty-eight, Yael made the decision to leave her established career and pursue medicine. Drawn to surgery's challenges and inspired by the resilience of young patients, she specialized in pediatric surgery, a field she found profoundly meaningful.
Today, Yael is a senior pediatric surgeon at Schneider Children's Hospital. During her residency, she began documenting her experiences, leading to the acclaimed trilogy Surgeon’s Life, which offers readers a rare glimpse into the world of surgery through her eyes.
Yael is married and the proud mother of two daughters—one a combat soldier in the army and the other a high school student.
Books by Yael Dreznik:
1. The Trilogy "Surgeon's Life": in march 2022 Yael's first book "And the night has yet to come" was released in Hebrew, quickly becoming a bestseller in Israel. The book chronicles the life of a general surgery resident, hour by hour, with each chapter representing an entire hour during a shift, based on real-life events. About a year later, she decided to translate it into English and self-published it on Amazon. In September 2023, her second book on pediatric surgery, titled "Children of a bold god", was released. This book portrays twelve months where each month details a unique case in pediatric surgery, associated with a virtue or quality based on the 12 virtues of Aristotle. The book also includes details of the history of medicine and specifically the history of pediatric surgery. The third book, "portrait of victory", contains 30 short essays from a blog written by Dr. Dreznik. It provides a window into the emotional, frightening, saddening, and unique events in the world of medicine, and particularly in the realm of surgery. The thirty pieces in this book are not ordinary tales recounting some story from the operating room or ward life. They are stories that convey a specific message about how we should shape our lives. About how we must embrace ourselves and move forward, realize our dreams, and do our very best. Because only then can we imagine our own "picture of victory". This is the third book that concludes the trilogy of the surgeon's life.
2. The Seventh of October Project is a project aimed at documenting medical, nursing, and rescue teams during the Hamas attack on the State of Israel on the seventh of October, 2023. In this project, dozens of different healthcare professionals were interviewed, including hospital administrators, doctors, nurses, and rescue personnel. The project's goal is to raise global awareness of the heinous crimes committed by Hamas against humanity and to tell the story of one of the largest mass casualty events in the world. This book was published in 2024.
At the age of twenty-eight, Yael made the decision to leave her established career and pursue medicine. Drawn to surgery's challenges and inspired by the resilience of young patients, she specialized in pediatric surgery, a field she found profoundly meaningful.
Today, Yael is a senior pediatric surgeon at Schneider Children's Hospital. During her residency, she began documenting her experiences, leading to the acclaimed trilogy Surgeon’s Life, which offers readers a rare glimpse into the world of surgery through her eyes.
Yael is married and the proud mother of two daughters—one a combat soldier in the army and the other a high school student.
Books by Yael Dreznik:
1. The Trilogy "Surgeon's Life": in march 2022 Yael's first book "And the night has yet to come" was released in Hebrew, quickly becoming a bestseller in Israel. The book chronicles the life of a general surgery resident, hour by hour, with each chapter representing an entire hour during a shift, based on real-life events. About a year later, she decided to translate it into English and self-published it on Amazon. In September 2023, her second book on pediatric surgery, titled "Children of a bold god", was released. This book portrays twelve months where each month details a unique case in pediatric surgery, associated with a virtue or quality based on the 12 virtues of Aristotle. The book also includes details of the history of medicine and specifically the history of pediatric surgery. The third book, "portrait of victory", contains 30 short essays from a blog written by Dr. Dreznik. It provides a window into the emotional, frightening, saddening, and unique events in the world of medicine, and particularly in the realm of surgery. The thirty pieces in this book are not ordinary tales recounting some story from the operating room or ward life. They are stories that convey a specific message about how we should shape our lives. About how we must embrace ourselves and move forward, realize our dreams, and do our very best. Because only then can we imagine our own "picture of victory". This is the third book that concludes the trilogy of the surgeon's life.
2. The Seventh of October Project is a project aimed at documenting medical, nursing, and rescue teams during the Hamas attack on the State of Israel on the seventh of October, 2023. In this project, dozens of different healthcare professionals were interviewed, including hospital administrators, doctors, nurses, and rescue personnel. The project's goal is to raise global awareness of the heinous crimes committed by Hamas against humanity and to tell the story of one of the largest mass casualty events in the world. This book was published in 2024.
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March 25, 2023
As a med student, this book is by far the ultimate book in order to understand what it’s like to be a resident in general surgery. The authour describes twenty six hours of never ending shift, blood sweat and tears, in one of the most demanding profession ever. I could’nt stop reading!!! It is one of the best books I’ve ever read.
Displaying 1 of 1 review