Getting Into Practice

by Edward Vernon

In his hilarious book Getting into Practice, Edward Vernon (whose early years as a GP are described in Practice Makes Perfect and Practise What You Preach) describes his years at medical school. Still wet behind the ears, he found himself on a whirlwind tour through the seven ages of man and the 57 varieties of human nature. He has to learn how to examine real people, diagnose them without becoming emotionally involved and fend off the crises of confidence which await around every corner. The book is set in the 1970s and there will no doubt be some readers who might think that things were better then.
Edward Vernon is a pen name of a well known British doctor/author.
Here's what the critics said about the series:
Delightfully and wittily written. His descriptions of daunting receptionists, magazine-strewn waiting rooms and hypochondriacal patients will strike many familiar cords, but Dr Vernon is at his best when recounting his encounters in the surgery and at the bedside. For anyone needing to be entertained, and at times moved, there could be no better prescription than one chapter...taken each night at bedtime - Liverpool Echo
Truthful, well observed and consistently readable - Daily Telegraph
The funniest of the funny doctor books - Richard Gordon
Dr Vernon is onto a good thing; we could do with some more - Oxford Times
Hilarious - Titbits
Thoroughly delightful - Fresno Bee
Delightfully funny - Sunday Advocate, Baton Rouge
For entertainment, a chapter or two before bedtime is just what the doctor ordered - Sacromento Bee
Does for British GPs what Herriot has done for vets - Booklist
Hilarious - Grimsby Evening Telegraph
Very funny - Citizen, Gloucester
Genuinely funny - South Wales Echo
Wise, funny, sad and heartwarming - Chattanooga Times
Good fun - Homes and Gardens
Jolly good reading - Publishers Weekly
Views the human species he treats with much the same affection, compassion and humour as Herriot brings to the animal world - Cleveland Plain Dealer
Sometimes serious, sometimes hilarious - Lancashire Evening Post
Will amuse, amaze and entertain - Yorkshire Post
etc etc

Hardcover

First published October 13, 2014

Reviews

[Dennis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is an absolute delight, which is even better as I did not have high expectations. It is the old story of the medical student completing his training, which has been told many times before. But this version is light, at times highly amusing and moves at a fast pace that makes it hard to put aside. I read it at virtually one sitting. Although it reads like fact, the author says it is totally fiction. I have looked up the biog of the author and find that his real name is Vernon Coleman and he has written 100 books, including medical textbooks, but only the first three were under the Edward Vernon nom de plume, so I am clearly not the first reader to find that he can write very, very well.

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating

I'm a big fan of this author / doctor in all of his guises this series of books are a interesting insight into a young doctors journey into his future endeavours . With the highs and lows of the medical profession I don't think I'll look at my own gp in the same way again.

[Patricia schmit · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Vernon By Any Other Name

Doesn't matter what name Vernon Coleman writes under, his stories and narrative are recognizable as his!! Excellent as usual. Kind of James Herriot like, only with people instead of animals.

[Doris Grover · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good light night read.

I have found this book to be good reading to lift away the days problems. Therefore it relaxed me with humour before going to sleep when I went to bed. Just what the doctor ordered.

[kay cartwright · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book!

Very enjoyable reading. Characters were described in a way that made them real. Good flow, I thoroughly enjoyed this book

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

enjoyable

I would have preferred that this had been book one in the series but that didn’t decrease my enjoyment of learning more about Dr. Vernon‘s adventures.

[Glemm Sherratt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pleasant enough.

Recommended as easy , undemanding reading. Good for passing the time.
He seems like a pleasant enough fellow.
Will read the series.

[Simon Foley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book, would highly recommend!

[Michele Northwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a good read and quite funny. The encounter with his ex-physics teacher will remain with me for ever. Hilarious and cringeworthy at the same time.

[ANGELA JONES · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exciting

I chose. This rating because I enjoyed reading the book from start to
Finish.very true to life in a hospital. I know I was a nurse