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Reluctant Intern: Nightmare in The County Hospital
Addison Wolfe never wanted to be a physician. He wants to be an astronaut. NASA turned down his application, forcing him to seek employment as a doctor. The problem with obtaining a physician's license is the need to complete an internship to acquire one. Wolfe finds himself in an undesirable rotating internship in a very busy public hospital. Inexplicably, the Director of Medical Education seems to have developed an instantaneous dislike of him and the remainder of the internship class. Another mystery is why an attractive female physician expresses a romantic interest in him on the first day of internship.
“The absolute worst time to go to a teaching hospital as a patient is the month of July. Recent medical school graduates, known as doctors, start their real training on July first. They don’t know anything. They don’t get any sleep. They are underpaid and overworked. Their stress is at catastrophic levels. Is it any wonder they make mistakes?” – Anonymous
“In local news today,” the reporter said, “state and federal authorities are in the process of taking into custody the entire intern class at University Hospital in Jacksonville. Officials cited the number of deaths attributed to this class as the reason. It seems that wrong doses of medications, inappropriate surgeries, failure to diagnose lethal conditions, and other mistakes have led to hundreds of deaths….”
“The overdose?” Wolfe asked.
“Yes,” Dr. Rubel replied, “that will be her legal cause of death, of course. The real cause of death was the autopsy. Barbiturate overdose, followed by refrigeration outside and then here in pathology, slowed her metabolism down. She was actually alive when they started the autopsy. The flexing of her limbs when the saw touched her brain happened because of nerve conduction, brain to extremities. But it was too late; we can not put her back together. A hard lesson for those poor boys to learn. You, too, gentlemen. It is also true for those who are clinically dead from exposure or drowning. Remember a patient is never dead until he is warm and dead. Don’t forget that!”
The senior resident started his description, “EMS responded to a report of a cardiac arrest at 1:07 a.m. in Junior’s Topless Bar, on East Bay Street….”
Figueroa again jumped to his feet. “What is this, a bad joke?” he asked. “Two EMTs walk into a bar…. Let’s be reasonable, guys. The most likely reason for needing a paramedic in a bar at 1 a.m. is a knifing or a gun shot wound, not a heart attack.”
The autopsy and x-rays were condemning. The thirty-nine year old, black male had no history of heart disease. No medical history of any kind. He did have a bullet entrance wound to the back of his head, with no exit, bullet still in his brain.
The patient was a massively obese woman who complained of a headache. The intern knew only that she was complaining of a headache and had requested aspirin. Extremely busy, and assuming the nurse would let him know if it were not a good idea to give the patient aspirin, he quickly flipped to the order page and signed the order that had been written by the nurse. Figueroa asked the intern if he had talked with the patient. No. Had he examined the patient? No. Had he even skimmed the chart? He had not. He asked if he knew what allergies the patient had. The intern did not know. At the time he approved the order for aspirin, did he realize the patient was on warfarin, another clotting inhibitor? No. Did he know that aspirin also inhibited platelets and clot formation? Yes. Did he know the patient had a history of blood clots? No. Did he suppose that a blood clot in someone's brain, or a ruptured berry aneurysm in the same area might cause headaches? Yes, he knew that. The autopsy pictures revealed stenosed carotid arteries, two small clots in the patient's brain, and massive bleeding from a ruptured berry aneurysm.
“The absolute worst time to go to a teaching hospital as a patient is the month of July. Recent medical school graduates, known as doctors, start their real training on July first. They don’t know anything. They don’t get any sleep. They are underpaid and overworked. Their stress is at catastrophic levels. Is it any wonder they make mistakes?” – Anonymous
“In local news today,” the reporter said, “state and federal authorities are in the process of taking into custody the entire intern class at University Hospital in Jacksonville. Officials cited the number of deaths attributed to this class as the reason. It seems that wrong doses of medications, inappropriate surgeries, failure to diagnose lethal conditions, and other mistakes have led to hundreds of deaths….”
“The overdose?” Wolfe asked.
“Yes,” Dr. Rubel replied, “that will be her legal cause of death, of course. The real cause of death was the autopsy. Barbiturate overdose, followed by refrigeration outside and then here in pathology, slowed her metabolism down. She was actually alive when they started the autopsy. The flexing of her limbs when the saw touched her brain happened because of nerve conduction, brain to extremities. But it was too late; we can not put her back together. A hard lesson for those poor boys to learn. You, too, gentlemen. It is also true for those who are clinically dead from exposure or drowning. Remember a patient is never dead until he is warm and dead. Don’t forget that!”
The senior resident started his description, “EMS responded to a report of a cardiac arrest at 1:07 a.m. in Junior’s Topless Bar, on East Bay Street….”
Figueroa again jumped to his feet. “What is this, a bad joke?” he asked. “Two EMTs walk into a bar…. Let’s be reasonable, guys. The most likely reason for needing a paramedic in a bar at 1 a.m. is a knifing or a gun shot wound, not a heart attack.”
The autopsy and x-rays were condemning. The thirty-nine year old, black male had no history of heart disease. No medical history of any kind. He did have a bullet entrance wound to the back of his head, with no exit, bullet still in his brain.
The patient was a massively obese woman who complained of a headache. The intern knew only that she was complaining of a headache and had requested aspirin. Extremely busy, and assuming the nurse would let him know if it were not a good idea to give the patient aspirin, he quickly flipped to the order page and signed the order that had been written by the nurse. Figueroa asked the intern if he had talked with the patient. No. Had he examined the patient? No. Had he even skimmed the chart? He had not. He asked if he knew what allergies the patient had. The intern did not know. At the time he approved the order for aspirin, did he realize the patient was on warfarin, another clotting inhibitor? No. Did he know that aspirin also inhibited platelets and clot formation? Yes. Did he know the patient had a history of blood clots? No. Did he suppose that a blood clot in someone's brain, or a ruptured berry aneurysm in the same area might cause headaches? Yes, he knew that. The autopsy pictures revealed stenosed carotid arteries, two small clots in the patient's brain, and massive bleeding from a ruptured berry aneurysm.
- GenresFiction
323 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 24, 2014
19 people are currently reading
567 people want to read
About the author
Bill Yancey
18 books84 followersBill Yancey had the privilege of being the son of an air force officer and the grandson of an army officer. As a result, he lived all over the world, but never really grew up. He attended four high schools, a prep school, and five colleges. After bouncing out of an engineering curriculum, and spending time in Vietnam as a result, he finally obtained an undergraduate degree in general science from Virginia Tech in 1971. The Medical College of Virginia still regrets giving him an M.D. degree in 1976. He writes for his own entertainment, and hopes you see the humor in it, too.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
February 24, 2024
I was definitely interested in this book from the description. The book is based around the experiences of the main character, Addison Wolfe, or Addy... sometimes even Wolfie. A former military man rejected by NASA and now a medical intern at a hospital in Florida in the 1970s.
The book was very insightful into the life of a medical intern at that time, and it was great to read the little hidden jokes about new technology used in the medical field today. I must feign ignorance on the majority of medical terminology, but Bill was good about his descriptions of what he was talking about.
It was very interesting to read about the medical internship, especially at this time in history. I took this to be a historical fiction book, likely based upon some of the author's own experiences based off of his history.
It took a little bit of getting used to all of the medical setting in the beginning, but the book had great flow and it was easy to get into. I was able to enjoy it while I read it, and the characters were relatable to real people. Bill wrote characters that you rooted for and characters that you disliked. There were some pretty crazy patient stories, and although I knew that, basically, medical interns didn't sleep much, it was a real eye-opener to all of the different departments that they can make their rounds. It was great to see Addy grow as a character as his knowledge of the medical world, the world, and himself grew along with the story. He also through in some crazy events that I don't want to spoil for you.
I can't say that it was something that I normally read, but it was definitely a great, enjoyable read, and I am glad that I took the time to go through it. I am also glad that Bill Yancey shared his story with me. I would definitely read another one of his books, as he is definitely writing from an intelligent standpoint.
I give this book 4/5 stars and definitely recommend it to anyone, especially if you are interested in the medical world.
The book was very insightful into the life of a medical intern at that time, and it was great to read the little hidden jokes about new technology used in the medical field today. I must feign ignorance on the majority of medical terminology, but Bill was good about his descriptions of what he was talking about.
It was very interesting to read about the medical internship, especially at this time in history. I took this to be a historical fiction book, likely based upon some of the author's own experiences based off of his history.
It took a little bit of getting used to all of the medical setting in the beginning, but the book had great flow and it was easy to get into. I was able to enjoy it while I read it, and the characters were relatable to real people. Bill wrote characters that you rooted for and characters that you disliked. There were some pretty crazy patient stories, and although I knew that, basically, medical interns didn't sleep much, it was a real eye-opener to all of the different departments that they can make their rounds. It was great to see Addy grow as a character as his knowledge of the medical world, the world, and himself grew along with the story. He also through in some crazy events that I don't want to spoil for you.
I can't say that it was something that I normally read, but it was definitely a great, enjoyable read, and I am glad that I took the time to go through it. I am also glad that Bill Yancey shared his story with me. I would definitely read another one of his books, as he is definitely writing from an intelligent standpoint.
I give this book 4/5 stars and definitely recommend it to anyone, especially if you are interested in the medical world.
June 5, 2014
When the author of this book contacted me about reading and reviewing it, I didn't hesitate in saying "Yes". I already had Reluctant Intern on my "want to read" list. Anything in the medical genre interests me, whether it is fiction, suspense, non fiction, thrillers, anything! And this book did not disappoint.
This was a fast paced book that was a year in the life of an intern at a Florida hospital. I loved the main character, Addison Wolfe, the intern who wanted to be an astronaut. The author takes us through the long hard year in the various rotations where we see different medical problems and patients. I never felt lost with any of the medical language, and feel as if I learned a new thing or two in the medical world.
I read this in just a couple of sittings since I was really drawn into the story. The cast of characters all made for an interesting part of the story. There was even a bit of romance for Addison as well as some exciting suspense towards the end. That was quite a surprise.
This was an excellent read and I would highly recommend it. I would love to read more of Addison and his life. I went back and read the very beginning of the book and would be interested in how he got to that point in his life!
* I received this book in exchange for my honest opinion. Thank you, Dr. Yancey!
This was a fast paced book that was a year in the life of an intern at a Florida hospital. I loved the main character, Addison Wolfe, the intern who wanted to be an astronaut. The author takes us through the long hard year in the various rotations where we see different medical problems and patients. I never felt lost with any of the medical language, and feel as if I learned a new thing or two in the medical world.
I read this in just a couple of sittings since I was really drawn into the story. The cast of characters all made for an interesting part of the story. There was even a bit of romance for Addison as well as some exciting suspense towards the end. That was quite a surprise.
This was an excellent read and I would highly recommend it. I would love to read more of Addison and his life. I went back and read the very beginning of the book and would be interested in how he got to that point in his life!
* I received this book in exchange for my honest opinion. Thank you, Dr. Yancey!
September 2, 2016
Disclaimer - I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for writing a review.
I was drawn to this book because of my own medical (veterinary) background. Addison is fresh out of medical school and landed in one of the less prestigious internships available, in a hospital which serves mainly the indigent of the city. The story follows Addison through a grueling schedule of ER, internal medicine, surgery, studying and too little sleep. The director of the internship program prides himself on his ability to humiliate them in conferences, and some of Addy's colleagues decide to get back at him.
Many of the medical cases were interesting, but often there was a foreshadowing that something more would come out of it later; however, it was never revisited. Set in the 1970's, racism and male chauvinism were prominent, yet somehow the internists were completely at ease with a homosexual colleague. That seems unbelievable.
At times this read like a memoir; at other times it was more of a farce. Throw in some gratuitous "no commitment" sex and lewd comments and it becomes "Animal House."
I was drawn to this book because of my own medical (veterinary) background. Addison is fresh out of medical school and landed in one of the less prestigious internships available, in a hospital which serves mainly the indigent of the city. The story follows Addison through a grueling schedule of ER, internal medicine, surgery, studying and too little sleep. The director of the internship program prides himself on his ability to humiliate them in conferences, and some of Addy's colleagues decide to get back at him.
Many of the medical cases were interesting, but often there was a foreshadowing that something more would come out of it later; however, it was never revisited. Set in the 1970's, racism and male chauvinism were prominent, yet somehow the internists were completely at ease with a homosexual colleague. That seems unbelievable.
At times this read like a memoir; at other times it was more of a farce. Throw in some gratuitous "no commitment" sex and lewd comments and it becomes "Animal House."
April 18, 2018
You want to have a beer with Wolfe.
I wasn't sure about this book when I started reading it. Yet, a few chapters in I definitely wanted to see where the story was going. Not a mystery necessarily, but a good book nonetheless. The characters are likeable, except when they're not. The pace is steady, mirroring what the pace of a hospital might be. All in all, a good, solid book.
I won this book on a goodreads.com giveaway.
I wasn't sure about this book when I started reading it. Yet, a few chapters in I definitely wanted to see where the story was going. Not a mystery necessarily, but a good book nonetheless. The characters are likeable, except when they're not. The pace is steady, mirroring what the pace of a hospital might be. All in all, a good, solid book.
I won this book on a goodreads.com giveaway.
April 18, 2018
I am an RN so I really enjoyed this look into medical school interns and how it was in the 70's compared to today. This follows an intern through his residency at a Florida county hospital. It does show how at this time period other hospitals were allowed to "dump" patients out of their ER to another hospital due to their inability to pay. If you want a good medical read you should read this book.
April 8, 2018
I w0n an eBook copy of "Reluctant Intern" by entering a Goodreads "First Read" giveaway.
The book is about astronaut wannabe Addison Wolfe. He is not a physicist so he figures the best way to get into the astronaut training program is to become a doctor. Having worked rescue mission in Viet Nam along side doctors he feels this will be his key to entry into NASA.
He attends medical school in Virginia and gets assigned to do a one year, rotating internship at University Hospital in Jacksonville, Florida. A hospital that attracts mostly indigent patients,
Addison starts out his internship in the ER and emergency medicine and will finish his rotations in Psychiatry. Along the way he will manage to get on the wrong side of the Director of Medical Education and along with some fellow interns will try to find away to have the director fired.
This is a witty, fun book, with plenty of twists and turns that will keep readers interested as we get an inside look at what it is like to be an aspiring Doctor. As a former ER orderly I can say that the author, Bill Yancey, is spot on accurate in his depiction of hospital life.
My only complaint is that I wish the book had been a little more comprehensive in telling the story. The book is mostly vignettes rather than fully developed accounts of what it is like in the differing specialties of the internship. In all honesty I could have told some tales as interesting as what we get in Mr. Yancey's book. But, it is still a very good read nonetheless. If the reader is looking for insight into the world of the intern, this is a good read.
The book is about astronaut wannabe Addison Wolfe. He is not a physicist so he figures the best way to get into the astronaut training program is to become a doctor. Having worked rescue mission in Viet Nam along side doctors he feels this will be his key to entry into NASA.
He attends medical school in Virginia and gets assigned to do a one year, rotating internship at University Hospital in Jacksonville, Florida. A hospital that attracts mostly indigent patients,
Addison starts out his internship in the ER and emergency medicine and will finish his rotations in Psychiatry. Along the way he will manage to get on the wrong side of the Director of Medical Education and along with some fellow interns will try to find away to have the director fired.
This is a witty, fun book, with plenty of twists and turns that will keep readers interested as we get an inside look at what it is like to be an aspiring Doctor. As a former ER orderly I can say that the author, Bill Yancey, is spot on accurate in his depiction of hospital life.
My only complaint is that I wish the book had been a little more comprehensive in telling the story. The book is mostly vignettes rather than fully developed accounts of what it is like in the differing specialties of the internship. In all honesty I could have told some tales as interesting as what we get in Mr. Yancey's book. But, it is still a very good read nonetheless. If the reader is looking for insight into the world of the intern, this is a good read.
February 28, 2018
Great read. Kept my interest from the first page to the last
May 24, 2014
Reluctant Intern deserves a place in the ranks of excellent medical novels. Most medical novels are either so far-fetched as to be impossible, or so poorly written as to leave the reader with an intestinal disorder. This book is not in that category. You will laugh, you will cry, and you will be totally taken in by Addison Wolfe and his adventures as an intern.
Addison Wolfe, the reluctant intern in the title of Dr. Bill Yancey's book, fell into medicine when his vision kept him out of NASA's astronaut program. When this story takes place, in the mid-1970's, everyone wanted to be an astronaut, but becoming an astronaut was a far more selective process than medical school, so that's how Addison ends up on July 1, as a new intern in what Dr. Figueroa, the Director of Medical Education at his hospital, calls the worst internship program in the worst hospital in the US (in Florida). Interns end up there because no other hospital want them.
The story starts with a nightmare in the present time, when Addison sits bolt upright in bed having had a terrible flashback of his internship days. He calms himself back to sleep by telling himself that it was just a dream. What follows is a real flashback to Addison's intern year - a year that is full of medical and personal adventure. I think this is the best medical novel I have ever read. Addison's experiences as he rotates through the various hospital departments ring true, and only someone who lived them, as did the author, could write about them with such attention to detail and clarity. Addison's experience in the armed forces and his time spent studying medicine for astronauts serves him well, to his happiness and the surprise of his teachers. We follow his journey as he becomes interested in emergency medicine as a career - a field that was just beginning to emerge as he goes through his internship.
BUT, the story is much more than a case history of Addison's internship and of the cases and patients he encounters. The book is full of interesting characters - his colleagues, the senior residents and attending physicians he works with and learns from, and the bane of the interns' existence, Dr. Figueroa. Dr. Figueroa is a menacing, malignant, ever-present critic of his charges. He takes pride in public humiliation and when an intern challenges him, the intern disappears from the hospital the next day. When Addison and his colleagues go before him for their progress reviews, they are uniformly told that they are not doing well enough, that they need to study more, and that their internship might need to be extended so they can make up for their deficiencies. When Addison finally has the chance to read the progress reviews written by his supervising physicians, he is shocked to learn that they uniformly gave him high praise for his expertise and willingness to jump in when needed - information that Dr. Figueroa mysteriously, but purposely, ignores in order to humiliate the interns who need good progress reports to get into decent residency programs. Addison and his friends hatch a plot to play on Dr. Figueroa's hypochondria, by altering his lab tests so that abnormal values appear, leading Dr. F. down a long, winding road of test after altered test, until he is convinced of his ultimate demise.
Addison has an on again, off again, relationship with one of his fellow interns, Samantha, whose behavior becomes more and more peculiar, ultimately bizarre, as the story unfolds. In the middle of the story, Addison meets a stewardess and begins a relationship with her, sending her to Sam as a temporary roommate. Naturally Sam does everything in her power to sabotage this burgeoning love, and almost succeeds, but ....well, I can't say more about that without revealing what happens.
The book builds to a remarkable, unexpected conclusion that at first I found far-fetched, but ultimately realized that it was a bang-up way to end the story, and sometimes a bit of a leap of faith is necessary.
Dr. Yancey writes in a very comfortable, almost conversational style. The dialogue rings true, as do the experiences of Addison and his friends (and enemies). This is an easy read that won't bore you with too much medical detail - in fact, the medical detail is what really binds the story of Addison's internship year together - and it won't sidetrack you with heaving bosoms with strategically placed stethoscopes, plagues, poison in the anesthesia, or strange surgical deaths that can't be explained, either. That is the stuff of second-rate novels. This is a first-rate novel, written by a physician. While a work of fiction, the details are so accurate that you can't help but think a lot of the story is based on Dr. Yancey's actual experiences.
I think I entered but did not win the Goodreads giveaway for this book. The author contacted me and offered it to me in exchange for an honest review.
Addison Wolfe, the reluctant intern in the title of Dr. Bill Yancey's book, fell into medicine when his vision kept him out of NASA's astronaut program. When this story takes place, in the mid-1970's, everyone wanted to be an astronaut, but becoming an astronaut was a far more selective process than medical school, so that's how Addison ends up on July 1, as a new intern in what Dr. Figueroa, the Director of Medical Education at his hospital, calls the worst internship program in the worst hospital in the US (in Florida). Interns end up there because no other hospital want them.
The story starts with a nightmare in the present time, when Addison sits bolt upright in bed having had a terrible flashback of his internship days. He calms himself back to sleep by telling himself that it was just a dream. What follows is a real flashback to Addison's intern year - a year that is full of medical and personal adventure. I think this is the best medical novel I have ever read. Addison's experiences as he rotates through the various hospital departments ring true, and only someone who lived them, as did the author, could write about them with such attention to detail and clarity. Addison's experience in the armed forces and his time spent studying medicine for astronauts serves him well, to his happiness and the surprise of his teachers. We follow his journey as he becomes interested in emergency medicine as a career - a field that was just beginning to emerge as he goes through his internship.
BUT, the story is much more than a case history of Addison's internship and of the cases and patients he encounters. The book is full of interesting characters - his colleagues, the senior residents and attending physicians he works with and learns from, and the bane of the interns' existence, Dr. Figueroa. Dr. Figueroa is a menacing, malignant, ever-present critic of his charges. He takes pride in public humiliation and when an intern challenges him, the intern disappears from the hospital the next day. When Addison and his colleagues go before him for their progress reviews, they are uniformly told that they are not doing well enough, that they need to study more, and that their internship might need to be extended so they can make up for their deficiencies. When Addison finally has the chance to read the progress reviews written by his supervising physicians, he is shocked to learn that they uniformly gave him high praise for his expertise and willingness to jump in when needed - information that Dr. Figueroa mysteriously, but purposely, ignores in order to humiliate the interns who need good progress reports to get into decent residency programs. Addison and his friends hatch a plot to play on Dr. Figueroa's hypochondria, by altering his lab tests so that abnormal values appear, leading Dr. F. down a long, winding road of test after altered test, until he is convinced of his ultimate demise.
Addison has an on again, off again, relationship with one of his fellow interns, Samantha, whose behavior becomes more and more peculiar, ultimately bizarre, as the story unfolds. In the middle of the story, Addison meets a stewardess and begins a relationship with her, sending her to Sam as a temporary roommate. Naturally Sam does everything in her power to sabotage this burgeoning love, and almost succeeds, but ....well, I can't say more about that without revealing what happens.
The book builds to a remarkable, unexpected conclusion that at first I found far-fetched, but ultimately realized that it was a bang-up way to end the story, and sometimes a bit of a leap of faith is necessary.
Dr. Yancey writes in a very comfortable, almost conversational style. The dialogue rings true, as do the experiences of Addison and his friends (and enemies). This is an easy read that won't bore you with too much medical detail - in fact, the medical detail is what really binds the story of Addison's internship year together - and it won't sidetrack you with heaving bosoms with strategically placed stethoscopes, plagues, poison in the anesthesia, or strange surgical deaths that can't be explained, either. That is the stuff of second-rate novels. This is a first-rate novel, written by a physician. While a work of fiction, the details are so accurate that you can't help but think a lot of the story is based on Dr. Yancey's actual experiences.
I think I entered but did not win the Goodreads giveaway for this book. The author contacted me and offered it to me in exchange for an honest review.
June 11, 2014
I received a free e-version of this book from the author in exchange for an honest evaluation of it. I am always amazed that reviewers are asked for “honest reviews” as I do not believe one could be influenced by the small exchange of a book for untruths. Having issued this disclaimer and opinion, I am appreciative of the opportunity I had to read this book and write this review which I hope is informative to others.
This book begins slowly but gets better as it progresses. It describes the life of Addison Wolfe, an intern who initially did not want to become a doctor but as he spends more time in the ER, realizes that he likes what is involved going through an internship and takes his internship very seriously.
I had no prior knowledge of the duties of an intern or the inner workings of their training and this book was enlightening for me in that regard. For the first time, I realized how little an intern gets paid and that in order to make ends meet, they have to share apartments or houses and do not a lot of money or time for socializing.
The descriptions of the patients were so detailed that I could visualize the blood and guts. Wolfe developed a really good bed side manner and actually cared for the patients. Interns are portrayed as working extremely long hours in the ER with very little rest. It is difficult to imagine how interns don't actually kill patients with the small amount of rest they get and the short periods of sleep they get in short naps in the hospital between cases.
I learned about the politics between the doctors and the interns, how and what they do in order to receive a good grade and make it through their whole internship. Working in the ER is portrayed as very dangerous for the interns, doctors and nurses and sometimes it seemed like a battlefield.
The author also describes the politics between hospitals and the financial side of their role. It was both informative and disheartening to see the treatment of people without insurance and to see which kind of hospital takes them and which ones do not.
The book describes an intern who became a drug addict and it is easy to see how that can happen from the facts presented in the book. Another story involved a female intern who actually shot the doctor who was the overseer of interns in order to get one of 5 slots available in the hospital after their internship ended.
The episodes varied and flowed from department to department as Wolfe progressed through the various stages of his internship. The reader was introduced to the M&M conferences where patient cases were discussed and I learned that an internship is simply an extension of the learning experience of the medical school years and it is in this phase of training—the hands on portion—that one truly begins to become a doctor. Examples included cases where the interns learned if they correctly followed procedure or if the patients returned to the hospital because the intern’s diagnosis was incorrect.
The book was very descriptive but what really caught my attention was the story of a 450 pound patient suffering from diabetes. He had so many things wrong with him already but he was in the hospital because he ate so many sweets on his birthday. I too am a diabetic and could identify with the things from which he suffered.
This work was informative, and after a slow start held the reader’s attention well. For those that are more familiar with the inner workings of a hospital, medical school, and the training of a physician, I am not certain that this presents a lot of new information, but I found it quite interesting and it held my attention. It is not a page turner in that sense of the word, but much of that is probably due to the nature of the subject matter. I would recommend it to others that are unfamiliar with this phase of the profession as I learned much from the author’s descriptions.
This book begins slowly but gets better as it progresses. It describes the life of Addison Wolfe, an intern who initially did not want to become a doctor but as he spends more time in the ER, realizes that he likes what is involved going through an internship and takes his internship very seriously.
I had no prior knowledge of the duties of an intern or the inner workings of their training and this book was enlightening for me in that regard. For the first time, I realized how little an intern gets paid and that in order to make ends meet, they have to share apartments or houses and do not a lot of money or time for socializing.
The descriptions of the patients were so detailed that I could visualize the blood and guts. Wolfe developed a really good bed side manner and actually cared for the patients. Interns are portrayed as working extremely long hours in the ER with very little rest. It is difficult to imagine how interns don't actually kill patients with the small amount of rest they get and the short periods of sleep they get in short naps in the hospital between cases.
I learned about the politics between the doctors and the interns, how and what they do in order to receive a good grade and make it through their whole internship. Working in the ER is portrayed as very dangerous for the interns, doctors and nurses and sometimes it seemed like a battlefield.
The author also describes the politics between hospitals and the financial side of their role. It was both informative and disheartening to see the treatment of people without insurance and to see which kind of hospital takes them and which ones do not.
The book describes an intern who became a drug addict and it is easy to see how that can happen from the facts presented in the book. Another story involved a female intern who actually shot the doctor who was the overseer of interns in order to get one of 5 slots available in the hospital after their internship ended.
The episodes varied and flowed from department to department as Wolfe progressed through the various stages of his internship. The reader was introduced to the M&M conferences where patient cases were discussed and I learned that an internship is simply an extension of the learning experience of the medical school years and it is in this phase of training—the hands on portion—that one truly begins to become a doctor. Examples included cases where the interns learned if they correctly followed procedure or if the patients returned to the hospital because the intern’s diagnosis was incorrect.
The book was very descriptive but what really caught my attention was the story of a 450 pound patient suffering from diabetes. He had so many things wrong with him already but he was in the hospital because he ate so many sweets on his birthday. I too am a diabetic and could identify with the things from which he suffered.
This work was informative, and after a slow start held the reader’s attention well. For those that are more familiar with the inner workings of a hospital, medical school, and the training of a physician, I am not certain that this presents a lot of new information, but I found it quite interesting and it held my attention. It is not a page turner in that sense of the word, but much of that is probably due to the nature of the subject matter. I would recommend it to others that are unfamiliar with this phase of the profession as I learned much from the author’s descriptions.
July 2, 2014
NOTE: IMAGES AND FLOW CHART ACCOMPANY THE ORIGINAL REVIEW ON MY BLOG.
Addison Wolfe never wanted to be a physician. He wanted to be an astronaut, and went to medical school as a roundabout way of achieving it. But his plans backfire when NASA turns him down and he has to complete his internship at University Hospital in Jacksonville. He faces a daunting year of learning the ins and outs of being a doctor, while juggling his colleagues, his love-life and the evil Director of Medical Education.
I was offered an e-copy of The Reluctant Intern by its author, Bill Yancey. I always jump at the opportunity to read books by medical doctors, and I was very intrigued by a book with a main character who really doesn’t want to be a doctor. It’s unorthodox, but doesn’t it immediately sound like a cool story?
Unfortunately, I guess the book and I were a bad match (it has a lot of really stellar reviews on GoodReads). I struggled to get my feelings together about it, so I decided to do a bit of visual organisation, inspired by Kelley’s review of The Murder Complex. (Hers is WAY better. I’m still learning to do this stuff.)
In addition to the premise being a fantastic idea (everybody always writes about the passionate doctors, yawn), I love hearing about medical training in years gone by. I always try to get my supervisors to talk about their med school days. So I loved that aspect of the book.
The biggest problem, essentially, comes down to the fact that I think the novel really just needed a good editor. The book was produced independently, but the writing tone and grammar very often needed a bit of polishing. I’m a bit of a grammar/spelling/vocab-nazi at times, and it really came out while reading this. Also, the use of “etc” was very glaring, very often.
I know it was intended as part of the historical setting, but the racism/sexism/old-boy camaraderie really put me off. I guess it just felt so… blatant. I don’t know, but it was the part that made this most difficult for me. Perhaps also because I still encounter a lot of these elements in my training and so it was uncomfortable and a bit close to home.
Finally, I felt that the plot lacked direction and Wolfe lacked agency as a character. It was more a chronicle of Wolfe’s various rotations and the things that happened to him. They were very anecdotal. But I have to say: some of the anecdotes were really funny and/or interesting. There was a really unexpected twist near the end, I didn’t really enjoy the twist too much because I felt it added to some of the stereotyping. At any rate, it did make me jump!
Although it is a bit subliminal, there is some good comment about medical training and the things that happen in the medical community, which I loved reading as they tend to be brushed under the carpet.
So, you see why I don’t think this was a good match for me although it does have some great points. I do think there is promise in this novel but I would love to see it more edited and polished.
I received a copy of this book via the author in exchange for an honest review. This has not affected my opinions in any way.
Addison Wolfe never wanted to be a physician. He wanted to be an astronaut, and went to medical school as a roundabout way of achieving it. But his plans backfire when NASA turns him down and he has to complete his internship at University Hospital in Jacksonville. He faces a daunting year of learning the ins and outs of being a doctor, while juggling his colleagues, his love-life and the evil Director of Medical Education.
I was offered an e-copy of The Reluctant Intern by its author, Bill Yancey. I always jump at the opportunity to read books by medical doctors, and I was very intrigued by a book with a main character who really doesn’t want to be a doctor. It’s unorthodox, but doesn’t it immediately sound like a cool story?
Unfortunately, I guess the book and I were a bad match (it has a lot of really stellar reviews on GoodReads). I struggled to get my feelings together about it, so I decided to do a bit of visual organisation, inspired by Kelley’s review of The Murder Complex. (Hers is WAY better. I’m still learning to do this stuff.)
In addition to the premise being a fantastic idea (everybody always writes about the passionate doctors, yawn), I love hearing about medical training in years gone by. I always try to get my supervisors to talk about their med school days. So I loved that aspect of the book.
The biggest problem, essentially, comes down to the fact that I think the novel really just needed a good editor. The book was produced independently, but the writing tone and grammar very often needed a bit of polishing. I’m a bit of a grammar/spelling/vocab-nazi at times, and it really came out while reading this. Also, the use of “etc” was very glaring, very often.
I know it was intended as part of the historical setting, but the racism/sexism/old-boy camaraderie really put me off. I guess it just felt so… blatant. I don’t know, but it was the part that made this most difficult for me. Perhaps also because I still encounter a lot of these elements in my training and so it was uncomfortable and a bit close to home.
Finally, I felt that the plot lacked direction and Wolfe lacked agency as a character. It was more a chronicle of Wolfe’s various rotations and the things that happened to him. They were very anecdotal. But I have to say: some of the anecdotes were really funny and/or interesting. There was a really unexpected twist near the end, I didn’t really enjoy the twist too much because I felt it added to some of the stereotyping. At any rate, it did make me jump!
Although it is a bit subliminal, there is some good comment about medical training and the things that happen in the medical community, which I loved reading as they tend to be brushed under the carpet.
So, you see why I don’t think this was a good match for me although it does have some great points. I do think there is promise in this novel but I would love to see it more edited and polished.
I received a copy of this book via the author in exchange for an honest review. This has not affected my opinions in any way.
May 30, 2014
I received a free digital copy of this book from the author in exchange for putting an honest review on Amazon and Goodreads.
I have always been a fan of books which tell the stories of doctors and nurses, be they fictional or factual and so I was very interested in reading The Reluctant Intern and had placed it on my “to read” list when I was approached by the author and asked to read and review it. The novel is set primarily in the early 70’s but the prologue is set in the present day with Addison Wolfe having a nightmare based on his internship experiences. He wakes up and tells his wife that things were so much simpler back during his internship and she tells him that it’s not the way she remembers it. The rest of the book is focused on what his internship was like.
My background is in nursing, I graduated in the class of ’77 and while I trained in Canada, many of the tales told in this novel could easily have happened here too. The author refers to the belief that the beginning of July is the worst time to enter the hospital (at least a teaching hospital) because there are all newly graduated inexperienced interns in place. From my own experience, there is a lot of truth to this. Long hours and little sleep make life very difficult for doctors in training and so it was for Addison Wolfe.
The Reluctant Intern tells Addison’s story as he moves through his internship year. We learn about M&M conferences where doctors learn from their mistakes (and there are some pretty scary ones). Told from Addison’s point of view, every so often there are comments about things that will come in the future (computers, cat scans) that remind us the story is being told in a retrospective fashion. We learn how Addison tries to juggle a life outside work with the pressures of trying to succeed and stay on the good side of all the different doctors evaluating his work. All of this is told with a good dash of humour.
Although not highly plot driven, there is an underlying story of the relationship with Dr. Ramon Figueroa, his main supervisor and the man who scores all the interns. How they do will have great bearing on their future placement in residency programs and he seems to have strong biases. The author throws some surprises in as the story unfolds.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading medical stories. The further into the book I got, the more intrigued I was.
I have always been a fan of books which tell the stories of doctors and nurses, be they fictional or factual and so I was very interested in reading The Reluctant Intern and had placed it on my “to read” list when I was approached by the author and asked to read and review it. The novel is set primarily in the early 70’s but the prologue is set in the present day with Addison Wolfe having a nightmare based on his internship experiences. He wakes up and tells his wife that things were so much simpler back during his internship and she tells him that it’s not the way she remembers it. The rest of the book is focused on what his internship was like.
My background is in nursing, I graduated in the class of ’77 and while I trained in Canada, many of the tales told in this novel could easily have happened here too. The author refers to the belief that the beginning of July is the worst time to enter the hospital (at least a teaching hospital) because there are all newly graduated inexperienced interns in place. From my own experience, there is a lot of truth to this. Long hours and little sleep make life very difficult for doctors in training and so it was for Addison Wolfe.
The Reluctant Intern tells Addison’s story as he moves through his internship year. We learn about M&M conferences where doctors learn from their mistakes (and there are some pretty scary ones). Told from Addison’s point of view, every so often there are comments about things that will come in the future (computers, cat scans) that remind us the story is being told in a retrospective fashion. We learn how Addison tries to juggle a life outside work with the pressures of trying to succeed and stay on the good side of all the different doctors evaluating his work. All of this is told with a good dash of humour.
Although not highly plot driven, there is an underlying story of the relationship with Dr. Ramon Figueroa, his main supervisor and the man who scores all the interns. How they do will have great bearing on their future placement in residency programs and he seems to have strong biases. The author throws some surprises in as the story unfolds.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading medical stories. The further into the book I got, the more intrigued I was.
May 30, 2014
I received a free digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Reading this book was a pleasure on multiple levels. I am an old, retired nurse, primarily operating room and trauma, and many of the incidents in the book ring so very true. In the course of the many decades I was an active nurse, I and my fellow nurses saw the rise and fall of many generations of interns. I also grew up in Jacksonville, Florida and recognized the community and resident population that young Dr. Addison Wolfe treated.
Civilians reading this book may think that there is no way these conditions or situations existed, but they did and do. I have lived them alongside these young people.
When new interns came on board, it was like flinging baby birds out of the nest. They had to fly or else. This book shows very believably the uncertainty and fear that new doctors have when they realize THEY are making life or death decisions and actions. Not only in the care of the patients, but in dealing with senior physicians, whose evaluation can destroy the young doctors burgeoning careers. Before you think this doctor, Dr. Figueroa, could not be true, trust me, I have seen so many of him over nearly 50 years of being a nurse. Raging egomaniacs are alive and well in medicine, even today.
The camaraderie amongst the interns is very real. Friendships and life long bonds are forged during this all important year. Competition is very strong.
The patient situations are so true and accurate, I felt like I was in the middle of action once again. Having worked for many years in a charity type hospital, I have seen horrible injuries and seen the physicians stop death with minimal equipment. The developing hard shell of the new doctors does happen. So much of what they see is so very, very needless. But it is not all doom and gloom. There are laugh out loud moments.
I thoroughly enjoyed the book and finished it in one day. I would recommend this book to civilians and to health care professionals alike.
Reading this book was a pleasure on multiple levels. I am an old, retired nurse, primarily operating room and trauma, and many of the incidents in the book ring so very true. In the course of the many decades I was an active nurse, I and my fellow nurses saw the rise and fall of many generations of interns. I also grew up in Jacksonville, Florida and recognized the community and resident population that young Dr. Addison Wolfe treated.
Civilians reading this book may think that there is no way these conditions or situations existed, but they did and do. I have lived them alongside these young people.
When new interns came on board, it was like flinging baby birds out of the nest. They had to fly or else. This book shows very believably the uncertainty and fear that new doctors have when they realize THEY are making life or death decisions and actions. Not only in the care of the patients, but in dealing with senior physicians, whose evaluation can destroy the young doctors burgeoning careers. Before you think this doctor, Dr. Figueroa, could not be true, trust me, I have seen so many of him over nearly 50 years of being a nurse. Raging egomaniacs are alive and well in medicine, even today.
The camaraderie amongst the interns is very real. Friendships and life long bonds are forged during this all important year. Competition is very strong.
The patient situations are so true and accurate, I felt like I was in the middle of action once again. Having worked for many years in a charity type hospital, I have seen horrible injuries and seen the physicians stop death with minimal equipment. The developing hard shell of the new doctors does happen. So much of what they see is so very, very needless. But it is not all doom and gloom. There are laugh out loud moments.
I thoroughly enjoyed the book and finished it in one day. I would recommend this book to civilians and to health care professionals alike.
July 18, 2014
I received an electronic copy of this book direct from the author to read and review.
With that disclosure out of the way, I must say, this was a really good book. Addy Wolfe is an intern at Jacksonville's University Hospital in the mid-1979s, after his dreams of becoming an astronaut fizzled following changes at NASA, hence the title of the book. Headed by a real jerk of a Director, and serving mostly indigent and poor patients, the internship program at University is populated by 2 types of students. In one group are the overachievers who are trying to get a residency in the ER, one of only 5 such programs in the nations, and the others are underachievers who ended up there after none of their preferred programs accepted them. Due to his late search for an internship, Wolfe essentially ends up in the latter category, but finds camaraderie with his peers.
Yancey takes us through Wolfe's internship year, as he rotates among the various specialties trying to figure out where his future will take him. Primarily, this book takes place in the hospital, which is what I probably liked best. There was just enough of his personal life featured to make sure we get to know Wolfe and Iggy, his apartment-mate, fellow intern, and also new-father. Unlike other fictional works related to this stage of the education process, Yancey's portrayal of Wolfe's life out of the hospital feels very realistic, basically that any time out of the hospital is usually spent sleeping, studying, or hanging out with other interns to shoot the bull about work, and Wolfe's romantic endeavors take a back seat to his job.
Also, I tended to forget that this was set in the 1970s, but it still felt historically accurate, with Yancey sprinkling in the new technologies that would have just been emerging in medicine 40 years ago.
I would definitely read another book by this author and recommend it to anyone who likes medical fiction.
With that disclosure out of the way, I must say, this was a really good book. Addy Wolfe is an intern at Jacksonville's University Hospital in the mid-1979s, after his dreams of becoming an astronaut fizzled following changes at NASA, hence the title of the book. Headed by a real jerk of a Director, and serving mostly indigent and poor patients, the internship program at University is populated by 2 types of students. In one group are the overachievers who are trying to get a residency in the ER, one of only 5 such programs in the nations, and the others are underachievers who ended up there after none of their preferred programs accepted them. Due to his late search for an internship, Wolfe essentially ends up in the latter category, but finds camaraderie with his peers.
Yancey takes us through Wolfe's internship year, as he rotates among the various specialties trying to figure out where his future will take him. Primarily, this book takes place in the hospital, which is what I probably liked best. There was just enough of his personal life featured to make sure we get to know Wolfe and Iggy, his apartment-mate, fellow intern, and also new-father. Unlike other fictional works related to this stage of the education process, Yancey's portrayal of Wolfe's life out of the hospital feels very realistic, basically that any time out of the hospital is usually spent sleeping, studying, or hanging out with other interns to shoot the bull about work, and Wolfe's romantic endeavors take a back seat to his job.
Also, I tended to forget that this was set in the 1970s, but it still felt historically accurate, with Yancey sprinkling in the new technologies that would have just been emerging in medicine 40 years ago.
I would definitely read another book by this author and recommend it to anyone who likes medical fiction.
July 22, 2014
I was chosen, by the author, to read and review Reluctant Intern in exchange for an honest, unbiased view.
In all honesty, I can say that this book was a pleasure to read.Minutes into this book I was hooked. Dr. Yancey brought me quickly into the lives of a group of first year interns, some reluctant, some not so. Be prepared to let everything go for several hours so you can find out what happens to all of them.
I was drawn to this book for several reasons. My daughter is now a board certified neonatologist but once upon a time she was a scared, and in some ways, reluctant intern. In many ways her stories were familiar to some of the stories that Yancey delivers. I both agonized and laughed with her over of many of her intern moments. I think the lives of the characters in Reluctant Intern were true to what young doctors go through - rigorous training, sleep deprivation, interactions with their mentors,peers and patients, doubting career choices and wondering if they will ever get through it all
On another level, the book appealed to me because of the mix of genre that Dr. Yancey infused into his entertaining book. Let's see -- there was the element of what life is like for struggling young interns. It is almost certain that the author drew from his own intern background but he didn't stop there. He mixed in a bit of suspense, romance, seduction or more than one kind, and the consequences of people's actions. His key ingredient, however, was HUMOR. The book was filled with humor throughout the entire book and he managed to keep the humor up until the very end. Pulling all these ingredients together, the author delivered a great read!
In all honesty, I can say that this book was a pleasure to read.Minutes into this book I was hooked. Dr. Yancey brought me quickly into the lives of a group of first year interns, some reluctant, some not so. Be prepared to let everything go for several hours so you can find out what happens to all of them.
I was drawn to this book for several reasons. My daughter is now a board certified neonatologist but once upon a time she was a scared, and in some ways, reluctant intern. In many ways her stories were familiar to some of the stories that Yancey delivers. I both agonized and laughed with her over of many of her intern moments. I think the lives of the characters in Reluctant Intern were true to what young doctors go through - rigorous training, sleep deprivation, interactions with their mentors,peers and patients, doubting career choices and wondering if they will ever get through it all
On another level, the book appealed to me because of the mix of genre that Dr. Yancey infused into his entertaining book. Let's see -- there was the element of what life is like for struggling young interns. It is almost certain that the author drew from his own intern background but he didn't stop there. He mixed in a bit of suspense, romance, seduction or more than one kind, and the consequences of people's actions. His key ingredient, however, was HUMOR. The book was filled with humor throughout the entire book and he managed to keep the humor up until the very end. Pulling all these ingredients together, the author delivered a great read!
May 23, 2014
I received a free digital version of this book in exchange for an honest review. This was such an absorbing book that I read it all at one time by staying up late at night to finish it. It was a fascinating look into the life of an intern, Addison Wolfe, at a Florida hospital. Addison had always wanted to be an astronaut but due to circumstances in his life, he ended up being a reluctant intern. The story is about his reliving or remembering his internship which was something I did not realize until I reread the beginning of the book a second time. I had wondered why several of the medical tests were mentioned as being too new or not available but then realized that all had happened in his past. I was cheering for Addison throughout the book in hopes that he would not "wash out" or leave the internship even with all the stress and the not so favorable reviews he had. There were a few scary parts in the book, at least I thought that they were a little scary. These were the mistakes made by the interns, some were rather serious ones, which were discussed and made into teaching points during regular meetings at the hospital. There was only one part of the book that I didn't like where a former lover of Addison almost gets him framed for murder. I felt like this was an unnecessary to show how stress and competition affected the interns which was shown in other ways. This was such an interesting book and I enjoyed reading it. I was almost disappointed when it ended, I wanted to read more. I would recommend this to anyone who wants a great read.
June 4, 2014
* I received a free digital copy from the author in exchange for an honest review. * I really liked this book. I like medical novels to begin with so this was easy for me to read. It follows the story of Wolfe and his friends and fellow interns during a very hectic year at the hospital. Wolfe is not so sure he wants to be a doctor. He once thought he'd be an astronaut for NASA. But things change. As he goes through each rotation, learning many things (as does the reader alongside him), he still cant decide what specialty he's going to end up in. The head doctors arent making his choices - or his life - any easier either. I liked that, as the character went through each rotation, medical procedures and diagnoses were throughly described well enough that a lay person could understand what was going on, without feeling like I was being talked down to. Many years ago, I interned as a surgical technician (scrub nurse basically) and some of the terminology and situations were well written enough that I could really picture them. It wasnt just one long story about medicine. There were plenty of Wolfe's personal life and friendships along the way, along with his thoughts and worries about his job and his future. The one line towards the end about the 'new science fiction movie Star Wars' made me chuckle, and feel a little old, LOL. All in all, well written, easy to read and enjoy.
March 19, 2015
I was lucky enough to be asked by Dr. Yancey to review a free digital copy of his book "Reluctant Intern". The stipulation for receiving this copy is that I post 2 reviews one on goodreads and one on Amazon.
Well here goes. I thoroughly enjoyed the book. I have been in the medical profession for many years and have worked in all areas of the hospital so I was able to understand all the terms etc that this story portrayed. It was very interesting and it only took a few days to read. I have worked with many people that fit the bill of some of his characters such as the miserable SOB that was the director of the new interns and the over worked rundown, tired and frustrated interns. Tho' I'm not sure if in real life people would have been able to pull off the prank that they were pulling on the director. But it sure would have been fun to try. Now I really have your interest peeked so you will have to read the book.
If I was to say anything negative about the story it would be that periodically some of the medical terminology may be a little hard for the lay person to understand. Dr. Yancey did do a lot of explaining but it seemed that the more he got wrapped up in the story the less explaining that he did and then he would catch himself.
I was really impressed with the book and hope that Dr. Yancey keep up the writing as I look forward to reading more of his work.
Cheers
Well here goes. I thoroughly enjoyed the book. I have been in the medical profession for many years and have worked in all areas of the hospital so I was able to understand all the terms etc that this story portrayed. It was very interesting and it only took a few days to read. I have worked with many people that fit the bill of some of his characters such as the miserable SOB that was the director of the new interns and the over worked rundown, tired and frustrated interns. Tho' I'm not sure if in real life people would have been able to pull off the prank that they were pulling on the director. But it sure would have been fun to try. Now I really have your interest peeked so you will have to read the book.
If I was to say anything negative about the story it would be that periodically some of the medical terminology may be a little hard for the lay person to understand. Dr. Yancey did do a lot of explaining but it seemed that the more he got wrapped up in the story the less explaining that he did and then he would catch himself.
I was really impressed with the book and hope that Dr. Yancey keep up the writing as I look forward to reading more of his work.
Cheers
March 4, 2016
Great read!
Talk about "the good ol' bad ol' days!" I worked at Hermann Hospital, Houston, Texas around the time of this novel. Reading it took me down Memory Lane!
This book made me laugh, and cry as memories came back. I remember how hard it'd been to watch students, mere kids, practicing for their future practices. They saved more than they killed but some weeks, it sure didn't feel that way. Undernourished, sleep deprived, and sometimes just plain not cut out for doctoring, these young men and a few women kept the wheels of vast medical school hospitals running. I've known a few Sam's, but by far many more Iggy and Addy's, thank the stars and moon! Today, they are the senior partners in flourishing private practices, own minor emergency centers, free or sliding-scale clinics, or are now themselves teaching new crops of future physicians.
Bill Yancey has done a fine job of describing the medical services of the 70's, as well as the trials, tribulation and triumphs of very realistic characters. I've not put up five stars in a while but I think this work deserves it - easy, interesting read with well-defined characters in an environment few know about, and given that it's set in the 70's, ever fewer could know! This book allows anyone to see how very, very far medicine has come in a very, very short period of time.
Talk about "the good ol' bad ol' days!" I worked at Hermann Hospital, Houston, Texas around the time of this novel. Reading it took me down Memory Lane!
This book made me laugh, and cry as memories came back. I remember how hard it'd been to watch students, mere kids, practicing for their future practices. They saved more than they killed but some weeks, it sure didn't feel that way. Undernourished, sleep deprived, and sometimes just plain not cut out for doctoring, these young men and a few women kept the wheels of vast medical school hospitals running. I've known a few Sam's, but by far many more Iggy and Addy's, thank the stars and moon! Today, they are the senior partners in flourishing private practices, own minor emergency centers, free or sliding-scale clinics, or are now themselves teaching new crops of future physicians.
Bill Yancey has done a fine job of describing the medical services of the 70's, as well as the trials, tribulation and triumphs of very realistic characters. I've not put up five stars in a while but I think this work deserves it - easy, interesting read with well-defined characters in an environment few know about, and given that it's set in the 70's, ever fewer could know! This book allows anyone to see how very, very far medicine has come in a very, very short period of time.
April 19, 2020
I received an digital copy of this book in return for an honest review.
I found this book to be extremely enjoyable. I have some background in the medical field so I found it very true to life.
The book follows the internship of Dr. Addison Wolfe at a hospital in Florida for the indigent. It closely follows his monthly obligations in different areas of medicine. You get to follow some of his closest friends, other interns also. It is not a boring review of the year in Dr Wolfe's life as there are many sad, misdiagnosed cases, and funny and happy endings also. The physician who heads this intern class is an egomaniac who attempts to make life very difficult for the interns in their reviews with him. The interns come up with a plan to play with the directors mind which leads to some very interesting turn of events.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who has any medical background or just likes fiction of the medical nature.
My only suggestion to the author would be to put a glossary of some or all of the medical terms used in this novel. As I said, I have a slight background in the medical field but there were still a few terms I had to look up in a medical terminology book.
I found this book to be extremely enjoyable. I have some background in the medical field so I found it very true to life.
The book follows the internship of Dr. Addison Wolfe at a hospital in Florida for the indigent. It closely follows his monthly obligations in different areas of medicine. You get to follow some of his closest friends, other interns also. It is not a boring review of the year in Dr Wolfe's life as there are many sad, misdiagnosed cases, and funny and happy endings also. The physician who heads this intern class is an egomaniac who attempts to make life very difficult for the interns in their reviews with him. The interns come up with a plan to play with the directors mind which leads to some very interesting turn of events.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who has any medical background or just likes fiction of the medical nature.
My only suggestion to the author would be to put a glossary of some or all of the medical terms used in this novel. As I said, I have a slight background in the medical field but there were still a few terms I had to look up in a medical terminology book.
May 25, 2014
I received a free digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. First I must say that I loved this book.It was a really fast read. The author was really knowledgeable about the subject of the book. The story dealt with the residency of Dr. Addison Wolfe and his friends and classmates during their first year as residents.Addy was not a very enthusiastic intern, in fact he didn't want to be a doctor, he wanted to work for NASA. Although not outstanding, he did try his best in each of the departments, he rotated through each month. His life was further complicated because the head of the intern program, Dr.Figueroa took an instant dislike to him and seemed to over criticize everything he did and each case he reviewed during the M&M meetings.The story followed Dr. Wolfe through his various rotations and gave a brief overview of the departments without too much medical detail pertaining to the cases reviewed. One of Addy's sometime lover and intern friend, Dr. Samantha Joiner, adds to the story because of her vindictiveness and sneakiness. In the end everything works out for all the interns. You have to read the book to find out.
November 15, 2014
Reluctant Intern by Bill Yancey
The author sent me a digital version in exchange for two reviews on Goodreads + AMAZON. THE story is about the life of an intern who passed medical school (instead of his dream to be an astronaut) and is now entering internship training prior getting a license. IT weeds out the bad as the interns now play with the actual patient. THE MAIN character is Addison Wolfe, who lives with Iggy and Jennifer.
We get to follow him through the different rotations, hear the medical jargon, and learn about how medicine works in the hospital and in Crisis situations.
In the background are subplots for romance and a subterfuge plot to overthrow the current medical supervisor who seems to hate the interns by giving them poor reviews. Addison (Addy) finally decides what he wants in life, as this year does help decide the future. I thought the book was good but I could be biased as I like medical stories and is reflected as I am a nurse. There is some thrills, action and adventure that will keep you involved in the book. The book gave a good job in helping solve the questions that arisen.
I would recommend this book just for the fun of reading it.
The author sent me a digital version in exchange for two reviews on Goodreads + AMAZON. THE story is about the life of an intern who passed medical school (instead of his dream to be an astronaut) and is now entering internship training prior getting a license. IT weeds out the bad as the interns now play with the actual patient. THE MAIN character is Addison Wolfe, who lives with Iggy and Jennifer.
We get to follow him through the different rotations, hear the medical jargon, and learn about how medicine works in the hospital and in Crisis situations.
In the background are subplots for romance and a subterfuge plot to overthrow the current medical supervisor who seems to hate the interns by giving them poor reviews. Addison (Addy) finally decides what he wants in life, as this year does help decide the future. I thought the book was good but I could be biased as I like medical stories and is reflected as I am a nurse. There is some thrills, action and adventure that will keep you involved in the book. The book gave a good job in helping solve the questions that arisen.
I would recommend this book just for the fun of reading it.
August 26, 2016
This book caught my attention right from the beginning and held my interest throughout the story. That is saying a lot, because my husband swears that I have the attention span of a three-year old.
It is an intriguing story based on the main character's experiences as a medical intern at a University hospital in the mid 70's. Addison Wolfe is a very likeable character. He has the moral code which everyone hopes their doctor embraces.
His story enlightens the everyday person on the trials and triumphs of a medical intern as well as the emotional and physical stress placed on doctors on an everyday basis. Since Wolfe is so easy to like, the book allows you to become one with him in such a way that if he is happy, sad, disappointed, or angry, then so are you.
Kudos for the great character building!! If I don't like the main character or can't relate to him or her, then I won't even finish the book.
As with some of the other reviewers, I also received a free digital copy from the author in exchange for putting an honest review on Amazon.
It is an intriguing story based on the main character's experiences as a medical intern at a University hospital in the mid 70's. Addison Wolfe is a very likeable character. He has the moral code which everyone hopes their doctor embraces.
His story enlightens the everyday person on the trials and triumphs of a medical intern as well as the emotional and physical stress placed on doctors on an everyday basis. Since Wolfe is so easy to like, the book allows you to become one with him in such a way that if he is happy, sad, disappointed, or angry, then so are you.
Kudos for the great character building!! If I don't like the main character or can't relate to him or her, then I won't even finish the book.
As with some of the other reviewers, I also received a free digital copy from the author in exchange for putting an honest review on Amazon.
March 5, 2015
So I received a copy of this book for free as long as I returned the favor by giving my honest review on goodreads and amazon.
For me, being someone extremely interested in medicine, I was kind of excited to read it. It had a lot technical stuff, which was really cool and helped you understand the stress of the medical field. However a few of the cases(patients) presented kind of distracted me and made me forget the storyline
Up until the last third or so I planned on giving this a three star rating, it wasn't bad but I just had trouble focusing. However last third really picked up pace and tied together some of the things that had me really confused on how or why they happened. So if this sounds like a book you'd be interested in, I would say to give it a go because it's a good read for sure in my opinion. Just be cautioned to the fact that there is some procedural parts, incase you aren't in to the technical stuff.
For me, being someone extremely interested in medicine, I was kind of excited to read it. It had a lot technical stuff, which was really cool and helped you understand the stress of the medical field. However a few of the cases(patients) presented kind of distracted me and made me forget the storyline
Up until the last third or so I planned on giving this a three star rating, it wasn't bad but I just had trouble focusing. However last third really picked up pace and tied together some of the things that had me really confused on how or why they happened. So if this sounds like a book you'd be interested in, I would say to give it a go because it's a good read for sure in my opinion. Just be cautioned to the fact that there is some procedural parts, incase you aren't in to the technical stuff.
June 1, 2014
I was given a Kindle copy of this book by the author who saw on Goodreads that I wanted to read it. He asked for a review (good or bad) within two weeks.
I read this in three days.
I am a retired RN so I understood all of the medical jargon and enjoyed that aspect of it tremendously. I learned a lot in the process of reading it also. If you are not medically inclined it will confuse you perhaps since that is a majority of the book.
It takes place in an era when things were very different in medicine than they are now- that always gives me a chuckle. I have more sympathy for some of the older MD's I have come across in my career. It is a tough, tough road.
I enjoyed meeting all of the characters especially Dr. Wolfe. I must say that the ending was a complete surprise and really threw me for a loop. Good job Bill Yancey!
I was a bit disappointed in the cover of the book. It deserves better in my opinion.
I look forward to reading more of this authors works.
I read this in three days.
I am a retired RN so I understood all of the medical jargon and enjoyed that aspect of it tremendously. I learned a lot in the process of reading it also. If you are not medically inclined it will confuse you perhaps since that is a majority of the book.
It takes place in an era when things were very different in medicine than they are now- that always gives me a chuckle. I have more sympathy for some of the older MD's I have come across in my career. It is a tough, tough road.
I enjoyed meeting all of the characters especially Dr. Wolfe. I must say that the ending was a complete surprise and really threw me for a loop. Good job Bill Yancey!
I was a bit disappointed in the cover of the book. It deserves better in my opinion.
I look forward to reading more of this authors works.
June 11, 2014
I was given this e-book for my kindle by the author in exchange for an honest review for both Amazon and Goodreads. And what a pleasure this was for me. Medical themed books have been my favorite forever, so I found it very easy to jump right into this novel, and not put it down. It is the story of Addy Wolfe and his year as an intern at a University hospital – his rotations from the ER to everything required – pediatrics, internal medicine, pathology, etc. His story also has a romantic bend, with one of his ER patients Lisa Johannsen, a flight attendant, who captured his heart during the year. The story ends with Samantha Joiner, one of his classmates, being diagnosed schizophrenic after her attempt to murder the medical director of Wolfe's intern class – all adding to the excitement of his story. Truly a fast read right to the end, and a good ending it was. Thanks, Dr. Bill Yancy – hope you will be writing more.
May 25, 2014
When I started this novel I expected to hear many of the horrors of internship, the long hours, the lack of sleep, and being used by the residents to do all the boring ,repetitive chores they felt were beneath them, now that they were no longer interns. Then it started to feel a little like the pilot episode of ER. All of the "horrors" of internship were included, but they made the characters more interesting, and kept the plot moving along and holding your attention, while the suspenseful part snuck up grabbed you from behind. A thoroughly enjoyable read, I look forward to recommending to anyone that will listen. ( I did receive a free digital copy of this book in return for an HONEST review. I got lucky and loved the book!)
May 27, 2014
Recently I was given the wonderful opportunity. I was contacted by this author and was asked if I would like a digital copy of this book for two honest reviews. This book was not what I expected. I enjoyed it greatly. It was about an internship but it didn't have too much "Doctor Talk" in it. I understood most of it and figured out the rest. I would recommend this book to any of my friends. It was a good read I couldn't put it down. It was interesting to see that side of internship but written in a way that was not boring at all. I also liked that it was about personal drama also. I was not expecting that last couple of chapters. It pleasantly surprised me.
May 26, 2014
I was interested in reading this book because I've always been fascinated by medicine. I am also the mother of a physician, and I was curious if the experiences documented in Reluctant Intern by Bill Yancy, MD were similar to those I heard about from my daughter (they were!). The book was very readable, the characters likeable, and the flow of the book very natural, making me want to read on until I was done. (I finished the book within 24 hours.) I would recommend this book to anyone.
I received a free digital copy of this book in return for an honest review. The opinion given above is how I truly feel and was not influenced in any way.
I received a free digital copy of this book in return for an honest review. The opinion given above is how I truly feel and was not influenced in any way.
May 27, 2014
I received a free digital copy of this book for an honest review, so here is my opinion. It almost reads more like a memoir, but I feel that gives the book a more authentic feel. The story unfolded at a good pace and I immediately wanted to know more about the main character (Wolfe). I recognized the realistic view of medicine in this novel, as I was a child of the 70's. I am a huge fan of medical fiction and really enjoyed this bird's eye view. I would recommend this book to those who want to know more about medicine from the time period and those who want to remember. I would read more by this author - his writing style is easy and flows nicely from paragraph to paragraph.
May 24, 2014
Addison Wolfe is the main character, and he is a medical intern. At first, he doesn't really want to be a doctor, but as the story goes along, he starts learning things and caring for the patients and does very well diagnosing and treating them. I like the voice of the author, very straightforward and likable. I found the medical cases and details of the hospital and day-to-day workings to be very interesting, and it kept my attention. There are some colorful characters and chaos throughout the book, and overall a fun, enjoyable read.
Thanks to the author and Goodreads for the ebook copy to read and review.
Thanks to the author and Goodreads for the ebook copy to read and review.
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