Playing Doctor Medical School: Stumbling Through with Amnesia

by John Lawrence

John's medical memoir was born from chaotic, disjointed, funny and frightening late-night letters to friends over email (any recipients of which all those years ago will likely walk away now). Those manic blogs from the hospital wards during under-slept call nights (which left a few friends wondering if he had invaded the hospital pharmacy) were the genesis for this book, Playing Doctor. This is a journey through medical training as interpreted by someone who told their college career advisor that the only thing they did not want to be was a doctor-not that medical schools want you believing their training was interpretive, like a modern dance company's version of Grey's Anatomy-and started school with a traumatic brain injury. This entertaining, heartfelt demystification of medical school via the confusion that seemed to litter John's medical trail, takes readers along the studies and clinical wards that miraculously teach students how to care for patients. The follow up books cover residency.

Genres: Medical, Nonfiction, Medicine, Memoir, Health, Humor, Biography Memoir

215 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 24, 2020

About the author

John Lawrence was born in New York, grew up England, and attended Georgetown University where he told his career advisor that the only thing he did not want to be was a doctor. He subsequently survived medical school and residency training in Utah.

This is his first book, a candid memoir of transforming from an uncertain, head injured, liberal-arts student, into a medical doctor. The follow up books in the series cover residency training with both increasing responsibility and accompanying fear.

John was not the typical medical student, sneaking out of the hospital whilst on-call to audition for television shows in order to pay the rent; writing film scripts (one of which is available here on Amazon) and overcoming a nagging imposter syndrome.

John has been a river rafting guide, ski race coach, bagel baker, screenwriter, film director, expedition doctor climbing Kilimanjaro with his close friend, Olympic Hall of Fame athlete, Chris Waddell, (Chris is the first paraplegic to summit Kilimanjaro un-assisted).

John worked as a doctor for 20 years in both traditional western medicine and functional medicine. He enjoys biking, skiing, cooking and watching films with friends and family.

Reviews

[India M. Clamp · Rating 4 out of 5]

To declare medical school is challenging is an understatement. Medical students usually have horror stories on how they coped getting through. Now imagine doing this with two traumatic brain injuries. To that, let’s add on the pile of things beyond your control working against you is a liberal arts background and a practically absent short term memory. Many in the patient's driver seat would not entertain John as a first choice for care.

That was our rounding duty in the morning; we’d walk around and ask, “Does the television talk to you, Mr. Rodgers?” “Do you think there are people behind the bushes out to get you?”
---John Lawrence, MD

This adventure was documented through a series of past bedtime (tempus) letters sent to friends via email during his lack of sleep call shifts and his neurotic and chaotic form of writing (many termed them manic blogs) to his clinicals that were instrumental in the hands on teaching of how to diagnose, care and treat patients. How one did this without the ability to stay awake and short memory is worthy of a divine intervention/intercession.

John has a most self-deprecating style of writing. He candidly delineates and documents his blurry sleep deprived journey through medical school. How he was accepted is a miracle in itself. From having to use uncommon mnemonic aids to retain his memory and pass his exams; then finally to bringing forth new bouncy hairy and bald babies into the world. Either he became a gifted actor and laid low when being questioned on matters or some alternate modus may have illuminated a solution to bring forth a good outcome.

Now finished with Medical School: Stumbling Through with Amnesia (Playing Doctor, #1), it imparts the value of humility. From his undergraduate degree at Georgetown University to MD and residency at the University of Utah, John was able to become a physician. He credits his success to good attitude (bonum habitus), excellent teachers, working hard and having the ability to pass tests---transeuntes probat. Must read.

---
Zu erklären, dass das Medizinstudium eine herausforderung ist, ist eine untertreibung. Medizinstudenten haben normalerweise horrorgeschichten und wie sie damit fertig wurden. Stellen Sie sich nun vor, dies mit zwei traumatischen hirnverletzungen zu tun. Fügen wir dem haufen von dingen, die außerhalb Ihrer kontrolle liegen, hinzu, dass Sie einen hintergrund der freien künste und praktisch kein kurzzeitgedächtnis haben. Viele auf dem fahrersitz des patienten würden John nicht als erste wahl für die pflege in betracht ziehen.

Das war unsere rundungspflicht am morgen; Wir gingen herum und fragten: "Spricht der Fernseher mit Ihnen, Mr. Rodgers?" Glaubst du, es gibt Leute hinter den büschen, die dich holen?“
---John Lawrence, MD

Dieses bbenteuer wurde durch eine reihe von briefen vor dem schlafengehen (Tempus) dokumentiert, die er während seiner anrufschichten wegen schlafmangels per E-Mail an freunde schickte, und seine neurotische und chaotische form des schreibens (viele nannten sie manische Blogs) an seine Kliniken, die in seinen händen hilfreich waren über die vermittlung von diagnose, pflege und behandlung von patienten. Wie man dies ohne die fähigkeit, wach zu bleiben und ein kurzes gedächtnis zu haben, getan hat, ist einer göttlichen Intervention / Fürbitte wert.

John hat einen sehr selbstironischen Schreibstil. Er schildert und dokumentiert aufrichtig seine Reise durch den verschwommenen Schlafmangel durch das medizinstudium. Wie er angenommen wurde, ist ein wunder an sich. Von der notwendigkeit, ungewöhnliche gedächtnishilfen zu verwenden, um sein gedächtnis zu behalten und seine prüfungen zu bestehen; dann endlich, um neue federnde, behaarte und kahle babys zur welt zu bringen. Entweder wurde er ein begabter schauspieler und legte sich zurück, wenn er zu angelegenheiten befragt wurde, oder ein alternativer modus könnte eine lösung gefunden haben, um ein gutes ergebnis zu erzielen.

Jetzt mit Medical School: Gehen zu schule mit Amnesia (Spielen Arzt, #1) abgeschlossen, vermittelt es den wert der demut. Von seinem Bachelor-Abschluss an der Georgetown University bis hin zum MD und einer Residency an der University von Utah konnte John Arzt werden. Seinen erfolg verdankt er seiner guten einstellung (bonum Habitus), ausgezeichneten lehrern, harter arbeit und der fähigkeit, Prüfungen zu bestehen - transeuntes probat. Muss lesen.

[Deborah · Rating 5 out of 5]

So Entertaining!

I don’t know where to start! This is the author’s journey through medical school with a brain injury. This is a laugh out loud book full of how challenging life was becoming a doctor! What a writer! I felt I was sitting with him! I can’t wait to read his next book and I hope he writes even more! Oh how he made me giggle!

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you #Netgalley for the advanced copy!

Following the journey of John during his first few years of medical school was such a fun read! Who would have ever imagined he would begin his schooling as a patient in the emergency department?! Though he encounters a few set backs from a traumatic brain injury, to only having a bike for transportation and limited money supply, John made it work! I appreciated his bluntness of why he chose certain rotation paths. It was also interesting to learn about how each leader during a rotation is so different, I can't imagine how stressful that would be especially when you are dealing with someone's health!

I can't wait to read the follow up books about his journey through residency!

[Nursebookie · Rating 4 out of 5]

TITLE: PLAYING DOCTOR - Part One: Medical School: Stumbling through with amnesia
AUTHOR: John Lawrence
PUB DATE: 07.29.20 Now Available

I loved it! I love the stories and I relayed so hard being a nurse working with medical students. Oh goodness, it was so funny and such a wonderful story that should inspire people who want to go into medicine and what it takes to succeed. I love the honesty, self deprecating humor, and the winding road it sometimes takes to reach your goals. An absolutely wonderful read! I enjoyed the easy writing style, engaging anecdotes, and the enjoyable laugh out loud moments of a doctor to be.

[Ron Lezell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honest and self-deprecating, Dr. Lawrence takes us through the ups and downs of his medical school training in a very humorous manner. A fun, easy read, hard to put down but with convenient chapter and subject breaks.

I was left smiling and gratified that John chose, albeit with convoluted reasoning, to become an MD and stuck through the significant personal and professional challenges to achieve that status. For us non-medical types, Playing Doctor was a fun learning experience of science, the human anatomy and spirit, while learning facts useful to maintaining strong personal physical and mental health.

Playing Doctor leaves me with renewed and added respect for the medical profession and for its wide range of caregivers - doctors, nurses, paramedics and others, who minister to our fellow human beings. Dr. Lawrence exhibits admiration for his senior residents, interns, nurses and attending physicians. Perhaps more important is the great respect he gives his patients, listening carefully to them as a key ingredient to their treatment.

A lingering question: Does John still not wear a watch? Discover why I ask and enjoy the visual.

[Paula | pastbookish · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Thank you to the author, Dart Frogg Books, Amazon Publishing, and Lauren Becker for sending me a free copy in exchange for an honest review!)


REVIEW:
The intricate journey of a doctor was narrated in this memoir. I found this to be entertaining because he was as detailed as he possibly could without dragging it on too much. This book did not feel like i was reading a non-fiction at all—it just seemed like i was reading a regular fiction novel that was medically inspired. I recommend this if you like reading nonfiction and medical related books.

[Ramona Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

This gives a fairly brief but interesting look at medical school. I understand the current idea is to give students more time for sleep as zombies aren't good doctors, but it had not happened in time for John. He had an extra obstacle of having been in and accident and having short term memory loss. Imposter syndrome comes up when he feels like he doesn't know enough to be a "real" doctor. I'll probably read book 2 about his residency as it was an enjoyable and quick read (and not particularly gory for those that don't want details of the blood side of medicine).

[Pug · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a sucker for books about people learning on the job. Especially new doctors or vets, with their funny albeit awkward failures. This one was pretty good, because the author/doctor kept it pretty light, without getting too dark/deep/philosophical. Although I really can't help worry about his self-described ineptitude... hopefully he's worked that all out by now and/or was just playing it up for humor... because that's really not what you want for your doctor!!!

[Pompom · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story mainly about getting into med school in the US and the ups and downs of it.

Interesting and somewhat comforting to know that medical students in other countries go through the same-ish horrors of being a medical student. The feeling of being chucked onto the wards helplessly and abruptly with no direction as a med student feels all too familiar. However also somewhat disconcerting because if this is the norm then I don't think we are doing good enough.

[Kat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Liked it

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review. I usually enjoy books about medical students and nurses and this one was no exception. I really enjoyed the honesty and humor of his journey through med school. The chapter on the burn unit gave me chills as I am a survivor of TENS as well as one of his patients. This book is well written. I am looking forward to reading more by this author.

[Teresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of Playing Doctor by John Lawrence.

This is a memoir of sorts about a man's journey through medicine in Salt Lake City, Utah. He starts around the time that the med students are able to actually start talking to patients, and all of his experiences up until he starts residency.

I have actually read a decent amount of doctor experiences and accounts. They are all fascinating, humbling, and horrifying. But from a strictly writing standpoint, this was okay. It didn't quite have the wit, humor and self deprecation that I've enjoyed in the past. There are moments that I felt like I was reading a travelogue, and then other times it felt a bit self agrandizing. But Lawrence still does a great job giving us a glimpse into how terrifying, and exhilarating becoming a doctor can be. It definitely had it's moments of shock, humor, and tragedy.

[Annie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A memoir of medical school, which began pretty unconventionally with a traumatic brain injury that left the author with significant amnesia that meant forgetting most of what he learned as he went through the entire first year of classes. I really enjoyed this a lot. I liked the self-deprecating humor and general tone of the book, and I very much liked the sort of behind-the-scenes look at what medical school is like, as this is something I have wondered about, being in a less exciting area of the medical profession myself. The only complaint I have is that I cannot wait for the next book (of a planned four books)! Five stars.

[أبو فاطمة 14 · Rating 4 out of 5]

مذكرات طبيب ايام الدراسة
ربما التفاصيل كثيرة لكن لم تزعجني وخصوصاً انه لم يستثنِ مخاوفه و التعبير بصدق عما في نفسه

استمتعت بقراءته، خصوصاً اني جاء في وقت مناسب.. أثناء انعزالي عن العالم الخارجي لإصابتي
احتجت لصوت زميل يتحدث معي

[cheungfannn · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a 20 year old, 4th year nursing student, I can relate to just about everything (99.9% of it) and it's pretty funny. During my clinical rotations, I always noticed how professional the medical students looked, which made me feel a bit like an imposter(are they going to judge me if I do this in front of them?). But after reading this, I feel reassured that both medical and nursing students go through similar experiences, especially when it comes to interacting with patients. It’s comforting to know that medical students also have those moments of thinking, “My brain isn’t working” or “I don’t know.” It makes me feel a lot better and not quite so clueless. (I feel less alone now)

You know, I really try to build good relationships with my patients because trust is key when it comes to caring for them. But there was this one time that really got to me—just one of those moments that pushed me to my limit.

I was doing rotations in a psychiatric institution, and I got assigned to a patient with bipolar disorder during a manic episode. My job was to interact with patients and figure out their defense mechanisms and behaviors. Let me tell you, I was running on empty—super sleep-deprived and stressed out—but I did my best to stay calm while talking to him.

His emotions were all over the map, and honestly, so were mins. One minute I was scared of his aggressive outbursts, the next I felt empathy, then frustration, and sometimes even intimidated. It was like a rollercoaster ride. Eventually, all that stress hit me hard, and I ended up having a panic attack. I found myself crying over the silliest things, like typing on a computer. (It was a tough day)

When I shared my day with someone, they said, “They’re just patients; don’t let them get to you. Leave everything at the hospital.” Sounds reasonable, right? But it didn’t feel quite right either. I really want to treat them with kindness and compassion. It’s not just about fixing their physical illnesses; it’s about caring holistically. Being sick affects so much of their mind and body.

But honestly, sometimes I think, “If only people weren’t so human and I could just get this done quickly!” But then I remember why I chose nursing in the first place, and I’m all in for the journey. That’s why there’s this quote from a book that really resonates with me—it just gets it!

“I have often stated that medicine would be easier without the patients. I stand by those words”- John Lawrence

I am definitely going to read the other 2 books on playing doctor.

[Jacqui · Rating 4 out of 5]

To become a doctor requires a sensible, responsible, and studious person, correct? I guess John didn’t get the memo. Having worked in a number of different professions, all completely removed from medicine, he decided to have at it. And have at it he did—with no less than two mountain bike crashes and injuries which caused short-term memory loss before starting med school.

The self-deprecating humour really kept me going through the book. It was definitely an original take on a doctor’s experiences and gave a new meaning to warts and all. TV shows have glammed up the road to the degree and this book breaks down the first four years of med school and shows you the piles of paperwork, studying, and lack of sleep. However, it also shows you the parts of the practical rotation I never expected! In the back of your mind you understand that a doctor should know a little about everything before they specialise, but reading about the experiences they have to go through in all the departments like OB-GYN was hysterical! To realise that they sometimes had to practise on colleagues had me cringing. The road through the different departments was described with fun yet with sensitivity – especially in the burn and psychiatric wards. The cardiology comparisons were brilliant, like if you were a proficient water-skier, you had a higher chance of being able to keep the retractors open correctly because you had the stance down pat! After all the drama he went through and the experiences just to get to residency, I’m not sure whether to applaud him or admonish him for putting me off going to the doctor ever again . . .

The author has a brilliant style of writing that keeps you engaged and doesn’t bog you down with technical details. There were some punctuation errors but they didn’t detract from the overall mad journey of med school. A thoroughly enjoyable book, able to be read in one sitting as you join the doctor-to-be in celebrating his successes and . . . well, let’s not talk about the other shall we . . .

Thanks to ReedsyDiscovery for the advanced readers copy.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦'𝘴 𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘌𝘙 𝘧𝘭𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘮𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘣𝘪𝘳𝘥, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘮𝘦𝘥 𝘴𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘭 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘴 -⁣
⁣
If you've ever wondered why doctors have such bad handwriting, allow John Lawrence's book, 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐃𝐨𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐎𝐧𝐞: 𝐌𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥 to shed some light.⁣
⁣
John Lawrence decided to go to medical school at the height of the ER television drama hype, for some reason unbeknownst to him. Just prior to it's start, he crashed his bike, suffering head trauma that affected his memory. Concussed and confused, John started Year One of his new journey in med school at the University of Utah. With satire, humor, and heart, John documents his mishaps, successes and medical-grade question marks in this first book of his memoir series.⁣
⁣
Perhaps his brain injury turned him into some type of medical-grade savant. Because despite the circus act of med school into residency, John goes on to write multiple books about his continued dedication and success in a field he claims to know little about. While John sees himself as medically incompetent, to everyone else, he's truly a hero.⁣
⁣
In 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐃𝐨𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫, John Lawrence's medical school training can be compared to making a random guess to a multiple choice question on the most important test of your education, and getting it right every. single. time. An accurate diagnosis is a cause worth celebrating. And more often than not, he's accurate. Well, except for that time he played doctor to himself and misdiagnosed a spider bite. And that time he almost killed his cycling friend. But guess what?! He didn't! ⁣
*𝘤𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦* 🎉⁣
⁣
If you're looking for a humorous memoir that justifies why you shouldn't enter the medical field, then this book is for you. Or if you need a reason to second-guess your personal doctor's confidence in his expertise, then read this. ⁣
⁣
"Medicine would be easier without the patients."⁣
-John Lawrence⁣
⁣
But seriously, John, I can confidently say, you are most definitely doing something right. I mean, probably.⁣
⁣
Thank you @dartfrogbooks for this copy of John Lawrence's book, 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐃𝐨𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐎𝐧𝐞: 𝐌𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥.

[Kristina · Rating 3 out of 5]

In Playing Doctor - Part One, John Lawrence highlights his years as a medical student at the University of Utah. He came to profession, not as many medical students who dream about becoming a doctor their entire life, but instead as a liberal arts major, and not a pre-med undergrad. Lawrence starts his first year of medical school at a disadvantage when he gets in not one but TWO bicycle accidents involving head injuries, which greatly affects his ability to remember items. You know, something just a little important in medical school. He focuses the bulk of the book on years three and four of medical school, as that is when students spend their time doing rotations in different specialities trying to decide what they want to do when they graduate. Lawrence highlights some specialities such as orthopedics (the rockstars), cardiology, family medicine, neurology, and emergency medicine. He captures nicely the amount of knowledge students have to take in. Just when they begin to feel somewhat knowledgeable, they rotate to another service with a whole different team and personalities. This was a nice overview of what medical school can be like, and appreciated his discussion of feeling "imposter syndrome" frequently. Multiple times in the book he teases that he will do a "Part 2" to highlight his residency years. A minor subjective nitpick- having worked in both university and VA hospitals, I did not appreciate his categorization of VA rotations as basically a vacation and a cakewalk. Perhaps it may have been different in the 90s when he was in medical school, but the complexity of conditions and unique cases/injuries one sees in the VA was not reflected, which I was disappointed in.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC for review!

[Julie Haigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good doc memoir-interesting, informative, a bit different.

I love medical memoirs and this was a good one. A bit different in that he hadn't always dreamed of going to medical school. He hadn't intended to. I've read some memoirs where their desire has been evident early on; to be eg a vet or a doctor-being a doctor seems the main thing he's dead set against being! And he didn't exactly have the best or easiest of starts to his medical studies, having just suffered a head injury and associated difficulties with that; memory problems, fatigue etc.

I don't think it's the best doc memoir I've read, but it was good, and interesting, and informative. I am encouraged to read his other parts/next books on his journey as a doctor.

He takes us on a tour through the various departments and specialities he's worked in qualifying as a doctor eg. Cardiology, Obstetrics. Also a spell at the Burns ICU, Orthopedics, then a stint in Rural Medicine, Psychiatry, and Anaesthesia.

At first, this was not quite what I expected-I thought it was going to be about a country or village doctor in England, (I obviously didn't read the blurb properly in my eagerness to grab another medical memoir!), but this provides a different backdrop as it is in the USA. This means a few different placements eg. Telluride-at a ski resort. I've read a few doctor memoirs now and here are some new scenarios I've not seen before. A good doc memoir. Looking forward to the next book.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ugh do I love a liberal-arts-educated-turned-doctor author!!!

This memoir follows John who’s so charming and likable (and lowkey makes me want to be a med student) as he embarked on his journey of a non-traditional medical student with 2 head injuries. SO, SO MANY funny and interesting stories from his clinical rotations. Each rotation from his M3 has a designated chapter, M1 and M2 are condensed due to their lack of “drama” (except the tea regarding studying past exams), and M4 only highlights his electives and interviews.

There was never a dull moment! Despite my ignorance regarding anything medicine, I was able to follow the stories and actually learned some things along the way like: a deck is not a PowerPoint, Le Neck, strabismus, what the heck is rounding, TENS, ORIFs, M&M is not chocolate, intubating, ACLS is not to be confused with ALCS, and so much more! John gives us laymen a peek into what it really looks like behind doctors’ “busyness” and the (somewhat toxic) culture of different specialties. He has a self-deprecating sense of humor that is prevalent throughout his memoir. This combined with his ability to deliver serious messages when the occasions require make him so much more relatable and…”real”?

I walk away feeling more empathetic towards my doctor, and will make sure to be extra kind toward them! So excited to read his memoirs on being a resident and chief resident!

[Thomas Kelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book number one in which I believe the author is writing a three book series as a walk through the medical profession. You follow along as he makes his way through medical school a place you wonder how and why he was or is there. He took zero classes to prepare for medical school and went so far as to tell his career advisor in college that the last thing he wanted to be is a doctor. But obviously does not stick with this rational and applies and gets accepted to University of Utah. I had concerns of how graphic this would be as far as descriptions of procedures and surgeries but i think in this instance this book does not so if your squeamish you will be good. Each chapter covers a particular field he working in to gather experience to and be well rounded and also to help decide which field he will specialized in. There are bits of humor through out the book especially the chapter on obstetrics and also the story of the author getting bit by on a spider on his yoohoo. The one chapter that I was apprehensive about was concerning his time working in the burn unit but as i stated before this book is not really graphic, I did find interesting the story of the young lady and the antibiotics, I did not know something like this could happen. Overall this is a quick read and I look forward to the future books.

[Joseph J Fernandez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Always Leave 'em Wanting More...

...which is exactly what the author did. As a career psych nurse, I found the honest, unpretentious and authentic accounting of a 3rd year med student's struggle to survive intact delightful to read from beginning to end, wishing the ride wasn't over. Humor, especially medical humor given my own profession is my preferred genre and I didn't think the humor in "House of God" could ever be equalled but this book is the closest one to it that I've encountered without the sexual antics Sam Shem accurately described. But other than that, its right up there. Very quickly, a delightful personality emerges and by the end, you want him to BE your doctor. Lay people and professionals alike can easily enjoy this read and yes, there are plenty of laugh out loud moments. His writing style is refreshing and he establishes a relationship with the reader from the beginning that keeps you engaged till the end. Hope to see more of this author. Great read.

[Bryan Fox · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun, honest, and entertaining memoir from a doctor who certainly has no problem dispersing wit and wisdom in equal measure, and busting industry myths with abandon. If anything, I felt like this book could have been longer/more detailed, as certain stops in his year of residencies were summarized in chapters of no more than a few pages, but I realize that it's just the first in a series of books recounting the author's journey from college graduate in something completely unrelated to medicine to a career in the field (and I also realize that, if his schedules are to be believed, he barely had time to sleep or eat at various points during the years he spent in medical school, so the fact that he had time to jot down notes on his experiences and later return to write a book of any length about them is impressive enough...)

[Meredith · Rating 3 out of 5]

**I received an e-ARC from NetGalley for an honest review**

This memoir of med school and the journey to becoming a doctor definitely sticks out from most that I have read. Mostly because of the author having had a TBI and resulting memory issues. Other than that, there's nothing that really makes this book stick out from the rest.

My biggest complaint, there is no original feel to the writing style, almost as if an editor took stories from the author's journal and cleaned them up to make them match other memoirs. I came to read a book about this author's specific experience, and the lack of originality (save for the memory issue) let me down.

Overall, it's worth reading once, but it's not the first med school memoir I would recommend.

[The DO]

The French have a saying: Plus ca change, plus c’est la meme chose. The more things change, the more they stay the same.

This is a funny book – written not long after med school graduation and based on a series of emails to friends about the rather unique experience that, for better or worse, tends to define the rest of our medical lives. It doesn’t quite have the edge or the subversively cynical narrative voice of Samuel Shem’s The House of God. It’s more of an unvarnished, eyewitness, “as it happened” account of those formative years. And they are formative.

Read our entire review and see more book club selections on The DO!

[Kainoa Quia-Park · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book! It reminded me of This is Going to Hurt but from the perspective of a med student instead of a resident. I thought he did a wonderful job walking the reader through all of the emotions of med school like imposter syndrome, the experiences (good and bad) of 3rd year, sub-I’s/residency prep etc. It was fun reflecting and reliving some of these things through this book and it also made me think about how far I’ve come and how close I am to being done. I also really resonated with him bc he went to med school in Utah so would occasionally mention Idaho and he mountain bikes! I got a little emotional at the end when he talked about match day and graduation bc it made me think about how bittersweet it is going to be when this is all over 🥹

[Koren · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm sure we all know that medical school can be stressful, but this guy seems to have many things stacked up against him, especially at the beginning when he has a traumatic brain injury that impedes his ability to concentrate and memorize. He readily admits he is not the top of the class, but what do you call the person who graduates at the bottom of their medical school class? Doctor! That's the sense of humor that gets him through the hard times and makes this book funny! There were moments that reminded me of my own experience in nursing school, especially the many times he went into a situation where he had no idea what he was supposed to be doing. This book focuses on his first four years of medical and there are two more books that continue his story. I will be looking for them.

[Caro · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is so funny!! It demystified the image that all doctors are geniuses and know they want to go into Medicine from age five, while bringing a comical and light side to a field usually associated with very serious topics and people.

I really recommend this for anyone thinking of going into Medical School (or simply if you're looking for a light-hearted and funny book). If you're a fan of Adam Kay, you'll probably also love this.

I'll definitely be reading the following books in the series!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Judy Leecraft · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious

You cannot help but like this guy. And he reminds me of myself in law school (and out). I always said to myself, even before beginning a jury trial, “What have I got to lose?” Well sometimes I found out. But my own reply to myself was “Take heart. You can’t fall off the bottom.” And most every time I won! And his writing is top notch. I really loved this book. By the way I think I got eye strain from reading this book on my phone. I feel the author owes me an eye exam....

[Pbloom · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an interesting blow by blow account of medical school training but the author's non-stop attempt at sarcastic humor really got in the way of the narrative. I found his writing style to be unusually irritating but my guess is that he is a pretty good doctor and that his self-deprecating style masks a very serious approach to his medical education. I didn't learn anything I didn't already know but I still enjoyed the content enough to give it 4 stars. Bottom line is that it reinforced how brutal but rewarding it can be to make it through medical school.