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A License to Heal: Recollections of an ER Doctor
Steven Bentley, M.D. is a board certified ER doctor with a career spanning more than thirty years in various North Carolina emergency departments. His journey began in the mid-1970's when he chose to pursue a career in medicine. In his youthful perspective he came to regard doctors as the good guys, the ones who healed people and saved lives. He knew that he would be one of those good guys one day.
He describes the real world of emergency medicine from the viewpoint of a practicing emergency physician. In the dynamic world of emergency medicine, there is a great deal of pain, blood and tragedy, but there is also hope, compassion and excitement - for both the patients and the staff.
He describes the real world of emergency medicine from the viewpoint of a practicing emergency physician. In the dynamic world of emergency medicine, there is a great deal of pain, blood and tragedy, but there is also hope, compassion and excitement - for both the patients and the staff.
158 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 15, 2021
72 people are currently reading
46 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
July 16, 2023
Fascinating stories! Bit scattered with not much transition between anecdotes.
December 4, 2022
If you have read my other reviews, you know that I absolutely love a medical read.
License To Heal is shorter in length at around 100-ish pages, which honestly makes it easy to stay engaged and finish quickly.
Dr. Bentley writes about his experience as an ER doctor. He shares some personal opinions that some may not ... agree with or may find a tad offensive, but it's the real world. The medical field is not an easy field to be in. And I think a lot of people don't realize how many railroads medical professionals get met with when trying to sincerely help their patients.
This was a good read. I'd read others by the author as well!
License To Heal is shorter in length at around 100-ish pages, which honestly makes it easy to stay engaged and finish quickly.
Dr. Bentley writes about his experience as an ER doctor. He shares some personal opinions that some may not ... agree with or may find a tad offensive, but it's the real world. The medical field is not an easy field to be in. And I think a lot of people don't realize how many railroads medical professionals get met with when trying to sincerely help their patients.
This was a good read. I'd read others by the author as well!
August 15, 2023
A Look Back
This book is an interesting read not only due to the patients stories as told by Dr. Bentley but also because it covers a time AFTER the years when doctors made house calls and care was somehow simpler yet more personal but BEFORE managed care and the modernization we see today really took hold -- and in doing so, we as a society LOST something, in my opinion!
I have unfortunately recently experienced this first hand as my mom recently passed away. Days before her passing, a hospital case manager and social worker were sent in to see her to discuss her next steps. We were informed that very likely "if not today, probably tomorrow " the insurance company would call and tell the hospital that mom was okay to be discharged so they weren't going to cover any more inpatient days right now as it was no longer needed" so they planned to likely discharge mom the next day. I was appalled as was the case manager! Mom (unbeknownst to herself and the family at the time) had small cell lung cancer, was so weak she couldn't get to the restroom or walk unaided. So the hospital recommended home with visiting nurse and physical therapy a few times a week or, a rehab or nursing facility but told us "that would be ten thousand a day. Mom replied " So basically you're saying I can't even afford to die?" I was crushed and will never be the same again! Its all about the dollar!
Anyway, the book was interesting and the editing wasn't perfect but it was not a book with a large amount of mistakes either.
This book is an interesting read not only due to the patients stories as told by Dr. Bentley but also because it covers a time AFTER the years when doctors made house calls and care was somehow simpler yet more personal but BEFORE managed care and the modernization we see today really took hold -- and in doing so, we as a society LOST something, in my opinion!
I have unfortunately recently experienced this first hand as my mom recently passed away. Days before her passing, a hospital case manager and social worker were sent in to see her to discuss her next steps. We were informed that very likely "if not today, probably tomorrow " the insurance company would call and tell the hospital that mom was okay to be discharged so they weren't going to cover any more inpatient days right now as it was no longer needed" so they planned to likely discharge mom the next day. I was appalled as was the case manager! Mom (unbeknownst to herself and the family at the time) had small cell lung cancer, was so weak she couldn't get to the restroom or walk unaided. So the hospital recommended home with visiting nurse and physical therapy a few times a week or, a rehab or nursing facility but told us "that would be ten thousand a day. Mom replied " So basically you're saying I can't even afford to die?" I was crushed and will never be the same again! Its all about the dollar!
Anyway, the book was interesting and the editing wasn't perfect but it was not a book with a large amount of mistakes either.
August 17, 2023
Loved this book, he was warm, caring and spot on about healtcare as it is. Everything he said about the VA is 100% true, I have a RN friend who works for the VA & she told me all the stuff that went on, she said the same thing this author spoke about and more. She is trudging along and told me sometimes she cries before work, it's that bad. I live on the Coastal Plain of NC most of our military career and after, far removed from Western NC but down East there are a lot of the same types, can't even understand their dialect but most are good people. The author was down to earth, witty, smart and far from arrogant, I admired him tremendously, enjoyed the book, it was too good to worry about a few grammar errors etc. Must add this, I got a call about my upcoming colonoscopy (they used to set it up & tell you what to expect right in the doctors' office) . The nurse practitioner spent less than 5 minutes on the phone with me about what to expect & charged my insurance $400, 100% true. Something is seriously outrageous about this, I plan on filing a complaint after the colonoscopy about the charge for 5 minutes of what to expect. I say after as I don't want
repercussions, want to live through this normal procedure if you get my drift. Thank you for a wonderful read.
repercussions, want to live through this normal procedure if you get my drift. Thank you for a wonderful read.
May 18, 2024
real life ED
The book does give real life ED stories or cases. It did not seem to me to be that well written. Editing was an issue and there are several errors.
The book does give real life ED stories or cases. It did not seem to me to be that well written. Editing was an issue and there are several errors.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews