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Scrubbed
The revealing, compelling memoir of one of Australia's foremost cardiothoracic surgeons, Dr Nikki Stamp.
Scrubbed is a raw, honest account of a life lived at the very edge of modern medicine, where heart surgeons tread the thinnest of lines between life and death, and yet where the greatest challenge can be the medical system itself.
From the drama of the operating theatre, filled with both triumph and tragedy, to the brutal realities of surgical training, and the sacrifices needed to reach the pinnacle of Nikki's vocation, to the grinding nature of hospital bureaucracy and politics, Scrubbed is one of the most revealing books yet to be published about the real life and experiences of a surgeon.
Scrubbed is a raw, honest account of a life lived at the very edge of modern medicine, where heart surgeons tread the thinnest of lines between life and death, and yet where the greatest challenge can be the medical system itself.
From the drama of the operating theatre, filled with both triumph and tragedy, to the brutal realities of surgical training, and the sacrifices needed to reach the pinnacle of Nikki's vocation, to the grinding nature of hospital bureaucracy and politics, Scrubbed is one of the most revealing books yet to be published about the real life and experiences of a surgeon.
344 pages, Paperback
Published May 1, 2022
43 people are currently reading
1035 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 88 reviews
June 19, 2022
“How did this happen? How did I get here? Hell, how did we all get here? It’s almost unfathomable that a group of people who largely started on this pathway in medicine and surgery could be anything other than kind. After all, we exist every day to make people better. What happens to make people do the exact opposite?”
Scrubbed is an honest and thought-provoking account of Dr Nikki Stamp’s career in medicine and her journey from an idealistic student to a disillusioned surgeon.
Nikki Stamp dreamed of becoming a surgeon from childhood. She endured the hard work of medical school, the punishing regime of residency, and gained a place in the prestigious fellowship program to become one of three female cardiothoracic surgeon’s in Australia, only to step away after twenty odd years to save her sanity.
Dr Stamp is not the only health professional in recent years to draw attention to the problems in the culture of the Australian medical system. I am infuriated and exhausted by the archaic, and often toxic environment, Stamp describes. Not just the prevailing culture of misogyny, but also the unreasonable, and sometimes dangerous practices, passed off as ‘tradition’ that excuses unrealistic expectations, exploitation, harassment and bullying.
I’m not at all surprised that Dr Stamp’s mental health suffered under such unrelenting pressures, and leaving her career is not just a great personal loss for Nikki, but also for those patients who may have otherwise benefited from her hard earned expertise. Such attrition, which it seems is widespread, is shameful, and completely preventable.
While the CoVid pandemic has highlighted funding and staffing problems across the spectrum of health services, from hospitals to general practice, and the stress this places on medical professionals, it’s clear that they are but two of many systemic issues plaguing the service.
I’m glad Dr Stamp has found a new passion, and is happier and healthier for it, but I remain angry at the reluctance of the system to change despite the benefits it would clearly provide to everyone, health professionals, patients and society at large.
Scrubbed is an honest and thought-provoking account of Dr Nikki Stamp’s career in medicine and her journey from an idealistic student to a disillusioned surgeon.
Nikki Stamp dreamed of becoming a surgeon from childhood. She endured the hard work of medical school, the punishing regime of residency, and gained a place in the prestigious fellowship program to become one of three female cardiothoracic surgeon’s in Australia, only to step away after twenty odd years to save her sanity.
Dr Stamp is not the only health professional in recent years to draw attention to the problems in the culture of the Australian medical system. I am infuriated and exhausted by the archaic, and often toxic environment, Stamp describes. Not just the prevailing culture of misogyny, but also the unreasonable, and sometimes dangerous practices, passed off as ‘tradition’ that excuses unrealistic expectations, exploitation, harassment and bullying.
I’m not at all surprised that Dr Stamp’s mental health suffered under such unrelenting pressures, and leaving her career is not just a great personal loss for Nikki, but also for those patients who may have otherwise benefited from her hard earned expertise. Such attrition, which it seems is widespread, is shameful, and completely preventable.
While the CoVid pandemic has highlighted funding and staffing problems across the spectrum of health services, from hospitals to general practice, and the stress this places on medical professionals, it’s clear that they are but two of many systemic issues plaguing the service.
I’m glad Dr Stamp has found a new passion, and is happier and healthier for it, but I remain angry at the reluctance of the system to change despite the benefits it would clearly provide to everyone, health professionals, patients and society at large.
June 11, 2022
It is very rare that a book makes me cry. This book made me cry.
I definitely recommend.
I'm looking forward to being in conversation with Dr Nikki Stamp at the 2022 Margaret River Readers and Writers Festival. (note: I got an advance copy ahead of the 3 May publication.)
I'll publish my full review after that conversation.
Warning: contains medical procedures.
I definitely recommend.
I'm looking forward to being in conversation with Dr Nikki Stamp at the 2022 Margaret River Readers and Writers Festival. (note: I got an advance copy ahead of the 3 May publication.)
I'll publish my full review after that conversation.
Warning: contains medical procedures.
May 7, 2022
This book was nothing short of phenomenal. One of the best and most impactful books I have ever read! I’ve found it incredibly difficult to put into words just how much of an impact this book had on me. As someone very junior in my medical career, I found it empowering to see the effect a career such as medicine can have on someone. Medicine is truly a calling and it’s so refreshing to see just how impactful the right career can have on someone’s life! However, at times, medicine is also much more than that. It’s a sacrifice - one that can take everything away from you, including part of you. Dr Stamp puts this so honestly and openly to her readers and shows just how overpowering and consuming a career in medicine can be.
At times, I was laughing at the stories Dr Stamp shared and the experiences she had. Others, I was in tears seeing just how terrible the system has treated her and many of her colleagues. I find this quite confronting as someone embarking on a career in the field. The naivety and awe Dr Stamp talks about in her junior days as a medical student and junior doctor are scarily familiar. I feel many of the emotions Dr Stamp did too at the time, and can draw many parallels from her junior experiences as I do now. In part, it makes me excited for the rest of my career and the journey I’m embarking upon. At other times, I see the harsh brutality of being a perfectionist and a career oriented mindset in a perfectionistic career as emulated through Dr Stamp’s experiences.
Overall, I feel excited to bring my passion and desires into my career in medicine, but also feel the weight of the journey I’m about to embark upon. The insights shared by Dr Stamp highlight how demanding such a career is, but at the same time just how rewarding it can be. I know it will be challenging, but I feel this memoir has helped enlighten me and prepare me for the realities of that journey.
At times, I was laughing at the stories Dr Stamp shared and the experiences she had. Others, I was in tears seeing just how terrible the system has treated her and many of her colleagues. I find this quite confronting as someone embarking on a career in the field. The naivety and awe Dr Stamp talks about in her junior days as a medical student and junior doctor are scarily familiar. I feel many of the emotions Dr Stamp did too at the time, and can draw many parallels from her junior experiences as I do now. In part, it makes me excited for the rest of my career and the journey I’m embarking upon. At other times, I see the harsh brutality of being a perfectionist and a career oriented mindset in a perfectionistic career as emulated through Dr Stamp’s experiences.
Overall, I feel excited to bring my passion and desires into my career in medicine, but also feel the weight of the journey I’m about to embark upon. The insights shared by Dr Stamp highlight how demanding such a career is, but at the same time just how rewarding it can be. I know it will be challenging, but I feel this memoir has helped enlighten me and prepare me for the realities of that journey.
September 24, 2022
Scrubbed - Dr Nikki Stamp
Are most medical memoirs a tale of trying to reach a finish line that constantly moves further away while the person is basically swimming the oceans, walking over hot coals and fighting off evil dragons, all whilst trying to get more than an hours sleep and have a ‘normal’ life? Yes. Pretty much. Do I enjoy reading them and getting frustrated at this on purpose? Also, yes. Does this make me sadistic? Maybe/I hope not.
Scrubbed is the story of Dr Nikki Stamp who like many others goes up against a broken system, bullying, misogyny, politics and stacks of medical textbooks with the goal of being a cardio thoracic surgeon.
It’s pretty clear that Dr Nikki is an incredibly strong and resilient human being that has made huge personal sacrifices and just wants to get on with it, avoid all the BS that goes with (although that seems impossible) to help people when they need it most. But honestly how much can one person take?!
I really enjoyed the nitty gritty about some of the cases she has done. It never fails to amuse me how incredible science, surgery and medicine is and how much dedication goes into working in these fields.
This book made me sad, angry, amazed, anxious and everything in between.
This was a great recount of an incredible career!
4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Are most medical memoirs a tale of trying to reach a finish line that constantly moves further away while the person is basically swimming the oceans, walking over hot coals and fighting off evil dragons, all whilst trying to get more than an hours sleep and have a ‘normal’ life? Yes. Pretty much. Do I enjoy reading them and getting frustrated at this on purpose? Also, yes. Does this make me sadistic? Maybe/I hope not.
Scrubbed is the story of Dr Nikki Stamp who like many others goes up against a broken system, bullying, misogyny, politics and stacks of medical textbooks with the goal of being a cardio thoracic surgeon.
It’s pretty clear that Dr Nikki is an incredibly strong and resilient human being that has made huge personal sacrifices and just wants to get on with it, avoid all the BS that goes with (although that seems impossible) to help people when they need it most. But honestly how much can one person take?!
I really enjoyed the nitty gritty about some of the cases she has done. It never fails to amuse me how incredible science, surgery and medicine is and how much dedication goes into working in these fields.
This book made me sad, angry, amazed, anxious and everything in between.
This was a great recount of an incredible career!
4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
August 29, 2022
I have been a registered nurse working in the Australian (both public and private) healthcare system for eight years. I started this book as someone who thought they had a great deal of insight into how broken our healthcare system is, however Nikki’s raw and often devastating account shocked me to my very core. I am just as aware as the next person of the stereotype of the egotistical nature of surgeons but I always took this with a grain of salt thinking, surely, it can’t always be that bad, they can’t all be like that. Don’t @ me, it’s not just the surgeons, it’s the culture that Nikki very accurately describes as “in the toilet”, it’s the politics and continuous red tape, it’s the lack of funding and resources and, (in my humble nursey opinion) most importantly, the overworked, underpaid healthcare workers of all descriptions who are taken for granted for caring, inevitably being pushed to within inches of their lives and forced to leave a profession they once adored so much. Nikki exposes these difficult realities with honesty, respect and an overarching theme of optimism for a future where our health system may finally be healed. A must read for anyone who ever has to have anything to do with healthcare in Australia (I.e. everyone).
TWs: mental illness and suicide.
TWs: mental illness and suicide.
March 30, 2025
As a scrub scout nurse myself, reading this book has been a real eye opener. I was captivated and mind blown by a lot of the 'behind the scenes' of surgery, medicine and treatment of young doctors (specifically females) in general. This was an easy read and definitely one I recommend to anyone in the profession.
April 24, 2023
3.75
I enjoyed this! I just think it’s hard to follow the other medical memoirs I’ve read and loved (This is Going to Hurt and When Breath Becomes Air especially). I found it really educational (on the career progression of doctors and the Australian system) but just wasn’t moved in the same way that I have been with other similar reads.
I read the paperback alongside the audiobook (which I borrowed from my library – we stan libraries!!). It’s read by the author, Dr Nikki Stamps, herself and the Aussie accent was so comforting and familiar, it definitely elevated the reading experience for me.
I was genuinely perplexed by the 'Critical Study Questions' – they felt really tell not show/directly telling the audience what to think and feel rather than letting them figure it out for themselves.
Nevertheless, it was lovely reading the story of a female doctor in Australia, and just reading a medical memoir where the author is still in medicine (even if their career looks a bit different to how it originally did).
I think I might take a bit of a break from medical non fic, just for a bit, so that I can enjoy each one I read as much as it deserves, and not compare them/get tired!
Ngl this made me (for the first time??) want to read a legal memoir to understand what it's like to work and live within the legal system, what career progression is like, and of course, the experience of women. Maybe that'll be my new memoir niche!
I enjoyed this! I just think it’s hard to follow the other medical memoirs I’ve read and loved (This is Going to Hurt and When Breath Becomes Air especially). I found it really educational (on the career progression of doctors and the Australian system) but just wasn’t moved in the same way that I have been with other similar reads.
I read the paperback alongside the audiobook (which I borrowed from my library – we stan libraries!!). It’s read by the author, Dr Nikki Stamps, herself and the Aussie accent was so comforting and familiar, it definitely elevated the reading experience for me.
I was genuinely perplexed by the 'Critical Study Questions' – they felt really tell not show/directly telling the audience what to think and feel rather than letting them figure it out for themselves.
Nevertheless, it was lovely reading the story of a female doctor in Australia, and just reading a medical memoir where the author is still in medicine (even if their career looks a bit different to how it originally did).
I think I might take a bit of a break from medical non fic, just for a bit, so that I can enjoy each one I read as much as it deserves, and not compare them/get tired!
Ngl this made me (for the first time??) want to read a legal memoir to understand what it's like to work and live within the legal system, what career progression is like, and of course, the experience of women. Maybe that'll be my new memoir niche!
June 28, 2023
Once again, another great memoir about the life of a surgeon and the downfalls of a broken health system, very sad but very hopeful
February 11, 2025
Amazing book shocking the amount of bullying and pressure on new drs. A really interesting book that raises important issues going on in our hospital system.
July 20, 2024
I follow Dr. Nikki Stamp on instagram, and have read her prior book 'Can You Die of a Broken Heart?' which was an accessible, informative read. I looked forward to her memoir once it was announced and preordered it.
There's something to be said about the fact that Dr. Nikki Stamp's experiences in medicine closely mirror those of other Australian medical practitioners. There were several parallels to experiences that Dr. Yumiko Kadota details in her memoir, Emotional Female.
This book is a raw insight into how the medical profession, specifically certain surgical specialities, can be toxic and debilitating, leading many to seek out other professions within medicine and only practice their profession on a limited basis. Hearing Dr. Nikki Stamp describe how over time her love for cardiothoracic surgery was eroded by the toxic culture and bureaucracy that runs rampant in several hospitals, was heartbreaking. The author does an excellent job at highlighting how she herself contributed to the culture at times, often without even realising, by brushing aside inappropriate remarks, behaviour and expectations, because of her ambition to reach her goals and be the best in her field.
Most fascinating are the ingrained expectations in the field such as feeling powerful for working whilst severely sleep-deprived because that's simply the expectation. I always think it is dangerous to be combative to change and have the mindset that things don't change. All you need to do is look at the last century and the dramatic changes in the workplace to see that change is important for progression. Whilst, I can understand that the profession requires you at times to sacrifice your sleep because you have to save a patient, I don't understand the expectation to suffer sleep deprivation on a regular basis for standard shifts and medical procedures. That is insane to me, as is the expectation to forgo a life to train to become a surgeon, whether it be plastics, cardiothoracic surgery or other specialties. I've often wondered what it would be like if there was a dramatic upheaval of the system, where you had more surgeons available, more surgeons hired, and therefore more opportunity to strike a work-life balance and dismantle the image of the doctor whose life is the hospital and nothing else.
Overall, a very important read! I hope we can start to see change in this field and the culture.
There's something to be said about the fact that Dr. Nikki Stamp's experiences in medicine closely mirror those of other Australian medical practitioners. There were several parallels to experiences that Dr. Yumiko Kadota details in her memoir, Emotional Female.
This book is a raw insight into how the medical profession, specifically certain surgical specialities, can be toxic and debilitating, leading many to seek out other professions within medicine and only practice their profession on a limited basis. Hearing Dr. Nikki Stamp describe how over time her love for cardiothoracic surgery was eroded by the toxic culture and bureaucracy that runs rampant in several hospitals, was heartbreaking. The author does an excellent job at highlighting how she herself contributed to the culture at times, often without even realising, by brushing aside inappropriate remarks, behaviour and expectations, because of her ambition to reach her goals and be the best in her field.
Most fascinating are the ingrained expectations in the field such as feeling powerful for working whilst severely sleep-deprived because that's simply the expectation. I always think it is dangerous to be combative to change and have the mindset that things don't change. All you need to do is look at the last century and the dramatic changes in the workplace to see that change is important for progression. Whilst, I can understand that the profession requires you at times to sacrifice your sleep because you have to save a patient, I don't understand the expectation to suffer sleep deprivation on a regular basis for standard shifts and medical procedures. That is insane to me, as is the expectation to forgo a life to train to become a surgeon, whether it be plastics, cardiothoracic surgery or other specialties. I've often wondered what it would be like if there was a dramatic upheaval of the system, where you had more surgeons available, more surgeons hired, and therefore more opportunity to strike a work-life balance and dismantle the image of the doctor whose life is the hospital and nothing else.
Overall, a very important read! I hope we can start to see change in this field and the culture.
March 9, 2023
This book was very relevant for me. Being a ccu nurse for going on 17th are of nursing. It’s sad to listen to all the shit still that even in nursing we have to put up with and the politics of the place. It hits home. Especially after the pandemic- this is not what I want to do anymore
June 8, 2022
There I was thinking that perhaps only Police and Armed Services can have workplaces so toxic, so misogynist and just godawful. I was wrong. Nikki Stamp tells of her training to be a heart surgeon, all the years of work, study and lost sleep - only to eventually be forced out for her own mental health. The system is skewed toward men - getting them into power and keeping them there - and be damned to any of the women trying to make their way in that world.
Just as bad - the horrific bureaucracy and one-upmanship between colleagues who would rather tear someone down than help them up. This book really resonated with me. I am so glad that Dr Stamp (or is that Ms?) has overcome to be on a better track now - despite all that has happened to her.
The suicide rate of surgeons (male and female) and other Doctors is a terrible indictment on our public health system here in Australia. Does it surprise me? Not a bit.
An important book. If you are going into surgery in a public hospital - it might terrify you to realise what is happening out of sight and hearing - between those who will help or harm you and all the pressures they operate under (literally).
Just as bad - the horrific bureaucracy and one-upmanship between colleagues who would rather tear someone down than help them up. This book really resonated with me. I am so glad that Dr Stamp (or is that Ms?) has overcome to be on a better track now - despite all that has happened to her.
The suicide rate of surgeons (male and female) and other Doctors is a terrible indictment on our public health system here in Australia. Does it surprise me? Not a bit.
An important book. If you are going into surgery in a public hospital - it might terrify you to realise what is happening out of sight and hearing - between those who will help or harm you and all the pressures they operate under (literally).
December 26, 2022
TW: graphic depictions of surgery.
I enjoyed this memoir, however after reading several other memoirs, I found it harder to connect.
I found some moments where the author would uniquely focus on what she had achieved and potentially take away from the patient or experience.
Whilst I’m not saying that a doctor deserves the credit they deserve each and every day for saving lives, it just read in a particular way that didn’t show a lot of empathy or compassion, and at times felt arrogant.
I don’t dismiss how incredibly challenging it continues to be for women in the medical field, and this book certainly highlights the ongoing boys club that remains in this industry, which is just heartbreaking. I’m incredibly proud to see the ongoing successes achieved by Dr Nikki Stamp and hope she continues to feel fulfilled by the incredible work she does.
I enjoyed this memoir, however after reading several other memoirs, I found it harder to connect.
I found some moments where the author would uniquely focus on what she had achieved and potentially take away from the patient or experience.
Whilst I’m not saying that a doctor deserves the credit they deserve each and every day for saving lives, it just read in a particular way that didn’t show a lot of empathy or compassion, and at times felt arrogant.
I don’t dismiss how incredibly challenging it continues to be for women in the medical field, and this book certainly highlights the ongoing boys club that remains in this industry, which is just heartbreaking. I’m incredibly proud to see the ongoing successes achieved by Dr Nikki Stamp and hope she continues to feel fulfilled by the incredible work she does.
October 15, 2022
Her memoir really allowed me to reflect on my clinical years as I reach the end of med school. As much as I want to help change the system, more often than not the fear of being on the receiving end of hate makes me want to take the easy way out. I've definitely become more jaded and pessimistic which worries me when I haven't even started working full time. Very interested to see the wonderful work Dr. Stamp continues to do in the future and hopefully it doesn't take long for the efforts of herself and other advocates to be in effect.
June 20, 2022
Wavering between 4 and 5 stars. There are a lot of statements/themes that are repeated, but I was compelled to continue reading as the description of the medical procedures and events and I was traumatised by the bureaucracy and sexism which was standing in the way for a good surgeon/s to do their job that they love and what we need.
October 4, 2022
A book that made me feel seen and heard!!!
A fascinating POV book by a female consultant heart surgeon. Towards the end of the Dr Stamp talks about her increasing cynicism and disillusionment with medicine, that was caused by the million little toxic things that make the life of a doctor or a healthcare worker impossible to bear.
A fascinating POV book by a female consultant heart surgeon. Towards the end of the Dr Stamp talks about her increasing cynicism and disillusionment with medicine, that was caused by the million little toxic things that make the life of a doctor or a healthcare worker impossible to bear.
August 15, 2022
Odd book .. I loved it, I hated it .. but I couldn’t stop reading it.
April 2, 2024
3 stars. Loved the case studies. Found it unnecessary to jump back through timeframes.
February 11, 2024
God, this book felt like an autobiography, and I'm not even finished with my medical training OR a cardiothoracic surgeon. But I *am* a cardiac anesthesia fellow, and I *was* a surgical intern at a very malignant program, so Dr. Stamp's words *really* resonated with me.
Everyone who's currently burnt out by medicine (especially women and those in procedural subspecialties) should read this book, it will make you feel VERY seen. (And your vents heard)
I can't possibly quote all the lines that stuck with me, so I'll just leave a few:
Everyone who's currently burnt out by medicine (especially women and those in procedural subspecialties) should read this book, it will make you feel VERY seen. (And your vents heard)
I can't possibly quote all the lines that stuck with me, so I'll just leave a few:
February 9, 2024
"Surgery isn't a miracle and surgeons aren't gods or miracle workers; we're just here to give our bodies a head start at fighting off the enemy."
I really liked this one. It was so comforting to finally read a book set in the Australian healthcare system that acknowledges national issues. Stamp also did an incredible job of highlighting how the sector designed to heal people is actively destroying the ones fuelling it- especially for women- and why despite this, so many do it anyway.
A important read for anyone looking to be in healthcare, regardless of field.
I really liked this one. It was so comforting to finally read a book set in the Australian healthcare system that acknowledges national issues. Stamp also did an incredible job of highlighting how the sector designed to heal people is actively destroying the ones fuelling it- especially for women- and why despite this, so many do it anyway.
A important read for anyone looking to be in healthcare, regardless of field.
August 23, 2022
I keep reading books to give me love and motivation for medicine/ surgery to cure my burnout. But every book I read the author has a horrible but relatable story and quits. Tbh no full time doctor would have the time to write a novel so this should be no surprise. But warning to doctor this won’t inspire or help. But Dr Stamp is An amazing person and has a fantastic story to tell.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 5, 2022
Phenom, loved this. Stamp is a boss queen
July 5, 2022
This book highlighted the struggles that everyone has faced in their careers, the questions our friends and families have on how much of ourselves is given to medicine, and ultimately the choices different people make.
July 20, 2023
I read three books by surgeons (one neurosurgery - Marsh, two heart surgeons - Stamp and Westaby) in quick succession.
Do No Harm, Henry Marsh Do No Harm
Scrubbed: A Heart Surgeon's Extraordinary Memoir of Life, Death And Everything In Between, Nikki Stamp Scrubbed: A Heart Surgeon's Extraordinary Memoir of Life, Death And Everything In Between
Knife's Edge, Stephen Westaby The Knife's Edge: The Heart And Mind Of A Cardiac Surgeon
Marsh and Westaby both worked in the NHS (and ended up very disillusioned with the NHS but not surgery, necessarily) while Stamp worked in Australian hospitals (and ended up very disillusioned with the viciousness/misogyny of the profession).
The three were all compelling, but for very different reasons.
Do No Harm, Henry Marsh
Each chapter dealt with a case involving a specific neurological condition. This was usually briefly explained, with emphasis on how the patient was affected, and how he dealt with the patient.
Scrubbed: A Heart Surgeon's Extraordinary Memoir of Life, Death And Everything In Between, Nikki Stamp
Stamp, like Westaby, openly discusses the competitive nature apparently prevalent among surgeons. I guess we all benefit from them trying desperately to become the best they can be, though Stamp, through her experiences with specific cases, questions whether the profession does the right thing for itself by potentially squeezing good surgeons dry through bullying and lack of support. A particular focus is on the treatment of women.
"There’s not just a lack of female surgeons; a perpetually growing body of research into women in surgery and women in medicine has found that, when it comes to their careers, women get a rough deal. They’re paid less, promoted less, harassed more and are more likely to leave surgery. In the workplace, they’re treated worse by other staff members than their male counterparts. But it’s okay. We can offset that by baking cookies, according to one research paper published in the prestigious Journal of the American Medical Association in 2020. In fact, I was once given that advice by a colleague who told me it was good that I baked for the team, ‘otherwise people will definitely think you’re a bitch’."
I felt most depressed after reading this.
Knife's Edge, Stephen Westaby
The thing that really sticks in my mind is Westaby's unbending self belief. This was apparently as a result of a head injury, prior to which he believes he was unlikely to have achieved the surgical aptitude that he eventually did. The head injury loosed his inhibitions and he believes his confidence in dangerous situations made him a much better surgeon.
Do No Harm, Henry Marsh Do No Harm
Scrubbed: A Heart Surgeon's Extraordinary Memoir of Life, Death And Everything In Between, Nikki Stamp Scrubbed: A Heart Surgeon's Extraordinary Memoir of Life, Death And Everything In Between
Knife's Edge, Stephen Westaby The Knife's Edge: The Heart And Mind Of A Cardiac Surgeon
Marsh and Westaby both worked in the NHS (and ended up very disillusioned with the NHS but not surgery, necessarily) while Stamp worked in Australian hospitals (and ended up very disillusioned with the viciousness/misogyny of the profession).
The three were all compelling, but for very different reasons.
Do No Harm, Henry Marsh
Each chapter dealt with a case involving a specific neurological condition. This was usually briefly explained, with emphasis on how the patient was affected, and how he dealt with the patient.
Scrubbed: A Heart Surgeon's Extraordinary Memoir of Life, Death And Everything In Between, Nikki Stamp
Stamp, like Westaby, openly discusses the competitive nature apparently prevalent among surgeons. I guess we all benefit from them trying desperately to become the best they can be, though Stamp, through her experiences with specific cases, questions whether the profession does the right thing for itself by potentially squeezing good surgeons dry through bullying and lack of support. A particular focus is on the treatment of women.
"There’s not just a lack of female surgeons; a perpetually growing body of research into women in surgery and women in medicine has found that, when it comes to their careers, women get a rough deal. They’re paid less, promoted less, harassed more and are more likely to leave surgery. In the workplace, they’re treated worse by other staff members than their male counterparts. But it’s okay. We can offset that by baking cookies, according to one research paper published in the prestigious Journal of the American Medical Association in 2020. In fact, I was once given that advice by a colleague who told me it was good that I baked for the team, ‘otherwise people will definitely think you’re a bitch’."
I felt most depressed after reading this.
Knife's Edge, Stephen Westaby
The thing that really sticks in my mind is Westaby's unbending self belief. This was apparently as a result of a head injury, prior to which he believes he was unlikely to have achieved the surgical aptitude that he eventually did. The head injury loosed his inhibitions and he believes his confidence in dangerous situations made him a much better surgeon.
August 7, 2022
I’m not ready to write a review of this book because I’m so shaken by it. I’ve been a huge fan of Dr Stamp ever since discovering her on Instagram and really enjoyed her previous book, Pretty Unhealthy. But this one was different. My own heart broke for her and for the system. But it also broke my own heart as someone who is embarking on a career in medicine myself, with just one year of medical school left. Sadly this isn’t the first revelation of the broken medical system we have but just another one sounding the alarm. I wonder how I will get through it? Did I make a massive mistake? One thing for sure is that I won’t give my soul to it the way that Dr Stamp did because I’m not nearly as tough as her and I’d be broken much sooner. So I’ll just focus on being the best I can be within a strong set of boundaries. I can’t see any other way.
Thank you Dr Stamp for this amazing book and the work you do. I wish you all the best in your future. You are one of my biggest role models.
Thank you Dr Stamp for this amazing book and the work you do. I wish you all the best in your future. You are one of my biggest role models.
September 11, 2022
I listened to this book as an audiobook from Bolinda, narrated by the author, Dr Nikki Stamp.
I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this book - I’m not a huge non-fiction / memoir fan, and only tend to listen/read to those ‘big names’ but there was something about SCRUBBED that really appealed to me. I find the concept of those who dedicate their lives to medicine fascinating, and it really interested me to hear it from the point of view of a female heart surgeon in a country (Australia) where female cardio thoracic surgeons are just at the point of counting on two hands.
I found this book really easy to get stuck into, with the narration perfectly reflecting the ups and downs of the experiences Nikki had. Although based in Australian medicine, I’m British and found this just as rewarding as listening to a book based around an NHS doctor.
I’d really recommend this for an insightful quick listen that’s really moving, genuine and interesting.
I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this book - I’m not a huge non-fiction / memoir fan, and only tend to listen/read to those ‘big names’ but there was something about SCRUBBED that really appealed to me. I find the concept of those who dedicate their lives to medicine fascinating, and it really interested me to hear it from the point of view of a female heart surgeon in a country (Australia) where female cardio thoracic surgeons are just at the point of counting on two hands.
I found this book really easy to get stuck into, with the narration perfectly reflecting the ups and downs of the experiences Nikki had. Although based in Australian medicine, I’m British and found this just as rewarding as listening to a book based around an NHS doctor.
I’d really recommend this for an insightful quick listen that’s really moving, genuine and interesting.
September 6, 2022
Being a nurse, I definitely had a fair idea of how this book was going to pan out. Healthcare workers are constantly faced with shitty politics that take away from time we can spend with patients, appalling staffing, sleep deprivation, burnout and lots of staff turnover due to people leaving the industry. This book highlights all of this, but even further beyond nursing and through the eyes of a female surgeon facing these problems alike and big egos. It kind of makes me feel relieved I never followed through with doing medicine, and has increased my already existing respect for those in the medical industry. Thanks Dr Stamp for a good read with some sad AND awesome stories. The Australian healthcare system is awesome but we certainly have so so SO many flaws that really need to be addressed for better patient AND worker outcomes.
September 4, 2022
- Good look at the medical system, kind of disappointing that it's still so problematic
- Found the reflection questions strange (out-of-place) and repetitive
- The ending felt a bit too unresolved / not detailed enough
- The medical stories were well-explained though still very heavy on the jargon
- Found the reflection questions strange (out-of-place) and repetitive
- The ending felt a bit too unresolved / not detailed enough
- The medical stories were well-explained though still very heavy on the jargon
June 20, 2023
I usually enjoy medical memoirs but I found her "voice" pedestrian and a little irritating.
September 1, 2022
Having just finished watching a hospital procedural tv series, I was keen to read a book by an actual surgeon to compare her true stories with the series. The author, Dr Nikki Stamp, has some intriguing and heartfelt stories to tell.
She tells us from the outset that the hours are long, the pay for newbies isn’t great, and that there is racial and gender abuse by the senior surgeons. However, she loves loves LOVES her job so much that she is prepared to accept it all. Early in her career, when she does a good job in the OR, the senior surgeon says “the girl did well”; previously having referred to all the underlings, including her, as “boys”, she isn’t sure if this is a compliment or an insult. But still she LOVES HER JOB. Can’t help thinking about what Hamlet's Queen Gertrude says: "The lady doth protest too much, methinks".
The specific case stories are well-presented, and for that I can recommend this book - but what’s with all the critical reflection questions? Does Dr Stamp think this book will become a textbook?
There is a lot of repetition, and a lot of complaining about the job. I understand that the complaints are justified, but too much of the book is taken up with this. Her final entry is to say that she is going to work on making the health system better, maybe even "running health care for the whole country one day". I wish her good luck with that, and who knows, maybe another book - Healthy, Wealthy and Wise.
She tells us from the outset that the hours are long, the pay for newbies isn’t great, and that there is racial and gender abuse by the senior surgeons. However, she loves loves LOVES her job so much that she is prepared to accept it all. Early in her career, when she does a good job in the OR, the senior surgeon says “the girl did well”; previously having referred to all the underlings, including her, as “boys”, she isn’t sure if this is a compliment or an insult. But still she LOVES HER JOB. Can’t help thinking about what Hamlet's Queen Gertrude says: "The lady doth protest too much, methinks".
The specific case stories are well-presented, and for that I can recommend this book - but what’s with all the critical reflection questions? Does Dr Stamp think this book will become a textbook?
There is a lot of repetition, and a lot of complaining about the job. I understand that the complaints are justified, but too much of the book is taken up with this. Her final entry is to say that she is going to work on making the health system better, maybe even "running health care for the whole country one day". I wish her good luck with that, and who knows, maybe another book - Healthy, Wealthy and Wise.
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