The Registrar

by Neela Janakiramanan

Sometimes in hospital people die - but not all of them should. A moving, addictive debut novel for readers of Going Under and Emotional Female.

'Emma, you'll be totally fine ... If there's ever a doctor who's going to thrive in surgical training, I'm sure it's you.'

Dedicated and ambitious, Emma Swann is about to start a gruelling year as a surgical registrar at the prestigious Mount teaching hospital. She's excited to join her adored older brother Andy in pursuing the same career as their father, an eminent surgeon who made his name at The Mount.

But the pressure of living up to his distinguished reputation is nothing compared to the escalating stress Emma experiences as a registrar. It's an arduous, unremitting slog of twenty-hour days, punishing schedules, life and death decisions - and very little assistance, instruction or support from her superiors, who waste no time pointing out just how superior they are. Amidst a background culture of humiliation and bullying, being a woman just makes things worse: misogyny is rife and Emma is subjected to other, more insidious, kinds of male attention.

As Emma battles overwork, exhaustion and increasing disillusion, she has less and less ability and time to care for her patients' welfare, and that of herself and those she loves. Is it possible for her to be the doctor, wife, sister and friend she aspires to be in such a broken hospital system? Can she salvage her own life while she's trying to save others'? And how can she and her colleagues endure such impossible conditions without making fatal mistakes?

With the frenetic pace of a psychological thriller, The Registrar offers a rare insight into the world of a surgeon-in-the-making from one who has survived it. Told with compassion, skill and emotional heart, this gripping and moving novel goes behind the headlines to reveal the human experience of being both a doctor and patient in a medical system at breaking point.

Genres: Fiction, Medical, Contemporary, Medicine, Australia, Audiobook, Drama

368 pages, Paperback

Published July 1, 2022

Reviews

[Suz · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was very moved by the author's opening note, which tells us that the subject of mental health faced by junior doctors is very real, serious, and possibly quite unrealised by the public. I have added many nonfiction books to my reading list over the years about this subject but have not gotten to them yet.

The author mentions she lost a colleague to suicide earlier on in her career, a woman that was vibrant and smart, and someone she assumed would go leaps and bounds in their field. They shared the intimacy of hard grueling work in the public health system and even though they parted ways, she assumed her friend would have shined. Funnily enough, though, as I search online through an eBook copy of this book, the note has not carried over. Possibly it didn’t make it past the uncorrected proof process.

This book is not anywhere near a psychological thriller. It was an interesting story of a young registrar who fights tooth and nail to do her job well, while many of those around her cut corners and lack any kind of empathy – for their patients or their colleagues.

Emma is overworked, barely sees her husband, and runs on very little sleep. The hospital administration is unsympathetic to almost everything and their attempts at providing well being incentives are some fresh fruit bowls and a pizza fortnightly Friday.

Emma comes from a family of doctors; her father is a newly retired surgeon with high and demanding expectations, and her brother works at the same hospital. As the author is a doctor it is clear the system is flawed, full of misogyny, bullying and disrespectful behaviour. It was quite depressing. Her mother was a smart woman who didn’t pursue her STEM career after marriage.
I’m not sure of any kind of frenetic pace as mentioned in the blurb, but I do think this was a well written debut by a woman that knows what it’s like to live the life. 3.5 stars rounded down.

With many thanks to Allen & Unwin for my physical uncorrected proof copy to read and review. Again, another debut AWW to keep an eye out for.

[Kylie H · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book reminds me a little of Going Under by Sonia Henry. In this book The Registrar, we follow the life of Emma Swann, a first year orthopaedic registrar, a registrar being a trainee consultant, a step above an intern or hospital medical officer. The book gives a realistic account of the gruelling schedules, pressure to perform, unpaid overtime, being on-call and sacrifice that doctors in training have to undergo. There is also competitiveness (especially among the surgical fraternity) and a lot of ego.
I have a privileged work position where I assist in a small component training junior medical staff and I constantly meet genuine, bright people who are struggling, ashamed, lonely, sad and sometimes questioning their career choices. The pandemic has isolated a lot of them with their work, unable to visit family in other cities or states, and for some from their spouse and children.
The book tells some harrowing stories, all of which I am sure are grounded in fact and a daily reality for an amazing group of people who choose hardship to keep our loved ones safe and well.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to know what it is like to work in the health system, it is not just the public sector where this occurs and in some instances it can be worse in the private sector.
Thank you Allen & Unwin for the hardcopy uncorrected proof that I was fortunate to win.

[Dale Harcombe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anyone who has had a lot to do with doctors, and hospitals might find this confronting and difficult to read. Our doatrsc, nurses and all medical staff need as much support as they can get. Too many work long hours and under stressful conditions. This book, though, fiction has the ring of authenticity as Neela Janakiramanan is a practising surgeon. It shines the light on the hospital situation with long hours, sometimes 24 hours on call straight several times a week, but also it shows the pressures our medicos are under. Pressure from without but also from within the hospital system. A lack of compassion and empathy is evident from some senior staff as the reader follows Emma’s journey as she seeks to complete her orthopaedic training at the hospital where her father is well known and where her brother Andy also works. Andy is a support and encouragement to her as are a few others, but so many are negative. Her husband Shamsi is also supportive, though given Emma’s long work hours they spend little time together.
This book produced a lot of emotions in me, sadness and anger at the behaviour and conditions a lot of the time but some lighter moments relieved the tension. I smiled at the way different doctors used different music to accompany chest compressions and shook my head at the lack of understanding of those who decided it was a good idea to replace the sweet junk food items in the vending machines with healthy options when staff needed a sugar hit just to get them through.
I can’t say it was an enjoyable read but it was certainly interesting and shows how much change your hospital situation needs to undergo. It is obvious changes need to happen sooner rather than later to protect dedicated medical staff. My thanks to Allen&Unwin for my ARC to read and review. An enlightening book that is definitely worth reading.

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Emma Swann was about to start her first year of a five-year training program as a registrar at a large city hospital. Her father was a surgeon and a professor at the same hospital.

As we follow Emma in her training program it opens our eyes up to the struggles that many young doctors entering specialty training face daily. This book although fictional will have you questioning the public health system and how overworked, underpaid, stressed and tired doctors try to cope and how they are unable to spend enough time with patients.

The Registrar by Aussie author Neela Janakiramanan is a well-written novel and one that had me thinking about it long after I had finished it. Looking forward to seeing what this author writes next. Highly recommended.

[Amanda - Mrs B's Book Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

*https://mrsbbookreviews.wordpress.com

3.5 stars

It’s always good to get an insight into our very vital Australian public health care system. Reconstructive plastic surgeon Neela Janakiramanan released her debut novel The Registrar last year, which provides a scathing fictionalised account of the pressure filled Australian hospital system. A story of treating the ill, sick and injured, with life and death at the forefront, The Registrar is an emotionally cutting tale.

Meet Emma Swann, a hardworking and aspiring surgical registrar. Emma is based at a highly regarded hospital when the story opens. Emma is full of nervous energy when this compelling life story begins as she is about to follow a family career in medicine. Both Emma’s brother and father are well known figures at the prestigious Mount Teaching Hospital where Emma is based. Emma knows how it feels to have a high amount of pressure placed on her as her family are all high achievers. This is nothing compared to what she encounters as a registrar. With long hours, punishing shifts and gut wrenching decisions to be made in a failing system, it is a case of sink or swim. Emma encounters further issues being a woman in a world dominated by powerful male superiors. Emma exposes us to her agonising world, whereby she must simultaneously navigate supporting her patients as best she can on little energy and sleep. But as Emma strives to be the best medical professional she can be her personal life suffers immensely. What does the future hold for Emma?

The Registrar came to me last year via an interview I conducted with Neela Janakiramanan, a debut author who was shortlisted for the 2021 Victorian Premier’s Unpublished Manuscript Award. A well informed, sincere, honest and moving exposé on the fractured medical system in Australia, The Registrar is an illuminating contemporary fiction piece.

For some reason I thought The Registrar was going to be a medical themed psychological suspense thriller. I think the medical themes are abundant in Neela Janakirmanan’s novel and the book’s central narrative is built around other pressing issues. From a toxic culture, workplaces stresses, bullying, mental health, misogyny, patriarchal hierarchies, family affairs, personal pressures, the economy, marital relations, love and sibling relationships, The Registrar has plenty to say. I believe much of these well covered themes are made possible thanks to the background and lived experiences of the author. At many times delving into Emma’s life made me feel as though I had the world on my shoulders, but I believe this is a close representation of medical staff life. Janakiramanan has created a lead female character that we can relate to and feel invested in her journey. The ensemble cast are credible and reliable, especially in the context of the novel. I was particularly moved by the story that featured in the second half of the novel involving Emma’s brother.

If you are currently studying medicine or plan to, I do wonder if The Registrar could be utilised as a warning piece, or an essential bible on to what to expect. I did feel that The Registrar was well written and carefully informed, but it did read much like a non-fiction memoir. However, it does manage to get across its main points with impact, thanks to the frenetic pace of the narrative. The Registrar is a demonstration of all the ails of the health care system and the medical training world. It will definitely make you think critically about our fraught medical system the next time you visit a hospital.

*Thanks extended to Allen & Unwin for providing a free copy of this book for review purposes.

[Marles Henry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Last year I read “Emotional Female” and was saddened by the way in which our medical practitioners are run ragged and are expected to be able to function in such an under resourced health system. Although fictionalised, Neela Janakiramanan’s book provided a very similar account of working as a female surgical registrar. We are introduced to Emma Swann. Her brother, Andy, also works at the same hospital, and both live under the shadow of their esteemed father who was a surgeon at the same hospital. We experience the gruelling hours and pressure that Emma is under on a daily basis, and the toll this takes on her relationship with her husband who is an up-and-coming lawyer. We watch through the sidelines the effects of Andy’s pursuits into medicine and the impact on his own life and his young family. We also get a sense of place at The Mount, the hospital where Emma works.

This book does make you wonder about the impact of the life of a surgeon has on one’s mental and emotional well-being. The scenes where the hospital administrators were trying to promote a sense of well being across the staff were shocking, comedic, and dispassionate, and I loved this part which for me summed up the neglect and struggles in a nutshell: “we’ve sat in meetings telling you want we need …… and all you’ve offered is fruit and decorative plants and lectures, and , now, whale meditation.” It is hard to remember this is a work of fiction because the human emotions (and sometimes lack thereof) behind these doctors and surgeons are pushed as far as they can go. are made to work in. I loved Emma’s compassion and her strength in maintaining humanity and humility. All of us, including our medical practitioners need support: they are just as affected by the death of patients, our complaints, long working hours, and under resourced healthcare systems. Sometimes they are punished for asking for help or showing vulnerability which seems nonsensical coming from a caring profession. But everyone becomes a number or a diagnoses, not a person who needs to be cared for. I want to know my doctors care, and I want to know they all can seek help and can get it when they need it too.

[Trupti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a gritty and realistic depiction of those early training years, interspersed with some lighthearted moments and an artfully woven plot. A very brave and well written novel!

[Alexandra Daw · Rating 4 out of 5]

The mental health of those who work in the health sector is in crisis. Anyone who reads the news can attest to this. This is a fictional account of the crisis but grounded in truth. The author has a wide experience working in the public health sector and her writing is convincing. We are carried on the whirlwind of Emma’s journey training to be a surgeon as a registrar. The hours are relentless and unforgiving but Emma is all you would want in a trainee surgeon, brilliant but empathic. Her baptism into the gruelling work is made bearable by the support of her older brother. He becomes her guide and chief counsel in times of unbearable stress. I was barracking for Emma all the way and incredulous at such a flawed system designed to trip up rather than support those in it. The ludicrous attempts of the human resources department to fix the problem are lampooned. But they of course are not to blame. The blame lies fairly and squarely in the hands of the surgeons themselves. An outdated apprenticeship system, like a stack of cards, is doomed to collapse. But will the system or its participants collapse first?

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Registrar read like a non-fiction account into the life of a surgical registrar. I found it a harrowing ride but enlightening. These are our brightest people with a passion to ease suffering. But what I read showed a lack of empathy from the senior staff, who had endured and conquered this journey. I would have expected more understanding. But my personal experience has a patient saw it this way too. A battle of unrelenting tiredness and those who love them not really understanding. The final exam is a torture which sometimes breaks, rather than making them stronger!
I was fascinated by this story and applaud those who have conquered this system. I am left questioning how valid this system is now and do we need to break doctors to make them surgeons? Thank you for this insiders glimpse into another world.

[Sam Still Reading · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Registrar is a realistic look at what it’s like to work in healthcare these days. It’s fiction, but all of the scenarios could be very true. Long shifts, unpaid overtime, poor patient outcomes, no lunch, computers breaking down, no beds….to some it will be a very familiar story.

Emma is about to start her first year as an orthopaedic trainee (doctor specialising in orthopaedic surgery – think hips, knees, shoulders) at an old, prestigious hospital. It’s where her father was an eminent surgeon and her brother is completing the final year of his general surgery traineeship before he sits The Exam. It’s the first of several years of long working hours, weekends and nights at the hospital or on call and studying. Emma thinks she can do it and she has the support of her husband Shamsi and brother Andy. But this year is going to throw much more at her than she expected. Relationships will break down, mistakes will be made, lives will be lost and others saved. It’s harrowing at times, frustrating at others. (For example, during Emma’s orientation the quote: “The woman from Human Resources is succinct. Do not be asked to be paid overtime, it will not be paid…Any overtime is for your benefit and not that of the hospital.” What an awkward statement of this character, who doesn’t seem to understand that doctors help patients and therefore the hospital.)

Neela Janakiramanan paints an honest picture of life as a surgical trainee and doesn’t leave anything out, big or small. (I had to chuckle at the point when the hospital removed the junk food vending machines and replaced them with healthy food…at 2am when your last meal was lunch, the last thing you want is healthy food. Coke and chocolate please – sugar rush needed to get you through to the morning). There are the annoying colleagues who don’t seem to care, such as skipping out for lunch and leaving a full clinic of patients waiting. There are the colleagues who have Emma’s back at all times, no matter what. Technology is always precarious, and I loved how the theatre wouldn’t use an electronic system for assigning patients to a theatre, but a whiteboard, because it’s ‘tradition’. (Maybe, but is it better? For who?) The recurring character of patient Jacqui is a lovely, if sad story. It brings names and lives to the patients sitting in the bed. Some of her colleagues are callous, but for some, that may be the coping mechanism needed to get through the never-ending queue of patients.

The story itself is fast paced, mixing Emma’s work life with her declining time spent with her husband and family. Her husband is supportive, but worried and later annoyed (understandably) as work consumes Emma. Her father continually berates her and Andy for not being good enough, with disastrous results. It shows the toll it takes on those in the system and around it. It’s incredibly powerful, and I hope eye opening to those not in the system to understand a little of the many pressures going on. I hope The Registrar helps in changing attitudes to not just overtime, but how we care for those who care for others. It’s a relentless, and sometimes thankless slog which is captured perfectly in this well written debut novel.

Thank you to Allen & Unwin for the copy of this book. My review is honest.

http://samstillreading.wordpress.com

[Hala · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another exposé of surgical training where the only code to live by appears to be ‘knife before life’. For trainee surgeon Emma Swann this has all sorts of ramifications for those nearest and dearest to her; the unrelenting stress and pressure wreaks havoc with her private life resulting in a shocking tragedy. Neela Janakiramanan, a real life surgeon, treads familiar ground here citing hospital bureaucracy, as well as chronic underfunding and understaffing as threats to the wellbeing of staff and patients alike. Janakiramanan steers clear of any mention of the covid-19 pandemic though I am guessing this would have added another layer of difficulty to an already overstretched health system. I’m sure Janakiramanan is a terrific surgeon, but as a writer she leaves a lot to be desired. There are too many characters to keep up with and most of them are bland and indistinguishable from one another. Her writing is not polished with many clunky turns of phrase and some situations come across as overly corny and trite. Should we overlook these deficits in a book that is really asking for some humanity to be applied to some of our best and brightest who have our lives literally in their hands? The answer is probably yes, so whilst this book was predictable and hardly original (see 'Going Under' by Sonia Henry or 'Emotional Female' by Yumiko Kodota) the message from lived experience is important and worthwhile. It is for this reason I am rounding up my review to three stars, though it really should be 2.5 stars.

[Emily Lea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Doctors be warned: reading this book will give you unpleasant flashbacks if you have left the public hospital system, and possibly a sense of hopelessness if you are still stuck there.

Dr Janakiramanan is a renowned Melbourne reconstructive and hand surgeon. Despite her fictional The Mount hospital being a state and a alternate reality away from the hospitals where I trained the similarities were spooky - filthy doctors offices, 9th floor registrar rooms, theatres poorly signposted above a blinding lit and starkly new ED abutted unceremoniously to a dingy outdated original building. The culture, unfortunately, also could have easily been uprooted from my training institution - belittling, bullying and untouchable bosses, schedules that require you to be in 3 places at once, more work than one person could ever complete, constant criticism for not being everywhere and everything at once, an administration department who simultaneously tout doctor wellbeing whilst gaslighting any request for overtime or adequate staffing.

The story follows Emma, an Orthopaedic registrar in her first year on The Program. I must admit as a GP I only have a vague idea what this means, but after watching my colleagues try and fail for years to achieve this mysterious feat I know it is a huge deal. We watch as her humanity, empathy, health and marriage fall victim to the demands of the job. Her father, a recently retired and acclaimed surgeon who shaped The Mount, is the epitome of the fossil generation of doctors who still prevent any meaningful cultural change to the system that they helped break.

It is an easy read, with a fast paced plot and well fleshed out characters. From page one there is a multicultural cast of names and characters which I fear will cause some critics to label the work as overly PC - these people have clearly not worked in our hospital system which is carried on the backs of a spectacularly skilled multicultural workforce. There is a strong mental health arc. A large plot point towards the end of the novel (no spoilers) is fast becoming a standard inclusion in any work about doctor wellbeing, so much so that I found myself spending most of the book pondering which character it would be.

Overall an excellent book. Now if only the Brendas and the Jons of the world would read it.

[Caroline Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was really looking forward to reading this book and it definitely didn’t let me down. But I must admit it’s a story I’ve heard a lot. Having spent a lot of times in hospital over the last 10 years I can honestly say that some of the female nurses have complained constantly about their treatment and how they have up to 10 patients sometimes to deal with especially on the night shift. I’m talking about private hospitals here not public. I’ve heard stories of how women are worked to death nearly and especially the younger doctors. They’re certainly not paid what they’re worth, that includes nurses too, they get underpaid compared to their male colleagues. What the hell is wrong with you guys in the hospital administration? They all do the same job, the same amount of learning etc., I might also add that most do far more than some of their male counterparts! When are women going to be recognized for everything they do??!!! If it wasn’t for women the world would stop rotating and go into free fall! This book is an eye opener even though it’s a book of fiction it rings so true in the real world. Our health systems and health carers were magnificent during Covid!! What would we have done without them, yet how easily we forget. Why are men so afraid of women? Because, as women we can and generally do it all, work, kids, cooking, cleaning, need I go on anymore. No wonder women are stopping and thinking is it worth getting married and having children? We all need to change our attitude and respect what women can do and what we can learn from them. I’ve been very lucky in that I’ve had doctors who have been wonderful and shown me the time to listen etc., but then I don’t let them get away with fobbing me off. I had one doctor who was absolutely appalling and I mean appalling, his treatment was disgusting and I ended up being treated by an emergency physician this night and he recommended I report him etc etc and gave me the name of my now doctor who is just lovely. I did report this dr who ended up in a lot of trouble (I was told this by the nurses and head of the ward). He was hauled in front of the board and ended up losing his job a few weeks later. Women just want what all women want and that’s to be paid equally and fairly also respected for what we do and contribute towards the hospital and it’s patients, also acknowledged for all that we do above and beyond.

[Dominique · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the last third of this book as the story started to speed up and become a bit more interesting. However, I felt the first two thirds more reflected just what it would genuinely be like to be on a surgical training program, and lacked drama and plot. I also think that unfortunately this book doesn’t really add anything new to the medical drama genre. It was still a very easy read and great for my holiday.

[Rebekah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a heartbreakingly difficult read. It uncovered a lot of trauma from my four years as a junior doctor in the Australian public hospital system, even though I was never a surgical registrar nor directly experienced much of what Dr Emma Swann did. It was very very real - and people outside of medicine need to know that this is what their doctors go through, especially during training. To my fellow medical professionals, please make sure you're in the right head space to read this.

[Cassie Hamer]

This book is an unflinching, uncomfortable examination of the soul-crushing expectations placed on young medicos in a severely under-resourced medical system. But it's not polemic, it's a personal story of a young woman in an impossible situation and it radiates with authenticity. Let's hope this book sparks some conversation and change.

[Holly Sabine · Rating 2 out of 5]

It took me a long time to get into this book. I found the writing style wasn’t engaging or descriptive, with a lot of short sentences. I also couldn’t warm to the lead character. I am glad that I persevered, as many have said that the book is an accurate reflection of our health care system in Australia. I think that it’s a really important insight to gain and a shocking reality.

[Meg · Rating 4 out of 5]

This has been marketed as a thriller, which I think was a mistake. It took me a while to settle into because of this. It's actually a medical drama and is definitely full of drama! The insights into the medical system were quite scary. The writing is good and I certainly recommend this book (unless you are squeamish about medical procedures and gore).

[Terese · Rating 4 out of 5]

A compelling story about the reality of medical training in our hospitals. Told with heart and compassion, new registrar Emma Swann comes to understand the toll that the medical training regime exacts on her colleagues, her patients and ultimately her family. Highly recommended.

[Rachel Olsson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review: The Registrar by Neela Janakiramanan

Emma begins the novel with quiet confidence. When faced with a child’s broken arm, she remains calm, communicates clearly with the parents, and takes swift, decisive action. Despite her lead surgeon being out of town, she books the operating theatre, secures the nursing and anaesthesia team, and begins the surgery. Her supervisor arrives only at the end—providing guidance but ultimately letting Emma’s skills carry the moment. It’s a strong start that shows her competence, but also highlights the high-stakes environment of training.

The year-long registrar programme at Mount Bay Hospital is designed to sharpen her abilities, but Emma quickly realises that professional growth doesn’t come without obstacles. Her senior registrar, Steve, seems determined to make her life miserable, while Jon—another surgeon—reminds me of a doctor I once worked with: impatient, curt, and grumpy. Poor orientation to her rotation leaves her feeling underprepared, and the stress shows early on.

One pivotal moment comes when Emma is paged to the emergency department to manage a carpenter who has fallen eight metres. With no trauma checks, scans, or neuro consults, she pushes back against being asked to take the case immediately—prioritising safety and proper assessment over speed. Her brother Andy, also a senior registrar, reassures her that she’s right to insist. This scene powerfully illustrates her commitment to beneficence: putting safe patient care first, even under pressure.

Her work with Dr David Wright adds another layer of complexity. David is particular, demanding, and often late—insisting on a specific scrub nurse and protocols that frustrate the team. There’s a negative vibe around him, though his interactions with Emma hint at something uncomfortably personal—jokes in the hallway, sandwiches left for her. Is it mentorship, or something crossing a professional line?

As Emma juggles mounting cases, constant pressure, and difficult personalities, the theme of burnout becomes central. The novel is medical fiction, but it resonates beyond the profession—it’s about the toll of a system that often feels corrupted, overstretched, and unsupportive. Reading it in Aotearoa, I couldn’t help but reflect on our own health system and how relevant these struggles are.

The writing itself is engaging but casual—it leans more toward an accessible, beach-read style than heavy literary fiction. I’d rate it 3 out of 5. It’s not a bad read at all: quick, relevant, and relatable, especially for those in healthcare, but also approachable for anyone. On a personal note, the book even made me think of my partner and his love for the ocean—something that lingers toward the end of the story.

Final thoughts: A timely, thought-provoking yet easy read, with strong themes of burnout, resilience, and the human side of medicine

[Beccabeccabooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading The Registrar, I'm left with a new found appreciation for health care workers worldwide- especially those who work in busy hospitals! These heroes don't wear capes- instead they work crazy hours which means that their personal lives are affected, many are underpaid, and most importantly, there's often no mental health support provided.

Told by first year surgical registrar Emma Swann, we delve into this busy and stressful life. Emma is young, newly married and has big shoes to fill. Her father was a renowned surgeon at the very hospital where she's based- The Mount. At first she's overjoyed and ready to undertake her training- by chance her own brother Andy is a final year surgical student himself. But it's not long that the pressures that comes along with the job takes a hit on their mental health. It's quite saddening that one of their team will end up attempting suicide... Which just proves how important this book really is.

Emma is really likable: she's eager to please, and really cares for her patients. However her downfall is being a bit naive and a lot too trusting, especially when her mentor starts paying a bit too much attention to her. David really is a swarmy character, and really misleads his advances as friendly. Gosh Emma. I don't want to ruin this particular storyline, but it made me very uncomfortable.

Written by an actual physician, you know that everything in The Registrar is true to form. I particularly enjoyed getting to know the patients. Get ready, some of their stories will break you. In particular there's young mother Jacqui, isolated in a rural area so she must travel long distances and often alone to get urgent medical care. When she's diagnosed with cancer, it really hits home the health issues that rural Australians face each and every day.

I usually don't read much of the medical fiction genre, but when I do there's so much information to absorb and reflect on. The Registrar is truly a sensational read.

🌟🌟🌟🌟✨/5

[Sonia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could not put this book down , the best therapy session ! I have grappled with trying to write about the experience of working in public health , but the thing is I can’t write . Neela can !!!!! and does it accurately and so bloody gracefully . Such a powerful read . A beautiful real story of a collaboration of dedicated humans experiencing the struggle of trying to provide adequate healthcare in the make up of todays society ! A story of real people , smothered in the confines of bureaucracy, politics , old school hierarchy & bullshit , not forgetting policy , being absolutely exploited , and tortured trying to make it in there chosen career specialty . Thank you Neela , I loved the ending of this story . 🤩

[Georgina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book. A story that will resonate with working professionals, especially those in the medical arena, and especially women, whom often feel they have to have many balls in the air, all at once. The story follows Emma Swann’s first year as a surgical registrar, and the decline the relentless demands of her training program place on her morals, health, wellbeing, relationships and life. Through this torturous year, and coming close to losing many of the relationships that give her life purpose and meaning, Emma realises that those relationships, those ‘soft places to land’ are vital to survival. She learns to be proud of her empathy and compassion, and to not see these qualities as weaknesses.

[Farah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Emma is excited when she starts as a surgical registrar at the same hospital as her brother Andy and where her father made his career too. But it's not as easy as Emma had hoped. Hospital politics, mounting pressure on staff, no assistance from superiors with a bit of sexual harrassment thrown in are just some of the things she finds herself encountering.

I am so grateful for our medical profession. It is not a job I could ever see myself doing - I would never survive. Though this story is fiction, you can't help but wonder how much of it rings true. With how much work medical personnel have on their shoulders, it's no doubt their mental health must be affected. I won't say much more as I don't want to give anything away but I highly recommend picking this book up. It's entertaining, eye opening and really hits home.

[Lorraine · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE REGISTRAR by Neela Janakiramanan is published by Allen & Unwin 2022
Review by Lorraine Parker
Although The Registrar is a work of fiction, it is clear that Dr. Neela has drawn on her own experience to write this all-consuming work. I was instantly drawn in and immersed.
Emma a trainee surgical registrar specializing in orthopaedics. Andy is her older brother, ahead of her in his training but he is also working at the same reputable hospital, ‘The Mount’. It is no easy feat to be accepted into this prestigious hospital. Competition is high-pitched.
Emma is blessed in being married to Samsi who is a lawyer. They know their relatively new marriage may be challenged whilst Emma is enduring her extremely demanding and all-consuming slog.
Their father was a distinguished and highly respected ‘Professor’ at the Mount. Emma would prefer this to be an unknown. Professor Swann is autocratic in his relationship with his off-spring. Their performance in their chosen careers and their achievements are never good enough. The author paints such a vivid account of Swann, that the reader, just has to develop an intense dislike for him. He is extremely inadequate as a parent in to-days terms.
As I reach about half way in this fascinating read I check that the book, really is a work of fiction. Such is the convincing, mesmeric account of Emma’s every-day life, a personal challenge on every front; sleep deprivation, food on the run, interpersonal relationships including at work, her family, and especially her sister in law. Laura and Andy have twins and also demanding careers.
Emma battles the hospital system itself. This is so broken and fractured at every level. The yawning gap between: administration, between medical staff members, in communication processes and between hospitals does not allow for patient care as individuals and at a humane level.
The embedded story of Jaqui is but one example. Emma takes the time to care.
I love the appropriate staccato rhythm of the authors’ prose style. There are so many small climaxes. However, I failed to see the major climax coming. Life for most will go on.
An exceptional read from a brilliant author.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a stunning book. The story may be fictional but every aspect of the story has been experienced or witnessed many times over by junior doctors. The storytelling captured me and had me in tears at times.

[Kelly Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read and a disturbing one about the medical system. A fictional account of what a tough environment it is to work in. Also read Emotional Female by Yumiko Kadota, which is a biographical account of a doctor in training. Both reads were showing how traumatic the system is in supporting doctors in their early career.

[Fran · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very real and enthralling story that shares troubling insights into our public hospital system and the way this broken system treats the people in it: staff and patients. Despite its intense subject matter, this book is very hard to put down and still manages to capture love and humour.

[Annette Chidzey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having heard the author discuss this novel at a recent book interview, my husband bought this book and we have both read it since.
The author, herself previously a registrar and subsequently a practising plastic surgeon, depicts some of the gritty challenges facing medicos dealing with male egotism, patronising behaviour, bullying, unrealistic professional pressure and expectations, incredibly long hours and unenviable split second decision making with life and death consequences.
While many occupations contain some or even most of these challenges, it is a sobering reminder that starting out in the medical profession is not for the faint hearted and that when one needs help one should feel safe and encouraged to ask for it!

[Tiffany · Rating 4 out of 5]

Crazy how relatable this all felt and I'm just a med student