Heartfelt and hilarious. It manages to avoid the melodramatic rhetoric trap, so, when the blow arrives, you don't see it coming until it's too late, although the author kept telling you all along that he left the medical profession, and although it doesn't take long to understand that he didn't give in for lack of motivation or skills. Ninety per cent of the time, though, I was laughing my belly off: comes out that all you guess may be going on in your very professional and empathetic doctor's head while they talk to you in a soothing voice, well, it IS all going on.
Also, this memoir is an indictment of the vicious attacks carried by various British cabinet members against the HSE as free, effective health system. USA readers (and Irish, too, and all the British readers who may happen to be following the neo-liberal mad pipers) are invited to read and reflect. ( )

Remarkably funny and yet heartbreaking at the same time. Should probably be required reading for all pre med students ( )

Amusing, harrowing, haunting are words that can be used to describe the short extracts of the diary notes of Kay, as he works his way from HO to Senior Registrar within Obs&Gynae, often rushing from one patient to another with scarcely time to give them the necessary stitches. Finally, full of disillusionment and nearing breakdown, he leaves the profession, a sad loss to his possible future patients and the NHS.
Should be required reading for all politicians and NHS managers ( )

This is a memoir that offers a humorous and candid look at Adam Kay's experiences as a junior doctor in the National Health Service (NHS) in the United Kingdom. It's written in the form of diary entries, making it an easy and fast-paced read. I couldn’t put it down!

“I realized that every healthcare professional — every single doctor, nurse, midwife, pharmacist, physical therapist, and paramedic — need to shout out about the reality of their work so the next time the health secretary lies that doctors are in it for the money, the public will know just how ridiculous that is. Why would any sane person do that job for anything other than the right reasons, because I wouldn’t wish it on anyone. I have so much respect for those who work on the front line because, when it came down to it, I certainly couldn’t.”

The book highlights the demanding and exhausting working conditions for doctors in the NHS. While the humor helps to cope with the challenges, it also sheds light on the serious issue of burnout and the toll it takes on the mental and physical health of healthcare professionals. It also talks about the strain that the demanding job puts on the social life and personal relationships of doctors. The author also indirectly touches on systemic issues within the healthcare system, including the impact of government policies on the NHS.

I think that one of the standout features of the book is its humor, and I enjoyed reading his experiences. Adam Kay uses wit and comedic elements to depict the challenges of the medical profession, making it an engaging and entertaining read.

“Three a.m. attendance at labour ward triage. Patient RO is twenty five years old and thirty weeks into her first pregnancy. She complains of a large number of painless spots on her tongue. Diagnosis: taste buds.”

Society thinks so highly of doctors that sometimes they tend to forget that like everyone else, doctors are susceptible to exhaustion, burnout, and illness. Healthcare professionals all over the world are expected to work back-to-back shifts with minimal pay, depriving them of rest and sleep, and social life. The last story was heartbreaking...the last straw that ultimately led Adam Kay to leave the profession.

This could have easily been a 5star read for me, except that I find some of the content potentially insensitive, especially regarding the portrayal of patients and their medical conditions. While the author takes measures to anonymize patients, the humor feels like crossing ethical boundaries.

Trigger Warnings: The detailed and sometimes graphic descriptions of medical procedures and surgeries can be intense for some and may be triggering for individuals who have had negative experiences with medical interventions or who are sensitive to such details. Various aspects of reproductive health, including childbirth and complications during pregnancy are also addressed in this book. Readers who have experienced challenges or trauma related to reproductive health may find these discussions triggering. It's important for readers to be aware of their own sensitivities and consider whether the content of this book aligns with their comfort level.

I picked this up thinking it would be a fun read. It was - but surprisingly educational and emotionally moving as well. The author is remarkably good at expressing his thoughts and the challenges he faced in his medical career. Very easy for me to give this a 5-star rating and recommend it to friends.

Only negatives are a few very minor things:

1) His footnotes, roughly one every other page and occasionally longer than any text in the body of the page, is a bit annoying. Since he obviously intended everyone read them, they should have been integrated into the main flow.

2) He uses the word "trace" many times in a medical context in such a way that I can tell it doesn't have the usual meaning. I googled it but its meaning the way he uses it still eludes me. Kind of odd since he was otherwise very good about defining medical terms and abbreviations. ( )