I’ve had this weird fascination with medicine for the past few years. I think it started out when I first watched the TV Show Scrubs. Obviously I’m well aware it’s a comedy show and it’s not meant to be educational. However, I’ve read and heard from reliable sources that it is actually pretty medically accurate and that it portrays life in a hospital realistically. Then, a couple of years ago, I discovered a YouTube channel called Doctor Mike. He’s a very charismatic and funny young doctor who does a lot of funny videos (answering questions, reacting to medical shows, etc.), but is mostly using them of inform and educate the public about various health-related subjects. If you haven’t, check him out!

Now that my fascination is at an all-time high, I figured I might as well read a few books on the subject. Starting with this one, written by a young man who was a doctor for a few years in the United Kingdom, sharing parts of his medical diary with us mere mortals. The book is divided into a few sections that represent basically his different posts and responsibilities throughout his career, from 2004 to around 2010. Within each section are dozens of diary entries, anecdotes and such. Most of them are about his encounters with patients, with a few insights into the inner workings of a hospital and a bit of his personal life.

For the most part, the stories he shares are interesting, funny or downright weird, showing us readers what doctors have to deal with on a daily basis. As you can expect when working in a hospital, it can often veer off into the truly shocking and revolting, especially when it comes to the various… experiments people tend to do with their private areas. At some points, I had trouble finishing some stories because I was getting sick to my stomach. As a reader. I can’t even begin to imagine what it was being there when it happened.

And there are the truly heartbreaking stories, the ones that will leave a permanent mark on anybody and make you wonder how can anyone do that job and not fall into despair on a weekly basis.

I’ve always had the utmost respect for anyone working in the medical field. I’m often told by strangers how much “courage” I have as an elementary school teacher, dealing with more than twenty children six to eight hours per day. A few times I’ve been told the same thing in regards to my other job as a basketball referee. However, the way I see it, it’s nothing compared to those who are dealing with injuries, illnesses and death on a regular basis. Being a doctor is the most respected job in the world, and rightfully so. I don’t know where nurses are on that list, but they should be tied for first as well.

Back to the book, I think it’s a very entertaining read and can be eye-opening to some who aren’t familiar with the profession. The author also explains almost every condition/illness his patients are dealing with enough detail that it’s easy to follow what exactly is going on. Be advised though that he’s from England, so some of the vocabulary is different from what we’re used to here in Canada (or in the US). It’s honestly not a big deal, but I had to google a few things to be absolutely certain what a SHO or a registrar was.

It’s a quick read, about 250 pages, and since it’s all brief stories spanning a few lines to a couple of pages, it can be read in short bursts. I highly recommend it, even if you have no knowledge or interest in medicine, you’ll find something to enjoy.