With more than a million copied sold, and having bagged a number of awards.....
BOOK REVIEW
Book: This is Going to Hurt: Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor
Author: Adam Kay
Reviewed by: Muhammad Asif Nawaz
Medicine is a peculiar profession. Even those already underway with their careers in the field are often at a fix to describe it in its full complexities, and it’s only natural that the outsiders (or “laymen” as some doctors might suggest) rarely get to have a clear idea of it. Insane working hours, unenviable pays, flimsy recognition, internal and external politics, a failing work-life balance and demands of being a super-human (“Do doctors also get sick?” “Yes, we do.” Surprise: we also die! Sometimes because of questions like these) are only some of the down-sides of the profession. Which is not to suggest that there aren’t any perks herein. You’ve heard it before: “it’s a noble profession.” And this semblance of nobility is what keeps many going, and aspiring for the field. And then there are doctors who’re very content, owing to the difference they can make in others’ life - and all the thankless hard-work and sleep deprivation makes it worthwhile for them when a patient is sent home, smiling and happy. With a thank-you card, from the sweeter ones.
The book generally deals with the darker side of being a doctor,but Kay makes up for it by infusing a punchline every now and then
This is Going to Hurt is a fantastic piece of work by Adam Kay, a National Health Service (NHS) doctor who eventually bade farewell to the field in search of greener pastures (if they exist). Last year, when I was in the UK - taking some exams to register as a doctor for the very organisation he’s written about (the NHS); every Waterstones or W.H.Smith outlet I visited would keep his book in this “best-seller” or “recommendations” section. Judging it to be an academic piece on the organisation and its failures (the publicly funded service is under dark clouds lately - with budget cuts and failing delivery), I shrugged off the idea of reading it. But I recently gave it a read (one reason it being a short book), and regret missing out on this phenomenon earlier.
With more than a million copied sold, and having bagged a number of awards, the book is universally hailed by critics and is a treat to read. It is a collection of some of the writer’s diary entries from the period of 2004-2010; and recounts his experiences as a “junior doctor” - starting with a house officer up until a senior registrar - when he finally left the job due to an unfortunate event during his practice. The book is packed with wit and humour to the core, some anecdotes being utterly laugh-out-loud funny. With eerie patients’ erratic behaviour (lewd comments, or stuffing up things where they had no purpose), the work environment which always allowed place for (unintentional) comedy and snippets from his personal life (daddy issues and all), Kay does a magnificent job of making this a smooth, and memorable read.
The book generally deals with the darker side of being a doctor, but Kay makes up for it by infusing a punch-line every now and then. However, it’s not only an indignant piece by a doctor suffering from a victim complex. The writer also makes sure to enlist the life-changing, positive experiences the profession holds - from the undying strength of terminal patients to babies being named after him. The reward, possibly then, is worth the price, he suggests (but to each his own). References to popular culture make the book very contemporary and a breeze to read. It’s difficult to put it down once you’ve started.
There could be a flip-side to the book as well. In my opinion, non-doctors may not find it as interesting as doctors would. Despite the relevance factor missing, the medical terminologies and procedures may not be everyone’s cup of tea. There are end-notes, for sure, but I would find the will lacking in myself to dig in to an alien profession’s understanding while reading something that’s otherwise so engaging. Moreover, since the writer worked in the Gynaecology and Obstetrics Department, one might get bored (or grossed out, as even some medics are) on the incessant mention of caesarean sections and floppy babies clothed in lumps of blood. These minor inconveniences aside, you’re in for one hell of a ride.
However, it’s not all just fun and games in this book. Beneath the slapstick comedy and poignant laughter, this book is a call for understanding. Not just the plight of doctors, but also the institutions that keep on giving so much while consistently being in the line of fire. If there’s a Jeremy Hunt in the UK (which the writer specifically does not thank) making half-baked statements on the health sector in the country, comments like “doctors are butchers” and the public-shaming of many is a reality on our part too. Nothing is perfect, and when people who do not know two dimes on a subject take on the role of being vitriolic authorities on it, things are meant to go south. In the UK, as Kay writes, this has led to an exodus of doctors from the field. This also hits home.
So whether you’re in the mood of indulging in some quality humour (and that comes rarely), or intend to understand the complex functionings of a complex profession, and possibly to engender some empathy thence; this is the book you need to read. For all doctors, specifically, this should be on their side-tables. I’m definitely recommending it to my family and friends working for the NHS.
