Trust Me, I'm a (Junior) Doctor

I don't read The Daily Telegraph, so I'd never heard of Max Pemberton until I started to hear the gentle murmurings about this book. I picked it up on a whim when it arrived in a box of books at our shop, and it turned out to be well worth a read.

It's a kind of diary of Pemberton's first year as a junior doctor, fresh out of medical school, terrified, and absolutely clueless as to the day to day running of a hospital ward. Along with his friends Ruby, Supriya and Lewis, he has to negotiate the egos of his consultants, befriend the nurses and secretaries who will help him adjust, learn to book scans and prescribe medication, cope with his mistakes and develop a confident bedside manner. Along the way there is death and despair, hope and show more uncertainty, joy and laughter.

I learned a lot about the way a ward operates, and developed a whole new respect for the doctors and nurses who fight every day to alleviate suffering, sometimes against the most horrific odds. There are also some pertinent points made about the way the NHS has been politicised by the government and the changes that are being made against all common sense. It's nice to here a doctor's view of these issues rather than just the political spin placed on it for the media. All in all, this is a great little read; amusing, informative, eye-opening and full of heart. show less

Set in a different country and in a different century (!) from my own experience but so much of this was familiar, and conjured up memories that were occasionally so strong they were accompanied by distinctly remembered emotions. The medical and hospital systems in the UK and Australia are very similar and not a lot has changed.

This type of writing has the problem of needing to hit the right tone or it just doesn't work, and Pemberton gets it right most of the time. At the start I thought 'oh oh, this is going to be too flippant in his search for humour, and too self-pitying, but he reigned it in very quickly.

The book is structured as a diary of the working year of a Junior House Officer (six months surgery and six months medicine) in show more the NHS in Britain. It is a fictionalised account of events that a HO would encounter, but Pemberton does say that everything that happens in the book is based on something that did happen in real life. It is also based on a regular column that Pemberton wrote for the Daily Telegraph newspaper. It's easy to see that he's taken the columns and turned them into a coherent 'story' by adding sections describing incidents and characters from both the hospital and his (almost nonexistent) personal life. In the longer column sections he uses a patient's problem or a specific situation as the basis for a discussion of some of the social, moral and ethical issues involved in medicine and medical care. And also some NHS administrative and 'political' issues. They are a collection of thoughtful and insightful (though obviously somewhat superficial) opinions on the issues. The shorter in between bits show very accurately and honestly what it's like during the first year on the job: frustrating, terrifying, emotionally and physically draining, and quite often also disillusioning. And not just what happens, but how he really feels, both physically and emotionally. That crushing feeling of constant tiredness is one not easily forgotten.

Overall this is a very worthwhile book, both for those with and without any medical background. It's a far cry from the "House of God" type of approach, and while occasionally I felt that the diary entries and the patients and incidents were too obviously concocted just as the framework for the 'lesson', the lessons themselves are worth it. It's also well written, with an underlying humanity and tenderness that shines through. And it is, after all, totally based in reality. show less

I can’t remember where I first saw this book, but I was immediately interested. A real junior doctor, writing about his experiences in the first year after medical school? From my experiences, I thought it would be funny, sad and interesting- and I got exactly what I expected. Max is a brilliant writer and sounds like a fine doctor too. He has got the trials and tribulations of junior doctors across the globe down pat- it’s not about saving lives and surgery, but filling in a million forms, charting boring meds and writing while trying to listen, learn and walk while your pager bleeps endlessly.

Perhaps I’m biased because I work in the medical field myself, but Max explains things so brilliantly and poignantly- from seeing the show more first dead body, to continually working until you drop, forging bonds with patients and knowing that no matter what you do, you can’t save everyone. It also realistically captures the grind of constant overtime and the doubt that follows after graduation. It’s not all sweetness and light, but that’s life in the hospital.

There are some great characters in this book too- from housemate Ruby (who snares the McDreamy of the hospital- with Grey’s Anatomy-like results) to Max’s sister who invites him out when she has a medical issue.

I was actually happy when I missed my train so I had more of an opportunity to read this- something that rarely happens.

Well done Max, I look forward to reading your next book! show less

Kinda enjoyed listening to this. It can make me chuckle, but only when I drop my irritation at the over-exaggeration which infects each sentence. Author strikes me as a little naive and arrogant railing against the problems in the NHS. However, it does give an insight into what life is like as a junior doctor, and I really enjoyed that.

Pemberton has written a great column for the Telegraph since he graduated from medical school - I look forward to reading it every week. This volume from his diaries covers his first year as a junior doctor. It should be compulsory reading for anyone wanting to study medicine, as it shows that junior doctors still work unbelievably hard, and there are many hard times when one might question 'Why am I doing this?'. Max and his colleagues get through it and grow immeasurably during the year. Max is also a staunch defender of the NHS, and argues eloquently against many of the money-pinching policies that downgrade patients' medical care. It's candid, funny and shows that he cares. Volume 2 entitled Where does it hurt? is due out in a few show more months. show less

This is a fairly light read, but reveals how difficult a first year doctor's life is (or was) following the six years of medical school to train as a doctor. I think Pemberton must have written a column for The Telegraph, but as I don't read that paper I'm not aware of it - and this book follows that column.

As above, although the book is quite light, I think it is well written and a fairly fast read. Pemberton makes some good points about the failures of the NHS, but also recognises some of its successes and what makes it such a "British Institution" that people from foreign countries hold so high in esteem. The book, at times, is both humourous and sad, but quite revealing in how it must feel to be thrown in at the deep end when show more completing the training to become a doctor. show less

Enjoyable read and well written in a diary format. I am a nurse and therefore familiar with the first year of a junior doctors tough schedule. So no surprises here. Might be a tad worrying for people who do not realise how green our new hospital doctors can be. Took me back a few years though!