Customer Reviews

Match Day: One Day and One Dramatic Year in the Lives of Three New Doctors

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Similar in style to a John McPhee book, Match Day is a welcome read for anyone who enjoys journalistic narratives intertwined with non-fiction character development and storylines. Eule successfully interweaves and juxtaposes factual and historical information about the "Match" against its ramifications on the lives of three central characters and their loved ones. The three young female doctors preparing for their transition from medical school into residency present a nice cross-section of the challenges facing women going through the Match. These include balancing career, family, and love. While the lives of young doctors have been pretty well described in the public forum by now, it is to Eule's credit that the storylines maintain their narrative impact as both telling and engaging. In part, I think this is due to Eule's personal investment in the project (his then girlfriend and now wife is one of the characters), and his writing style which effectively transitions between personal storytelling and more traditional journalistic narratives thoughout the book. The results are an informative book interspersed with touching vignettes of how life continues in the face of a challenging career.

In addition, his focus on the unique challenges facing women who wish to become doctors also adds a welcome depth of understanding. I definitely recommend this book for those who like good storytelling and character-driven nonfiction, and I hope that a follow-up book to "Match Day" is forthcoming in a few years. I would love to hear more about where these three successful and talented women end up to see how much the Match, and medicine, have affected the course of their lives.

Beautiful and touching, could not put it down.

Learning about the lives of young people in the medical field always interest me but this author gets behind the scenes, into the feelings and motivations of three female medical interns, especially around that complex "match day". A journalist, rather than a doctor, following these lives gives us an extraordinary viewpoint particularly concerning the effects of impossibly long hours, strains on relationships and families, and the incredible commitment to medicine it takes to succeed and become a "healer".

This is an easy to read, informative look at the lives of three young women as the leave medical school and spend their first year as new doctors. The focus of the book is less on the technical aspects of being a new doctor and more on how being a new doctor affects them and their relationships. This book is definitely recommended if you know someone who is going through the process or is considering it.

Just when it seemed there's nothing new to be written about the medical profession, Brian Eule presents an absorbing book that addresses both personal and environmental aspects of 21st century medical training. I thoroughly enjoyed meeting the three women and their significant others. I found I cared about what happened to them. And at the same time, I got a sense of the context in which to view their experience.

Stephanie, Rakhi and Michele all seem to be extraordinarily gifted women. Each received awards and each was recognized as outstanding by her prestigious institution. Yet even talent can't compensate for the rigorous demands of the schedule and the system.

Brian is part of the story because he's involved with Stephanie, the brilliant future surgeon who aced the MCATs in her sophomore year at Stanford. I admire the way he shares his close moments with Stephanie (especially his proposal of marriage), juxtaposed with insights into the broader implications of medical training. I appreciated the background story - told with just enough detail - of the Libby Zion case that led to changes in residents' hours.

It's terrifying to think of being seriously ill in a hospital under the care of doctors in training. I've read books by doctors who were patients; they always said, "Page the attending."

I realize the book had to end with the residents' first year in order to be contemporary. But I wonder how the women are doing as they progress and I wonder how their lives are different. My former neighbor was a fourth year anesthesiology resident. She went to the gym and went out to dinner with her husband; she seemed relaxed and smiling most of the time. So I wonder if we're seeing only the worst part of the process.

Eule doesn't address how this rigorous training and delayed professional entry affects the way doctors treat patients, once they're finally finished. Will they still be human and caring or will they become tired, cynical or arrogant?

Generally Match Day is a thoroughly enjoyable read, focusing more on the lives of the people than on the medical side. I am already looking forward to the author's next book.

Although much has been written about interns and residents experiences, this is a welcomed addition and an update (it talks about Match 2006) to this genre. It briefly discusses the serious issues and hard choices women med students/doctors face trying to have both a professional and a personal life. This part alone makes it a required read for partners of women doctors.
I gave it only 4 starts because to me it read like a long newspaper article with too much focus, at times, on the residents' work schedule/hours - a controversial issue covered in depth in professional and academic journals. Overall, a noteworthy effort that I really appreciate.

A very interesting look into the lives of first year medical residents. The whole "match day" process was very interesting. This was a very quick read for me. The book renewed my respect for doctors. I'd love a follow-up on what happens to these doctors in the next few years of their residencies!

Brian Eule is a writer and the woman he loves, Stephanie Chao, is a doctor. In "Match Day," Eule describes the anticipation of medical students who, like Stephanie, nervously look forward to the third Thursday in March when they will learn the name of the hospital to which they have been matched for residency training. The coming year, internship, will be "a trial of sleepless nights, beeping pagers, and demanding senior physicians." Every student across the country waits until the same exact moment to open up the envelope that will determine his or her fate. In addition to Stephanie, Eule focuses on two other women: Rakhi Barkowski, who is planning to specialize in internal medicine, and Michelle LaFonda, who wants to become a radiologist. As we get to know Stephanie, Rakhi, and Michelle, along with the men in their lives, we gain an appreciation of the many sacrifices that doctors-in-training and their partners make in order to balance demanding careers and personal relationships.

Eule points out that a growing number of women are applying to medical school and this new crop of females is, on the whole, more self-confident, ambitious, and assertive than their predecessors. Some want to have it all: a fulfilling professional life, a loving partner, and if possible, children. Unfortunately, with the hours that many residents spend on call, achieving these goals may be a pipe dream. The author's extensive research and his breezy, conversational writing style make this an entertaining, informative, and fast-paced look at a fascinating subject. As we accompany Stephanie, Rakhi, and Michelle from Match Day through their intern year, we gain an insider's look at the pressures and anxieties that make a new doctor's life both hellish and exhilarating. Some interns are so exhausted that they find themselves falling asleep behind the wheel when they drive to and from the hospital. They eat intermittently and neglect their own health while they scramble to oversee the patients assigned to them. Within months, however, most start learning the ropes, settle into a routine, and gradually feel more secure in their abilities.

The author adds his voice to those who question the wisdom of forcing doctors to work such a grueling schedule. He lists both the pros ("the weak are toughened, hospitals get the help they need at a cheap price, and new doctors are initiated into the world of medicine") and cons (fatigue, an increase in the likelihood of medical errors, inability to enjoy time away from the job) of a long and taxing work week. He also wonders whether there should be more reforms like the Libby Zion law that theoretically forbids doctors from putting in more than eighty hours per week. The bottom line is that no sane person goes into medicine for the money. With the overwhelming debt that he or she incurs in medical school, years pass before most physicians see a profit on their investment. We can only hope that the hardy souls who take on these enormous and time-consuming responsibilities derive genuine satisfaction from interacting with and helping the men, women, and children in their care.

Eule presents a well written narrative of the lives and loves for three young residents offering advice and insight on how to balance careers and relationships. His beautifully crafted story is a must-read for all, not just those on their way to becomming doctors. Life and love lessons can be applied to all young women striving to advance their careers, strengthen their personal relationships and lead happy and healthy lives.

As the wife of a resident I appreciated the time spent with residents and their significant others in this book. The background on how the match came about, and the statistic about residency itself were really interesting. It is a fascinating insider take on what happens during the Match and after. I think that every family member and friend of a medical student should read this.

I remember a year ago, wanting more books on Match. My husband and I were in the home run stretch of medical school and I wanted to know that others felt as ridiculous as I did waiting for that fateful day. Being a huge book nerd, I turned to reading to make me feel better about what we were facing. While googling various phrases related to Match, I stumbled upon Match Day by Brian Eule. It chronicles Match Day for three couples, one of which is the author and his girlfriend. Match Day weaves together a brief history of Match Day, a brief lead up to the big day for all three couples and their backgrounds, the fortuitous day and then the subsequent intern year experience of each of the three couples. While every couples experience with match day is different, this book captures the overall mood of the event and what happens afterwards. A bonus for me, was the history about Match and the algorithms. I'd never heard of this and found it to be very interesting.

In short, if you're wondering what Match is like for those that you love, pick up this book.