Customer Reviews

A Not Entirely Benign Procedure: Four Years As A Medical Student

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

 

 

I am a biology major/ pre-med student at UCLA, though it is through my English class that I found this book. Simply put, this novel made me think. I continuously wondered, "can i handle 'dog dissection'... will I be able to memorize all of the countless facts about all these rare diseases?" An entire section of the book is devoted to bioethical issues, including one essay entitled, "DNR," (do not resuscitate). I began questioning myself, "is it fair to bring someone back just so that they can suffer longer with the same disease?" If you plan on going to medical school, reading this book is a must, and a joy; it is perfect for pre-meds.

I'm thinking about going to medical school, and this book was recommended to me to get a flavor for what life is like as a medical student - particularly a slightly older, female, non-traditional student.

The book is frankly scary if you're considering medicine as a career - the overwhelming stress and forced maturation she describes is daunting. On the other hand, it's probably very realistic for someone going through the process while juggling a family. Her writing is accessible and insightful, and at times I found myself identifying completely with her and her thoughts on the field (though, granted, in some ways the book is outdated). A book I will likely re-read.

The person who said she was run-of-the-mill clearly didn't identify at all with her, which is not a failure of her writing so much as their imagination, especially given that they recommended Melvin Konner's "Becoming a doctor", which is a far less eloquent/evocative book.

I want to be a pediatrician, so I read this book to have a better understanding of what it takes to go through Medical School. This book gave me a very good idea of what Medical students are put through. The stories are funny, interesting and truthful. I recommend it to anyone who's thinking about a future in medicine.

I'm not in medical school, nor will I ever be, and I don't want to become a pediatrician. My feelins it that Klass wrote this book for the lay reader.

Although she sometimes spells-out medical terminology as if her readers were in fifth grade, that is the only fault I find in this book. It's a lively, introspective look at a female medical student, one that, having several doctors, I needed to read.

The book gives those of us who are not doctors a first-hand look at what an intern goes through. While there are some very funny moments, Klass gives us a very intense look at the fears she encountered, the exhaustion, her failures and successes, and her wonderful look at her fellow medical students.

I highly recommend this book.

As a student entering medical school in August, I found this book to be informative while maintaining the feel of a novel. The author does a wonderful job at describing some of the hardships a medical student faces including course overload, moral dilemmas, and the maintenance of personal relationships. For those not in the medical profession, I think this book gives the reader an accurate insight into how doctors become doctors.

For anyone who has considered attending medical school, this is an insightful tale. It's a realistic look at medical school from someone who is not necessarily a perfect student. I enjoyed this book very much.

A fascinating well-written book, which will be of interest to anyone who has experience of hospitals and medicine, whether as professional or patient.

It's always bemusing to see the medicos who have developed writing/journalism/media as a "side", for many of them are very ordinary. Anyone who has been through med school will realise that for the lay reader, this collection of anecdotes isn't particularly brilliant writing. If you are looking for brilliance, try Melvin Konner's "Becoming a doctor- a journey of initiation through medical school", or for farce Samuel Shem's book aboout psych. residency, "Mt.Misery". I think any med student could have written this short book of drab observations just as well.

I am a pre-med Junior in college and I enjoyed this book. It gives you a look into medical school, although it is through her sometimes negative or critical point of view. Interesting and easy to read.

I bought this book because author Perri Klass has somehow acquired a stellar reputation as a medical author. The operative word in the preceding sentence is "somehow," as I'm sure you noticed. This namby-pamby book is a reasonably accurate but dull rendition of what it is like to be a medical student, but the book is more about Klass' circuitous introspections and exhausting analyses than it is a book of interesting stories. In fact, I was so disappointed by this book that I re-read Klass' submission in "Emergency Room-Lives Saved and Lost: Doctors Tell Their Stories" to see if her book may have been an aberration of her youth, similar to Crichton's "Five Patients." Bottom line: The scorecard? Klass is now 0 for 2.