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This is going to hurt
Adam Kay, a former doctor, writes about his days serving in various posts in NHS. NHS is an abbreviation for National Health Service and represents the United Kingdom’s publicly funded healthcare systems. Adam Kay, who hails from a family of doctors, opts to become a doctor. But when this idea forms in his mind at an early age, little does he realize this profession’s physical and mental strain on him. After serving for a few years, he quits the job.
This book is Adam’s experiences during the various posts that he held in NHS. The book is divided into chapters, which indicates multiple positions. For each post, Adam begins with a narrative that orients the reader, and then he provides the entries from his notebook on specific dates. Some of the diary entries are detailed, while some are short. But each diary entry shows Adam’s struggles on a particular day. Adam uses dollops of humor to describe his day. While reading his diary entries, we are overtaken by multiple emotions. Most of the time, we laugh at the hilarious exchanges by patients and doctors. At times, we are made to reflect on a serious note after having a good laugh. When we are least expecting, some of these entries shock you numb.
At the end of the day, the book humanizes the doctor who takes care of it, especially in publicly funded health systems. The hours are long and brutal. Your leaves can evaporate because of the lack of skilled doctors available in the system. With no shortage of animosity and ridicule for the profession from everyone around, this book gives you a different perspective on the job. It is an essential read for everyone. The only flip side is that it feels like reading someone’s diary entries. But the diary entries are self-contained pieces of a day at work.
