It’s also an exploration of the different personalities that make up a large organisation and how to function with them to get the work done. The hierarchal behaviour of medicine also comes through in Kay’s training – the consultant on call who doesn’t want to be called ever or the private doctor who won’t let him touch a patient. It’s clear that Kay loves and believes in the power of the NHS, but isn’t blind to its faults. It’s also a blunt look at life in England’s NHS (I believe before some of the reforms capping working hours came in) where being busy, understaffed and time poor is almost the norm. The book is sorted into his time as he progresses through the ranks of being a doctor and chooses a specialty, obstetrics and gynaecology. They range from the absurd (you put what up where?), hilarious (clueless people) and heartbreaking (errors leading to changed lives). It’s a busy life where work comes before family commitments, relationships, earning money and generally having a life.Īdam’s time is told as a series of diary entries – some in great detail, some not so much – but all of them pack a punch or two. So starts Adam’s life in medicine, from junior doctor to senior. You don’t know if what the nurse or pharmacist telling you is correct – in fact, you’d like a couple of minutes to Google fact check – but the place is busy non-stop and you’re the one with authority. Picture being fresh out of university, knowing a lot of theory and not a lot of practicality, and everyone else telling you what to do. I’m a sucker for medical memoirs/non-fiction, especially when they come from junior doctors. The not-so-good: The ending is heartbreaking. Next to no sleep, unpaid overtime and missing family and friends.

In brief: This is Adam’s life as a junior doctor.

This is Going to Hurt by Adam Kay