First, I want to emphasize that I've huge respect for the man. To start a medical school at 33 is no small task. Its like starting your life over. But I would like to state clearly that I have been bit confused about his motives, though he did state them very clearly from the beginning. To emerge him self as an Anthropologist and sturdy his "subject" closely. I find this to be fascinating psychologically and also the highest version of narcism. He is doing it for one purpose only. To get MD degree, to achieve Conections, to get his book published, and to get Bach to his Academic job as a hero who infiltrated the medical field and uncovered its dirty secrets for the masses. He had never had ANY inclinations of practicing medicine. Thus he has in a way stolen a spot from an applicant who would have qualified and have become MD in a full sense of the word. He has thus robbed the society of an important skilled person we desperately need, so he can advance in Academia, and get published. This is wrong on so many levels I cant begin to wrap my brain around it.
Of all the professions that I've been "blessed" to have intimate contact with, are academia and medicine. They are two of the most elitist, hierarchial, and self-important environments you can find. What I'm taking away from this book right now is that medical school is academia meets medicine! Thought I did feel that Becoming A Doctor was a good illustration of what clinical medical students actually do when they are out on the wards. I found some major ego issues buried there. He describes to the reader how being a medical student on the wards is a very humbling experience and that you get no respect from anyone, including the pt. And he wows how he would not end up arrogant like various residents and attendings when he reaches that station in his career. However, he often just a few chapters down, he alluded to how he went to such a prestigious med school, that he was exceptional because he got grades better than most other accepted students in organic chem., and too many times brags about himself being a "Ph.D."
Also there were some things that he did not address in the book. And it left a big hole in the narrative. There is rarely any mention of his family in the entire book. With his hectic schedule, I kept wanting to know how his life affected his wife and children. The only reflects about how difficult his life is, how hard it is on himself and how tired he is. As I said in the beginning, The man is very self centered. Dont get me wrong, I really wanted to like the author because I too believe in the old-fashioned medicine that no longer exists, (the medical bags and home visits or even just a doctor w enough time to actually council pt, instead of tons of paperwork, pre-author., insurance claims, charting....) But his anthropology talk and how humiliating it is to be kneeling & giving CPR when he used to be in an ivory tower, his very descriptive ogling of young women... is not doing much for me.
Conclusion:
Thought he states otherwise he entered the school with ACADEMIC EGO the size of Manhattan. He never intended to practice medicine, and used his friends as lab rats subjects for his book to start up his Academic corer. But, at least he was being honest about his intentions from the beginning. At least he claims so in the book.
The writing is engaging for the most part, if you can get over the flaws stated above. There is some medical content in the book, but it is outdated. There are better, and more current books on the subject by this time. Though this is still considered a major piece of work in the field to "prepare" an MD student to be for the grueling time ahead. All in all I thought "Becoming a Doctor" was incomplete and off the mark but worth reading. 3*
