****** - Verified Buyer
4.5
Dr. Goldman gives us a look into the life of an emergency department doctor in a hospital in Canada. While a few items he mentions are a bit different than in the US, the majority are pretty much what you would see in a typical hospital of comparable size in any US setting. This is not your typical biography even though he shares many incidents he has experienced. This book goes much deeper than most. He speaks of worries about making medical decisions when the doctor is tired and overwhelmed by too many patients and too few staff. Surprisingly, he shares errors he has made freely with the reader. He addresses medical practice rotations in a teaching hospital and how often fatigue and fear of making a mistake can cause exactly the outcome that is the result of that fear. He describes dealing with patients from all walks of life and the process of making the correct diagnosis under the pressure of giving each person the attention they deserve while trying to see patients who sometimes have been waiting for hours, sometimes in a hallway or still in the waiting room after triage. I found the book incredibly interesting, particularly for anyone who has ever worked in a similar situation or is just curious about what goes on, as well as the all important question about why.
