The Real Doctor Will See You Shortly

BLUF: Humorous insight into another's profession and/or the difficult years of being an intern/resident.

Let me start out with acknowledging that the author isn't always truthful in his accounts and has a history of embellishing his stories with events that didn't actually happen. If you're looking for an accurate account, this may bother you and you may want to research the author and his controversy before cracking this book open. If you're okay with the idea that this account may not be entirely truthful, you're in for a treat.

I didn't know anything about this book when I picked it. It was simply one of the new books on my OverDrive library, described as being a humorous account of a doctor's resident years. Well, this book is exactly that.

We follow Matt McCarthy through his first years on the job at a training hospital. As expected, there are many ups and downs in this novel, from interactions with patients and other residents to the trauma that a patient's death causes to the insecurity one feels being new in a field that requires experience.

It's amazing how well the writer can take an everyday life story and transform it into something captivating. This book is an emotional and entertaining read.

Nervously I approached this book. How many times have I been burned by my anticipated hopes for a memoir by someone with an intriguing point of view who turns out to have few storytelling skills?

Eagerly, let me assure you, Matt McCarthy can write. Whew. One hurdle. And he has a great story, that first year as a doctor. Whew. Second hurdle. And we're in the race.

I read on and on, watching from the sidelines as our doctor, who is expected to leave college and be ready to handle every health condition with speed and knowledge, fumbles the ball and punts the ball and throws incomplete passes. It's all so unexpected and, apparently, normal, that it leaves you wondering how anyone survives even a short stay in the hospital. It's so refreshingly frank, as well, that you know every day this young doctor is getting a college education in the care of patients, and you are glad.

Loved this read.