The Making of a Surgeon in the 21st Century

I agree........this book was very factual and intertaining at the same time. I liked his style of writing and felt like he was right beside me, speaking about his experiences. I cheered in the end. The brutal years that he went through in his training came to a perfect end with the roast! He finally got "his day"!

The world of surgical training has changed tremendously over the past few years. As little as 5 years ago, the rule in surgical residency training was 110-120 hour-work weeks and even some rotations demanded 24 hour in-house coverage for several weeks at a time. This "old school" period is brilliantly narrated by William A. Nolen in "The Making of a Surgeon", but today's reality, significantly different, was captured splendidly by Dr. Miller. Dr. Miller comes through with what feels like a natural follow-up of Dr. Nolen's work. There are interesting comparisons of several features of our current training as opposed to that of Dr. Nolen's era. This book was very entertaining, critical and even funny. Suitable for both the non-health system related reader, as well as medical students and residents as a way of comparing our own training. Dr. Miller managed to explain technical terms in a very simple and short fashion that doesn't interrupt his rhythm even for the expert surgical readers. I highly recommend this book particularly to medical students contemplating a surgical career. If you don't find yourself laughing at Miller's humor, then surgery might not be your most suitable future!

The Making Of A Surgeon In The 21st Century is the memoir of medical research award-winning career surgeon Craig A. Miller, M.D., and presents the unvarnished true story of what it is like to train as an extreme specialist. Presenting a world of gruelling 100-hour work weeks, gallows humor, harsh realities, and severe pressure at every turn with human lives literally hanging in the balance, The Making Of A Surgeon In The 21st Century is an absolute "must-read" for anyone seeking to better understand the world of surgery and the people who perform it, as well as a taste advised for those considering this demanding career path - so that they can better know the challenges they will confront.

Amazing, is all I can say. It's like a diary of hell, that makes you laugh. I'm in the medical field, and everything in this book is absolutely real. I genuinely couldn't put it down. If you want to know what REALLY goes on inside a hospital, this is the book for you.

As an applicant and medical student, I was instructed to read "Gifted Hands" (Ben Carson) and "House of God." This is much better. As the author is churned through the residency machinery, he meets a seemingly endless number of extreme personalities and situations. His experiences reminded me about the difficult choices in medicine and the humanity behind them.It is a poignant and up-to-date book with lots of entertaining stories and valuable medical information. I highly recommend it!