White Coat : Becoming A Doctor At Harvard Medical School

Rating:
Summary: so so
Review: The first few chapters of this book left me wondering how Lerner Rothman ever got the go-ahead to write this book; her writing is distractingly poor. Double adjectives, often redundant, litter her narrative. When she's not over-explaining, she's vague and uses constructions so convoluted I had to read them several times to understand them. But she seems to warm up to the task as she moves through her studies, and I found myself warming up to her. Still, she's so PC, she leaves out a lot--ask anyone who's been to Harvard about the dramatic egotists who call themselves healers there. Also, having worked in hospitals for years, I'd have to say that if she thought watching ER was giving her a taste for the real thing, she's wrong. I can list at least 20 descrepancies between what ER, the tv show and ERs in real life. That doctors and EDs behave as in real life as they do on ER is WISHFUL thinking. Looking forward to Ellen growing up a little, and also hearing about the proving ground of her residency.

Rating:
Summary: So you want to become a doctor...
Review: This book is extremely helpful for the undergrad seeking information about the world of medicine. It takes a journal/diary look at one person' life in one of the most prestigious medical schools in the world. It really helps one decide if they want to become a doctor or not. I would recommend this book to anyone having thoughts of entering the entirely different world of medicine.

Rating:
Summary: So you want to become a doctor...
Review: This book is extremely helpful for the undergrad seeking information about the world of medicine. It takes a journal/diary look at one person' life in one of the most prestigious medical schools in the world. It really helps one decide if they want to become a doctor or not. I would recommend this book to anyone having thoughts of entering the entirely different world of medicine.

Rating:
Summary: This book is just so-so
Review: This book is written decently, considering that the author is not a full-time writer. However, I was disappointed by the content of this book. Dr. Rothman describes her patients and colleagues in terms of their physical appearance, which I found offensive. I would understand if these physical descriptions were related to the patients' conditions, but they usually were not. The stories in the book are further obscured by the author's tendency towards self-doubt and perfectionism. I would have preferred if this book had explored specific events, actions, and patients more deeply. The book should have gotten past Dr. Rothman's personality and explored her deeper feelings towards medicine.

Rating:
Summary: Very entertaining!
Review: This is a great book for someone who is interested in med school and wants to hear about it from someone who just finished. Rothman seems frank about the medical profession and med school. I suggest to anyone with a curiosity in this career to read this book. It easily held my attention, and I look forward to her next book.

Rating:
Summary: Very interesting but with a shameless plug for "ER"
Review: This was a realistic, well told account and for the most part I enjoyed reading it. However, it really bothered me that there was an entire chapter about the television show, ER, and a little review blurb from an ER producer on the back cover! This is shameless hype and it doesn't belong in a good book like this. Is there no end to the media hype for ER, a soap opera that's now 99% romance and 1% medicine? That said, this is a good, honest book and I recommend it. Also, Perri Klass's books are wonderful and if you like this kind of book, you shouldn't miss them.