Rating: 
Summary: A "no bull" glimpse for the medical student
Review: The Intern Blues provides a comprehensive, no holds barred, down and dirty glimpse of the day in and day out trails of real-life medicine. Anyone going in to the allied health care professions should and must read this eye opening account of what they are getting themselves into. As this page turning saga unfolds the reader will be shocked, slamed and most importantly forced to question the very foundation of our medical system... the internship. Have the courage to follow three young doctors into the bowels of the most grueling educational experience known to man.
Rating:
Summary: good insight
Review: This book, as it states in the introduction, is a good book for spouses, friends, and family to read. It will give them an idea of what we will go through and the immense demands on our time. It is true that legislative changes have been made since these interns went through the experiences they chronicled; however, it is still an exhaustive process.
It is too bad that the book did not also go through the preclinical experiences of these three. Or maybe that's a good thing! I recommend reading it and passing it around the family, as well.
Rating:
Summary: good insight
Review: This book, as it states in the introduction, is a good book for spouses, friends, and family to read. It will give them an idea of what we will go through and the immense demands on our time. It is true that legislative changes have been made since these interns went through the experiences they chronicled; however, it is still an exhaustive process.
It is too bad that the book did not also go through the preclinical experiences of these three. Or maybe that's a good thing! I recommend reading it and passing it around the family, as well.
Rating: 
Summary: Great but sobering look at the making of physicians
Review: This is a great book for the family, friends, and loved ones of those who are about to embark on the dreaded one-year internship. Marion acknowledges the book is aimed more for this type of audience, as a way to explain the stresses, strains, fears, and lives of interns. The only downside to the book is that the book isn't nearly as "journal-like" as I would've preferred, and the reader does, after time, get a bit bored with the constant "I'm so tired" and "Why do the nurses hate me" comments continually made by all 3 interns. We also never hear from the significant others and family members of the interns, and these accounts might've helped make the accounts more lively and 3-dimensional. Potential readers should also be warned that the interns survived programs prior to the recent attempts to overhaul and humanize internships, so the accounts may be somewhat outdated. Still, a great look into the training of our physicians. It is especially interesting to read the brief updates as to where the interns wound up in their lives and careers.
Rating:
Summary: Great but sobering look at the making of physicians
Review: This is a great book for the family, friends, and loved ones of those who are about to embark on the dreaded one-year internship. Marion acknowledges the book is aimed more for this type of audience, as a way to explain the stresses, strains, fears, and lives of interns. The only downside to the book is that the book isn't nearly as "journal-like" as I would've preferred, and the reader does, after time, get a bit bored with the constant "I'm so tired" and "Why do the nurses hate me" comments continually made by all 3 interns. We also never hear from the significant others and family members of the interns, and these accounts might've helped make the accounts more lively and 3-dimensional. Potential readers should also be warned that the interns survived programs prior to the recent attempts to overhaul and humanize internships, so the accounts may be somewhat outdated. Still, a great look into the training of our physicians. It is especially interesting to read the brief updates as to where the interns wound up in their lives and careers.
Rating: 
Summary: Not an insightful book at all....
Review: This is a great book if you want to read about 3 interns in the mid-80's describe their days - basically venting into a tape recorder about the frustrations of their days. I bought this book after being sucked into the genre by Atul Gawande's "Complications," and bought both "Intern Blues" and Michael Ruhl's "Walk on Water". I highly recommend both of the other books - they have exactly what I read non-fiction for - thoughtful, insightful analysis of a subject I'd like to know more about. "Intern Blues"... I wouldn't have bothered to finish the book if I hadn't spent money on it.
Rating: 
Summary: Not bad, Learning to Play God was much better
Review: This was a pretty good book if you have already read Learning to play God. It wasn't nearly as gripping, but it is worth reading
Rating:
Summary: Can it be this bad?
Review: This was the third medical education book I read this spring as part of a medical school course (2nd year). For some reason, I liked this book much more than "Becoming a Doctor" by Melvin Konner (too analytical and removed) and "House of God" by Samuel Shem (too much shock for the sake of shock). The Intern Blues introduced three interns who were probably typical. As a parent, I empathized with Amy and felt she was getting screwed for being a parent and a woman- but somehow she was still so unlikeable- I can't imagine she can still be practicing medicine with such an anti-everything attitude. Andy seemed like a great intern, but by the fifth time he broke down in tears during the first few chapters I was ready to see him jump off a building. Mark was great- I am a firm believer in using sarcasm to keep you sane. Prior to reading this book I told people I was trying to do well in classes so I didn't end up in the Bronx for my residency. Since this sounds like a high powered and competetive program, I'm tempted to tank my boards just so I DON'T end up in the Bronx. I must say, that my impression from people I've talked to is that things may be slightly better these days than they were in 1985. Let's hope so.
Rating:
Summary: Can it be this bad?
Review: This was the third medical education book I read this spring as part of a medical school course (2nd year). For some reason, I liked this book much more than "Becoming a Doctor" by Melvin Konner (too analytical and removed) and "House of God" by Samuel Shem (too much shock for the sake of shock). The Intern Blues introduced three interns who were probably typical. As a parent, I empathized with Amy and felt she was getting screwed for being a parent and a woman- but somehow she was still so unlikeable- I can't imagine she can still be practicing medicine with such an anti-everything attitude. Andy seemed like a great intern, but by the fifth time he broke down in tears during the first few chapters I was ready to see him jump off a building. Mark was great- I am a firm believer in using sarcasm to keep you sane. Prior to reading this book I told people I was trying to do well in classes so I didn't end up in the Bronx for my residency. Since this sounds like a high powered and competetive program, I'm tempted to tank my boards just so I DON'T end up in the Bronx. I must say, that my impression from people I've talked to is that things may be slightly better these days than they were in 1985. Let's hope so.
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