Welcome to The Book Corner, a biweekly book review by a member of our fantastic Bromley High School community.
This week’s contribution is from Year 12 pupil, Ramya. Despite her busy schedule as Head Girl and Senior Debating Captain, Ramya still finds time to curl up with a good book. Ramya is looking to pursue a medical degree, and this text combines her love of literature with her ambition to become a doctor, thereby showing how reading is an intrinsic part of her life.
‘This Is Going To Hurt’ by Adam Kay
In this book, Kay narrates his years as a junior doctor, and some of the extraordinary cases that he encounters in his day to day life in the obstetrics and gynaecology unit.
Reading this book was an emotional rollercoaster, filled with laughter, tears and confusion too. But don’t worry, as Kay takes you through all of the medical terminology in the footnotes. Not only has this book been informative in terms of medical knowledge, but also in terms of a doctor’s lifestyle.
The life of a doctor is extremely challenging, especially in the UK, but Kay does a brilliant job of sharing the rewarding aspects of being a doctor, alongside the challenges. Even Kay mentions in the book that politics has made doctors’ passion for their work diminish, and that the government should be listening to its people and not abusing them, as it is the people who make up the NHS.
As someone who is considering medicine at university, I thoroughly recommend this book to those who both are and are not interested in pursuing this career. For those who are, it provides insight into some of the moral dilemmas that doctors face in and out of the hospital. And for those who are not, it is a great way to understand the perspectives of doctors you may encounter in your daily life.
