Tuesday, May 11, 2010

After Reading Ch. 10, 11, and 12....


What do you think of the Making of a Surgeon so far? Do you think this is an effective way to train surgeons? What would you do differently if you were in charge of medical school education?

37 comments:

  1. I think the Making of a Surgeon is a very instructive book. Though nothing like a text book or laundry list of how to be a surgeon, this biography gives good insight into what it takes to be a surgeon. This book not only gives advice as to how to navigate the hospital, but how to develop a life outside of work. I don't think this book is an effective way to train surgeons, but I think it is a good guide for them to read before signing on for medical school or internships. If I was in charge of medical school education, I would have all prospective students read and research what it it like to be a real working surgeon/medical practitioner to make sure they are cut out for the job.

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  2. I think this book has a lot to offer, however I would not use it to train surgeons. I think it isn't science-y enough, but I think it could be a good guiding book to help train surgeons with the more personal stuff of becoming a surgeon. This book is more helpful in determining if the surgeon or doctor in question has what it takes to become a surgeon or doctor. If I was in charge of medical school education, I wouldn't require the reading of this book but I would encourage the students to read it in their spare time because I think it might help with the transition into becoming a surgeon or doctor or nurse. I think this would help the potential hospital worker determine if they have what it takes to work as a surgeon/doctor/nurse in a hospital because I think The Making of a Surgeon does a very nice job of explaining what it was like to go from med school to an actual hospital.

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  3. I think MOAS is a great account of the hardships that Nolen faced in school and how he responded to them. His thinking is pretty admirable.
    Studying at Bellevue is a very effective way to train surgeons. Nolen learned a lot of things he could not have learned in a white tower hospitals like being resourceful or that sometimes it is best to learn other facts about certain cases and to leave some things to the experts (Dr. Lewis 147).
    Nolen was thrust into a very hands on learning environment without much advice or direction. He learned from his mistakes instead of relying on other people or resources. But, that is what made him a great surgeon. Therefore, I wouldn't change anything if I was in charge of medical school education.

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  4. I personally love The Making of a Surgeon book, but more as an instructive novel than as a textbook. It’s really interesting to me to learn what the personal side of being a doctor is like, rather than the glamorous surgeries and relationship scandals you see on Grey’s Anatomy or House. I think this made me want to be a doctor just because for once it sounded interesting, despite the fact that I get squeamish and have not that much interest in operating, but that environment. I think this would be a great resource for medical students to learn what to expect, but not enough about science or medicine to justify it being required. I think it would be useful to know how to manage a hospital or evaluate patients, and if I were a medical student, whether I could hack it in that environment. It also clearly shows the progression from novice to doctor and tells you how to make that change.

    At first thought I would have much rather had that perfect, sterilized hospital, but then after a bit I realized why Nolen picked Bellevue. I think the process he went about was very informative, Bellevue it could be argued, had a lot more to teach him than one of those white-collar hospitals. I didn't see it as much in terms of the challenge, like Everest as he said, but more that you're helping the individual. Those doctors don't have to deal with the bureaucracy like at a polished hospital. They might scrimp and have to struggle but they're keeping the needy alive not per say the spoiled "politicos" that show up with less regularity. I don't know if I would have made the same choice back then but I can respect it. And once you leave, having battled all the odds you know if you survive you have all necessary skills. So I think that Dr. Nolen’s learning process was the right thing for him to do and I think a great educational experience to implement for others.

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  5. I really like the Making of a Surgeon so far. I think that the author has shared so many raw and personal experiences that many others are too afraid to talk about. The book reveals many unexpected but insightful truths about hospitals and the medical field. I think reading this book could be an effective way to train surgeons. However, this book may not have the same type of impact on other people as it did for me. I think it really depends on what type of background knowledge you already have about the medical field. If I was in charge of medical school education, I’m not sure what I would do. I feel like I am not as well informed about medicine as those who are in charge of structuring the medical school education are. I don’t feel like I know what doctors or people in that field should know or not, so I’m not sure how to answer that question.

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  6. I really enjoy Making of a Surgeon. I knew starting this book that I was not interested in going into the medical profession, and after reading 12 chapters I'm just as sure I do not want to be a surgeon, but I still find it very interesting and fun to read.
    I think this book is very important for prospective surgeons to read because not only does it offer insight into the actually diseases and surgeries Dr. Nolen encounters at Bellevue, but it also shows the very unglamorous side of working as an intern, from the long hours to the hundreds of little tasks that need to be completed to the difficulties with surgery. This would either dissuade prospective doctors from the long road they have ahead, or it would inspire them even more and make them enthusiastic about their future profession.
    I think the kind of medical training Dr. Nolen goes through (working at Bellevue for several years) is critical to the success of a surgeon. Although you learn all the theoretical parts of medicine in school, it is impossible to be a good surgeon if you have not been able to actually practice for yourself. Although Dr. Nolen does make some mistakes as he is learning, his experience at Bellevue was fundamental to his later work.

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  7. I think that "MOAS" is a very effective way to train surgeons. I think that it teaches them everything that a surgery on textbook lacks. It teaches people about patient interactions, "white castle hospitals" versus Bellevue hospitals, the sacrifices surgeons have to make (in terms of family and sleep), and most of all it emphasizes that surgery is really a "learn-by-doing" skill. Nolen always discusses his mistakes in certain surgeries and how they made him more careful, or more confident. It is clearly a profession which takes a positive, stubborn attitude in which people have to be willing to make mistakes. I think that "MOAS" is great for teaching people about the realities of surgery and making sure that they really know exactly what they are getting themselves into. It would be hard to get an idea about this just from reading a textbook instructing one about how exactly to carry out the procedure.

    If I were in charge of a medical school education I would have everyone read both "MOAS" and a book about what it was like working in a "white castle." This way the students would understand the pros and cons of both and would know exactly which type of institution they would like to enter.

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  8. i still find this book very interesting as we press on through chapter 12. at first i was a little unsure at first about what kind of book it what be, whether a novel or a textbook. i can now safely say it seems to be more a novel describing the process of becoming a surgeon, rather than being a text book on how to train a surgeon. because of this, i do not feel this is the best way to train a new surgeon. though as others have mentioned i feel that this book is a good read for a prospective reader thinking about being a surgeon because it touches on all the aspects of being a surgeon, from being in school to watching a a surgery to performing as a surgeon. i would use this book as an introductory step into training new surgeons rather than throwing a new sugeon into the mix immediately and watching them either sink or swim.

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  9. The Making of a Surgeon is generally a very interesting book, and I do enjoy reading it (as with most books), but the subject matter is not entirely appealing - especially now that I have experienced fetal pig dissections. I actually kind of understand what it must be like to experience an evisceration where the intestines spill out of the patient's stomach - and it seems unpleasant.

    The way that Dr. Nolen is being trained seems relatively effective. It quickly weeds out anyone who is not up to the demanding surgical profession and it operates on the principle that the kid will learn how to swim fastest by throwing him into the ocean (an effective - if painful - process). Its obvious that none of the residents at Belleveue will come out after 5 years doubting their ability. The main issue that I see is the poor quality of the facilities. A poorly equipped hospital can really put patients' lives in danger, and I do not see the educational benefits for the residents and interns.

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  10. So far, MOAS has provided an interesting insight on the struggles and experiences that Nolen goes through while becoming a surgeon. Though I think that the book could be better written or more clearly organized, I enjoy Nolen's frankness and explicit details.
    I think that Nolen's experiences represent an effective way of training a surgeon. Working in surgery gives him a very hands-on experience so that he can both decide whether this is really the job for him and get the experience needed for this job. Nolen seems to learn a lot, and very quickly, because he is required to do so. Also, I feel that people learn best by seeing the immediate application of their skills rather than perhaps sitting in a classroom and being lectured.
    However, if I were in charge of medical school education, I would give the people being trained more supervision. Though Nolen's hands-on experience if very informative and effective in teaching him, I don't think that it should be at the cost of risking the patients' health and safety. There have been several situations in which Nolen's patients could have died, and I think that it is the hospital's responsibility to make sure that no one dies because of a silly mistake due to inexperience.

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  11. This is Connor Townsend.

    I'm actually really enjoying MOAS right now. It's got alot of educational value it in, but it's also an interesting story to read. It's alot more fun than reading a textbook.

    Is it an effective way to train surgeons? I'd say yes. All the personal stories Nolen has written in here, all of the mistakes he made and stuff, seem like they'd give valuable lessons to surgeons-in-training. Not to push your limits, wait till you're ready, listen to your superiors, etc.

    If I were training surgeons, I'd make the process much slower. I wouldn't let them do any real surgery until I thought they were completely ready. I think Nolen's superiors let him go too far too soon, and it almost had some serious consequences for some people.

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  12. I like the book a lot because it gives a very different perspective of surgeons than anything else ive read. Im hoping that things have changed a lot since this was written though because a lot of it is hard to believe! Like how careless they seem to be about certain things. I feel like the patients put so much trust in the doctors and you never really think about that they mess up too and cant be perfect. I think if i were training the surgeons I would try to make sure less was put to chance and make it so that the interns learn more practical medicine before being put into the system.

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  13. I think The Making of a Surgeon is a pretty interesting and informative book. Most of what I know about surgeons/doctors comes from TV shows so it’s really interesting to see what it is really like to become a surgeon. For the most part Bellevue seems to be pretty effective in training surgeons. Studying at Bellevue is a really valuable experience because you are forced to learn how to think on your feet and be resourceful. While these are necessary skills for being a surgeon, I think medical students need to have more hands on experience before going to a place like Bellevue. While it is important to learn from your mistakes, I think Dr. Nolen had a few too many close calls that could have been avoided if he had had more training prior to being at Bellevue.

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  14. So far I think Making of a Surgeon is a really fast-paced, interesting, and instructive book. If I were in charge of medical school education, I would not require the medical students to read MOAS, but I might recommend it. I think the book is a personal, realistic account of a student's journey to becoming a capable doctor. For example, chapter 11 focused partly on Dr. Nolen's life outside the hospital and the difficulties doctors often face as a result of the conflict between hospital and family life. It reveals that there is no textbook formula to follow- that you can read as many lessons on how to do a certain surgery as you want, but none of those accounts will prepare you for what to do when the you're all scrubbed up with a scalpel in your hand. I believe that Dr. Nolen learned from each of his mistakes; maybe some medical students will not, as a result of reading Dr. Nolen's lessons learned, make those same mistakes.

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  15. The Making of a Surgeon is a very entertaining book, despite the ample evidence that Dr. Nolen is a surgeon first and writer second. He certainly had some exciting years at Bellevue, and his memoir is eventful enough that it could pass as a novel. However, while the surgical training described in this book is clearly effective—it worked for Dr. Nolen in any case—I maintain that it is not a remotely good idea. Residencies should take place at an adequately outfitted and staffed hospital, not at a place like Bellevue. Yes, it would probably take longer for a student like Nolen to learn the tricks of the trade if he were properly supervised and always had access to the equipment he needed, but it would be much safer for his patients. Nolen recounts a few too many tales of (needlessly) almost killing people during fundamentally uncomplicated procedures for me to condone this type of training. He and Intern Bob do a great job of almost botching a tracheotomy in chapter 10, a page and a half after Nolen describes how easy they are to do. And this is by no means the only example of a “wow, that was a close one, good thing we didn’t kill him, eh fellas? Hahaha!” anecdote in the book. All doctors make occasional slip-ups, particularly while they’re still learning, but a program at a place like Bellevue only compounds this problem.

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  16. I have loved reading Making of a Surgeon- Dr. Nolen is an extremely entertaining writer, and his anecdotes are usually quite entertaining and enlightening (although they make me very uneasy about surgery). As for the learning system described in the book... it is less amusing. In every chapter, Nolen describes in detail every fouled-up surgery he attempted, and how often he required the assistance of more experienced professionals like Dr. Eddie. Obviously, a doctor can never learn without making mistakes, but a mistake in an operation puts lives at stake. Dr. Nolen recognizes that Bellevue is a kind of "baptism of fire" for new medical professionals- and in my opinion, those who graduate from medical school should be eased into the real world. More junior doctors like Nolen should be given easier cases- they should not have the lives of patients in their inexperienced hands. It is one thing to get practical experience; but being subjected to such a relentless environment, with so many responsibilities right off the bat, is not right. Nolen describes how often he felt unprepared for operations, not being sure what exactly to do even as he made the incisions. If I or someone I cared about were under the knife, I would not want the doctor to be unsure of himself. Operations at a hospital like Bellevue should be reserved for those with more experience.

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  17. I have enjoyed reading MOAS--it is a very enlightening and interesting book. It is fascinating to have a glimpse into the life of a surgeon in one of the country's grittier hospitals. Some of the anecdotes recounted in the book are very sobering; Nolen makes several nearly fatal mistakes. These mistakes are largely caused by his inexperience, which makes me wonder whether there would be some way for medical schools to incorporate more hands-on situations with patients into their curriculum. Also, it seems like it would also be a good idea for junior surgeons to have more supervision and guidance during operations, although I recognize that this would probably be difficult at under-funded institutions like Bellevue.
    I think MOAS should be required reading for medical students--perhaps aspiring surgeons could learn from Nolen's mistakes, and refrain from letting stubbornness and unwarranted self-confidence get the best of them in critical circumstances.

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  18. So far, MOAS has been really exciting and interesting to read. However, I can't say that I'm a huge fan of the learning methods that Bellevue employs. Although this method did prove effective for Dr. Nolen, the many incidents where lack of proper instruction result in near-fatal accidents were too numerous to count. This form of teaching--having someone who had just learned a procedure a year ago, from someone who had only learned a year before that, teach a new person--continuing the cycle...although it forced the surgeons to learn quickly, the hospitals suffer a high risk accidents that were caused by inadequate training. It'd be much safer--even if it took much longer--for the interns to gain training from lots and lots of practice and observation before putting their skills to work in real people. Hopefully, technology that allows interns to practice in simulated realities will be come widespread and common practice in most hospitals.

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  19. (period 3 alex kennedy)

    I've enjoyed reading MOAS, in large part because it's distinctly different from reading a textbook. Learning about becoming a surgeon from the perspective of a new surgeon has been very useful and educational. In fact, even Nolen discusses the disparity between understanding a concept in a textbook or classroom setting and actually performing that surgery. Nolen only learns about this dichotomy the hard way: by making mistakes in high-stakes situations like surgery. Surgery seems like a very dangerous environment for new doctors to be making mistakes because people's lives are at stake, but it's difficult to find an alternative means for doctors to get experience. If I were in charge of medical schools, I might emphasize practicing surgery and operations on cadavers so as to equip doctors with more hands-on experience. Increased supervision in operations done by new doctors could also help decrease the risk of fatal mistakes caused by inexperience. However, both of these options are logistically difficult because cadavers and additional experienced doctors are in high demand, particularly at underfunded hospitals. Reading something like MOAS would be beneficial for any aspiring doctors because it includes the less glamorous aspects of becoming a doctor.

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  20. I've personally found the book really easy to read, and I think it's one of the best professional's memoirs I've read. Nolen describes his experience as a surgeon using personal accounts and well chosen examples, and while it contains little technical information on anatomy (e.g. "the function of the gallbladder is to store bile, a substance used to digest fat"), demonstrating that textbooks have their place, it does a good job of depicting the psychological and practical necessities of the job. It shows that a great deal of ingenuity, patience, and diligence is essential to be a good surgeon; it also insists upon the reality that the uniformity of textbook anatomy cannot be followed religiously, and that surgery is not a perfected art. Because of this, it's an excellent introduction to the practice of surgery in real-life as opposed to anatomy studied from paper.

    It's also a triumph on the literary level; it's wryly humorous without an overload of ego, never veers into over-description or melodrama, and is written in a style that most people can follow (myself included). It's a combination of good writing and good information that I don't often see in nonfiction.

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  21. I think that Making of a Surgeon is very interesting. I think it's an interesting way to teach prospective surgeons about the intensity of surgical programs, considering Dr. Nolen's numerous mistakes that nearly killed his patients. It really exemplifies that inexperience can have drastic consequences, which is imperative for a surgeon to remember. I think that it's a useful text, and it's certainly more interesting to read than a textbook or medical research journal. I think that I wouldn't make it required reading for medical students because they have so many other things going on during med school, but I would recommend that my students read it for an accurate description of surgical life.

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  22. Making of a Surgeon seems to accomplish what Dr. Nolen intends. It illustrates and describes the life he leads as an intern at a hectic hospital such as Bellevue. The book does a good job of following his ups and downs at Bellevue to encapsulate the potentially difficult road for future surgeons who read his memoirs. Dr. Nolen's form of education at Bellevue at times seemed very effective,however, the potential reward from such a hands on experience never quite seemed worth the irresponsibility of having an under experienced resident being responsible essentially for people's lives. While hands on experience is the best way to learn anything, as the saying goes "practice makes perfect", it should be done in a very controlled environment by an adequately prepared and staffed hospital different from Bellevue. It is clear in situations that there are clear cut pros and cons to the situation as well as risks and benefits. In this case it is hard to call whether or not the risks outweigh the benefits and therefore i have trouble deciding in what way i would change medical education if i were in charge of it especially in this aspect.

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  23. As someone who for many years has not been keen on the idea of the medical profession, this book has been fascinating. It is appealing to both the aspiring doctor and the average outsider who's interested in learning more about the medical experience and life at a hospital. I think the descriptions in the book prove that the experience at Bellevue is a very good way to train surgeons. Medical school graduates know all of the theory, but little about practical applications. Much of any job success is dependent on simple experience and throwing an intern into a medical emergency is one of the best ways for them to gain this experience. Compared to an existence at a wealthier hospital, I think training as a surgeon at Bellevue makes one far more resourceful and gives a stronger sense of fulfillment, as well as exposing the darker, more difficult side of medicine. The Bellevue experience is also superior to that of a trainee within a research-oriented hospital as Nolen described, where there's little reward for individual work and a low emphasis on surgical experience. The only thing that worries me about this way of training surgeons is that while surgeons-in-training are gaining valuable experience, they could potentially do some serious damage to their patients!

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  24. I think that MOAS is a really interesting book but I would not use it to train surgeons. Even though it does offer an inside look on life as an intern and the fast paced learning of hospitals. I think that it would be really helpful for prospective surgeons to read it so that they can have a better idea about what to expect. Yet each prospective surgeon is going to go through the process differently so this book may not be that effective. If i were in charge of medical school education, I would help prepare the interns a little bit more. Nolen seemed bombarded with the fast paced hospital life, I would want to prepare my interns and help them adjust and learn in the most effective way.

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  25. I appreciate the intimacy and the frankness of Making of a Surgeon. It's a great account of what it is like to practice in an under-funded hospital. Yet Nolen's less-than-stellar track record is not something to be admired nor emulated. Certainly, it teaches him, and perhaps the reader, a lot about the mentality and the inabsoluteness of the profession, but there is so much luck involved in the survival of his patients, that it is sometimes really more frightening than reassuring. There's no doubt it enlightens us a lot about he integrity of the profession and the intelligence required, but that should come second to making sure the patient is safe.

    Medical education should take place in a pristine, well-equipped hospital where everything functions well. There's already the liability of an intern, who is not completely certified, so adding the liabilities of an unsafe environment is not wise and should be avoided. Sure, it builds character but that's not as important as learning how to save a life effectively at this stage in medical training.

    The main thing I would do differently is to have more options for medical trainees to deal with cadavers before dealing with living patients. Plastic surgeons get to practice extensively with real faces of cadavers--and I see this as an equally pressing necessity. More collaboration between experienced professionals and interns would also be good.

    Overall, it is a good book, and an entertainingly informative read, but does not showcase the optimal way for surgeons to train, despite the impressive character Nolen builds.

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  26. I enjoy reading MOAS but I feel that the information is a bit antiquated, especially with the recent advances in medicine and hospitals. I do think, however, that reading making of a surgeon would be helpful for somebody if he or she was considering becoming a surgeon and wanted to know what their life and their job might be like. This book gives you the inside scoop on the realities that one might not necessarily want to think about, but that are important to consider if you want to become a doctor. Therefore, I don't think this book is helpful in training a surgeon, because it isn't very technical, but it would be good in terms of providing a different angle into the world of surgery. If I were running a medical school, I would make the students read MOAS in addition to their instructional text books just so that they could see maybe the not-so-pretty side to their future career and so that they could realize, before they get their first job, that their work is not always going to be glamorous. I think that in that respect, MOAS would be a good book to read because it would prevent beginner doctors/surgeons from having a rude awakening at their first job experience.

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  27. I generally enjoy the book. Besides being a little outdated, I find that it’s humorous and interesting, but also provides more information about what the true life of a surgeon is like, not just information on the medical procedures. I think this book shows clearly that Dr. Nolan’s stay at Bellevue is an effective way to train a surgeon. While the work is extremely rigorous and demanding, with every story Dr. Nolan writes about, he also has learned a valuable lesson that any other method of training would not give him. However, to say this method is effective does not mean it is the best. For I would suggest a little less rigorous and demanding role for surgeon trainees than what Dr. Nolan had to deal with, for Dr. Nolan was in too many hairy situations that he wasn’t quite ready for.

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  28. I have actually really enjoyed this book so far. I like Dr. Nolen's personal experiences combined with the medical aspect of cases. I really get a feel about how difficult and grueling the job is, especially in chapter 11 when he talks about the stress that being a surgeon has on the personal life of the doctor. Each patient has offered a unique problem that is presented in a way that makes the book interesting. However, I don't know if Dr. Nolen is exaggerating a little bit to add excitement but at times, the book seems a bit dramatic in the way that so many mistakes are made without consequence, such as Nolen's "recklessness" with Bridey's surgery and Al's experimental procedures that caused his patients to reach 106 degrees. There seems to be no oversight or check on power. Also, the nonchalant attitude of some of the doctors is a bit concerning. I think the "publish or perish" mentality also is detrimental to the learning experience. If I were in charge of a medical school, I would not give the less experienced doctors quite so much freedom because though independence is good for learning, you have to remember that they are dealing with patients' lives and mistakes can lead to death.

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  29. Do people actually "train" surgeons with this book? I think it's really interesting to have an insight into a profession that seems to be pretty complicated, and therefore secretive, and it's definitely a profession i won't be a part of, so it's interesting to see how it works, but if this book is actually part of like a medical curriclum, i'm a little concerned. i understand if this book is reading for like "ethics in medicine" seminar or something, but i cannot imagine this is actually used for the information inside of it.

    In terms of the actual content though, as i said, i am not going to be a surgeon, or anywhere in medicine, so it's interesting to see how a real hospital is run as opposed to the run on like Scrubs. At the same time, Dr. Nolen is kind of a jerk so I wish someone nicer had written the book.

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  30. I have enjoyed reading MOAS thus far. I didn't really know much about surgery beforehand, aside from what I've seen on TV, but this book gives a real-hand account of what it really is like to go into the surgery field. It hits on all aspects of the effects of being a surgery, including the personal ones. I'm not sure if I would require up-and-coming surgeons to read this book, simply because I feel that it is a bit old; I would assume that certain things in the field have changed since Nolen wrote this book. However, I would highly recommend students reading it in medical school, because it gives the raw truth of what it is really like to be a surgeon, something no textbook can truly offer.

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  31. I think that The Making of a Surgeon is a great book for helping someone decide whether they would be able to become a surgeon and deal with what Dr. Nolen deals with on a day to day basis. I think if people read this book before becoming a surgeon, they would have a better idea if this profession is really for them or not. However, I don't think it should be used to train surgeons, and people shouldn't have to read it if they are already determined to become a surgeon. This book doesn't give the specific details needed to learn important aspects of being a surgeon, but it does give the reader a good feeling of what the life of a surgeon would be like. If I was in charge of a medical school, I would make everyone read this book, not because it would give them vital information for how to do surgeries or become a good surgeon, but because it would help them learn if they really wanted to be a surgeon, and they could learn the aspects of working in a hospital that they can't learn from reading textbooks. They could see the personal interactions that they would be having that they can't really learn any other way.

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  32. I am enjoying MOS. It shows the person-to-person side of all the anatomical stuff we learn in our textbook, which I personally find much more interesting. MOS would be an excellent resource for the emotional, more personal side to being a surgeon. The emotional requirements for dealing with what a surgeon has to deal with on a daily basis are immense. MOS could be a good thing for a new surgeon to turn to if having trouble dealing emotionally. However, it is not a medical resource. If a surgeon was trained with this book, they'd be prepared in their hearts to deal, but if given a scalpel there could be some trouble. There is not enough medical/science information - concrete, step-by-step anatomical instructions on how to do surgeries - to be a truly successful guide. I do think that it would be a great idea though, to have medical students read this. MOS could help students previously only involved with the concrete and physical deal with the emotional and day-to-day side of being a surgeon.

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  33. Although it may not be the most detail-oriented and instructively accurate source on being a surgeon, The Making of a Surgeon serves well as a personal account of working in a medical profession. Dr. Nolen himself mentions that understanding a concept in a classroom setting or in textbook form is entirely different from actually having a real-life, hands-on experience. Through Nolen's recounting of his experience at Bellevue, the readers are supplied with a feeling of what kinds of problems and situations a surgeon might face in reality.

    Do you think this is an effective way to train surgeons?
    If this question is referring to Dr. Nolen's situation and the way HE is being trained to be a surgeon, I would agree that his internship at Bellevue is effective in preparing him to enter the medical field as a surgeon. By working under the pressure of life-endangering circumstances, Nolen is trained to react quickly in the most threatening situations. This is a skill that is greatly beneficial in becoming a successful surgeon.

    If this question is addressing the use of this actual book as a tool for training surgeons, I would say that although it works as a nice supplement, it should not be used as the main resource for a medical education. This book merely serves its purpose as being an account of the actual experience, and does not include enough factual information to serve as a main resource in the education of an aspiring surgeon.

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  35. What do you think of the Making of a Surgeon so far? Do you think this is an effective way to train surgeons? What would you do differently if you were in charge of medical school education?

    I really like the Making of a Surgeon because it really puts the reader into the shoes of a budding surgeon. I think interning at a hospital is the best was to train surgeons. However, I do know that although this is the best way, it still has many draw backs. The easiest way to explain this is to compare it to doing practice math problem. When someone wants to practice a certain mathematical method, the best way is to practice doing problems. However, the person will make mistakes when practicing math problems. This is similar to an internship in that a person will make mistakes but will learn a lot from them. This is good in that the interns will learn the 'ways of the hospital' and will be very experienced but this is bad because people will get hurt. We've already read multiple cases of mess ups where people have gotten hurt because of an inexperienced intern.

    All in all, this method, although it has its drawbacks, its the best as it will allow a intern to learn form his/her mistakes. If I were in charge of medical school education, I would continue this internship system because I think practice is a vital part of becoming a good surgeon. There have been multiple cases of where Nolan did not know how to do something but as time passed, and he practiced daily, he became better.

    Making of a Surgeon is a very interesting book in that it doesn't flinch away form the uncomfortable parts of the practice of medicine. It digs deep into the high stress, and high guild areas and tells the experience like it really is. I like how it's not watered down, yet humorous and interesting at the same time. This book is like a good story.

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  36. I think that Making of a Surgeon has been a very interesting and fast read, but I am not sure how effective this book would be at actually training surgeons. It is a great introduction to hospitals and everything else that goes into being a surgeon, but as an actual instructive aid, I do not know if it would be up to par. There are several mistakes made in the book without consequences being emphasized - it is important for medical students to understand the consequences of making a mistake in order to be more careful.
    If I were in charge of a medical school, I would have this book be an introduction to the world of surgery - however, I would have it accompanied by more technical books to supplement more of the science aspects.

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  37. I really enjoy re3ading this book. I feel like I'm getting an inside look at what it's like to be a surgeon. I think it's a great book for prospective surgeons to read because it goes deeper than all of the medical facts and studies that a regular textbook would give. This book shows people that it's not all nice and cheery on the path to become a doctor, but it can be very worthwhile if you're up for the ride. It's a good book to be read along with more medical works.

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