THE MAKING OF A SURGEON

by ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 9, 1970

Dr. Nolen went to Bellevue as an intern about fifteen years ago (at first to be billeted in the lounge) and this is a low-keyed but crucial account of the years he spent there in surgery, working his way up to chief resident. Less critical of professional and institutional difficulties than Intern or most recently Michael Crichton's Five Patients, always aware of the low ceiling of human oversight and error, his book walks soundlessly down the corridors of New York's most overburdened facility for the underprivileged. And his very level, suture by ligature, account of the cases he handled (sometimes mishandled) from the first fumble-fingered appendectomy) is fascinating indeed. Bellevue is a large city hospital where everything is much harder; along with the missing syringes and pipettes, lost films and waiting lists for almost everything, there's the caseload of patients--derelicts with maggot infested ulcers, skinpopping addicts, or just the ""dump"" victims--whose poverty creates a whole new set of variables. Nolen talks easily about the nurses, the more eclectic aspects of G.U., T.B., blood (the intern who recruits the most donors gets a fifth of liquor and an afternoon off), etc., etc. and perforating cases in point illustrate throughout. All in all a scut book full of fascinating shoptalk; Dr. Nolen is a very nice man to have around in sickness and in health and the book should be a fine referral.

Pub Date: Nov. 9, 1970

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Random House

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 1970

Categories: NONFICTION