fact that these same physicians will go the extra mile for many of their patients is illustrated in the case of the VA patient Hooky , a frequent flier , whom the entire staff loved and selflessly tried every last intervention to save . The fact that sometimes a caring physician administers enough opioid analgesia to ease pain , but also hasten death , needs widespread endorsement and acknowledgment . The memoir is filled with lessons from the practice of medicine that the lay public needs to hear and practicing physicians need to affirm .
Another strength of Dr Barry ’ s memoir is her signature humor . One funny anecdote among many involved the death of a wellknown Atlanta television personality . In the waiting room , Dr . Barry had to tell both the wife and the mistress of his death . While the nurses and the rest of the staff were comforting the wife , the mistress was being consoled by the janitor . Dr . Barry called the chaplain who was reluctant to come and offer solace to the mistress . Dr . Barry asked the chaplain if he had ever heard of Mary Magdalene . He came .
BOOK REVIEW long . On balance , however , the strengths of the memoir are much greater than its faults . Many readers , both those in the field of medicine and those outside , would enjoy and benefit from this honest rendering of the experience of being an internal medicine intern in the late 20 th century .
Dr . Costel is a practicing internist / infectious diseases doctor .
The Editorial Board of Louisville Medicine would like to congratulate Dr . Barry on the recent publication of her book . In order to avoid a conflict of interest we kept her completely in the dark regarding a possible review . We hope she will enjoy the surprise .
The faults of the memoir are not unlike the experiences of being an intern – an occasional typo , a sometimes confusing cast of patients and colleagues , and the desire for an ending ; this book is
COVID-19 Graphic Resources
Visit glms . org / exposure-chart / to download for use . Please feel free to print and post in your practice , hand out to patients or use on your website / social media .
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