Retirement Calculator

Nice mix

by K. Sullivan 2008-07-19, 2 people found this review helpful

This book has a nice mix of parts that say the path is long and hard with parts that say it is possible for a variety of people to make it. The book may be a disappointment to high school kids who think they want to be in medicine because of all the cool shows they have seen on TV. Maybe if there was a low key, Barney Miller-like show about a group of GPs and their patients to replace the high drama of ER people would think a bit harder about the career before they got to college.

The contrasting stories of how people who went into medicine for the right reasons, from those who seemed destined for it all along to those who went in much later like Patterson himself, are the most interesting to me.

I also enjoyed Dennis Bland's contribution a lot. His is the sort of project that can have a lot of positive unintended consequences even for the people who do not make go into the field.

The section on underserved communities has a much different tone than the rest of the book. More serious. Where the rest of the book lets the reader identify with the people or actions ("hey, I'm like that" or "I could never do that") this section appeals more to the head and sense of justice, especially to people who want to do good and are turned off by the stereotype of doctors costing big bucks.