Forget the made-up medical dramas on television; this is the real thing--gripping, powerful, and memorable.--"Kirkus Reviews." An emergency medical...
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reviews
Nov 24, 2011
Kristen
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I loved this book. As a lab tech in a county hospital, I have more interaction with ER docs than any other kind and while I have grown to like and repsect some of them, I find myself whispering a little prayer to myself when I have to call certain ones or cringe when I pick up the phone to be yelled at by an irate ER doc. I often find myself wondering "What is this idiot THINKING?"- especially with the new younger ones. My fellow techs and I have pacts where we say "If I come in a
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Mar 02, 2011
Connie
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Oh my gosh. How this woman, or any doctor who is with Doctors Without Borders, can stand doing the work is beyond me. Substandard conditions doesn't even begin to describe the horror of what the doctors and patients must deal with. It is very enlightening and a bit depressing. Makes you feel blessed to live in this land, and my prayers are with those who don't. It goes deeply into details that may bore some, but I devour medical story books like this.
Dec 12, 2008
LeAnne
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Interesting book about being an Emergency Physician. Unfortunately, it was pretty depressing. The author is an unhappy, cynical person and working in the ER has not helped her.
There are many stories about emergency cases and a couple sections about her work with Doctors Without Borders in Bosnia and Nigeria. I found the ER stories most interesting.
There are many stories about emergency cases and a couple sections about her work with Doctors Without Borders in Bosnia and Nigeria. I found the ER stories most interesting.
Jan 10, 2008
Bethany
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Pamela Grim is an emergency room doctor who sometimes goes on forays into Third World countries to practice medicine there as well. There has been a spike in the number of doctors writing books (I think we can blame the popularity of ER for this…), and while all interesting, they are often not particularly well-written. Just Here Trying to Save a Few Lives is an exception to this rule.
Dr. Grim recounts the incidences that most influenced the way she practices medicine, as well as w More...
Dr. Grim recounts the incidences that most influenced the way she practices medicine, as well as w More...
Apr 25, 2010
Emmy
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I enjoyed the read because it was an enjoyable topic and not anything I really needed to analyze. However, her prose bugged me. I hated how some chapters were written in the "I" form and then she switched to "you". I understand what she was doing but I thought it was lame. Also, she would make what were supposed to be poignant statements that didn't really pull through for me - I would be left thinking, "What is she trying to say?". Again, I understood what she
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Jun 01, 2009
Martha
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Absolutely engrossing. I finished it in less than a day. Her experiences in Bosnia and Africa with aid agencies is particularly fascinating.
Apr 26, 2008
Mari
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While I found the case studies fascinating, in the end, I really didn't enjoy the book at all because I thought the author was so disatasteful. Yes, she did work with Doctors Without Borders, which of couse is admirable and wonderful work, but I found her attitude very condescending and judgemental, particlarly towards psych patients (there was one paragraph in which she talked about how much of a waste of resources suicide attempts take up). Also, the writing style was a bit strange, going fr
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Feb 13, 2009
Mylissa
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Excellent. If you ever wonder what it's like to work in a hospital ER, or as a traveling MD, you should read this book.
Dec 31, 2008
Holly
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It's an older book, but still describes a lot of what I see and do from day to day.
Apr 25, 2010
Meaghan
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A very engrossing account of the day-to-day life of an emergency room physician. There were some chapters about the author's work with Doctors Without Borders as well. The style of writing gave me a very immediate sense of the breath-holding dramas that happen in ER several times a day.
Aug 20, 2008
Brian
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I really enjoyed this book. Dr. Grim does an excellent job of capturing the challenges of Emergency Medicine. As an EMT, I encounter many of the same situations she describes in her book. My only complaint is that she leaves you hanging on some of the stories.
Apr 08, 2008
Lauren
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the best part about this book is the humor . .. I'm not kidding. the author really gives a great feel for some of the ridiculous situations she has encountered in emergency medicine. also heartbreaking at times.
Jan 17, 2011
Megan
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I thought this was an interesting book about the life of a Doctor usually not seen by the patient. There were a few parts that seemed to drag but in all I enjoyed the book.
Jan 28, 2008
Michael
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Interesting, but I don't know if the reader really gains anything beyond just knowing this: Emergency room medicine is a mess. But then I bet you already knew that.
May 28, 2011
Pancha
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Stories from an ER doctor. Grim comes off as a little harsh sometimes, but her voice is strong and the accounts very interesting.
Oct 25, 2008
Sarah
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well written and enjoyable even without a medical background. A bit gruesome at times but very real and even funny.
Aug 07, 2008
K8e
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Some of the accounts were heartbreaking, some were funny, but it was a neat look into the life of an ER Doctor.
Jul 20, 2008
Jay
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The real ER plus experiences from Bosnia and Nigeria through Doctors Without Borders.
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