A Not Entirely Benign Procedure: Four Years as a Medical Student

by Perri Klass

"Fascinating... Klass writes with wit, intelligence, and a great deal of insight."— The New York Times Book Review

Acclaimed pediatrician, journalist, and novelist Perri Klass offers a provocative look at the ups and downs of medical school from those first exams to the day she became a doctor. In a direct, candid style, Klass shares what it is like to be a first-time mother while attending med school; the unique lingo of the med student; how to deal with every bodily fluid imaginable; and the humor and heartbreak of working with patients. With this collection of essays, Klass established herself as a go-to voice for a generation of med students and doctors, with her frank and witty perspective. Klass also brings a proven ability to make the medical world accessible to the lay reader, through her extensive literary and journalistic experience.

Genres: Medicine, Medical, Memoir, Nonfiction, Biography, Science, Autobiography

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1987

About the author

Perri Klass is a pediatrician who writes fiction and non-fiction. She writes about children and families, about medicine, about food and travel, and about knitting. Her newest book is a novel, The Mercy Rule, and the book before that was a work of non-fiction, Treatment Kind and Fair: Letters to a Young Doctor, written in the form of letters to her older son as he starts medical school.
She lives in New York City, where she is Professor of Journalism and Pediatrics at New York University, and she has three children of her own. She is also Medical Director of Reach Out and Read, a national literacy organization which works through doctors and nurses to promote parents reading aloud to young children.
source: www.perriklass.com

Reviews

[Yael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although Klass studied medicine about 20 years before I did, her description of her experiences as a medical student rang true to mine. In fact, some her her memoirs brought back such intense memories for me that I could again smell the "hospital smell" as I did when I first started on the wards (I don't notice it any more since I have become too familiar with it). Reading these essays, I again felt the same anxiety I did back when I was a third-year medical student when everything in the hospital was new to me, I didn't know where the bathroom was, and "presenting" to a senior resident was scary.

[Bree · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was recommended to me to get a flavor for what life is like as a medical student - particularly a slightly older, female, non-traditional student.

The book is frankly scary if you're considering medicine as a career - the overwhelming stress and forced maturation she describes is daunting. On the other hand, it's probably very realistic for someone going through the process while juggling a family. Her writing is accessible and insightful, and at times I found myself identifying completely with her and her thoughts on the field (though, granted, in some ways the book is outdated). A book I will likely re-read.

I saw a review at one point on amazon which described her as run-of-the-mill; that person clearly didn't identify with Perri at all, which is not a failure of her writing so much as their imagination, especially given that they recommended Melvin Konner's "Becoming A Doctor", a far less eloquent/evocative book.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perri Klass is that rare beast, a doctor who cares for people and writing. She writes with humor and little regret in this collection of (updated) essays about learning to become a medical professional, to get on with the business of medicine while suffering from sleep deprivation and terminable ignorance. Although A NOT ENTIRELY BENIGN PROCEDURE came out almost 20 years ago, when she spoke at the Columbia Medical School last night Perri's schtick seemed unchanged. The young woman who had to go into the ladies' room to splash her face with water or cry out in order to carry on is the admirable pediatrician who now writes fiction (MERCY RULES) as her outlet along with prescriptions for age-appropriate books and antibiotics for her little patients. She founded Reach out and Read http://www.reachoutandread.org/ to pave children's way with books.

[HollandWelch · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book I read this month was A Not Entirely Benign Procedure: Four Years as a Medical Student by Perri Klass. A collection of essays that detail the author’s time in medical school, the book is brimming with sharp wit, humorous anecdotes, and poignant ponderings of the author’s place in the medical world. The particular, brusque, and removed culture of doctors is something that Klass spends time detailing. The unintelligible medical lingo, the grim jokes, and the relentless spirit of hierarchy and competition are all things that are detailed in the essays. In all, I very much enjoyed this book, as it was entertaining, interesting, and thoughtful. I would recommend this book to anyone with an interest in medicine, and in the training one receives to be a doctor. I rate this book five out of five.

[Allie Lyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

The more I read, the more I loved this book. As I'm approaching the start of my medical education as a nontraditional, married student who hopes to be a pediatrician, coupled with a great possibility of starting a family while in school, I really appreciated Dr. Klass' insights. I also hope to do away rotations in other countries like India, so that segment of this book was also enjoyable. Her writing is very genuine and candid, which really reeled me into her stories. I also appreciated the Author's Notes in this revised edition. Very well done. I hope to read her other books someday.

[Babs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Because you WILL get sick, because you WILL die (hopefully not in a hospital), because you WILL need a doctor...this book is a must-read. Dr. Perri Klass, in a series of essays written during her 4 years as a medical student at Harvard, gives us an insiders look at the way doctors are trained in the U.S. I agree with Dr. Klass when she says "I believe that the major danger is still too much intervention-- not too little."

My bedside advice to you...don't visit your Doctor, or go to the hospital until you have read this book.

[Laila Tarek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easily one of my favorite non-fiction reads this year (and of all time, really).

I don't think I'll write a full review about this one because it felt like a very personal experience to explore the journey of someone studying in my field and going through all the milestones that really do set my career out. Going through medical learning through her gave me some sort of comfort that I can do this too even if I feel like giving up some days.
I dog-eared a lot of pages to revisit when I need a reminder of why I'm doing this, and I'm very glad this was a book provided by our medical ethics professor in my university program.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

My review from 2005: This book is a collection of essays, many of which apparently were published previously in Mademoiselle, The New York Times, and other magazines. Together, they form a coherent, cogent, and humorous chronicle of the author's experiences as a medical student. They also form an effective critique of the medical school and hospital institutions, pointing out problems and poking holes in the inflated self-importance that permeates the medical field, while at the same time conveying immense respect where it is due. A very enjoyable read.

[Allison Park · Rating 4 out of 5]

In A Not Entirely Benign Procedure, Perri Klass gives an intimate account of her experience of simultaneously being a Harvard medical student, wife, mother and weekly columnist for the New York Times. This book is honest, and tells of tales varying from humorous to tragic. She ponders her experiences and pours out her emotions. Personally, I found her discussion of gender and sexism the most interesting. She claims that most female doctors are often mistaken for nurses, a mishap that rarely to never occurs with male doctors. I recommend this book to curious readers and readers interested in the field of medicine.

[Deanne Dumo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a compliation of anecdotes and reflections of a medical student undergoing her first four years of training in the 1980's in the US. I got it from a book sale, I immediately got curious about the content. It was always a mystery to me how doctors came to be. The memoir shows how the training changes the author, how the physical challenges in her beginning years at the hospital began to mature her perspective slowly, with discipline and the constant discovery of knowledge being instilled in her throughtout her cases. The book was hard to put down.

[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fairly intimidating book. It consists of essays written by the author as she progressed through medical school into internship, having a child and quite a lot of doubts along the way. I liked the unusually frank portrayal of med students, interns, residents and general hospital care. I would recommend this book to anyone aiming for medical school but only in conjunction with something a bit more upbeat.

[Leah · Rating 5 out of 5]

A collection of fascinating, thoughtful, well-written essays about medical school. The third section is particularly good. I made my husband, who is an attending, read the essay called "Power Plays" and he could barely finish it because he was laughing so hard. The essay entitled "Baby Poop" should be a classic that is reprinted all over the place (yes, I am serious, and yes, that's really what the essay is about - or at least what it starts out being about). Definitely recommended.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of essays that cover the author's medical school experience, both pre-clinical years and clinical years.

Good thing: The author made the topics understandable and relatable and was very open about how being a woman changed the experience.

Bad thing: The fact that all medical students - no matter how inept - can become doctors makes me cringe a bit.

I'm a sucker for memoirs about becoming a doctor and this is a good one.

[Isabel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had read this freshman year, but re-read now. It is med-nerd book #1 in a series of med-nerd books that I plan on reading. I feel like it might be a bit out of date, but it's an easy read, and makes me think that I might not actually die in this process. Maybe.

[Katherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easily readable and enjoyable is the series of essays by a medical school graduate who will now become an intern, resident and then her own practice. She share the intense education, the long hours, the pains of being ranked at the bottom of her totem pole and does not lose her sense of humor.

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

2010 Revised Edition Read; Borrowed from the library

Klass's book "A Not Entirely Benign Procedure" is a unique memoir in that it was written during it tenure as a medical student and not after the fact, and though I read the "revised" edition, in Klass's words, she did not censor or editorialize her past self word's (even when she wanted to), but did add contextual commentary with the benefit of hindsight. This is a book of essays with two main kinds of essays: essays about school, split between the preclinical and clinical years - including, one titled "Who Knows This Patient?" about Klass experiencing one of her first code blues that I read, incidentally, the day before my Code Blue Simulation during Year 3 Orientation - and essays about ethical issues.

While much about what Klass describes about both medical education and medical ethics is (self-admitted by the author in the commentary of the revised edition of the book) outdated as Klass originally wrote and published these essays in 1986, much of the patient experience and fundamental experience of being a medical student I believe holds true to today, and I truly enjoyed reading Klass's perspective as someone who enjoys narrative medicine, medical ethics and medical history.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book. Perri Klass is so clear on the toil and turmoil of medical school. Inever before realized what hard work it is to become a physician, and how much it can change one's thinking. . The memorization of a million facts in years one and two alone would have defeated me. And the hierarchy in the hospital from med student to chief resident -- it's kind of like a secret society in which the elders pass their knowledge on to the young ones. It must work because it is method that has stood the test of time. And Klass to her credit appears to have come out on the other side as a warm mother, parent and physician.

[Jonathan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Blech. Maybe it's just because most of this isn't new for me, but I found this a bit of a slog. Some good essays in the mix, particularly those dealing with ethical or cultural aspects of medicine, but overall dull.

[annasterli · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was very informative about the med school process, but it left me more anxious than anything else—and I never wanted to go to med school! Maybe that’s why it made me anxious? Haha.

Anyway, I wouldn’t recommend this book to someone who *does* want to go to med school, unless they’re super confident in themselves.

For everyone else, I think it’s a great inside look at what it takes to be a doctor and helpful in fostering empathy for the physicians who have sacrificed so much of themselves to care for us.

[Emes · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't think she enthralls the reader.

[Ashley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Felt dated. Could not connect to it as a current student. Stories were too piecemeal to make a collective whole and I felt like her “update” only exacerbated this.

[Kipp · Rating 4 out of 5]

An introspective view of 4 years of Harvard Medical School. Perri Klass offers a unique perspective, for 3 reasons - first, she's a woman, in what at the time was an extremely male-dominated profession.

Second, she's pregnant, and gives birth during the course of her medical training - giving her a unique perspective on the roles and modus operandi of both patients AND doctors. For instance, in her analysis of her own training, she comes to realize that much of the medical profession at the time treated pregnancy as another form of pathology - to be handled as one would a disease, rather than recognizing that pregnancy and birth had been going on for thousands of years before the advent of the medical profession. The phrase 'When you're a hammer, everything looks like a nail' comes to mind - very familiar in my extensive dealings with the medical profession.

And lastly, she's reflective and introspective about the experience, and communicates that introspection through these short essays. Again, not something most M.D.s are known for (a broad generalization, to be sure - but also grounded in truth). She gives a clear picture of what it's actually like being on call as a fourth-year med student - an authentic, first-person perspective that's difficult to find many other places.

This is a worthwhile read for anyone who has flirted or is flirting with the idea of going through medical training - and for those who have had extended dealings with those in the medical profession. My only caution is to be cognizant of the time at which the book was written - one could easily judge the entire field of medical education today based on the reflections in this book, and in so doing, the reader would likely be misinformed. While the attitudes and practices recounted are almost certainly still a part of the medical field, it's worth considering that many things have changed since the late '80's.

Still, although it is slightly dated in this day and age, there is a plethora of understanding to be found here.

[Caitlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

pretty entertaining collection of essays about her experience as a medical student. Interesting to see how your view of the world changes as a med student, and how she starts to become kind of smug and superior, until her own pregnancy bumps up against the way medical school trains them to view every condition of the body as a disease. I also thought it was interesting that she ultimately comes to believe that doctors can't actually do much for their patients, that when a sick person enters a hospital the doctors are there either to help them die or give them medicine which may or may not work, and that many diseases are self-healing. She finally decides to become a pediatrian because she says its one of the few forms of medicine where you can actually cure someone. Also good insight into just how insanely demanding the whole process of medical school is.
I wanted to be a doctor throughout high school but missed out when my year 12 score fell just short..can't say this book made me wish I could turn back time and get in...

[Kymberlie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This auto-biography of a young medical student during her internship and residency really helps one understand what a doctor learns, not only academically and clinically, but also psychologically. She documents how she was taught to distance herself from her patients, something she never wanted to do in becoming a physician. Dr. Klass has also had numerous columns in Parenting magazine.

[Hayley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book years ago, and now that I'm on the cusp of my medical education, I'm re-reading it.

It's interesting for anyone thinking about going to medical school, or who has a loved one about to undergo or currently undergoing medical school. It's fairly well-written, but not anything amazing.

[Joanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading this as a second-year med student was awesome. The author is so eloquent at expressing the shared perspectives and experiences of medical training, and the book is full of amusing stories to boot. I kept finding myself thinking, "Oh my gosh...that's EXACTLY what I feel like!" I really enjoyed this.

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly recommended. I read this years ago; it was terrific and many things that she wrote really stuck in my head.

[Alison · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book took me back to medical school! I remember being so green and wondering if I would ever get the hang of it. Now I wish I had all of the idealism back that I lost on the way!

[Polly · Rating 2 out of 5]

time peice

[Carrie]

books I've read,memoir