This Is Going to Hurt: Secret Diaries of a Young Doctor

by Adam Kay

I’m pretty unshockable, but I’ll never cease to be amazed by hospitals’ willful ineptitude when it comes to caring for their own staff.

So I told them the truth: the hours are terrible, the pay is terrible, the conditions are terrible; you’re underappreciated, unsupported, disrespected, and frequently physically endangered. But there’s no better job in the world.

Next time a government tries to denigrate doctors or take a pickax to the health-care system, don’t just accept what the politicians feed you. Think about the toll the job takes on every medical professional, at home and at work. Remember that all of them do an absolutely impossible job to the very best of their abilities. Your time in the hospital may well hurt them a lot more than it hurts you.