Fifty-six Strategies for Becoming a World-Class Physician: Minimizing Patient Loss and Maximizing Care Quality

S Thomas Allred: Having been a practicing physician for almost 50 years I can testify with all sincerity that this is the most valuable medical “textbook” that I own. Each of the 56 pithy essays contains a valuable lesson, expressed humorously, on how to conduct your life and your practice as a physician (or physician’s assistant or nurse practitioner, etc.). These are all the invaluable lessons they didn’t teach you in medical school (I should know - I used to be a professor!). It is a MUST READ!

United States on Oct 27, 2022

Uwe Manthei: I chose this book as gift for a newly minted consultant

United Kingdom on May 15, 2022

Bee: This is a quick and easy read with quite a few good tips and tricks for primary care/internal medicine. Glad that I read it!

United States on May 01, 2021

BarineBarine: Arrivé avec des traces noires sur la jaquette. Bon état général sinon.

France on Dec 18, 2020

SRM: Christmas gift for my gp, he loved it.

Canada on Feb 06, 2019

Nat: Kam bei einem Medizin-Studenten sehr gut an. Nette Anekdoten aus dem Leben eines Arztes mit guten Tipps, wie man manche Situationen meistern kann.

Germany on Feb 16, 2015

Dr. Tim Parker: I'm retired from the medical field now, but still I will be bringing a slightly skewed view to this review. This book is not new: I remember hearing about it two decades ago, but only recently bought it. What this book is about is the doctor (and, to a wider degree, anyone in the medical profession), from our own point of view. This isn't a doctor going on about patient stories and how silly they are, about the hypochondriacs that clog our systems, or about the silly things we see. This is about doctors making fun of other doctors!

For the doctor reading this book, we'll recognize a lot of the sense of humour that comes from long hours, frustrating patients, annoying bureaucracy, pushy company reps, nurses who seem bent on getting revenge for something we did, students who think they know everything, and so on. A lot of this just hits home to just about every medical professional, and there's the humour underlyign everything. But more importantly for those who understand, this is a guide to being a better doctor: how to handle those troublesome patients, deal with the moody staff, and so on. It's about moving from a good doctor to a great doctor, without getting a...

Canada on Jul 10, 2014

Reed C. Andrew: The work in question is particularly appealing to physicians, as they have experienced what Dr. London is describing, having traveled the same road through college and medical school and private practice. His wit is keen and often it makes the reader laugh out loud . . . nearly unable to stop. Patients will also enjoy it, but the common understanding of physicians makes M.D.'s the real target of this book.

United States on Apr 30, 2012

GirlScoutDad: ....if so, then this book will cause you a some serious pain! The pseudonymous "Oscar London" is not only a great and funny writer, but almost certainly an excellent doctor as well. And like all good humor, there are also profound truths buried within (well, okay, maybe the term "buried" isn't the best word to use in describing a book on doctoring). In this book, you can see Dr. London, with wit, comedy, tragedy, or irony, tackling all the very serious issues that stress out doctors and push lesser healers into burnout, addiction, or depression. Medical errors, insurance hassles, predatory "financial advisers", professional jealousy, doctor-nurse relations, difficult diagnoses, malpractice attorneys, incompetent medical students, long-winded patients, pill-seeking addicts: Dr. London has seen it all, and has a humorous or insightful take on it that will amuse all and help physicians cope with the significant stressors of practicing medicine. As a practicing physician, I think this hilarious little book is up there among the best books anywhere about not merely being a doctor, but becoming a good (or great) doctor.

United States on Jan 13, 2012

Kenneth: The old version that I first loved was wonderful but in a bit of a cheap paperback perfect bound thing. This edition is a much more substantial, much more "stick it on the shelf next to the toilet and read during quality time" feel to it. If you are a patient, don't read this. Give it to your doctor, particularly if you hate him - because he or she just might die of laughter. There is humor but also wisdom and poignancy. It is more of a "must read" for doctors than Netter's Anatomy. The only con - I wonder why the author changed the content of the chapter "when you do something so terrible to die over, don't." The original story left an indelible mark and was what I felt the most powerful moment in the book. The chapter that replaced it was insipid and uninspired.

United States on Dec 04, 2009