Final Exam: A Surgeon's Reflections on Mortality Audiobook (Unabridged)

" This is a book of such compassion. I loved reading it. "

" Author seems to have (in my medical/cardiac ICU nurse mind) an overly high view of surgeons. However, that isn't the point of the book, the book is to reflect on medicine's attitude and treatment - her attitude and treatment - of dying patients, which she does well; most of her stories are compelling and some ring true for me (despite my different background). She did a good job laying out a general structure of the book in the introduction, but I sometimes got lost in how each little story in each chapter fit together. "

" DNF. First one-third of the book did not contain a single new or striking revelation about the topic of the title. "

" It questions our perceptions of the medical system and what it means to live while dying. "

" My healthcare background made me read this. "

" Thought this would be a good book to read as the health care debate unfolds in the US. I highly recommend the book to anyone in the medical professions, but think there are more appropriate treatises on death and mortality for other audiences. Mary Roach's Stiff: The Curious Life of Human Cadavers offers a more lighthearted glimpse into that which awaits us all. For a philosophical and psychological examination of mortality, Ernest Becker's The Denial of Death is indispensable and potentially life-changing. Still, Chen does an admirable job of presenting the physician's dilemma between the struggle to save lives and the responsibility to prepare patients for the inevitable. "

" This book opened my eyes to how doctors think and what they go through; really stayed with me. Sensitively written and compassionate without being syrupy. Author Chen conveys the fears of medical training including the strangely intimate ritual of the med school cadaver while lamenting lack of training in bedside manner. Great book. "

" Interesting theme: doctors are so afraid of death/hardwired to simply "cure" that they often pursue treatments that lengthen life but diminish its quantity. Ironically, Chen paints doctors as a population that seems most afraid to discuss, confront and accept death. "

" A surgeon's view of the changing attitudes regarding end of life care. I thought it was very good. "

" An interesting discussion of how physicians learn to avoid and diminish death. At times the author is overly earnest, but overall I enjoyed the perspective of a young woman aurgeon who, though surrounded by death in her daily work, has yet to come to address the idea of death and dying. "

" Dr. Chen, a surgeon and liver transplant specialist, shares her concerns that doctors do not receive adequate training regarding helping patients and families to deal with end-of-life issues. "

" Interesting thoughts on dead and the medical profession from a rather personal account. I would have liked more examples of how she became better at talking to patients about death. "

" One surgeon's story of how she came to grips with the mortality of her patients and how ultimately it helped her become a better physician. I liked her story well enough, but didn't find her writing style very engaging so I only give this three stars. "

" Excellent read. You know it's well written when you can't put a nonfiction book about death and dying down. "

" Depressing. Chen's topic is dying. The book is a litany of dead patient stories. Very insightful about surgeons' personalities and the "surgeons' culture," and also somewhat unique in its emphasis on empathy as the primary trait a good doctor needs. "

" I was at a store that sells cheap books and this caught my eye. So far, it is very intriguing. Made it through her semester with a cadaver and now making it through her first witnessed code. "

" Realistic portrayal of the "final exam" on all of us. "

" good book,I really enjoyed it but I expected more at the end,like Pauline Chen would have something to sum up her experiences of dealing with death and dying and her patients and what she learned by her experiences. I would recomend this book but it did leave me wanting a bit more, "

" Excellent -- elegantly covers how physicians deal (or don't) with death in their work. Several great essays spanning Chen's med school training to her clinical experience. A sensitive and observant writer. "

" Fascinating, interesting, and touching. It was too short for my tastes but Chen's description of her internal struggle with mortality is riveting. "

" Not bad, but I think it would have been better for a nice long essay vs book. "

" It's always interesting to see the viewpoints of others and I liked seeing the doctor's thoughts about death. Sometimes it seemed a bit dramatic and other times detached and routine. Made me examine my own thoughts a bit more... "

" Excellent read. You know it's well written when you can't put a nonfiction book about death and dying down. "

" Since I deal with death and dying (and surgeons) a lot, this introspective book was perfect for me! "

" I wanted to read this after reading Dr. Chen's columns in the New York Times. The book is both thoughtful and thought-provoking. "

" Well written and at times interesting. Although the author focused on her personal reflections on death, there's a fair bit of autobiographical type materials as well. Not that they were any less interesting. If you generally enjoy doctor books, you might like this. "

" One surgeon's story of how she came to grips with the mortality of her patients and how ultimately it helped her become a better physician. I liked her story well enough, but didn't find her writing style very engaging so I only give this three stars. "

" I gave this book five stars because it matched so many of my own thoughts and feelings about end of life care. Every one who goes into medicine should have to read this or even better Dr Chen could do lectures to all prospective doctors. "

" A surgeon's view of the changing attitudes regarding end of life care. I thought it was very good. "

" pages I dogearred - 90, 100, 160 "