Published: April 2016
Pages: 350
Synopsis: “A rousing, provocative novel about four years in the life of an intrepid young medical student, set in the grueling world of an elite NYC medical school.
"...the best fictional portrayal of med school since ER." -- BlueInk Review (starred review)
Medical student Seth Levine faces escalating stress and gallows humor as he struggles with the collapse of his romantic relationships and all preconceived notions of what it means to be a doctor. It doesn’t take long before he realizes not getting frazzled is the least of his problems.
Seth encounters a student so arrogant he boasts that he’ll eat any cadaver part he can’t name, an instructor so dedicated she tests the student’s ability to perform a gynecological exam on herself, and a woman so captivating that Seth will do whatever it takes to make her laugh, including regale her with a story about a diagnostic squabble over an erection.
Didn’t Get Frazzled captures with distressing accuracy the gauntlet idealistic college grads must face to secure an MD and, against the odds, come out of it a better human being.
Rating: *****
I received a free copy of Didn't Get Frazzled in exchange for an honest review.
I loved this! I don't tend to read or watch anything overly medical, so being honest, I was unsure how I was going to get on with this. But the characters and their lives mixed perfectly with the medical terms and procedures in an all-round enjoyable and engrossing read.
They say write what you know, and this is definitely what David Hirsch has done. I don't think it would be possible to write about the medical terms and procedures with such confidence and make it so easy for the reader by doing research alone. The descriptions were vivid and no holds barred, but that made the book all the more realistic. From a lay persons perspective, this appeared to be an accurate insight.
The characters were well written and authentic, even the patients who were only mentioned for a matter of pages. There was good, realistically paced character development of Seth and the other main characters.
I would be intrigued to know how Seth gets on with his career, possibly even training a new generation of medical students? I could definitely see this working as a TV series.
A very well written novel, a very solid 5*. The best book I have since probably Summer 2016. I would be incredibly interested in reading anything else by David Hirsch.
