aliothsan. Many thanks!Cutting Remarks is primarily about Dr. Schwab's experience in residency at UCSF, through various wards (surgical, pediatric, vascular, etc).
To a certain extent, it reminds me of Heart Failure, though rather than being bitter, Schwab speaks from a highly successful retrospective. In that sense, I see some of what Heart Failure describes - the quasi-abusive social structures, excessive hours, and frequent trauma of patient death, tempered by decades of distance and time to forget the worst.
Schwab's account is enthralling enough that I read it in one sitting; it made me both laugh and cry, often simultaneously or near to it. He manages to find a certain humor even when starkly describing what are clearly memories that have stayed with him through the years as personal failures. His description of surgery itself is quite interesting; jocular, visual, visceral. Even (especially?) when describing what would otherwise be rather squicky aspects of his obvious love, trauma care.
If you read his blog (which is also excellent and well worth reading) you will get a feel for his style; it seems to be native, and not just merely a touchup by some top-notch ghostwriter.
I'm not sure what more I can say about it other than that I recommend it without reservation, and will loan on request.
ETA: As regards personal reaction: I am fairly sure that I do not myself want to go into surgery. Psychiatry or neurology perhaps, but I've already discussed my qualms about medical school compared to a straight Ph.D. I'm still somewhat uncertain about trying for an MSTP (MD + PhD); while I admire what he does - and that he has remained human despite it - I do not think it is for me, and I would likely need to force the MD part to work for my true interests.
But it is, nevertheless, fascinating stuff.
ETA2: You can also hear him read part of it at http://surgeonsblog.mypodcast.com/i
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Why?
Thanks very much for your kind words. While in the middle of a fairly deep funk, writingly, it's nice to know people still find my efforts useful and entertaining.
As to the MD/PhD dichotomy: my niece is a PhD, just hired by and starting a lab at NYU, in the esoterica of immunology. She was visiting recently, and we were at my Mom's (in an Alzheimer's unit). I told my mom a joke, at which she laughed hard (once I explained it to her.) Then Susan told one, and my mom never got it. So I told my mom, if someone tells you a joke, you want it to be an MD, not a PhD. At which point Susan laughed so hard she nearly rolled off the couch. The truth, sometimes, is best laughed off.
In my case, my interests boil down to a desire to understand (and be able to change) how people think / relate from a fairly internal-to-them perspective. So in a certain sense, the process I undergo to get there is important to me; I'd rather not lose my empathy on the altar of its own education.
In either case I'm fairly sure I'll take a PhD; it's more a question of whether a PhD, or an MD+PhD.