The Year of the Intern (A Medical Thriller)

The Year Of The Intern chronicles the year a young doctor spends as an intern. Along with lots of fascinating medical detail, the book takes a searingly honest look at the physical and psychological cost to the intern. These include: the near-indescribable exhaustion, the expectation of carrying out complicated and risky procedures the intern does not have the experience for, the life-or-death decisions to be made daily, dealing with anxious, angry and distraught relatives and, worst of all, the gradual ebbing of empathy eg Dr Peters starts thinking of each patient by their disease rather than their name.What really disturbed me was the fact that this was written in 1972 and so little has really changed. This should be compulsory reading for anyone thinking of entering the medical or nursing professions. If it doesn't put you off, you've found your calling!

At first, the temptation is to read this book as an autobiography of Robin Cook. Don't give in to it, or you might be further tempted, as I was, to swear off reading anything else by the author. The experiences of the main character are fascinating, and that almost allows you to overlook his increasingly unavoidable character flaws. Mercifully, Dr. Peters isn't Dr. Cook. He's an avenue by which Cook diagnoses the symptoms of a disease doctors catch from internship. It is damning of the medical field that this book is so relevant in the 21st century.In the end, the book is brave, subtle, and excellently crafted.

This is Robin Cook's first book and is a bit different than his books that he did afterwards. I found that it was a brave book for him to have written in the medical field as there is that "code of Doctors" and letting us in to see what the life of an Intern is like before the next step is inlightening as well as informative. Even though there are a few changes since this book was written, it is sad to say that the Interns still do so much without lack of proper sleep and it is like the ones that went through becoming a Doctor want the next group to have to do the same thing without thinking of the safety of the patient. If you can get a hold of this book it is worth reading.

This book was written in the early 70's. What I loved most about this book is the truth to it. I am a registered nurse and work with a lot of interns. It is amazing that although this book was written a long time ago, nothing has changed. This book is not only entertaining, but it also will give you a very good idea of what it is REALLY like to be an intern. It did amaze me after reading this that after all this time, again, nothing has changed. I could almost say that this book does not belong in the fiction category. Robin Cook fans will enjoy this one and medical professionals will appreciate this one as well! Happy Reading!! :)

Read this book many years ago and just had to read it again. I don't know how anyone makes it through a year of being an intern. With lack of sleep due to such long hours, makes a person wonder just how many mistakes are made. I had the privilege of meeting Dr. Cook at a medical convention in Boston, MA. Made my day!

If you are interested in the field of medicine at all, I think The Year of the Intern is a must read. This book really takes you into the life of a surgical intern. I was exhausted just reading about the hours Dr. Peters put in and the very little bit of sleep he got during the span of the book. I really like Robin Cook's other books, and while this is not a thriller, I still found it hard to put down.

So tightly bound you can’t read it.

to read its a good book

I have given this book only three stars as I have judged it as a novel/entertainment. But I actually think the book is more of a biography, even if the protagonist is fictive.In the prologue Robin Cook acknowledges the reality of the content and how it is based upon his own experience as a young intern. Although a lot has happened in medicine since then, Dr. Cook emphasizes that the experiences of an intern during that year are still more or less the same. Hence "The Year of the Intern" is basically very accurate.This book is a very medical book. Almost mirrorizing what goes on in all departments of a large busy hospital day and night. Detailed descriptions of cases, treatment, operations, medication. Everything that goes on behind the scenes. Serious - at times brutal - sad, heartwarming, touching.My most important message to new readers is that the book is not an entertaining novel - medical thriller - for laymen. Unless one has a special interest in or background from medicine, this book is easily boring, full of detailed medical technicalities and observations/spesific medical terms.There are no chapters and few paragraphs.Many of the cases described, are so tough and realistic that it's hard to see how they will prove as entertainment to ordinary readers - or any readers at all, for that matter.Five stars for readers from the inside medical world. Three or less for seekers of the fascinating fictional medical thriller.

This was 95% auto biographical and would probably appeal more to the American readership. I have had read many Robin Cock novels and have been wonderfully enthralled. This was his first book and really is not in the same league of the others. It was interesting to hear how interns were treated during their first year of medical practice and also quite amusing to see another fresh faced intern follow in his footsteps.

Although quite dated in medical terms, this, the first book by Robin Cook, remains just as thrilling as when it was first released. A real page turner which i could not put down.

My goodness!! written in 1972 describing the American medical system and it still suits in 2019 for an Indian subcontinent intern...... Every intern could actually relate them very much to the protagonist..... The never ending drama it seems even after century...... coming to the book Robin cook once again at his best but i wonder whether a non medico could last till the end.....

Delvery was late.it was not sent by my suggested couier and prodcut arrived late. THe book is fabulous work of mastermind Rd RObin Cook. Astounding piece of literary work in medical fiction