How Not to Be a Doctor

The essential book on how not to be a doctor - and how to be a better one.


Originating from the popular columns John Launer has written for medical journals over his career, How Not to be a Doctor includes over fifty essays covering a range of topics including music, poetry, literature, and psychoanalysis, as well as contemporary medical politics and the personal experiences of being a doctor.


Taken together, they set out an argument that being a doctor - a real doctor - should mean being able to draw on every aspect of yourself, your interests, and your experiences, however remote these may seem from the medical task of the moment.


From lessons on what they don't teach you in medical school to the author's poignant account of being a patient himself as he received treatment for a life-threatening illness, the essays in How Not to Be a Doctor combine erudition with humour, candour, and the human touch that will inform and entertain readers on both ends of the stethoscope.


***PRAISE FOR HOW NOT TO BE A DOCTOR***


'An essential read... It is a gem.' Dr. Fiona Moss, CBE, Dean of the Royal Society of Medicine


'This collection is warm, wise, generous, thoughtful and thought-provoking... imbued with a moving humanity which offers inspiration and reassurance in equal measure.' Dr. Deborah Bowman, MBE, BBC Broadcaster and Professor of Medical Ethics and Law


'Witty and wise. Shows how important it is that doctors are allowed to be human.' Kit Wharton, author of Emergency Admissions: Memoirs of an Ambulance Driver


'An all-round excellent book, which would appeal to a wide range of healthcare professionals and students... a light-hearted way of looking at serious subjects.' BMA Panel of Judges


'I raced through this book, laughing, nodding, highlighting and then read some favourite bits again. Every chapter has a gem of wisdom as well as being so very elegantly written and entertaining.' Jenny Rogers, Co-Author of Coaching for Health


'Bursting with wonder and wisdom, this seductively readable book imparts courage and joy in equal measure.' Dr. Iona Heath, CBE. Former President, Royal College of General Practitioners and author of The Mystery of General Practice


'Gets to the heart and soul of current medical practice. Written by a doctor, but incorporates life experience and wisdom, making it an easy, thought provoking read.' Professor Jane Dacre, President of the Royal College of Physicians