Title | The House of God |
Author | Samuel Shem |
Type | Novel, Satire, Medical fiction, Bildungsroman |
Published Date | August 1978 |
Language | English |
File Format | |
Number of Pages | 429 |
Rating | Click to rate this post! [Total: 1 Average: 5] |
The House of God is a satirical novel by Samuel Shem (a pseudonym used by psychiatrist Stephen Bergman), published in 1978. The novel follows a group of internal doctors in a fictional version of Beth Israel Hospital over the course of a year in the early 1970s, focusing on the psychological damage and dehumanization caused by his residency training. The book, described by the New York Times as “obscene, haunting, and hilarious,” was seen as scandalous at the time of publication, but gained a cult following and eventually recorded its place in the evolving discussion of humanism, ethics, and training. In medicine.
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The House of God Summary
The hilarious healing arts novel that reveals everything your doctor ever wanted you to know.
Six anxious interns: They saw themselves as future modern saviors. They reached from the top of their medical school class to the bottom of hospital staff for a year in traditional tradition, vying to respond to the flash of on-call lights and noble nurses.
But only the Fat Man, the clam, an all-knowing resident, could sustain them in their struggle to survive, stay sane, love, and even be medical when their heartbreaking year ended.
The House of God Review
The hilarious healing arts novel that reveals everything your doctor ever wanted you to know. Six anxious interns: They saw themselves as future modern saviors. They reached from the top of their medical school class to the bottom of hospital staff for a year in traditional tradition, vying to respond to the flash of on-call lights and noble nurses. But only the Fat Man – the all-knowing resident Clam – could sustain them in their fight to survive, stay sane, love, and even be medical when their heartbreaking year ended.
About The Author of The Book Samuel Shem
Samuel Shem (aka Stephen Bergman) is the author of several books of fiction including the bestseller The House of God. He is a doctor, novelist, playwright, and activist. A Rhodes Scholar, he was on the faculty of Harvard Medical School for three decades and founded the Bill W. and Dr. Bob Project in the Division on Addictions at Harvard Medical School. He divides his time between Boston, MA, and Tierra Tranquila, Costa Rica.
The House of God PDF
The House of God Quotes
The patient is the one with the disease
Life’s like a penis; When it’s soft you can’t beat it; When it’s hard you get screwed. – The Fat Man, Medical Resident in The House of God
It’s an incredible paradox that being a doctor is so degrading and yet is so valued by society
Every intern makes mistakes. The important thing is neither to make the same mistakes twice nor to make a whole bunch of mistakes all at once.