The Scalpel’s Edge: The Culture of Surgeons
The Scalpel’s Edge: The Culture of Surgeons Books
Product Description
This ethnography about the culture of surgeons describes how and why they differ significantly from other physicians. Historically rising from humble roots as lower-class, uneducated, itinerant barbers, the profession has evolved into one of the most prestigious in America, one that utilizes the most sophisticated technologies in medicine. Surgeons have nonetheless retained many aspects of their historical culture, such as their proclivity for quick decisions, surgical “cures,” and their detachment and aloofness from patients and other physicians. This book describes in detail what surgeons really do in and out of the operating room. It reveals how they reckon about disease, patients, and other physicians; how their thought is often non-scientific; how they make decisions; and how they keep secrets from patients and colleagues. This book gives a detailed description of a professional culture and how the culture, especially their active posture, influences decisions which affect patients and the health care system. The book discusses the methodology used to obtain and maintain trust with the surgeons and how the behavior was interpreted (1). Chapter 2 clarifies how history can help us know why particular culture traits appear in the culture of surgeons. Thorough descriptions of the barriers to effective communication between surgeons and their patients, and the implications of these barriers, are in chapters 5 and 6. Case studies describe how many decisions are made based on complex issues, including professional ties and financial interests (7, 8, and 9). And also includes a detailed description of operating room rituals (10). For anyone with an interest in medical culture.
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I bought this book hoping to get a deep insight into what a person we call a “general practitioner” is like. Instead, it was a poorly written term paper that tries to pound in the author’s narrow views with the subtlety of a sledgehammer. The writing sincerely reminded me of a high school paper, in the way that it presented its case and provided countless questionably relevant quotes to “support” it. Furthermore, the entire book consists of the author badgering the culture of surgeons, then “gracefully” acknowledging those same surgeons for their help … to some extent in the manner that congressmen call each other “my esteemed colleague.”
I know the author’s intent to top out flaws in the culture in order to further improvement, but I feel that her case is presented in a very black and white way. The reason I compare it to a high school paper is because high school writers frequently grab onto an thought, get all excited about having found something “wise” and “insightful” to say, and then proceed to beat it to death.
I have no stake in how surgeons are described … so I am speaking from an unbiased vantage top when I say that Katz way oversimplified a very complex culture, consisting of countless different personalities, in countless different sociological spheres (e.g., different wards, different hospitals, different types of hospitals).
Anyway, in the end, my largest complaint is that it was dull dull dull.
Rating: 1 / 5
Concise,well-written and highly readable, this book has rapidly become an underground classic for surgical residents. It addresses issues of vital concern to those contemplating surgery for themselves or their relatives.
Rating: 5 / 5
I found myself being sucked into this book at times, and wanting to push it away at others. The material is fascinating – I had never really plotting of surgeons as having their own culture. The tales were fascinating and sometimes shocking. But I feel like the novelist dumbed things down a small too much. . .either that or she didn’t have fantastic writing skills. And she really added too much of her commentary. I was hoping for a neutral look – a simple report on the culture of surgeons – but she tried to get the reader to agree with her views far too often. It wouldn’t hurt to read this book, but it wouldn’t really be an enjoyable experience either.
Rating: 3 / 5
After reading the reviews for this book, I keenly bought my copy. I am a general surgery resident and thus I plotting I would find this book especially fascinating. I did not. The author makes some fascinating and valid observations, but I felt the book lacked any right analysis of what it really means to be a general practitioner. If I were a medical student reading this I would steer clear of a career in surgery! Specifically I was aggravated by her contention that surgeons are merely clinicians and not right scientists as well as her insistence on referring to all surgeons by the male gender (a top she made early on). Clearly I am living proof of the contrary. In small, I was extremely disappointed and had a very trying time even dying this book.
Rating: 2 / 5
…this book made me so excited that I had to write something. I had to read this book for a Health Care Sociology class and I finished up reading half of the book in one sitting even though I had other work to do. A lot of the in rank in this book is really shocking about surgeons and it has made me keen to volunteer in an OR so I can see any proof of this stuff for myself. I even got to learn about some types of common procedures surgeons do and it has certainly made me feel like I was observing these surgeons with the author.
Rating: 5 / 5