Match Day: One Day and One Dramatic Year in the Lives of Three New Doctors Book

Next on the list: Brian Eule's Match Day: One Day and One Dramatic Year in the Lives of Three New Doctors, which I had been looking forward to since coming across a description of this event online. It sounds like a very emotional and thrilling day, kind of like a bigger version of college acceptance/rejection season. I never knew there was this whole system to how residents are matched with hospitals and programs!

Eule's introduction into this world came from his then girlfriend (now wife), who was in medical school. It was through her and her friends that he learned about Match Day and all the meanings attached to it. Curiously enough, besides following his own partner's progression through this process, he also chose to follow two other women. There are men in this book, but their roles are secondary to the three main women. I wondered whether this was a conscious effort or if it was simply a matter of convenience. Unfortunately, his discussion of gender in the medical field was the usual "well, it's hard to balance a family and school," kind of stuff, which was a bit disappointing, But then again the whole book didn't serve to go much further than his own experience as the boyfriend/husband of a resident and some minor research into the issues faced by residents today (all stuff I basically already knew from previous reading). If you're looking for a basic understanding of what residents go through in the US, this might be a good introductory book. But for a more in depth look into the medical system, I would suggest looking elsewhere for information.