Review: Doctor's Diaries

A few day's ago I came across the website of a TV series called "Doctors' Diaries". It's basically a documentary series that follows the lives of seven Harvard Medical School students - their journey through med school and their personal/professional lives post-graduation. It took 21 years to produce and makes for very interesting viewing (the series hasn't aired here in Australia yet so I just watched the 10 minute summary of each doctor's journey online through the website).

These short previews alone made me laugh, cry, cringe and sometimes just nod my head in recognition or sigh in resignation of the reality. The transformation over the years for some of the doctors was remarkable; but I particularly liked seeing how most of them stayed true to their guiding principles and used their skills in medicine in the ways that their younger selves had envisioned they would. Another thing that also stood out for me was how they all had relationship issues, falling under one of three categories:
- never got married or partnered-up;
- married but divorced and (for some) re-married; or
- married quite late in life.

I'll spare you all a relationship rant for today, but let's just say I'm close to losing what little faith I had in the idea of doctors maintaining a healthy work-life balance :-/ Regardless, most of the doctors seemed very happy and at peace with where their journeys had taken them; and I'd say the sweet out-did the sour. Overall, a refreshing and honest insight into an intriguing world that surprises even those of us in it. Well worth watching (if you only watch a couple of clips, watch Jay Bonnar and Jane Liebschutzs' stories - the part where Jay is an intern and trying to elicit a history off a guy with leg numbness is hilarious!!).