Youn begins his life story by sharing his experiences of growing up in a traditional Korean-American home, but as the only minority family in a small community in Michigan. His father is a doctor himself and strongly encourages both his sons to follow in his medical footsteps.
Youn then continues into his college years, sharing his struggles through the pre-med coursework, the MCAT prep, and the continued urging from his father to stay the medical course.
In the final part of the memoir, Youn shares his experiences of the medical school years . . . the late nights, the hospital rotations, the treatment of those above him, and those moments that point him to his destiny.
Overall, it is an amusing and raw story. Youn shares his triumphs and struggles, even those during the awkward years. Though I felt the relationship-craving was a bit much (at least for me), I also believe it was a genuine piece to his journey that he bravely shared. Since my husband has "been there, done that" recently, Youn's story hits close to home, his tales sounding a bit familiar, and to put it simply . . . . real. Pre-med students, those with dreams of being a doctor . . . any kind of doctor . . . should read In Stitches. I even recommend those students who are even in medical school to give the book a try. It can be a great prep of what's to come, a great normalizer of the struggles, and a light at the end of a tunnel signifying a VERY LONG journey.
I will leave you with two quotes that have really stuck with me . . .
Overall, medical school means study. And then study some more. And when you finish all that studying, you will definitely feel the need to study. (p. 94)
It is more important to know what sort of person has a disease than to know what sort of disease a person has. (Hippocrates reference p. 173)
Thank you to Sneak Attack Media for providing a copy of In Stitches as well as sponsoring a giveaway of the book hosted here in April. For more information, visit the following websites:
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