This Won't Hurt a Bit

By Michelle Au, MD,

Book cover of This Won't Hurt a Bit: (And Other White Lies): My Education in Medicine and Motherhood

Book description

Michelle Au started medical school armed only with a surfeit of idealism, a handful of old 'ER' episodes to reference, and some vague notion about 'helping people'. This is the story of how she grew up and became a real doctor.
Through her years in medical training, she also attempts…

Shepherd is reader supported. When you buy books, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Why read it?

2 authors picked This Won't Hurt a Bit as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Dr. Au adapts her popular, quirky blog into a candid memoir that explores her journey to become a doctor, employing both humor and a weary fortitude.

In the second half of her book, she balances pregnancy and early motherhood with the protracted hours and perpetual stress endemic to medical training. I found these later vignettes exploring the competing demands and her mounting insecurities particularly compelling.

There are plenty of books out there about the experience of going through a medical education and training but I found Michelle Au’s account to be particularly funny and insightful. It also focuses on a most important angle: becoming not only a physician but also a parent. Dr. Au had her first child early on during her residency in anesthesiology at Columbia. I have followed Dr. Au’s career with interest as she recently became a state senator in Georgia while her family has grown to three children. She is proof that a medical background combined with an ability to communicate…

From Katrina's list on medicine in the trenches.

Want books like This Won't Hurt a Bit?

Our community of 11,000+ authors has personally recommended 38 books like This Won't Hurt a Bit.

Browse books like This Won't Hurt a Bit

5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in female doctors, medical examiners, and murder?

Female Doctors 27 books
Murder 1,057 books