Committed: Dispatches from a Psychiatrist in Training
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- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Adam Stern
- ISBN：B08B3NCFHV
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Reviews
Rachel
，
Review to come
Susanne
，
Thank you to the author， Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and NetGalley， for an ARC in exchange for an honest review。This was an engrossing and deeply personal read， albeit a bit bumpy and unpolished in parts。 Following the author through his years as a psychiatric resident， we experience the emotional growth - and the doubts， fears and struggles - he goes through as he is taught and becomes a psychiatrist。 This book focuses not so much on the patients and their stories， but on the doctor and （some of） Thank you to the author， Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and NetGalley， for an ARC in exchange for an honest review。This was an engrossing and deeply personal read， albeit a bit bumpy and unpolished in parts。 Following the author through his years as a psychiatric resident， we experience the emotional growth - and the doubts， fears and struggles - he goes through as he is taught and becomes a psychiatrist。 This book focuses not so much on the patients and their stories， but on the doctor and （some of） his classmates - not only in terms of the medical side of things， but also how it impacted him/them personally。 The only real issue I had was with the ending。 One of the residency classmates committed suicide a few years later， and the class gathered to remember her。 However， she was not mentioned previously at all in the book - there were at least five classmates who were mentioned prominently as secondary characters throughout。 Bit strange then to end the book with her death， but no other context。 。。。more
Hillarie （Hillareads）
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Committed is a memoir that follows the author， Adam Stern， through his four years as a psychiatry resident at Harvard Medical School， where he and his fellow classmates were dubbed "The Golden Class" due to their combined rankings and talents。 The book is split into three parts: Year One， Year Two， and then a combined Years Three and Four。Not only are we introduced to some of the patients who influenced Stern throughout his journey， we also get to know many of his classmates and mentors。 I enjoy Committed is a memoir that follows the author， Adam Stern， through his four years as a psychiatry resident at Harvard Medical School， where he and his fellow classmates were dubbed "The Golden Class" due to their combined rankings and talents。 The book is split into three parts: Year One， Year Two， and then a combined Years Three and Four。Not only are we introduced to some of the patients who influenced Stern throughout his journey， we also get to know many of his classmates and mentors。 I enjoyed watching him grow from a cautious intern to a confident doctor throughout the book。 I cared about the outcomes of his patients and felt some of his frustrations throughout the process。Stern did an excellent job of showcasing his own humanity and shortcomings in the book。 People often have unrealistic expectations of medical professionals， but they're people too。 It was good to see how Stern dealt with his life outside of his residency program， especially relationships。 I suspected who he might end up with， but it was still satisfying to see it happen after some disastrous missteps。I've never watched Grey's Anatomy， so I can't attest to the comparison， but this book DID remind me of some of the darker moments in Scrubs， from the impostor syndrome to the trauma that comes with losing a patient。 But that is where the comparisons end。 This book is not one to go into if you might find some topics triggering， such as suicide， bullying， eating disorders， and abuse。Overall， this book was an easy read and definitely one I'd recommend to people who find psychology and psychiatry interesting。 With the first two parts focusing on an entire year and the final part covering two years， the conclusion felt somewhat rushed， but I'm not sure there is an ideal way to address that without making the book too long for a memoir。 Although this book is nonfiction， the book also feels accessible for people who primarily read fiction。Note: I received an e-ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
BOOKLOVER EB
，
In "Committed，" psychiatrist Adam Stern recalls his years as a trainee in Harvard's residency program。 He explains that he chose this specialty to help those with mental health issues "find and become the best version of themselves。" His goal was to master techniques for giving "people a push forward when they're stagnating and to catch them when they're falling。" One crucial lesson he learned is the importance of seeking counsel and support from one's instructors and colleagues。 Adam sums this In "Committed，" psychiatrist Adam Stern recalls his years as a trainee in Harvard's residency program。 He explains that he chose this specialty to help those with mental health issues "find and become the best version of themselves。" His goal was to master techniques for giving "people a push forward when they're stagnating and to catch them when they're falling。" One crucial lesson he learned is the importance of seeking counsel and support from one's instructors and colleagues。 Adam sums this idea up beautifully when he writes， "We're more capable together than we are apart。" In this fascinating， humorous， and entertaining book， the self-deprecating Stern expresses his incredulity that he， a graduate of a state medical school， landed a coveted spot in Harvard's residency program。 He was sure that he would be bounced out once his supervisors realized what a mistake they had made in accepting him。 He soon realized that he was not the only trainee who felt insecure。 As time went on， Stern developed coping mechanisms for handling such challenges as severe sleep deprivation and treating angry patients who repeatedly took out their hostility on him。 Adding to his woes， his anemic love life made him feel like a monk-in-training。"Committed" is enhanced by Stern's poignant anecdotes。 One of them involves a woman in her twenties， Jane West， who suffered from anorexia and kept returning to the psychiatric ward when her weight continued to drop。 A heartbroken Adam blamed himself when， despite his best efforts， he was unable to persuade her to eat normally。 Another tough case involved fifty-four-year-old Deborah， who had been hospitalized fourteen times with severe bipolar disorder。 Experienced practitioners taught Stern to listen to his clients attentively and show that he understands and values them。 Furthermore， they urged him not to beat himself up emotionally when， although he did everything possible for the patients under his care， failed to achieve the desired results。 In this compelling account， Stern candidly reveals the personal and professional tribulations that could have derailed his career had he decided he could no longer handle the pressure。 Fortunately， he persevered， and went on to mentor junior residents who hoped to become psychiatrists someday。 。。。more
Nate
，
Dr。 Stern describes his residency experience as a psychiatrist， covering his intern year and 2nd year with particular depth。 He describes the emotional journey he has from fear of messing up and doubts about his specialty at the beginning to his imposter syndome as he reaches the end of his residency。 The writing features some creative license， including frequent dialogue exchanges between Stern， his friends， and his patients， making the book more readable and less dry。 From Stern's patient inte Dr。 Stern describes his residency experience as a psychiatrist， covering his intern year and 2nd year with particular depth。 He describes the emotional journey he has from fear of messing up and doubts about his specialty at the beginning to his imposter syndome as he reaches the end of his residency。 The writing features some creative license， including frequent dialogue exchanges between Stern， his friends， and his patients， making the book more readable and less dry。 From Stern's patient interactions， there's very little medical information， more focus placed on character creation and Stern's personal relationship with the patient。 I don't know how applicable this dynamic would be to other residencies， where the focus is on learning how to medically treat a patient as opposed to developing this connection。 There's， of course， a decent amount of focus on the 20-something's romantic experience and he does end the book happily married， but the entire relationship seemed uncomfortable for much of the book。 It felt underdeveloped， understandably so due to the author's wife's more private inclinations， but something that didn't necessarily have to be included with the frequency that it did if it wasn't going to be explored fully。 Something I particularly appreciate from this memoir is the author's description of his periodic periods of psychiatric visits to deal with his questions。 Maybe it's easier for psychiatrists to talk about this since it's their field and it's moe normalized， but it has broader applications， particularly since Stern comes out of residency with awards， scores， and positions that make him seem like #1 in his classs。 The main gripe I had with this book came at the end。 One of the residency classmates committed suicide a few years after the residency ended and the class gathered together again to remember her。 However， she was one of the few people in this program （at least 8 of the people in his year of the program were somewhat prominently featured） who was not mentioned previously in any aspect。 It felt disingenuous for her to show up without much context， particularly when the moment described did not seem particularly impactful to the author。 Overall， one of the few residency books that didn't leave me feeling that it was impossible。 A free e-copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review 。。。more
Karen R。
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As a former nurse， I love memoirs from the medical profession。 Adam Stern seems like one of the good guys， and his storytelling is spot on。 I loved reading about his growth- both professionally and personally。
Atty
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This one hit different。 Now let me explain， this isn’t really a perspective we get to hear from at all。 At most we get to see the glamourous side or if you’re into Grey’s Anatomy， you get some perspective but at most there’s so much unnecessary drama。 Overall， the book was also really helpful to see that there is so much that goes into becoming a doctor， psychiatrists。 So much sacrifice that has to be put forth， physical， mental and social sacrifice。 The medical field is not an easy one。In Commi This one hit different。 Now let me explain， this isn’t really a perspective we get to hear from at all。 At most we get to see the glamourous side or if you’re into Grey’s Anatomy， you get some perspective but at most there’s so much unnecessary drama。 Overall， the book was also really helpful to see that there is so much that goes into becoming a doctor， psychiatrists。 So much sacrifice that has to be put forth， physical， mental and social sacrifice。 The medical field is not an easy one。In Committed， I found it was so authentic and honestly， I think anyone who is in that life period， going to school， the in between if you can relate。 Not only that I found Adam， to be extremely relatable。 I am myself pursing further education and let me tell you imposter syndrome is very real- and I haven’t even started yet！ I am so glad I came across this book and got a chance to read it。 I absolutely love this book and I think it will stay with me for a very long time。 Thank you so much Dr。 Adam Stern for sharing your wonderful and helpful sorry with us！ I personally really needed it。 Like it said， it just hit different。 Thank You to Adam Stern and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt， for the digital ARC provided through NetGalley in exchange for a candid review！ 。。。more
Anne
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This was an interesting read。 Very different from my usual genres but I enjoyed the change of pace and reading the different scenarios。
Living A Life Through Books
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I have been through a residency program myself albeit in pediatric dentistry， but residency nevertheless。 Also， I come from a family of doctors。 My brother is a doctor （like the author’s own brother！） and my cousins and several family members are doctors and I’ve been privy to their conversations and discussions and I majorly identified with this book。 Also， my ex was a psychiatrist and somehow this book fills a gap in my life that I did not know existed about the psych programs and what residen I have been through a residency program myself albeit in pediatric dentistry， but residency nevertheless。 Also， I come from a family of doctors。 My brother is a doctor （like the author’s own brother！） and my cousins and several family members are doctors and I’ve been privy to their conversations and discussions and I majorly identified with this book。 Also， my ex was a psychiatrist and somehow this book fills a gap in my life that I did not know existed about the psych programs and what residents deal with。 I loved this book so much for so many reasons。But here’s the kicker， as a reader， this book is super chill and written in such a down to earth and inviting manner that you cannot help identify with all the beautiful yet flawed characters including the author himself。I give this book an unapologetic 5 stars！ 。。。more
Annette Jordan
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Committed by Adam Stern is a fascinating first hand account of his time as a psychiatry resident in a prestigious programme run by Harvard。 In the book we get a behind the scenes look at life on the coal face of psychiatric medicine， from all-nighters in the ER to residential inpatient treatment。 The book is very easy to read， and it definitely feels like you are getting to know the author as the book progresses and you learn more about his family and personal life as well as his motivations for Committed by Adam Stern is a fascinating first hand account of his time as a psychiatry resident in a prestigious programme run by Harvard。 In the book we get a behind the scenes look at life on the coal face of psychiatric medicine， from all-nighters in the ER to residential inpatient treatment。 The book is very easy to read， and it definitely feels like you are getting to know the author as the book progresses and you learn more about his family and personal life as well as his motivations for going into medicine and the field of psychiatry in particular。 I found the case studies and patients he described really tugged at my heartstrings and there were some really emotional moments in the book。 I appreciated that while he did not shy away from talking about the hard days and difficult cases he was able to balance that with some nice touches of humour， often of the self deprecating type。 I enjoyed the book and would read more from the author and recommend his work to friends who enjoy memoirs and books with a medical setting。 I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher， all opinions are my own。 。。。more
Nikki
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As someone in the mental health field， this book called to me。 Though I am not a psychiatrist （doctoral level）， only a master's level counselor， the parallels were plenty that I felt like someone had taken pieces of my day and my thoughts during internship and expressed them in ways that I could not。 There are differences in counseling and psychiatry， so not everything was equal but still entertaining。 Thanks to #NetGalley and publishers for the ARC of #Committed in exchange for the honest revie As someone in the mental health field， this book called to me。 Though I am not a psychiatrist （doctoral level）， only a master's level counselor， the parallels were plenty that I felt like someone had taken pieces of my day and my thoughts during internship and expressed them in ways that I could not。 There are differences in counseling and psychiatry， so not everything was equal but still entertaining。 Thanks to #NetGalley and publishers for the ARC of #Committed in exchange for the honest review。 。。。more
Julianna
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A thoroughly unique book that captures a resident's experience as a psychiatric resident。I really appreciated Stern's frankness when discussing the hardships of his residency years， but also the compassion and heart he clearly has for his profession。 The stories， though some were difficult to read， were interesting。 It is clear how much Stern grew throughout his years， and ultimately found his calling。 I read this in a day， and found it very easy to read。 I look forward to reading more books fro A thoroughly unique book that captures a resident's experience as a psychiatric resident。I really appreciated Stern's frankness when discussing the hardships of his residency years， but also the compassion and heart he clearly has for his profession。 The stories， though some were difficult to read， were interesting。 It is clear how much Stern grew throughout his years， and ultimately found his calling。 I read this in a day， and found it very easy to read。 I look forward to reading more books from Stern， should he choose to write more。3。5 stars 。。。more
WS_BOOKCLUB
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Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest opinion。 This book will be available on July thirteenth。Committed: Dispatches from a Psychiatrist in Training is an engrossing look into the lives of those learning how to help those with mental illnesses and provide quality mental health care。 Told from the perspective of Adam， a psychiatrist-in-training， it follows his life as he tries to navigate the world of mental health care as well as his personal life。I don’ Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest opinion。 This book will be available on July thirteenth。Committed: Dispatches from a Psychiatrist in Training is an engrossing look into the lives of those learning how to help those with mental illnesses and provide quality mental health care。 Told from the perspective of Adam， a psychiatrist-in-training， it follows his life as he tries to navigate the world of mental health care as well as his personal life。I don’t read memoirs all that often。 In fiction， I do not need to relate to or like a character to enjoy the book- I just want them to be interesting。 In nonfiction， it helps if I care about the person the book is about。 Adam was supremely human and very open about both his strengths and weaknesses。 That takes bravery on the part of the author。 He vacillated between feeling very out of his depth and unqualified and seemingly having extreme bouts of self-confidence。 I can definitely relate to feeling unqualified as I am well acquainted with Imposter Syndrome in most aspects of my life。I loved seeing Adam’s growth in his ability to properly diagnose and treat patients， but more importantly in his ability to connect with his patients。 He realized that his patients are more than just a diagnosis and list of medications: they are real people with unique stories， backgrounds， and experiences。 Watching his empathy and understanding grow was an incredibly rewarding experience。The patients themselves were fascinating。 I wanted them all to find the help they needed and defeat their personal demons。 I could feel the sadness in Adam Stern when a patient was lost （spoiler alert: not every patient has a happy ending）。 I could also see his excitement and renewed sense of purpose when a patient improved。I did sometimes find the switch from Adam’s psychiatric situations to his dating life a little bit jarring from time to time。 I understand why it was there-to highlight the way a profession in mental health affects every aspect of a person’s life- but I struggled to pay attention during those parts。 It just wasn’t as interesting to me。Taken as a whole， I found Committed to be a fascinating look at life as a mental health expert。 It is an important profession， when taken up by caring individuals， and I have the utmost respect for Dr。 Adam Stern for the aid he is able to provide。 。。。more
Emily
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I was given a digital advanced reading copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。I like memoirs。 I am interested in mental health。 As such， I was drawn to this memoir of a psychiatrist in training。It was fine。 Not great or life-changing， but not bad or poorly written。 I probably won't recommend it， but it was easy reading which I found enjoyable。 I was a bit annoyed by the predictable nature of the insertion of the love story， but I hope his wife finds the addition cute。 I was given a digital advanced reading copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。I like memoirs。 I am interested in mental health。 As such， I was drawn to this memoir of a psychiatrist in training。It was fine。 Not great or life-changing， but not bad or poorly written。 I probably won't recommend it， but it was easy reading which I found enjoyable。 I was a bit annoyed by the predictable nature of the insertion of the love story， but I hope his wife finds the addition cute。 。。。more
Kristina
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I picked up COMMITTED: DISPATCHES FROM A PSYCHIATRIST IN TRAINING because I am interested in the mental health field and I have worked with psychiatrists for many years so was curious about one doctor's take on the psychiatry residency。 Adam Stern went to a state school for medical school and was then admitted to Harvard for his psychiatry residency。 He definitely is feeling impostor syndrome at first。 His class of residents is deemed "the golden class"， which frankly， was never explained why th I picked up COMMITTED: DISPATCHES FROM A PSYCHIATRIST IN TRAINING because I am interested in the mental health field and I have worked with psychiatrists for many years so was curious about one doctor's take on the psychiatry residency。 Adam Stern went to a state school for medical school and was then admitted to Harvard for his psychiatry residency。 He definitely is feeling impostor syndrome at first。 His class of residents is deemed "the golden class"， which frankly， was never explained why they were particularly special。 Their makeup appeared quite similar to what I imagine most Harvard residency classes would look。 He highlights his residency from the overwhelming intern year， where he spends his time primarily in inpatient and emergency room settings through the final two years of his residency where he focuses more on the outpatient setting where he sees himself in the future。 Having also interned on an adult inpatient psychiatry unit， it was interesting to read his takes on the job and many of his emotions resonated with me （coming from a social worker background）。 His experiences with child inpatient psychiatry reminded me why I also never wanted to make a career of that （namely the parents， not the kids）。 I enjoyed the detail about the profession。 He highlights some patients who stuck with him， particular one who we see repeatedly struggling with a severe eating disorder。 Later in the book he veers much more into his personal life， extolling the ups and downs in the "will they or won't they" relationship he has with his fellow intern， which was not all that interesting。 I would have liked him to talk a bit more about how outpatient psychiatrist roles have changes substantially from what they used to be where the bulk of the work was providing psychotherapy， while now the majority of patients will someone else for therapy （psychologist， social worker， counselor， etc。） and the psychiatrist's role is primarily just on the medication management side。 Thank you to NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for this advance reader copy in exchange for honest review。 。。。more
Therese Lyons Walsh
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This poignant memoir is Scrubs meets Grey’s Anatomy， as Adam Stern tales about his residency in the Harvard residency program。 A quick and enjoyable read into the world of psychiatry。 Stern’s style of writing is light but captivating making it a quick read which definitely helped me get out of my reading slump and I was as invested in the romance as I was in the stories of the patients。
Sean Loughran
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I was initially really excited to read this memoir， but honestly felt quite let down by certain parts that I believe could have been left unwritten。 Aside from that， there are some touching moments， written with a more empathetic， understanding， and compassionate tone that conveys the care that Dr Stern has for his patients。 I believe the book could have done with a little less fluff and a bit more bite。 Full review: https://www。avocadodiaries。com/2021/0。。。 I was initially really excited to read this memoir， but honestly felt quite let down by certain parts that I believe could have been left unwritten。 Aside from that， there are some touching moments， written with a more empathetic， understanding， and compassionate tone that conveys the care that Dr Stern has for his patients。 I believe the book could have done with a little less fluff and a bit more bite。 Full review: https://www。avocadodiaries。com/2021/0。。。 。。。more
Annie
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Reading books by people who are way （！！） smarter than me， and who are devoted to their callings is a joy。 This book is no exception。 I admire people so much who devote themselves wholly to a chosen profession， who are willing to admit that they're struggling with said profession and all it entails， and carry on regardless。 It shows an immense strength of character。I sped through this book， more or less reading it in one sitting。 Some of the medical terminologies went over my head， but Dr Stern h Reading books by people who are way （！！） smarter than me， and who are devoted to their callings is a joy。 This book is no exception。 I admire people so much who devote themselves wholly to a chosen profession， who are willing to admit that they're struggling with said profession and all it entails， and carry on regardless。 It shows an immense strength of character。I sped through this book， more or less reading it in one sitting。 Some of the medical terminologies went over my head， but Dr Stern has a light， gentle way with words and with the people he comes in contact with。 Mental illness is a tough issue to try and tackle， but this was written by someone who is obviously in the right profession。 His kindness， compassion， frustration and sadness come through clearly as he makes his way through a a very tough four-year residency at Harvard。Medicine is a bit of a mystery to me， but medical biographies are fascinating to read。 This one is no exception。 Thank you， Dr Stern， for staying committed to your calling and for travelling that path。Thank you to NetGalley， the author and publisher for the ARC to read and review。 All opinions are strictly my own。 。。。more
Kathleen
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Committed， a brutally honest memoir by Dr。 Adam Stern， describes his four year psychiatry residency at Harvard Medical School。 It’s not just a page by page description of his studies and casework。 Dr。 Stern writes of his loneliness （Magoo， his guinea pig， is his only companion）， his feelings of inferiority and isolation， his desire to find a partner and his complete exhaustion。 The book concentrates on the first two years of his residency and some of the patients he worked with。 There is Deborah Committed， a brutally honest memoir by Dr。 Adam Stern， describes his four year psychiatry residency at Harvard Medical School。 It’s not just a page by page description of his studies and casework。 Dr。 Stern writes of his loneliness （Magoo， his guinea pig， is his only companion）， his feelings of inferiority and isolation， his desire to find a partner and his complete exhaustion。 The book concentrates on the first two years of his residency and some of the patients he worked with。 There is Deborah， a bipolar lawyer， whose mania cannot be controlled by prescriptions。 He guides her through ECT， or shock therapy。 Later in his residency， he meets Deborah again and this time he can help her in another way。 The patient that affects him the most is the anorexic Jane。 Intelligent， flippant and proud， she’s been hospitalized so many times that she knows the routine。 Although Dr。 Stern learns that not all patients want to be helped， Jane haunts him。Committed is a remarkable story of personal growth。 By the end of his residency， he is a confident， self-assured psychiatrist who plans to concentrate on TMS （transcranial magnetic stimulation） treatment。 His personal life is also better。 Although Magoo， the guinea pig， died， Dr。 Stern was married after his graduation and both he and his wife are practicing in the Boston area。 5 stars。Thank you to NetGalley， Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and Dr。 Adam Stern for this ARC。 。。。more
Katelyn
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I find medical memoirs fascinating and this one was well written and interesting。 I learned quite a bit and especially appreciated how Stern ties his own personal stories into his residency experiences。
Cheryl
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Thank you so much to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and #NetGalley for the ARC。 This was like Grey's Atanomy x100 and to be honest， it was much more interesting。 （I know， I know， but Grey's is getting OLD！） Adam Stern has a great way of telling a story and showing us what he went through with humor and with respect！ Thank you so much to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and #NetGalley for the ARC。 This was like Grey's Atanomy x100 and to be honest， it was much more interesting。 （I know， I know， but Grey's is getting OLD！） Adam Stern has a great way of telling a story and showing us what he went through with humor and with respect！ 。。。more
Alexandra
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I really enjoyed this insiders look at the psychiatry residency of author Adam Stern。 It is nice to read that even Harvard educated psychiatrists can have insecurities and suffer from imposter syndrome。Reading about how some psychiatric conditions are treated was fascinating and somewhat relatable。The romance in the book was very sweet， and I enjoyed the ending！After I read books， I tend to look up authors， especially biographers。 I was saddened to discover that Dr Stern is suffering from kidney I really enjoyed this insiders look at the psychiatry residency of author Adam Stern。 It is nice to read that even Harvard educated psychiatrists can have insecurities and suffer from imposter syndrome。Reading about how some psychiatric conditions are treated was fascinating and somewhat relatable。The romance in the book was very sweet， and I enjoyed the ending！After I read books， I tend to look up authors， especially biographers。 I was saddened to discover that Dr Stern is suffering from kidney cancer， and wish him nothing but the best。Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Aimee （Book It Forward）
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I loved this book！ The health field， especially mental health was my related field of studies in college。 So when I saw this book title， I immediately requested it。 Adam writes in a way that is easy to understand， and makes you feel empathy toward his patients。 He really cares， and that shows in his writing。 I loved the added story of his life as well。 Learning about his road to becoming a psychiatrist and his struggles with feeling useless when he lost a patient made him even more human to the I loved this book！ The health field， especially mental health was my related field of studies in college。 So when I saw this book title， I immediately requested it。 Adam writes in a way that is easy to understand， and makes you feel empathy toward his patients。 He really cares， and that shows in his writing。 I loved the added story of his life as well。 Learning about his road to becoming a psychiatrist and his struggles with feeling useless when he lost a patient made him even more human to the reader。 I enjoyed learning about his colleagues， and the love story that came out of his experience in school。 Great book！ Adam， write another one soon！ I would love to hear more。Thank you to NetGalley for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Miss Anna
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An enjoyable read taking you on a journey through the training to become a psychiatrist。 I’ve read lots of books about medicine; training， practising and more but this is an unusual aspect and as such is an interesting insight。There is enough human interest， people introduced and revisited throughout， to hold your attention and keep you turning the pages。
Katie
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Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the chance to read this。 I’m such a fan of books written with real experiences of people in the medical profession。 Stories about their journey， their patients and just how hard that profession can be。 This is no exception。 Dr Adam Stern takes us through his residency as a psychologist， throw in some stories of people he’s helped， this relationships， his own struggles and you leave feeling like you know “Dr Adam”。 I’m also fascinated about psychology Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the chance to read this。 I’m such a fan of books written with real experiences of people in the medical profession。 Stories about their journey， their patients and just how hard that profession can be。 This is no exception。 Dr Adam Stern takes us through his residency as a psychologist， throw in some stories of people he’s helped， this relationships， his own struggles and you leave feeling like you know “Dr Adam”。 I’m also fascinated about psychology and mental health so reading the struggles of the people he helps really left me wanting more。 If you’re slightly interested in the medical field， maybe you loved medical dramas on tv （hello Greys Anatomy）， then you’ll definitely want to check this out。 。。。more
Becky Stanley
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"Medical memoir" is quickly becoming a favorite genre for me。 This book was a good glimpse into the life of a psychiatrist-in-training， both in terms of some of the patients he worked with as well as the lack of any sort of life outside of work。 I just wish I knew more about the patients' outcomes， but I understand that the author himself didn't likely know， due to the nature of training and needing to move on to other rotations。* Thanks to NetGalley and the author for providing me with a free A "Medical memoir" is quickly becoming a favorite genre for me。 This book was a good glimpse into the life of a psychiatrist-in-training， both in terms of some of the patients he worked with as well as the lack of any sort of life outside of work。 I just wish I knew more about the patients' outcomes， but I understand that the author himself didn't likely know， due to the nature of training and needing to move on to other rotations。* Thanks to NetGalley and the author for providing me with a free ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
Heather
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It’s a comfort to see the author share his own battles with insecurity with his colleagues during his training。 He showed a raw， though sometimes it was a wooden dialogue， into a mental health field riddled with its own issues。
Aaron
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This was another I received from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest thoughts， and I was only too eager to give them。 When I requested “Committed，” everything about it spoke to me。 I come from a family of medical professionals on both my and my wife’s side， and I’ve seen the rigors of medical residency up close。 I’d heard some stories about how taxing a psychiatric rotation during a residency program can be， and was very excited to dig in to a memoir from someone who had felt t This was another I received from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest thoughts， and I was only too eager to give them。 When I requested “Committed，” everything about it spoke to me。 I come from a family of medical professionals on both my and my wife’s side， and I’ve seen the rigors of medical residency up close。 I’d heard some stories about how taxing a psychiatric rotation during a residency program can be， and was very excited to dig in to a memoir from someone who had felt that calling and lived that journey all the way through。Let me back up a bit。 “Committed” is the story of Dr。 Adam Stern， a memoir of his time as a resident at the prestigious Harvard School of Medicine。 His chosen discipline？ Psychiatry。 And contained within are four years of some pretty brutal honesty about what it’s like to learn to be a doctor - in this case， to take responsibility for the mental well being of another human。 It’s not something that should be taken lightly， and Stern clearly doesn’t。 It’s just one of the many sources of anxiety he faces。 Impostor syndrome， lack of confidence in skills， loneliness， and romantic struggles all plague him - and other members of his class - through his time at Harvard。It could all make for very dry reading， but it really doesn’t。 It’s pretty light， in fact， rolling along and easy to read。 The problem is it feels， for lack of a better term， unpolished。 Some themes are belabored while others aren’t given enough attention。 Some side characters are really fleshed out， while some important ones are not。 Despite the easiness of the read， it can be frustratingly incomplete at times。All in all， I really did enjoy it。 I just thought it needed more balancing to really make it complete。 I’ve got so much respect for Dr。 Stern and everyone like him。 If you’re thinking about jumping in to medicine or know someone who is， give them a copy of this。 Let them read what it’s like， and give them another way to measure if they think they have what it takes。 Plus， they get a good read out of it！3/5 stars。 。。。more
Brooke
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First of all thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review。Before I start this review I just wanted to put a trigger warning as is obvious， this book revolves around people suffering from mental health， primarily those sectioned in a mental health ward。 So there’s some mention of suicidal ideation and suicide attempts。 So please be wary if either of these will be a trigger to you or cause you emotional distress or harm。 •I’m a First of all thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review。Before I start this review I just wanted to put a trigger warning as is obvious， this book revolves around people suffering from mental health， primarily those sectioned in a mental health ward。 So there’s some mention of suicidal ideation and suicide attempts。 So please be wary if either of these will be a trigger to you or cause you emotional distress or harm。 •I’m a big advocate for mental health， as a fellow sufferer， so I’m really fascinated by pretty much anything to do with it。 So， being able to read an honest anecdote of a trainee psychiatrist in a psych ward seemed right up my street。 I found this to be a truly interesting and fascinating memoir into a trainee psychiatrists day to day life。 I’ve never really given much thought into how much is required of interns and how quickly you’re pushed off the deep end straight off the bat。 I do think it’s viral that these sorts of professions are discussed because they are so so important。 It’s really gripping reading how Dr Adam Stern navigates the world of psychiatry and how turbulent it can be。 It can be a very hard read， particularly if mental illnesses/health are close to your heart。 You feel your emotions burning in your chest and feel personally distraught for the patients， particularly those who have been released and ended up back in the mental health ward。 •One of the only problems I had was that at times， it seemed a bit insensitive。 One specific line that made me internally cringe was ‘away from psychotics， depressives and borderlines’ it’s just very reductive and discriminatory。 As psychiatrists in training you’d think they’d have a bit more empathy towards those with complex disorders。 I know it can be hard to deal with individuals who don’t respond in the way you expect but it’s a much harder job living with such complex and debilitating illnesses。 However， if I’m being honest despite the negativity this exudes， it seems to be quite an actuated depiction of mental health services unfortunately。 •Despite the negativity I’ve explained， I’ve found this book to be interesting and quite witty at times。 It’s a very raw account of what it’s like to be a psychiatrist in training， having little outside life and having to watch as patients deteriorate and struggle beyond your control， and despite your best efforts。 It exudes warmth and heartache all in one。 I’m really glad I spent time reading this book。 ⭐️⭐️⭐️。7/5 （rounded up to 4） 。。。more
Michelle
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