In Shock: How nearly dying made me a better doctor
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- Create Date：2021-04-22 10:53:14
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Rana Awdish
- ISBN：0552174750
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Summary
Sunday Times 'MUST READ'
'Tense， powerful and gripping。。。 her writing style is often nothing short of beautiful - evocative and emotional。' Adam Kay， Observer
At seven months pregnant， intensive care doctor Rana Awdish suffered a catastrophic medical event， haemorrhaging nearly all of her blood volume and losing her unborn first child。 She spent months fighting for her life in her own hospital， enduring a series of organ failures and multiple major surgeries。
Every step of the way， Awdish was faced with something even more unexpected and shocking than her battle to survive: her fellow doctors’ inability to see and acknowledge the pain of loss and human suffering， the result of a self-protective barrier hard-wired in medical training。
In Shock is Rana Awdish's searing account of her extraordinary journey from doctor to patient， during which she sees for the first time the dysfunction of her profession’s disconnection from patients and the flaws in her own past practice as a doctor。 Shatteringly personal yet wholly universal， it is both a brave roadmap for anyone navigating illness and a call to arms for doctors to see each patient not as a diagnosis but as a human being。
'Tense， powerful and gripping。。。 her writing style is often nothing short of beautiful - evocative and emotional。' Adam Kay， Observer
At seven months pregnant， intensive care doctor Rana Awdish suffered a catastrophic medical event， haemorrhaging nearly all of her blood volume and losing her unborn first child。 She spent months fighting for her life in her own hospital， enduring a series of organ failures and multiple major surgeries。
Every step of the way， Awdish was faced with something even more unexpected and shocking than her battle to survive: her fellow doctors’ inability to see and acknowledge the pain of loss and human suffering， the result of a self-protective barrier hard-wired in medical training。
In Shock is Rana Awdish's searing account of her extraordinary journey from doctor to patient， during which she sees for the first time the dysfunction of her profession’s disconnection from patients and the flaws in her own past practice as a doctor。 Shatteringly personal yet wholly universal， it is both a brave roadmap for anyone navigating illness and a call to arms for doctors to see each patient not as a diagnosis but as a human being。
Reviews
Mallory Johnson
，
Read this book for a project team book club， and it was certainly valuable for redefining some of the stakes of our work and keeping patients/doctors/practices at the center of it。 I was really captivated by Awdish's story at the outset， but it became a bit too heavy on the metaphor expressing general idea's about medicine towards the end。 I think this would probably be a great read for someone practicing medicine who would find a lot of this incredibly relatable and probably cathartic to read。 Read this book for a project team book club， and it was certainly valuable for redefining some of the stakes of our work and keeping patients/doctors/practices at the center of it。 I was really captivated by Awdish's story at the outset， but it became a bit too heavy on the metaphor expressing general idea's about medicine towards the end。 I think this would probably be a great read for someone practicing medicine who would find a lot of this incredibly relatable and probably cathartic to read。 。。。more
Nicole
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DID NOT FINISH :（I was completely enthralled by the first 100 pages of this book。。。 and then I abruptly lost interest。 I keep coming back to it， but months later I haven't gotten far。 As a physician， I really want to like this book given all the wonderful reviews it has received。 From what I have read， I can confirm that this book provides a lot of material to reflect upon （which I believe is valuable）。 DID NOT FINISH :（I was completely enthralled by the first 100 pages of this book。。。 and then I abruptly lost interest。 I keep coming back to it， but months later I haven't gotten far。 As a physician， I really want to like this book given all the wonderful reviews it has received。 From what I have read， I can confirm that this book provides a lot of material to reflect upon （which I believe is valuable）。 。。。more
Andrea
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Courtney Pinter
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Great book for anyone in the healthcare field。
Sarah Bigham
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A doctor experiences a medical crisis and exposes the flaws （and hopes） within the system
Shilpa
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It took this doctor dying and being brought back to life to come to such basic revelations as “listen to your patient” and “see your patient as a human being。” She writes with an awareness of her own arrogance， and that of her entire profession。 My contempt for the author aside， I think anyone with patient care responsibilities would benefit from the lessons in this book， wordy and long-winded as they are。
Robin Troxell
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Overall a very compelling book and quick read for anyone in the medical field。
Heidi
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Interesting read， especially recommended for medical professionals
Pat
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Dr。 Anwash’s experiences as an ICU doctor are tested in the most profound way when she begins to suffer pain that only worsens by the minute and she soon finds herself a patient in her own hospital。 Her initial diagnosis of HELLP （a rare but potentially fatal complication of pregnancy） informs her medical team in their treatment plan。 But as she nearly dies， and loses her baby， she also observes that the way doctors are trained leaves out the critical importance of empathy。 During her 8 year str Dr。 Anwash’s experiences as an ICU doctor are tested in the most profound way when she begins to suffer pain that only worsens by the minute and she soon finds herself a patient in her own hospital。 Her initial diagnosis of HELLP （a rare but potentially fatal complication of pregnancy） informs her medical team in their treatment plan。 But as she nearly dies， and loses her baby， she also observes that the way doctors are trained leaves out the critical importance of empathy。 During her 8 year struggle with on-going medical challenges will result in the revelation that her original diagnosis was wrong！ She uses all that she has learned to create a program for doctors and caregivers that speaks more broadly to the needs of not only the patient， but the doctors， as well。The end of the book has an informative primer for patient and doctor alike when they prepare for an appointment。 From my perspective this alone is worth the cost of the book。 。。。more
Stephanie
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Riveting and well-told。 There is some tragedy in this story but it is told in a way that the reader is not gutted。 Rather， the narrator makes her medical journey fascinating， and tells the perspective of a doctor and a patient in a way that is easy to understand。 I'm amazed at her beautiful prose and insights。 Though at times it feels as if the target audience is the medical community， any reader who has ever been a patient， entered a hospital， or cared for a sick friend or family member will fi Riveting and well-told。 There is some tragedy in this story but it is told in a way that the reader is not gutted。 Rather， the narrator makes her medical journey fascinating， and tells the perspective of a doctor and a patient in a way that is easy to understand。 I'm amazed at her beautiful prose and insights。 Though at times it feels as if the target audience is the medical community， any reader who has ever been a patient， entered a hospital， or cared for a sick friend or family member will find this memoir a page turner。 。。。more
Kbrown5455
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Written by a hospital based doctor in Detroit， this book places the reader on both sides of the bed as the author describes her own nightmarish medical odyssey with a catastrophic event。 She goes from being a healthy， pregnant， doctor in training to the brink of death and back。 Naturally， this informs her own practice going forward， and she shares her lessons about the importance of language in health care。 She ends the book with tips for both doctor and patient to enhance communication。
Sandra
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Dr。 Rana Awdish wrote a moving and emotional book called， In Shock: My Journey from Death to Recovery and the Redemptive Power of Hope。 Dr。 Awdish tells her account of what it’s like to be a patient suffering from a deadly illness that brings about extreme loss。 Dr。 Awdish argues doctors are taught to ask questions but not always to listen to their patients noting， “we aren’t trained to see our patients we are trained to see pathology。” She asks can we maintain our humanity within the absence of Dr。 Rana Awdish wrote a moving and emotional book called， In Shock: My Journey from Death to Recovery and the Redemptive Power of Hope。 Dr。 Awdish tells her account of what it’s like to be a patient suffering from a deadly illness that brings about extreme loss。 Dr。 Awdish argues doctors are taught to ask questions but not always to listen to their patients noting， “we aren’t trained to see our patients we are trained to see pathology。” She asks can we maintain our humanity within the absence of empathy。 Dr。 Awdish message is that healing requires human connection。 “It is entirely possible to feel someone’s pain， acknowledge their suffering， hold it in our hands and support them with our presence without depleting ourselves， without clouding our judgment。 But only if we are honest about our own feelings。”I’m not a doctor， however; I certainly work along side them in clinical care as a social worker so I found the content important and vital。 A must read for all healthcare providers。 “。。。 there was reciprocity in empathy。” 。。。more
Kira Ganschow
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Honestly I would give this four stars if it just wasn't so meaty。 It was hard to get through because of how much metaphorical reflection the author included。 That being said， the messages and lessons learned from her experience are life-changing for anyone in health care。 Would recommend but get ready to concentrate。 Honestly I would give this four stars if it just wasn't so meaty。 It was hard to get through because of how much metaphorical reflection the author included。 That being said， the messages and lessons learned from her experience are life-changing for anyone in health care。 Would recommend but get ready to concentrate。 。。。more
Betty Harris
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Absolutely a must read for anyone in healthcare， especially physicians。"listen to your patient， he is telling you the diagnosis" William Osler。true story of a physician's very very critical course as the patient，and her battle to to get those in healthcare to listen to her as she walked the footsteps of a patient。 Most experienced doctors have their ghosts，past experiences that color their treatment。 Unfortunately，our system has been to never feel or show emotion as a practitioner and that has t Absolutely a must read for anyone in healthcare， especially physicians。"listen to your patient， he is telling you the diagnosis" William Osler。true story of a physician's very very critical course as the patient，and her battle to to get those in healthcare to listen to her as she walked the footsteps of a patient。 Most experienced doctors have their ghosts，past experiences that color their treatment。 Unfortunately，our system has been to never feel or show emotion as a practitioner and that has to change 。 。。。more
Danielle Josephine
，
Lots of big feelings as I read this one。 Dr。 Awdish is a remarkable example of how we can take a horrible situation and learn from it。 She tells her story in raw， honest words。 Anyone who has experienced loss， trauma， or has grieved should read this one。 It was fascinating to read her words as a physician who found herself on the other side of medicine。 One of my favorite lines:“It is possible to be both broken and incredibly strong。 We can be wounded and in that space find more cohesion and who Lots of big feelings as I read this one。 Dr。 Awdish is a remarkable example of how we can take a horrible situation and learn from it。 She tells her story in raw， honest words。 Anyone who has experienced loss， trauma， or has grieved should read this one。 It was fascinating to read her words as a physician who found herself on the other side of medicine。 One of my favorite lines:“It is possible to be both broken and incredibly strong。 We can be wounded and in that space find more cohesion and wholeness than we knew possible。 But only if we are willing to acknowledge the cracks。” 。。。more
Ananya
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Profoundly moving。 Highly recommend for any fellow physician-in-training
Susan
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Recommended by a book club friend who is also a doctor， this book fascinated and scared me， as I read about the rapid descent of the author’s health situation while she was pregnant and working as a resident doctor。 I had my own deep dive into the medical world with my pregnancy and subsequent premature birth of twins， and know it can be an incredibly hard world to navigate。 How does a person compete or even communicate effectively with doctors， who have so much hard-core training and education？ Recommended by a book club friend who is also a doctor， this book fascinated and scared me， as I read about the rapid descent of the author’s health situation while she was pregnant and working as a resident doctor。 I had my own deep dive into the medical world with my pregnancy and subsequent premature birth of twins， and know it can be an incredibly hard world to navigate。 How does a person compete or even communicate effectively with doctors， who have so much hard-core training and education？ Well， this book explains that even with all that training and education， a patient will still struggle to get buy-in on symptoms and treatment plans from their physician team。 The author’s experience will frighten many and it should。 Until our medical students are trained in compassion， and listening-based processes， how can any of us hope to improve the medical system in the US and the world？ I am impressed with the author continuing to work toward change within her field and to champion a new way of patient interaction。 Highly recommend for a female-centric view of medical emergencies written by one who can walk the walk and talk the talk。 。。。more
Kristen Ann Johnson
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If you work in medicine this is a must read。 I had chills and the hair on the back of my neck stand up by the end if this biography。 Its powerful。 I implore you to not be moved by reading it。
Melissa
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I would love for this book to be required reading for everyone that works in health care。 If you are part of the care team or part of the support network。 This is a beautifully written book about the power of words。 Empathy-Empathy for the caregivers & empathy for the patients。 Empathy is what is needed to change health care not technology。
Meryl Beth
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An incredible story about a physician as a patient。 She’s a phenomenal writer and describes feelings I’ve felt throughout medical school but have had trouble finding words for。 I couldn’t put it down！
Bethany Patterson
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This book brought me to tears。 What an empowering story。 How amazing would the healthcare system be if every healthcare worker took in these tips and tricks to conversation and communication？ So often do we get lost in the diagnosis or the “history” or judgements of a patient。 We forget there’s a hurting human in front of us。 This book， just wow。 Thank you。
Mary
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Wonderful InsightProvides an insightful example of the American healthcare system and how to better provide patient care。 The author's honest portrayal is a must read for healthcare professionals。 Wonderful InsightProvides an insightful example of the American healthcare system and how to better provide patient care。 The author's honest portrayal is a must read for healthcare professionals。 。。。more
Emilia Róża
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Książka napisana elokwentnym językiem。 Czyta się ją bardzo przyjemne， mimo że to trudna， szokująca historia。
Tara ☆ Tarasbookshelf
，
Very interesting。 Touching。 Compassionate。 Very readable。 A real way for doctors to connect to their patients， as they may transform into them。 A window into how doctors are trained not to care or fully communicate to avoid burnout。 She gives actual real world tips in the back of the book on communication for both the physician and the patient。 Well written。
Jawaher
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This is an interesting story of a doctor becoming an ICU patient。 I felt sorry for all of the illness and surgeries she endured， however， through her experiences she was able to change to a more humane way of medical practice and teaching of medical students。
nicole
，
True story of a doctor who became a patient and was at the brink of death multiple times。 Lost a baby， multiple surgeries， and then took her lessons as a patient and applied them to being a better doctor by showing more empathy and being more present when it comes to listening to the patient and truly trying to grant their wishes。 It was a bit more medical than I needed but I still enjoyed the read and appreciated the appendix of a nice step by step tutorial of how to engage at a Dr's appointmen True story of a doctor who became a patient and was at the brink of death multiple times。 Lost a baby， multiple surgeries， and then took her lessons as a patient and applied them to being a better doctor by showing more empathy and being more present when it comes to listening to the patient and truly trying to grant their wishes。 It was a bit more medical than I needed but I still enjoyed the read and appreciated the appendix of a nice step by step tutorial of how to engage at a Dr's appointment and get what you want out of it （both the patient and doctor side） "there are divine things more beautiful than words can tell" "the physical embodiment of so much love" 。。。more
Meg
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Such important lessons on empathy and communication， things that are slowly getting taught in school but not as easily demonstrated in the clinical environment。
Shari Ariail
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Awdish's story has some keen insight into how doctor's are taught to communicate with patients by building a brick wall and not showing emotion。 She does this through her telling of a newardeath experience while pregnant。 Unfortunately， at times it was difficult to discern when she was talking to herself versus talking with her doctor while lying in a hospital bed。 Frequently， she witnesses her colleagues make large mistakes while taking care of her yet she doesn't speak up。 I found her behavior Awdish's story has some keen insight into how doctor's are taught to communicate with patients by building a brick wall and not showing emotion。 She does this through her telling of a newardeath experience while pregnant。 Unfortunately， at times it was difficult to discern when she was talking to herself versus talking with her doctor while lying in a hospital bed。 Frequently， she witnesses her colleagues make large mistakes while taking care of her yet she doesn't speak up。 I found her behavior quite odd and subservient。On the other hand， her illness has led her on a new path by devling into how doctors should be communicating with compassion with their patients。By the way， Rana， please question non doctor patients， too about their experiences。 Here's one for you。 As a 12 year old， I had an emergency appendectomy。 My surgeon was not only an icicle but extremely cruel。 I will never forget his words。 When I was unable to climb out of the hospital bed due to excruciating pain， he said: "If you don't get out of bed and move， you will get pneumonia and die。" 。。。more
Lydia
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Read this in 2020 during the pandemic。 One of the most emotionally intelligent writers and physicians I've ever encountered。 I'm not someone who annotates a lot while reading， but I found myself underlining lines throughout the book and internally agreeing with the author and saying "yes， this！" to myself。 It brought great comfort to see a physician who was able to put themselves in another person's shoes， which felt like almost a fantasy world if you walk outside and encounter an anti-masker sh Read this in 2020 during the pandemic。 One of the most emotionally intelligent writers and physicians I've ever encountered。 I'm not someone who annotates a lot while reading， but I found myself underlining lines throughout the book and internally agreeing with the author and saying "yes， this！" to myself。 It brought great comfort to see a physician who was able to put themselves in another person's shoes， which felt like almost a fantasy world if you walk outside and encounter an anti-masker shouting at you。 If you've ever dealt with grief and trauma either as a patient or as a loved one of someone who was a patient in the ICU， this book can bring， perhaps not full closure from those experiences， words to the gauntlet of emotions you have had。 。。。more
Pru
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