Junior Intern

Junior Intern by Alan E. Nourse

Ted Coleman receives a note from Dr. Bart (Bartholomew) to meet him at his office.  Ted thinks it is because he had been dating the doctor's daughter.  It turns out that the doctor is concerned that Ted would not be able to study pre-med and play football in college.  Ted had won a football scholarship to college.  Dr. Bart has 'adopted' boys and payed all of their college and medical school expenses as needed.  He is willing to do the same for Ted if he is a "winner".  A job at Darwin Hospital working under intern Neal Tucker who is one of the doctor's boys.

Ted's job is to do heavy work as moving beds, setting up oxygen tanks and other things as being in charge of sterile supplies and helping doctors with procedures.  Ted is taught how to do blood counts and cross matching.  He learns how to take blood pressures and how to observe patients.  He even discovers uneven pupils in one patient which lead to his observing an operation and forgetting that he had a date.

During an emergency, Ted takes charge and helps move patients, supplies, and doctors from one location to another.  While helping out during the emergency situation, Ted discovers the answer to the question that Dr. Bart had asked him, "Why do you want to become a doctor?"  it is because there was nothing else he could do.  Medicine ...is a way of life.

I found this book on one of my bookcases and decided it fit in with this challenge.  Alan Nourse is an M.D. and also wrote a book called Intern under the name 'Doctor X'.  He is better known for his science fiction books.

This book describes the way things were in hospitals in the early 50's.  Blood is collected by the Red Cross or Commuity Blood Banks vs individual hospital (at least here in Tioga County, PA).  Donors are asked lots of questions and many tests are run on the blood before it is used.  People can even bank their own blood when facing surgery.

I loved the book and gave it 4 out of five stars on Goodreads.  I have not read any of Dr. Nourse's other books recently.  I enjoyed this book and wish it was more easily available for others to read.