Intern: On Life and Death

A monitor beeps. Voices shout from every direction. A three-year-old boy collapses before our eyes. The doctor performing chest compressions is drenched in sweat and struggling to keep going, so I offer to take over. We had practiced CPR before internship, of course-but real resuscitation is nothing like the sterile simulations of a training lab. I lean over a child with a hole in his neck, compressing his tiny chest to the rhythm of Stayin' Alive playing in my head, praying he won't die in my hands."Not on my shift, buddy," I hear myself say aloud, even though I'm sure I meant it only in my head.Between overcrowded emergency rooms and hospital wards filled beyond capacity, Intern takes readers inside a healthcare system where there is no time to breathe and no room for mistakes. Life-changing decisions are made after sleepless nights, as the line between control and chaos grows ever thinner. Amid it all, an unexpected love changes everything, and a single decision sets in motion a journey into the unknown.With disarming honesty and sharp wit, Carmel Sher recounts the year that changed his life. Blending humor with heartbreak and moments of triumph with physical and emotional collapse, Intern is a deeply human memoir that reminds us that healing others is sometimes the easy part. "A compelling debut. A powerful testimony to Israel's healthcare system, and at the same time a deeply personal, witty, and moving story about the human calling of those who choose medicine as their life's work." - David GrossmanCarmel Sher is a physician born in Jerusalem in 1988. He is married to Lea and is father to Ruben Sol. Intern is his first book.