Helping me wrap up the week is Dr. John Lawrence and we’re chatting about his fun medical memoir, Playing Doctor: Part Two: Residency (Blundering Along with Imposter Syndrome).
Bio:
John Lawrence was born in New York and attended Georgetown University where he told his career advisor that the only thing he did not want to be was a doctor. He subsequently survived medical school and residency training in Utah.
John’s first book Playing Doctor: Part One: Medical School (Stumbling Through with Amnesia) is a candid memoir of transforming from an uncertain, head injured, liberal-arts student, into a medical doctor.
John was not the typical medical student, sneaking out of the hospital whilst on-call to audition for television shows in order to pay the rent; writing film scripts and overcoming a nagging imposter syndrome. John has been a river rafting guide, ski race coach, bagel baker, screenwriter, film director, expedition doctor climbing Kilimanjaro with his close friend, Olympic Hall of Fame athlete, Chris Waddell, (Chris is the first paraplegic to summit Kilimanjaro un-assisted).
Welcome, John. Please tell us about your current release.
Playing Doctor is a behind-the-curtain look at medical training. The books take readers from applying and being accepted to medical school (I was only accepted due to sex change surgery. Not mine. But a true story), through the years of clinical rotations, and into residency training. These are the funny, heartwarming, often heartbreaking tales of life in the hospitals as a medical student and resident. I hope this offers a fun, certainly self-deprecating look into the world of medicine (where we have almost all had some contact).
What inspired you to write this book?
While on call overnight, I used to send group emails (pre-blog era) to friends describing my daily adventures, frustrations and hospital foibles. Eventually a friend asked if she could publish those emails and I told her I would just write the whole story as a book. So, I sat down the next day and started writing.
Excerpt from Playing Doctor:
I had barely been versed in certain procedures, such as injecting people’s joints with medication. So, I hesitated (responsibly, I thought) the first time this doctor told me, “Why don’t you go into room four and inject Mr. Thomas’ right knee with Kenalog.”
I replied, “Well, I’ve never actually injected anybody’s knee with Kenalog before.” Rationally thinking it best to receive some instruction before plunging a large needle full of steroids into Mr. Thomas.
The doctor looked me up and down with a combination of disappointment and disgust, stating, “Well just get in there and do it, then. How else you gonna learn?”
I couldn’t argue with that logic and started walking reluctantly towards the room containing poor Mr. Thomas and his soon to be doomed knee. I glanced mournfully back over my shoulder, “I really don’t know what I’m do–”
“Ok, fine. I’ll show you this time, but you do it from now on, OK?” And he gave me a quick tutorial into injecting a knee. I performed all the joint injections after that.
What exciting story are you working on next?
Currently rewriting book three in the same series after receiving notes from my editor. That book will release early next summer, and then I am very excited to move forward with an independent film production of a film script I have written (and will be re-writing again and again!).
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
I think success type gurus would say you have to consider yourself a writer every day, manifest that you are a writer. But even after I directed a feature length film that I wrote, wrote another seven or eight scripts and wrote these three books… I don’t think I ever considered myself a “writer.” I did finally have a wake-up moment when I realized my book was selling in different countries, that I was able to donate profits from the book to charities, that I was about to launch the second and third book in the series…it occurred to me I might be a writer? There is a very fun moment however, when you open a box of your printed books and realize, wow, this is real and happening!
Do you write full-time? If so, what’s your work day like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?
I aim to write every day. Often setting time or chapter goals. I used to do shift work as a doctor, which allowed me some days off to write, but I currently work as the medical director at a tech company as my “day” job until writing can pay the bills!
What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
My wife taught me the importance of reading your work aloud. And reading in your head does not count. When I read aloud, I find so many stumbly and awkward sentences. So I spend a lot of time talking to myself out loud.
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
An actor
Anything additional you want to share with the readers?
If you’re thinking about writing a book, applying to medical school, do it! Taking a chance to chase your aspirations will take you somewhere and I’ve usually seen that the answer is pretty simple, you just have to do the work to get what you want. And if you happen to pick up my book, I hope you enjoy it!
Links:
Website | Amazon | Instagram
Thanks for being here today, John. Happy writing.