The Making of a Surgeon is the memoir of an apprentice. It is William Nolen's story of his transformation from student to practitioner, from a brash medical school graduate to a surgeon possessing skill and judgment. And, as in the best memoirs, in the brilliant flash of his self-discovery, William Nolen illuminates the world outside himself.

This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the original. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions that are true to the original work.

Segregation was a way of life in the 1960s, especially in the South when O. Gordon Robinson Jr. was completing his surgical residency at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson. The Ku Klux Klan was a force to be reckoned with at the time, and Robinson chronicles the events he witnessed as well as the civil rights movement of the time against the backdrop of completing his medical education. His main focus is on the daily lives and work of the residents, including the innovative organ-transplant research led by Dr. James Hardy. One of Robinson’s initial assignments was to transplant a kidney from one dog to another, and from the recipient dog, one of his kidneys to the first dog. The helpers anesthetized the animals, prepped and draped them, and started IV fluids if necessary. Dr. Hardy was a real pioneer in the field of transplantation, and as time went on, it became obvious that he and his crew were preparing to do heart and lung transplants on humans—something that had never been done before. Whether you’re interested in life during the civil rights movement, medical education or both, you’ll enjoy The Making of a Surgeon.

The Making of a Surgeon in the 21st Century is a highly personalized description of one individual's experiences during a five-year residency in general surgery at a major university hospital.

This is a true story about a doctor who, as a young man, developed a fierce independence. His goals became not only to become the best doctor he could be but to be his own boss. It's also the story of a healthcare system that became hostile to that independence, such that to continue as an independent doctor became riskier over time. This is my story. I'm that doctor who, at times, had to risk it all just to be my own boss.