November 13, 2024 • TCOM Book Club
This classic novel of life and death in an American hospital has been hailed as one
of the most important medical novels ever written. The Lancet named the House of God
by Stephen Bergman, MD (aka, Samuel Shem, MD) as one of the two most important American
medical novels of the 20th century, and the New York Times described it as “a raunchy,
troubling, and hilarious novel that turned into a cult phenomenon.” However, others
have characterized it as an infamous illustration of the hidden curriculum of medical
school, including heart-breaking examples of depersonalization in the delivery of
medical care.