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Great Joys, Great Sorrows: An Immigrant’s Journey through Surgical Residency
A Surgeon’s Tale, Book Volume 4
At 5 a.m., the pager goes off.
Another emergency. Another life in the balance.
Welcome to Harvard’s surgical residency in the 1970s.
In Great Joys, Great Sorrows, Dr. Michael M. Meguid pulls readers into a world of 110-hour workweeks, impossible decisions, and relentless pressure, where young surgeons are forged or broken. This powerful fourth volume of the award-winning A Surgeon’s Tale series chronicles Meguid’s transformation from a London-trained intern into a confident surgical leader inside some of America’s most demanding teaching hospitals.
This is not just a medical memoir. It is a deeply human story about endurance, identity, and the cost of answering a lifelong calling.
Inside these pages, you will
The making of a surgeon
Follow the raw progression from uncertainty to mastery, from first incisions to complex, high-stakes operations where precision means survival.Life under extreme pressure
Witness the reality of surgical training in an era defined by exhaustion, rigid hierarchy, and ethical dilemmas that leave permanent marks.Joy, loss, and moral reckoning
Feel the triumph of saving lives and the lasting weight of loss when medicine reaches its limits.An immigrant’s uphill climb
Discover the personal sacrifices, cultural dislocation, and quiet resilience required to build a career and family in a new country.Memorable mentors and rivals
Meet legendary surgeons, devoted nurses, and fellow residents whose brilliance, flaws, and humanity shape every step of the journey.
Written with clarity, candor, and emotional depth, Dr. Meguid’s prose captures the sights, sounds, and psychological toll of a pivotal era in medicine. His reflections offer rare insight into the inner life of a surgeon when skill, compassion, and survival collide.
Critical Acclaim
Grady Harp, Top 100 Amazon Reviewer, calls the series “a medical and philosophical treasure.”
Series Recognition
This is Volume 4 of the award-winning A Surgeon’s Tale , a sweeping autobiographical series chronicling a life on the front lines of medicine, identity, and human resilience.
Perfect for readers who
When Breath Becomes AirThe House of GodThoughtful medical memoirs and historical biographies rooted in real human stakes
Continue the
Explore earlier volumes in A Surgeon’s Tale, including Roots & Branches , Mastering the Knife , and Surgeon & Lover , available on Amazon in print, Kindle, and Audible.
Do not just read about medicine.
Step inside it.
Order your copy of Great Joys, Great Sorrows today and experience the making of a surgeon, one decision at a time.
At 5 a.m., the pager goes off.
Another emergency. Another life in the balance.
Welcome to Harvard’s surgical residency in the 1970s.
In Great Joys, Great Sorrows, Dr. Michael M. Meguid pulls readers into a world of 110-hour workweeks, impossible decisions, and relentless pressure, where young surgeons are forged or broken. This powerful fourth volume of the award-winning A Surgeon’s Tale series chronicles Meguid’s transformation from a London-trained intern into a confident surgical leader inside some of America’s most demanding teaching hospitals.
This is not just a medical memoir. It is a deeply human story about endurance, identity, and the cost of answering a lifelong calling.
Inside these pages, you will
The making of a surgeon
Follow the raw progression from uncertainty to mastery, from first incisions to complex, high-stakes operations where precision means survival.Life under extreme pressure
Witness the reality of surgical training in an era defined by exhaustion, rigid hierarchy, and ethical dilemmas that leave permanent marks.Joy, loss, and moral reckoning
Feel the triumph of saving lives and the lasting weight of loss when medicine reaches its limits.An immigrant’s uphill climb
Discover the personal sacrifices, cultural dislocation, and quiet resilience required to build a career and family in a new country.Memorable mentors and rivals
Meet legendary surgeons, devoted nurses, and fellow residents whose brilliance, flaws, and humanity shape every step of the journey.
Written with clarity, candor, and emotional depth, Dr. Meguid’s prose captures the sights, sounds, and psychological toll of a pivotal era in medicine. His reflections offer rare insight into the inner life of a surgeon when skill, compassion, and survival collide.
Critical Acclaim
Grady Harp, Top 100 Amazon Reviewer, calls the series “a medical and philosophical treasure.”
Series Recognition
This is Volume 4 of the award-winning A Surgeon’s Tale , a sweeping autobiographical series chronicling a life on the front lines of medicine, identity, and human resilience.
Perfect for readers who
When Breath Becomes AirThe House of GodThoughtful medical memoirs and historical biographies rooted in real human stakes
Continue the
Explore earlier volumes in A Surgeon’s Tale, including Roots & Branches , Mastering the Knife , and Surgeon & Lover , available on Amazon in print, Kindle, and Audible.
Do not just read about medicine.
Step inside it.
Order your copy of Great Joys, Great Sorrows today and experience the making of a surgeon, one decision at a time.
468 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 5, 2025
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October 29, 2025
Surgery is a solitary way of life’ – An immersive, sensitive and educational memoir!
Egyptian born author/physician/researcher Michael Marwan Meguid, MD/PhD, earned his medical degree from University College Hospital Medical School in London, his surgical residency at Harvard Medical School, his PhD in human nutrition at MIT, and combined both his surgical career with his research at the National Institutes of Health. Highly regarded and awarded for his contributions, he now adds superlative literary skills to his credit with his impressive memoir A SURGEON’S TALE of which GREAT JOYS, GREAT SORROWS is the fourth volume. The subtitle of this engrossing novel suggests the fascinating journey - An Immigrant’s Journey Through Surgical Residency.
The taste of the content to come is offered as the novel opens with a 1970s surgical resident’s survival guide who work 110 hours per week – suggesting both the humor and the sensibilities this book elicits: e.g., ‘A good operation is better that good sex. A bad operation is worse that a cold pizza’ et cetera. Dr. Meguid’s memoir delivers his experiences as a surgical resident, embracing the tension of adapting to the American medical system’s difference from the British medical delivery, how the rigorous demands (and associated rewards!) of his duties at several hospitals in the Harvard system impacted his interactions with important physicians, his wife Victoria’s concurrent pediatric residency and the associated imprint of his status as an immigrant – all related with insight and wit.
As a fellow surgeon of the same age and similar experiences as a resident, this book is indeed outstanding and educational. Dr. Meguid offers expert explanation of anatomical aspects and surgical findings – such as in cardio-thoracic surgery explaining how the heart works complete with excellent illustrations. Chapters are devoted to orthopedic surgery, abdominal surgery, pediatric surgery, mastectomies, management of surgical complications, work in the ER and more. What makes this book even more impressive is his insightful references (in the 1970s) to diagnostic techniques that would arrive in the future - MRI, PET scans, laparoscopic techniques – and which most assuredly have!
And of even more impact is Dr. Meguid’s sensitive approach to patient care, concepts embraced from his training in London described as ‘I learned early on that caring for the patient from beginning to end – the perioperative period – was as important, if not more so, than the technical process itself.’ Some other notable quotes: ‘The field of surgery has often been dominated by misguided yet self-assured, well-intentioned, domineering, bullying, intimidating, and sometimes pompous men…Their Achilles’ heel was a lack of self-doubt – a quality every surgeon should possess.’ ‘As surgeons, we often speak to our patients almost in the code of surgical jargon to reassure and comfort them.’ ‘This was the competitive world of residents, emblematic of American individualism.’
Successful on myriad levels, this eloquently scribed book will entertain and inspire the general reading audience – and should become required reading for medical students, interns, residents and all surgeons. A medical and philosophical treasure!
Egyptian born author/physician/researcher Michael Marwan Meguid, MD/PhD, earned his medical degree from University College Hospital Medical School in London, his surgical residency at Harvard Medical School, his PhD in human nutrition at MIT, and combined both his surgical career with his research at the National Institutes of Health. Highly regarded and awarded for his contributions, he now adds superlative literary skills to his credit with his impressive memoir A SURGEON’S TALE of which GREAT JOYS, GREAT SORROWS is the fourth volume. The subtitle of this engrossing novel suggests the fascinating journey - An Immigrant’s Journey Through Surgical Residency.
The taste of the content to come is offered as the novel opens with a 1970s surgical resident’s survival guide who work 110 hours per week – suggesting both the humor and the sensibilities this book elicits: e.g., ‘A good operation is better that good sex. A bad operation is worse that a cold pizza’ et cetera. Dr. Meguid’s memoir delivers his experiences as a surgical resident, embracing the tension of adapting to the American medical system’s difference from the British medical delivery, how the rigorous demands (and associated rewards!) of his duties at several hospitals in the Harvard system impacted his interactions with important physicians, his wife Victoria’s concurrent pediatric residency and the associated imprint of his status as an immigrant – all related with insight and wit.
As a fellow surgeon of the same age and similar experiences as a resident, this book is indeed outstanding and educational. Dr. Meguid offers expert explanation of anatomical aspects and surgical findings – such as in cardio-thoracic surgery explaining how the heart works complete with excellent illustrations. Chapters are devoted to orthopedic surgery, abdominal surgery, pediatric surgery, mastectomies, management of surgical complications, work in the ER and more. What makes this book even more impressive is his insightful references (in the 1970s) to diagnostic techniques that would arrive in the future - MRI, PET scans, laparoscopic techniques – and which most assuredly have!
And of even more impact is Dr. Meguid’s sensitive approach to patient care, concepts embraced from his training in London described as ‘I learned early on that caring for the patient from beginning to end – the perioperative period – was as important, if not more so, than the technical process itself.’ Some other notable quotes: ‘The field of surgery has often been dominated by misguided yet self-assured, well-intentioned, domineering, bullying, intimidating, and sometimes pompous men…Their Achilles’ heel was a lack of self-doubt – a quality every surgeon should possess.’ ‘As surgeons, we often speak to our patients almost in the code of surgical jargon to reassure and comfort them.’ ‘This was the competitive world of residents, emblematic of American individualism.’
Successful on myriad levels, this eloquently scribed book will entertain and inspire the general reading audience – and should become required reading for medical students, interns, residents and all surgeons. A medical and philosophical treasure!
January 27, 2026
Quite a Story—A Surgeon’s Life Spanning Advances Beyond Imagining
What I found most striking about ‘Great Joys, Great Sorrows: An Immigrant’s Journey through Surgical Residency’ by Michael M. Meguid, M.D., an autobiography of his life as a surgeon over a half-century, is that his life spans so many medical improvements that we do not consider when talking about medical care. The advances in drugs and surgical techniques from when he began his training, in the late 1960s in London, until his retirement are astounding. I know someone who just had a kidney stone removed and it was akin to getting a hangnail removed, just fantastic in precision and their ability to operate with the smallest of incisions and destroy the object in question, just unbelievable.
But one must remember that this is the fourth book in a detailed autobiographical series on his life as a surgeon in the rapidly moving medical world. As a whole, people have some idea of what doctors go through during their education and training, but that is like explaining what it is like to be in combat, you cannot truly get across the actuality of it all. This book is an education in that and should be taken to heart by all who should prize their dedication and gifts.
I can’t begin to really tell his story, so I just say GET THIS BOOK and here are some thoughts from the Forword by Richard Lynn, one of Michael Meguid’s fellow surgeons, that will have to suffice:
“Meguid’s book contains arresting details about the pressures of early general surgical residency, where some residents got divorced, others developed depression and burnout, and most worked for giants of surgery—all for a pittance! This occurred only a few decades ago in the same hospitals that are still pillars of our society. With great humor and a prose style as exacting as a surgeon’s scalpel, Meguid paints portraits of his fellow residents and professors, the titans and superheroes who taught, sculpted, and mentored his growth into a mature, competent surgeon. Arriving in New York as an immigrant with a young wife and $48 in his pocket, he entered the American medical hierarchy. Fresh from an internship in London, England, he began as a lowly immigrant resident at The Peter Bent Brigham Hospital, Harvard Medical School. In this account of his journey, Meguid writes at times like a memoirist and at other times like an anthropologist or ethnographer.
“I met this extraordinary, dedicated man in July 1971, shortly after I had graduated from medical school at Cornell University Medical College in New York City. I arrived in Boston to begin my surgical training at Harvard, at the Beth Israel Hospital under the direction of the preeminent (and my future lifelong mentor) Dr. William Silen. My first rotation was across the street on Longwood Avenue at the prestigious Boston Children’s Hospital of Harvard Medical School. I was a surgical intern in the pediatric surgical service. One year above me, the second-year junior resident, who traditionally came from the Harvard sister teaching hospital, was Michael Meguid, from the famous Francis D. Moore’s surgical residency at the Peter Bent Brigham.”
What I found most striking about ‘Great Joys, Great Sorrows: An Immigrant’s Journey through Surgical Residency’ by Michael M. Meguid, M.D., an autobiography of his life as a surgeon over a half-century, is that his life spans so many medical improvements that we do not consider when talking about medical care. The advances in drugs and surgical techniques from when he began his training, in the late 1960s in London, until his retirement are astounding. I know someone who just had a kidney stone removed and it was akin to getting a hangnail removed, just fantastic in precision and their ability to operate with the smallest of incisions and destroy the object in question, just unbelievable.
But one must remember that this is the fourth book in a detailed autobiographical series on his life as a surgeon in the rapidly moving medical world. As a whole, people have some idea of what doctors go through during their education and training, but that is like explaining what it is like to be in combat, you cannot truly get across the actuality of it all. This book is an education in that and should be taken to heart by all who should prize their dedication and gifts.
I can’t begin to really tell his story, so I just say GET THIS BOOK and here are some thoughts from the Forword by Richard Lynn, one of Michael Meguid’s fellow surgeons, that will have to suffice:
“Meguid’s book contains arresting details about the pressures of early general surgical residency, where some residents got divorced, others developed depression and burnout, and most worked for giants of surgery—all for a pittance! This occurred only a few decades ago in the same hospitals that are still pillars of our society. With great humor and a prose style as exacting as a surgeon’s scalpel, Meguid paints portraits of his fellow residents and professors, the titans and superheroes who taught, sculpted, and mentored his growth into a mature, competent surgeon. Arriving in New York as an immigrant with a young wife and $48 in his pocket, he entered the American medical hierarchy. Fresh from an internship in London, England, he began as a lowly immigrant resident at The Peter Bent Brigham Hospital, Harvard Medical School. In this account of his journey, Meguid writes at times like a memoirist and at other times like an anthropologist or ethnographer.
“I met this extraordinary, dedicated man in July 1971, shortly after I had graduated from medical school at Cornell University Medical College in New York City. I arrived in Boston to begin my surgical training at Harvard, at the Beth Israel Hospital under the direction of the preeminent (and my future lifelong mentor) Dr. William Silen. My first rotation was across the street on Longwood Avenue at the prestigious Boston Children’s Hospital of Harvard Medical School. I was a surgical intern in the pediatric surgical service. One year above me, the second-year junior resident, who traditionally came from the Harvard sister teaching hospital, was Michael Meguid, from the famous Francis D. Moore’s surgical residency at the Peter Bent Brigham.”
January 28, 2026
Michael Meguid Has a Great Story to Tell, His Life
Learning about how doctors operate can be a fascinating hobby, and it will provide valuable information when various questions or discussions come with others. Even though Michael Meguid’s ‘Great Joys, Great Sorrows’ is essentially an autobiography, what I found was all kinds of interesting tales of the ER, residency and the art of training for and becoming a successful surgeon, which was sometimes done not by doing but by observing others in action.
For example, Chapter 15 is ‘The Skill Not to Kill,’ and its about how inadequately closing adnominal incisions is dangerous business. This is because that particular set of muscles is interconnected to a series of inter and overlapping sets of muscle groups all around the major organs and connected to hips, ribs, pelvis, etc. Done improperly this can lead to hernias during the post-surgery recovery, even years afterwards. Meguid wrote, “I didn’t realize at the time that, throughout my many years of practice, I would frequently encounter failed surgical incisions. It became essential for me to thoroughly understand the causes of this issue, how to prevent it, and how to address it in severe cases, through reconstruction of the abdominal wall.”
Raised in Egypt. but of half-German descent, an interesting chapter was his experience at Boston Children’s Hospital, where Michael Meguid spent 12 months “operating on and caring for toddlers and infants. What a joy.” I found this section satisfying and found this paragraph instructive about his motivations, “I subconsciously needed to care for the young, the neglected, and the vulnerable to soothe their pains and heal their wounds. I felt I hadn’t received such love and nurturing from our mother for five years. Gulnar and I had been transported by our parents from our emotionally nurturing Egyptian grandparents and resource rich Cairo to our aging, war weary maternal grandparents in ravaged Germany—grandparents who had lived through WWI, the Wall Street crash, with its inflation, the depression, and WWII.”
His time as a children’s doctor is a treasured part of his career, and this book is full of such stories and observations, so many that reading ‘Great Joys, Great Sorrows’ will enhance your understanding of doctors, health and life. Terrific!!!!
Learning about how doctors operate can be a fascinating hobby, and it will provide valuable information when various questions or discussions come with others. Even though Michael Meguid’s ‘Great Joys, Great Sorrows’ is essentially an autobiography, what I found was all kinds of interesting tales of the ER, residency and the art of training for and becoming a successful surgeon, which was sometimes done not by doing but by observing others in action.
For example, Chapter 15 is ‘The Skill Not to Kill,’ and its about how inadequately closing adnominal incisions is dangerous business. This is because that particular set of muscles is interconnected to a series of inter and overlapping sets of muscle groups all around the major organs and connected to hips, ribs, pelvis, etc. Done improperly this can lead to hernias during the post-surgery recovery, even years afterwards. Meguid wrote, “I didn’t realize at the time that, throughout my many years of practice, I would frequently encounter failed surgical incisions. It became essential for me to thoroughly understand the causes of this issue, how to prevent it, and how to address it in severe cases, through reconstruction of the abdominal wall.”
Raised in Egypt. but of half-German descent, an interesting chapter was his experience at Boston Children’s Hospital, where Michael Meguid spent 12 months “operating on and caring for toddlers and infants. What a joy.” I found this section satisfying and found this paragraph instructive about his motivations, “I subconsciously needed to care for the young, the neglected, and the vulnerable to soothe their pains and heal their wounds. I felt I hadn’t received such love and nurturing from our mother for five years. Gulnar and I had been transported by our parents from our emotionally nurturing Egyptian grandparents and resource rich Cairo to our aging, war weary maternal grandparents in ravaged Germany—grandparents who had lived through WWI, the Wall Street crash, with its inflation, the depression, and WWII.”
His time as a children’s doctor is a treasured part of his career, and this book is full of such stories and observations, so many that reading ‘Great Joys, Great Sorrows’ will enhance your understanding of doctors, health and life. Terrific!!!!
January 28, 2026
Inside View of the Medical World Few People Are Remotely Aware of, Worth the Read
The quote which heads chapter 36 of ‘Great Joys, Great Sorrows’ is unfortunately true, and it comes from Hippocrates, as in the Hippocratic Oath: ‘He who wishes to become a surgeon should go to war.’ True then as now, untold advances in surgical techniques have been made under the stress and results of war, like the beginnings of plastic surgery during the Battle of Britain, where badly burned pilots joined a club they did not wish to belong to—The Guinea Pig Club.
Millions consult and depend on the brilliant expertise of doctors and surgeons the world over. Within the ever-shifting sands of that important profession are men and women who run the gamut from fantastic to pathetic, smart to not smart, and compassionate to uncaring. It is high stress and takes a physical and mental toll on those who dwell in a world outsiders cannot really fathom unless inside. But I must say that ‘Great Joys, Great Sorrows: An Immigrant’s Journey through Surgical Residency,’ by Michael M. Meguid, M.D., offers a comprehensive view of his 50 year journey from student, in London in 1968, to top performer at the best hospitals in the United States.
For varied reasons, this is truly a book that is beneficial to consume.
In one section, Micheal Meguid carefully explained the exact nature of the incisions he was making, offering the reader what amounts to a play by play in those tense moments. Each clamp, each cut, each glance between those involved, thoughts at certain moments as the tension rises. Here is a part I found interesting and unexpected, “There is something sensuous, almost erotic, about the scrub nurse and me in the surgical moment as we move silently alongside the operation, like three lovers dancing a tango—aware that one hesitation or misstep can create a dangerous dynamic tension. No wonder the scrub nurse has often been referred to as a surgeon’s second wife.”
The cast of ground breaking and top-flight surgeons within the confines of this book is like reading about an all star athletic game, these people drive the world of surgery forward with commitment and conviction. Great book, well done Doc.
The quote which heads chapter 36 of ‘Great Joys, Great Sorrows’ is unfortunately true, and it comes from Hippocrates, as in the Hippocratic Oath: ‘He who wishes to become a surgeon should go to war.’ True then as now, untold advances in surgical techniques have been made under the stress and results of war, like the beginnings of plastic surgery during the Battle of Britain, where badly burned pilots joined a club they did not wish to belong to—The Guinea Pig Club.
Millions consult and depend on the brilliant expertise of doctors and surgeons the world over. Within the ever-shifting sands of that important profession are men and women who run the gamut from fantastic to pathetic, smart to not smart, and compassionate to uncaring. It is high stress and takes a physical and mental toll on those who dwell in a world outsiders cannot really fathom unless inside. But I must say that ‘Great Joys, Great Sorrows: An Immigrant’s Journey through Surgical Residency,’ by Michael M. Meguid, M.D., offers a comprehensive view of his 50 year journey from student, in London in 1968, to top performer at the best hospitals in the United States.
For varied reasons, this is truly a book that is beneficial to consume.
In one section, Micheal Meguid carefully explained the exact nature of the incisions he was making, offering the reader what amounts to a play by play in those tense moments. Each clamp, each cut, each glance between those involved, thoughts at certain moments as the tension rises. Here is a part I found interesting and unexpected, “There is something sensuous, almost erotic, about the scrub nurse and me in the surgical moment as we move silently alongside the operation, like three lovers dancing a tango—aware that one hesitation or misstep can create a dangerous dynamic tension. No wonder the scrub nurse has often been referred to as a surgeon’s second wife.”
The cast of ground breaking and top-flight surgeons within the confines of this book is like reading about an all star athletic game, these people drive the world of surgery forward with commitment and conviction. Great book, well done Doc.
November 17, 2025
Most of us have very little knowledge of the health care system, hospitals, doctors, surgeons and nursing care – until we have to use it. And, even then, people don’t really understand the ins and outs, the surgical details or why things are working the way they are when they go to a doctor or are admitted to a hospital.
And, even though they are entertaining, shows like “The Pitt,” “Grey’s Anatomy” and “ER” primarily present a fictional version of what health care is like.
But in his book, “Great Joys, Great Sorrows: An Immigrant’s Journey through Surgical Residency,” Dr. Michael Meguid takes readers inside that mysterious world of heath care. Told in fascinating detail, which strikes just the right balance between technical medical language and easy to understand narrative, the book is a compelling look at Dr. Meguid’s early years, when he was training as a surgical resident in Boston.
He tells his story, with some background details of his childhood in Egypt, Germany and, eventually, England, where he studied medicine, met his wife and seized an opportunity to come to America for his residency.
There is a delightful recounting of the trip over, the first days as they adjusted to life in the United States, found an apartment and plunged into the brutal schedule required of surgical residents. There is even a highly entertaining detour of a holiday trip to Cape Cod, a place of eternal charms.
However, the majority of the book focuses heavily on Meguid’s experiences as he navigates his surgical rotations, highlighting various individual surgeries and the patients involved. He shares interesting details of these cases and it’s easy to see how they shaped his life’s path.
He also quite honestly discusses the various doctors, nurses, administrators. and others with whom he worked during his residency and their impact on his career progression.
It’s a fascinating journey through a crucial point in a doctor’s career, offering a rarely seen look at the complex puzzle that is the U.S. health care system. Highly recommended.
And, even though they are entertaining, shows like “The Pitt,” “Grey’s Anatomy” and “ER” primarily present a fictional version of what health care is like.
But in his book, “Great Joys, Great Sorrows: An Immigrant’s Journey through Surgical Residency,” Dr. Michael Meguid takes readers inside that mysterious world of heath care. Told in fascinating detail, which strikes just the right balance between technical medical language and easy to understand narrative, the book is a compelling look at Dr. Meguid’s early years, when he was training as a surgical resident in Boston.
He tells his story, with some background details of his childhood in Egypt, Germany and, eventually, England, where he studied medicine, met his wife and seized an opportunity to come to America for his residency.
There is a delightful recounting of the trip over, the first days as they adjusted to life in the United States, found an apartment and plunged into the brutal schedule required of surgical residents. There is even a highly entertaining detour of a holiday trip to Cape Cod, a place of eternal charms.
However, the majority of the book focuses heavily on Meguid’s experiences as he navigates his surgical rotations, highlighting various individual surgeries and the patients involved. He shares interesting details of these cases and it’s easy to see how they shaped his life’s path.
He also quite honestly discusses the various doctors, nurses, administrators. and others with whom he worked during his residency and their impact on his career progression.
It’s a fascinating journey through a crucial point in a doctor’s career, offering a rarely seen look at the complex puzzle that is the U.S. health care system. Highly recommended.
November 15, 2025
Dr. Meguid continues his autobiographical series about becoming a physician with this new installment, where he focuses on his time as a resident in Boston, Massachusetts in the 1970s within the Harvard University hospital system.
The book starts after Dr. Meguid completes his medical exams, marries Victoria and the two leave England for the United States. There they both have residency programs awaiting them; Dr. Meguid in surgery and his wife in pediatrics. However, starting out, things don’t go as planned. Having gained the approval to arrive a few days late for his first residency rotation in orthopedics, faux pas-related issues arise right away. This is not helped by his needing to navigate not only cultural differences but also system-related differences all at the same time.
This first rotation causes an internal reassessment for Dr. Meguid but eventually, once he gets to rotations that include surgical-related outcomes, he finds his stride and starts to find his footing. Encouraged by those around him, many of them titans in their fields, and aided by his own insatiable curiosity he learns new techniques and incorporates new ideas. Adding his own research, an important component as well, rounds out his transformation from trainee to full-fledged physician.
In his memoirs, Dr. Meguid deftly illustrates the highs and lows of being a resident – the long days and nights on little sleep, the social isolation, the relentless grind, the triumphs of a successful surgery, the excitement of learning, and the clash between egos, cultures, and systems – all written about within an era before many of the technological breakthroughs that have become standard, such as MRIs and CATs, existed. It is a sublime peek behind-the-scenes; a far-reaching, candid and intimate memoir that physicians and non-medically oriented people will enjoy. Those interested may want to visit the prior volumes in this series while they wait for the other titles to be published.
The book starts after Dr. Meguid completes his medical exams, marries Victoria and the two leave England for the United States. There they both have residency programs awaiting them; Dr. Meguid in surgery and his wife in pediatrics. However, starting out, things don’t go as planned. Having gained the approval to arrive a few days late for his first residency rotation in orthopedics, faux pas-related issues arise right away. This is not helped by his needing to navigate not only cultural differences but also system-related differences all at the same time.
This first rotation causes an internal reassessment for Dr. Meguid but eventually, once he gets to rotations that include surgical-related outcomes, he finds his stride and starts to find his footing. Encouraged by those around him, many of them titans in their fields, and aided by his own insatiable curiosity he learns new techniques and incorporates new ideas. Adding his own research, an important component as well, rounds out his transformation from trainee to full-fledged physician.
In his memoirs, Dr. Meguid deftly illustrates the highs and lows of being a resident – the long days and nights on little sleep, the social isolation, the relentless grind, the triumphs of a successful surgery, the excitement of learning, and the clash between egos, cultures, and systems – all written about within an era before many of the technological breakthroughs that have become standard, such as MRIs and CATs, existed. It is a sublime peek behind-the-scenes; a far-reaching, candid and intimate memoir that physicians and non-medically oriented people will enjoy. Those interested may want to visit the prior volumes in this series while they wait for the other titles to be published.
January 29, 2026
Reading This Book Makes Me Hopeful and Scared, But Time Well Spent
Being in control is a mania that haunts many of us, wanting to have everything lined up properly, knowing all the moving pieces and where they might exist at any given time. But believing one is control is dangerous fallacy, for those who believe they control everything controls nothing, and that becomes magnified many times over when confronted with medical issues and those one might seek out to deal with said issues. You will get a full dose of that reality in ‘Great Joys, Great Sorrows: An Immigrant’s Journey through Surgical Residency’ by Michael M. Meguid, M.D.
I dealt with a top-notch physician out of Chicago, not my doctor but an adviser/friend/client of sorts. Also a lawyer, this brilliant man warned me that doctors scared him for the following reasons: 1) They were often the smartest kids in school, and therefore fantastic at memorizing and test taking, 2) They were great at parroting back that which was presented to them as gospel in medical school, but terrible at being flexible enough to consider alternative possibilities, 3) Last, and maybe most problematic, they were arrogant and condescending to colleagues and patients, sometimes viciously.
Michael Meguid is wise enough to have avoided those pitfalls in his long and stellar career as a surgeon, and you will be impressed while learning about the medical profession and his life within that world. His story begins in the late 1960s, and one often comes across stories of surgeons just returned from or getting shipped off for duty in the Vietnam War. But most fascinating, at least for me, was the litany of interesting people he dealt with over the years. Solid book indeed, much to gleaned about life.
Being in control is a mania that haunts many of us, wanting to have everything lined up properly, knowing all the moving pieces and where they might exist at any given time. But believing one is control is dangerous fallacy, for those who believe they control everything controls nothing, and that becomes magnified many times over when confronted with medical issues and those one might seek out to deal with said issues. You will get a full dose of that reality in ‘Great Joys, Great Sorrows: An Immigrant’s Journey through Surgical Residency’ by Michael M. Meguid, M.D.
I dealt with a top-notch physician out of Chicago, not my doctor but an adviser/friend/client of sorts. Also a lawyer, this brilliant man warned me that doctors scared him for the following reasons: 1) They were often the smartest kids in school, and therefore fantastic at memorizing and test taking, 2) They were great at parroting back that which was presented to them as gospel in medical school, but terrible at being flexible enough to consider alternative possibilities, 3) Last, and maybe most problematic, they were arrogant and condescending to colleagues and patients, sometimes viciously.
Michael Meguid is wise enough to have avoided those pitfalls in his long and stellar career as a surgeon, and you will be impressed while learning about the medical profession and his life within that world. His story begins in the late 1960s, and one often comes across stories of surgeons just returned from or getting shipped off for duty in the Vietnam War. But most fascinating, at least for me, was the litany of interesting people he dealt with over the years. Solid book indeed, much to gleaned about life.
February 8, 2026
So Much to Learn & Understand About Surgeons and Doctors
In every walk of life there are competent and incompetent people, and in the world of medicine the cost of incompetence can be frightful. Within ‘Great Joys, Great Sorrows: An Immigrant’s Journey through Surgical Residency’ by Michael M. Meguid M.D. one learns about all the ways those of shades of competence can impact patients, co-workers and the hospital working environment. Meguid’s 50 years as surgeon is fascinating and educational, making one appreciate his skills and abilities.
When in stressful situations, that involve surgery, sometimes horrible events take place, but where to put responsibility can be a political mess. Here Meguid explains part of this, “I understood and could predict who participated in the downward flow of negativity. It’s human nature. The blame and responsibility typically fall on the person disseminating problems down the totem pole to the individual with the least authority or ability to stop it from happening. If those purveyors of negativity were to analyze the cause of the adverse event, they would recognize that shifting the blame downward only exposes their lack of moral integrity, maturity, and leadership. During my training, I met residents and attendings who embodied moral righteousness and honesty—those I admired.”
The evolution of Michael Meguid as a surgeon is full of life lessons that many of us can and should take to heart. Of mixed German-Egyptian descent, his story of life in medicine begins in London and involves scores of the best schools and hospitals in the world, and with some of the finest surgeons the world has seen in the last fifty years. Quite a story indeed.
In every walk of life there are competent and incompetent people, and in the world of medicine the cost of incompetence can be frightful. Within ‘Great Joys, Great Sorrows: An Immigrant’s Journey through Surgical Residency’ by Michael M. Meguid M.D. one learns about all the ways those of shades of competence can impact patients, co-workers and the hospital working environment. Meguid’s 50 years as surgeon is fascinating and educational, making one appreciate his skills and abilities.
When in stressful situations, that involve surgery, sometimes horrible events take place, but where to put responsibility can be a political mess. Here Meguid explains part of this, “I understood and could predict who participated in the downward flow of negativity. It’s human nature. The blame and responsibility typically fall on the person disseminating problems down the totem pole to the individual with the least authority or ability to stop it from happening. If those purveyors of negativity were to analyze the cause of the adverse event, they would recognize that shifting the blame downward only exposes their lack of moral integrity, maturity, and leadership. During my training, I met residents and attendings who embodied moral righteousness and honesty—those I admired.”
The evolution of Michael Meguid as a surgeon is full of life lessons that many of us can and should take to heart. Of mixed German-Egyptian descent, his story of life in medicine begins in London and involves scores of the best schools and hospitals in the world, and with some of the finest surgeons the world has seen in the last fifty years. Quite a story indeed.
November 19, 2025
Autobiography that Gives Respect for Those Who Become Surgeons & Doctors
Dr. Michael Meguid creates a detailed story of his journey becoming a doctor/surgeon that is part of his continuing autobiographical saga. I was astounded at the detail of what he remembered about those who he dealt with, how certain colleagues impacted and influenced his professional and personal life. Keeping in mind what was considered cutting edge medicine in the 1970s in the most advanced hospitals, think Harvard, compared to now, which offers a fascinating comparative perspective
I found the first chapter interesting because of his meeting with Dr. Francis D. Moore, referred to as the 'Chief of Chiefs' and described as the most influential surgeon in the second half of the 20th Century. One quote from Moore that I really liked was, ‘In caring for patients, don’t’ trip over a blade of grass.’ The blessing of this man set Meguid on his way to being able to emigrate from London to Boston with his new wife, who was also on the way to becoming a physician, but a pediatrician.
As with so much in life, the best laid plans were soon scuttled as events pinched in as he also set about bridging the cultural divide, FYI he was from Egypt. Their drive from New York City to Boston as their first American experience is an amusing part of the story before the tough part of the story kicks in. I can't even begin to chronicle everything that one will learn about life, love, heartache and medicine in this short space, but needless to say Dr. Meguid is an amazing doctor and a prolfiic writer.
Dr. Michael Meguid creates a detailed story of his journey becoming a doctor/surgeon that is part of his continuing autobiographical saga. I was astounded at the detail of what he remembered about those who he dealt with, how certain colleagues impacted and influenced his professional and personal life. Keeping in mind what was considered cutting edge medicine in the 1970s in the most advanced hospitals, think Harvard, compared to now, which offers a fascinating comparative perspective
I found the first chapter interesting because of his meeting with Dr. Francis D. Moore, referred to as the 'Chief of Chiefs' and described as the most influential surgeon in the second half of the 20th Century. One quote from Moore that I really liked was, ‘In caring for patients, don’t’ trip over a blade of grass.’ The blessing of this man set Meguid on his way to being able to emigrate from London to Boston with his new wife, who was also on the way to becoming a physician, but a pediatrician.
As with so much in life, the best laid plans were soon scuttled as events pinched in as he also set about bridging the cultural divide, FYI he was from Egypt. Their drive from New York City to Boston as their first American experience is an amusing part of the story before the tough part of the story kicks in. I can't even begin to chronicle everything that one will learn about life, love, heartache and medicine in this short space, but needless to say Dr. Meguid is an amazing doctor and a prolfiic writer.
February 6, 2026
History of Surgical Progress, Medicine, Technology and Being in the Surgical Trenches
Training to save lives through surgery is a calling few people are able to commit their- everything to successfully, but that is exactly what Dr. Michael Meguid did starting in the late 1960s, and the world is better for it as a result. ‘Great Joys, Great Sorrows’ is number #4 in Meguid’s succession of autobiographical books about his life in medicine. All are notable for extreme detail, this due to the fact he kept dairies and was readily able to create long-forgotten events exactly as they happened.
Chapter 45, about Dr. Robert E. Gross, Chief of all the Surgical at the Children’s Hospital in Boston, offers a keen example of Dr. Meguid’s writing style, ‘His surgical stye was characterized by precision, distinction, joy, and beautiful gestures, which were the envy of most surgeons and something I aspired to emulate. He shared many personal qualities with my former British surgical mentor, Professor Robin Picher. He wielded a scalpel with graceful yet precise movements and executed his procedures with the speed and confidence of an experienced surgeon.’
Throughout the book one finds descriptions like this which make one pleased that such people exist, able to withstand stress of long hours knowing that at any moment they might be called to a situation that requires total focus, total concentration and total physical dexterity.
I strongly recommend this book and I am seriously considering reading his other works.
Training to save lives through surgery is a calling few people are able to commit their- everything to successfully, but that is exactly what Dr. Michael Meguid did starting in the late 1960s, and the world is better for it as a result. ‘Great Joys, Great Sorrows’ is number #4 in Meguid’s succession of autobiographical books about his life in medicine. All are notable for extreme detail, this due to the fact he kept dairies and was readily able to create long-forgotten events exactly as they happened.
Chapter 45, about Dr. Robert E. Gross, Chief of all the Surgical at the Children’s Hospital in Boston, offers a keen example of Dr. Meguid’s writing style, ‘His surgical stye was characterized by precision, distinction, joy, and beautiful gestures, which were the envy of most surgeons and something I aspired to emulate. He shared many personal qualities with my former British surgical mentor, Professor Robin Picher. He wielded a scalpel with graceful yet precise movements and executed his procedures with the speed and confidence of an experienced surgeon.’
Throughout the book one finds descriptions like this which make one pleased that such people exist, able to withstand stress of long hours knowing that at any moment they might be called to a situation that requires total focus, total concentration and total physical dexterity.
I strongly recommend this book and I am seriously considering reading his other works.
February 20, 2026
With great humor and a prose style as exacting as a surgeon’s scalpel.
Skillful, perceptive, and informed. It’s rare for a memoir to haunt and remain part of a reader’s conversations and thoughts for months after reading it. Great Joys, Great Sorrows: An Immigrant’s Journey Through Surgical Residency continues the story started in A Surgeon’s Tale.
Not only is it captivating to learn the ins and outs of surgical training along with the varied experiences in the operating room and with patient treatment, but it is also the odyssey of this specific author, striving to find his place not just in the world of surgery but also in his own life.
Meguid’s thoughtful, insightful, and occasionally mournful narrative of growth into an experienced and skilled surgeon lingers long after finishing this beautiful memoir.
With great humor and a prose style as exacting as a surgeon’s scalpel, he tells a tale of wise men and fools, of a father-son conflict with his famous mentor, of Nobel laureate surgeons, and surgical titans. With his trademark grit, Michael overcomes the setbacks and finds success. His personal and work struggles show how an outsider finds home through courage and talent. Along the way, he challenges the American doctrine of treating disease instead of the patient. His stories, based on his records, make the mystery of the human body and personality come alive. Michael punctures the pompous and ruthlessly interrogates his motives and assumptions in this future classic.
Skillful, perceptive, and informed. It’s rare for a memoir to haunt and remain part of a reader’s conversations and thoughts for months after reading it. Great Joys, Great Sorrows: An Immigrant’s Journey Through Surgical Residency continues the story started in A Surgeon’s Tale.
Not only is it captivating to learn the ins and outs of surgical training along with the varied experiences in the operating room and with patient treatment, but it is also the odyssey of this specific author, striving to find his place not just in the world of surgery but also in his own life.
Meguid’s thoughtful, insightful, and occasionally mournful narrative of growth into an experienced and skilled surgeon lingers long after finishing this beautiful memoir.
With great humor and a prose style as exacting as a surgeon’s scalpel, he tells a tale of wise men and fools, of a father-son conflict with his famous mentor, of Nobel laureate surgeons, and surgical titans. With his trademark grit, Michael overcomes the setbacks and finds success. His personal and work struggles show how an outsider finds home through courage and talent. Along the way, he challenges the American doctrine of treating disease instead of the patient. His stories, based on his records, make the mystery of the human body and personality come alive. Michael punctures the pompous and ruthlessly interrogates his motives and assumptions in this future classic.
January 20, 2026
Great Joys, Great Sorrows is a powerful memoir that dives into the harsh realities many people face in the medical profession. In the fourth book of his award-winning series, A Surgeon’s Tale, Dr. Meguid shares a moving account of how he became a surgeon and the many obstacles he overcame along the way. His perspective is especially unique, as he writes as an immigrant arriving from London to the American medical system, specifically, the Harvard hospital system.
Dr. Meguid takes readers through the loss, pressure, and perseverance faced by a young doctor navigating a whole new world where many are out for themselves. This intense lifestyle leads him to contemplate walking away from everything he had worked for. The burden of sleep deprivation, personal conflict, and constant pressure to prove himself becomes overwhelming. It’s at this critical point that he meets the iconic chief resident, Burley, who Meguid describes as “mature, energetic, and caring.” Burley becomes his mentor and changes the course of his career for the better.
This beautiful memoir transports readers into the world of an immigrant doctor navigating inner conflict and the grueling demands of the medical hierarchy. Great Joys, Great Sorrows lives up to its title, leaving readers feeling both inspired and reflective by the end. Anyone interested in the world of medicine or the life of a surgeon should give this book a read!
Dr. Meguid takes readers through the loss, pressure, and perseverance faced by a young doctor navigating a whole new world where many are out for themselves. This intense lifestyle leads him to contemplate walking away from everything he had worked for. The burden of sleep deprivation, personal conflict, and constant pressure to prove himself becomes overwhelming. It’s at this critical point that he meets the iconic chief resident, Burley, who Meguid describes as “mature, energetic, and caring.” Burley becomes his mentor and changes the course of his career for the better.
This beautiful memoir transports readers into the world of an immigrant doctor navigating inner conflict and the grueling demands of the medical hierarchy. Great Joys, Great Sorrows lives up to its title, leaving readers feeling both inspired and reflective by the end. Anyone interested in the world of medicine or the life of a surgeon should give this book a read!
February 16, 2026
Dr. Michael Meguid returns with the fourth installment in his life series, Great Joys, Great Sorrows: An Immigrant’s Journey Through Surgical Residency. Set in the 1970s, this medical memoir follows Meguid as he balances punishing hospital hours with marriage, mentorship, and the daily pressure of becoming a surgeon in the American health-care system.
Readers get a front-row view of hospital life: demanding master surgeons, hard-won lessons, professional rivalries, and the emotional whiplash of breakthroughs and loss. Along the way, Meguid highlights the era’s medical advances and limits, including a moving tribute to the mentor who shaped his approach to surgery and patient care.
This is not a glossy, recruitment-style celebration of medicine. Meguid is clear-eyed about the culture of training and how his outlook changes with experience. The book’s power comes from the details most outsiders never see: the teamwork, the hierarchy, the stakes, and the moments when a resident’s decisions matter immediately.
Great Joys, Great Sorrows is ultimately a portrait of endurance: long shifts, personal sacrifice, and the steady accumulation of skill that turns a trainee into a trusted physician. It’s an engaging read for anyone interested in surgical training, immigrant success stories, and the real-world realities of hospital medicine, and it sets the stage for the next volume in Meguid’s ongoing anthology.
Readers get a front-row view of hospital life: demanding master surgeons, hard-won lessons, professional rivalries, and the emotional whiplash of breakthroughs and loss. Along the way, Meguid highlights the era’s medical advances and limits, including a moving tribute to the mentor who shaped his approach to surgery and patient care.
This is not a glossy, recruitment-style celebration of medicine. Meguid is clear-eyed about the culture of training and how his outlook changes with experience. The book’s power comes from the details most outsiders never see: the teamwork, the hierarchy, the stakes, and the moments when a resident’s decisions matter immediately.
Great Joys, Great Sorrows is ultimately a portrait of endurance: long shifts, personal sacrifice, and the steady accumulation of skill that turns a trainee into a trusted physician. It’s an engaging read for anyone interested in surgical training, immigrant success stories, and the real-world realities of hospital medicine, and it sets the stage for the next volume in Meguid’s ongoing anthology.
January 26, 2026
Learning to resist without hardening
Reading this book made me think about how life often brings long tests, not just one problem, but many in a row. The residency the author describes is hard, but it feels similar to moments in real life when a person feels they never quite reach what is expected. I liked that effort and sacrifice are not shown as something admirable all the time. What stands out is the tiredness, the kind that slowly grows and stays. The immigrant experience also feels close, that feeling of being out of place and learning rules without guidance, something many people face. While reading, I felt that moving forward is not always about courage, sometimes it is just necessity. Small moments still help hold things together. The message I kept is simple, resisting matters, but staying human matters more, even when it is not clear how to do that.
Reading this book made me think about how life often brings long tests, not just one problem, but many in a row. The residency the author describes is hard, but it feels similar to moments in real life when a person feels they never quite reach what is expected. I liked that effort and sacrifice are not shown as something admirable all the time. What stands out is the tiredness, the kind that slowly grows and stays. The immigrant experience also feels close, that feeling of being out of place and learning rules without guidance, something many people face. While reading, I felt that moving forward is not always about courage, sometimes it is just necessity. Small moments still help hold things together. The message I kept is simple, resisting matters, but staying human matters more, even when it is not clear how to do that.
September 29, 2025
A Powerful and Moving Memoir
Great Joys, Great Sorrows pulled me right into the intense world of a 1970s surgical residency. I felt the exhaustion, the triumphs, and the heartbreaking losses right alongside Dr. Meguid as he navigated long hours and impossible choices. His journey from a young immigrant doctor to a skilled surgeon was both inspiring and deeply emotional. The vivid details of the operating room and the unforgettable people he encountered made the story come alive. I admired his dedication to medicine even as he faced personal sacrifices and cultural challenges. This book is gripping, heartfelt, and a must-read for anyone who loves true stories of perseverance and courage.
Great Joys, Great Sorrows pulled me right into the intense world of a 1970s surgical residency. I felt the exhaustion, the triumphs, and the heartbreaking losses right alongside Dr. Meguid as he navigated long hours and impossible choices. His journey from a young immigrant doctor to a skilled surgeon was both inspiring and deeply emotional. The vivid details of the operating room and the unforgettable people he encountered made the story come alive. I admired his dedication to medicine even as he faced personal sacrifices and cultural challenges. This book is gripping, heartfelt, and a must-read for anyone who loves true stories of perseverance and courage.
January 22, 2026
This is a nonfiction book by an author who was both an immigrant and a surgeon in the 1970s. He talks in great detail about what it was like to have to make life-and-death decisions in split seconds. He worked long hours and dealt with an unbelievable amount of stress and pressure. He also learned much about humanity, both the positive and negative aspects of it.
This book is sometimes a tough read, since you’re getting a first-hand perspective of medical emergencies and human dramas where sometimes, patients were beyond saving. However, there are also many passages that are hopeful. The author endured and made it through this highly challenging period, saving many lives along the way. His story is in every way a worthwhile and captivating one.
This book is sometimes a tough read, since you’re getting a first-hand perspective of medical emergencies and human dramas where sometimes, patients were beyond saving. However, there are also many passages that are hopeful. The author endured and made it through this highly challenging period, saving many lives along the way. His story is in every way a worthwhile and captivating one.
January 28, 2026
Loved this book!
"Great Joys, Great Sorrows" really took me by surprise. It does not have any huge plot twists to the story. Instead, it has many small details that may or may not resonate with you; however, they still are powerful and significant by the way the author uses them to develop his character. The major theme of this novel is the idea that joy and sorrow are always intertwined in everyone’s life and yet it is because of that interconnection we cannot have just one without the other. After finishing the novel, I was left with a very heavy feeling of satisfaction but also sadness because I knew I was going to miss the characters in the story as I continued on with my own life.
"Great Joys, Great Sorrows" really took me by surprise. It does not have any huge plot twists to the story. Instead, it has many small details that may or may not resonate with you; however, they still are powerful and significant by the way the author uses them to develop his character. The major theme of this novel is the idea that joy and sorrow are always intertwined in everyone’s life and yet it is because of that interconnection we cannot have just one without the other. After finishing the novel, I was left with a very heavy feeling of satisfaction but also sadness because I knew I was going to miss the characters in the story as I continued on with my own life.
January 28, 2026
I loved this book because it gives us a firsthand understanding of many of the pressures that doctors face during their training, which we rarely know about or appreciate.
The details that the author includes in this powerful memoir are fascinating and introduce us to the world of healthcare in an exciting and somewhat harsh way.
Throughout the pages, we find thought-provoking quotes and illustrations that explain things in a graphic way for readers who don’t understand much about medicine. These are valuable details in a book that uses such precise terms and vocabulary.
Great Joys, Great Sorrows is a true gem that I enjoyed and recommend.
The details that the author includes in this powerful memoir are fascinating and introduce us to the world of healthcare in an exciting and somewhat harsh way.
Throughout the pages, we find thought-provoking quotes and illustrations that explain things in a graphic way for readers who don’t understand much about medicine. These are valuable details in a book that uses such precise terms and vocabulary.
Great Joys, Great Sorrows is a true gem that I enjoyed and recommend.
January 28, 2026
If you are like me, fascinated by the lives of doctors and what happens in hospital emergency rooms, this is the book for you. In "Great Joys, Great Sorrows", Dr. Michael M. Meguid shares his experiences during his years as a surgical resident at Harvard in the 1970s. With poignant stories of exhaustion, perseverance, and hard work, this book will captivate you from the very first page.As a fan of the TV series "E.R.", this is a perfect read because they are true stories told in the first person. I thoroughly enjoyed reading these exciting stories and the way the author tells them. I highly recommend it to everyone. It is a fascinating read.
January 26, 2026
Michael Meguid’s Great Joys, Great Sorrows is a deeply moving, vivid, and immersive journey into the heart and mind of a surgeon. From the very first pages, Meguid draws the reader into the relentless world of 110-hour workweeks, where the weight of medical responsibility exacts a profound toll on body, mind, and spirit.
What sets this memoir apart is Meguid’s remarkable ability to balance meticulous medical insight with heartfelt personal reflection. His narrative is both clear and accessible, offering a window not only into the technical demands of surgery but also into the emotional and moral challenges that shape a physician’s life. At the center of his story are the mentors, colleagues, and loved ones that shaped his residency, whose influence and humanity resonate with the audience long after the book is closed.
At its core, Great Joys, Great Sorrows is a story of resilience: the resilience of a young immigrant forging his path in a demanding profession, and the resilience of the human spirit confronting the intertwined realities of triumph and loss. For anyone drawn to stories of personal growth, profound emotional depth, and the complexities of life in medicine, this memoir is both compelling and unforgettable.
What sets this memoir apart is Meguid’s remarkable ability to balance meticulous medical insight with heartfelt personal reflection. His narrative is both clear and accessible, offering a window not only into the technical demands of surgery but also into the emotional and moral challenges that shape a physician’s life. At the center of his story are the mentors, colleagues, and loved ones that shaped his residency, whose influence and humanity resonate with the audience long after the book is closed.
At its core, Great Joys, Great Sorrows is a story of resilience: the resilience of a young immigrant forging his path in a demanding profession, and the resilience of the human spirit confronting the intertwined realities of triumph and loss. For anyone drawn to stories of personal growth, profound emotional depth, and the complexities of life in medicine, this memoir is both compelling and unforgettable.
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