This Is Going to Hurt: Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. Would you recommend This is Going to Hurt to a friend? Why or why not?

2. Kay often uses humor when describing situations that were likely upsetting for the people involved, including himself. What was your reaction to Kay’s use of humor in the book?

3. How does This is Going to Hurt compare to other medical memoirs, such as When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi or The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat by Oliver Sachs?

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. Discuss the anecdotes you found most amusing and most poignant in Kay’s memoir.

2. The author protects the identity of his former patients by using pseudonyms. Nevertheless, many of the incidents he describes are distinctive and memorable. How would you feel if you were a former patient of Kay’s and recognized yourself in the memoir? Do you consider the book a breach of patient confidentiality?

3. Are you a healthcare worker, or are you close to someone who is? If so, how do Kay’s experiences compare to healthcare situations that you have witnessed or heard about?