I feel like this isn't a perspective we hear from very often and is definitely a must read for anyone who love's Grey's Anatomy. I thought it was very well written and I felt like I could understand better what a resident would go through. I think the element of psychiatry being the resident's focus and what they go through mentally was wonderfully portrayed.

Adam Stern details his experience as a psychiatric resident. He highlights both the experience as a new doctor and the stories of patients he encounters.

This was an interesting read. Very different from my usual genres but I enjoyed the change of pace and reading the different scenarios.

Disclaimer: I got this ARC from the publicist as I am planning to interview the author for my podcast. This review is my honest take on the book with no expectations from Mariner books (HMH books).

After matching at Harvard psychiatric residency program, Dr. Stern chronicles his journey through his own imposter syndrome and challenges presented to him through his patients.
I identified with this book in so many ways. I come from a "doctor family". Several of my family members are doctors. Also, my own brother is a doctor, like the author's. I have gone through a residency program (not psych) but I have some experience with rotations but the point is that I enjoyed this book and felt like I understood and empathized with this author's journey.
The writing is very effective and conveys a sense of being down to earth despite the challenges and seriousness of the topics discussed. Yes, it was poignant at times. Yes, my heart hurt at times. Yes, I felt the author's angst and I even felt the highs and was able to celebrate right along with him.
I loved this book so much and I cannot wait to recommend it to a couple of psychiatrists I know, as soon as it's out on pub day. :-)

I found myself constantly wishing this book wasn’t such a broad composite - surely these “characters” were composites of hundreds of patients? It felt a little flat, and a lot fake.

Committed by Adam Stern is a fascinating first hand account of his time as a psychiatry resident in a prestigious programme run by Harvard. In the book we get a behind the scenes look at life on the coal face of psychiatric medicine, from all-nighters in the ER to residential inpatient treatment. The book is very easy to read, and it definitely feels like you are getting to know the author as the book progresses and you learn more about his family and personal life as well as his motivations for going into medicine and the field of psychiatry in particular. I found the case studies and patients he described really tugged at my heartstrings and there were some really emotional moments in the book. I appreciated that while he did not shy away from talking about the hard days and difficult cases he was able to balance that with some nice touches of humour, often of the self deprecating type. I enjoyed the book and would read more from the author and recommend his work to friends who enjoy memoirs and books with a medical setting.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

As someone in the mental health field, this book called to me. Though I am not a psychiatrist (doctoral level), only a master's level counselor, the parallels were plenty that I felt like someone had taken pieces of my day and my thoughts during internship and expressed them in ways that I could not. There are differences in counseling and psychiatry, so not everything was equal but still entertaining.

Thanks to #NetGalley and publishers for the ARC of #Committed in exchange for the honest review.

A thoroughly unique book that captures a resident's experience as a psychiatric resident.

I really appreciated Stern's frankness when discussing the hardships of his residency years, but also the compassion and heart he clearly has for his profession. The stories, though some were difficult to read, were interesting. It is clear how much Stern grew throughout his years, and ultimately found his calling.

I read this in a day, and found it very easy to read. I look forward to reading more books from Stern, should he choose to write more.

3.5 stars

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest opinion. This book will be available on July thirteenth.

Committed: Dispatches from a Psychiatrist in Training is an engrossing look into the lives of those learning how to help those with mental illnesses and provide quality mental health care. Told from the perspective of Adam, a psychiatrist-in-training, it follows his life as he tries to navigate the world of mental health care as well as his personal life.

I don’t read memoirs all that often. In fiction, I do not need to relate to or like a character to enjoy the book- I just want them to be interesting. In nonfiction, it helps if I care about the person the book is about. Adam was supremely human and very open about both his strengths and weaknesses. That takes bravery on the part of the author. He vacillated between feeling very out of his depth and unqualified and seemingly having extreme bouts of self-confidence. I can definitely relate to feeling unqualified as I am well acquainted with Imposter Syndrome in most aspects of my life.

I loved seeing Adam’s growth in his ability to properly diagnose and treat patients, but more importantly in his ability to connect with his patients. He realized that his patients are more than just a diagnosis and list of medications: they are real people with unique stories, backgrounds, and experiences. Watching his empathy and understanding grow was an incredibly rewarding experience.

The patients themselves were fascinating. I wanted them all to find the help they needed and defeat their personal demons. I could feel the sadness in Adam Stern when a patient was lost (spoiler alert: not every patient has a happy ending). I could also see his excitement and renewed sense of purpose when a patient improved.

I did sometimes find the switch from Adam’s psychiatric situations to his dating life a little bit jarring from time to time. I understand why it was there-to highlight the way a profession in mental health affects every aspect of a person’s life- but I struggled to pay attention during those parts. It just wasn’t as interesting to me.

Taken as a whole, I found Committed to be a fascinating look at life as a mental health expert. It is an important profession, when taken up by caring individuals, and I have the utmost respect for Dr. Adam Stern for the aid he is able to provide.

This poignant memoir is Scrubs meets Grey’s Anatomy, as Adam Stern tales about his residency in the Harvard residency program. A quick and enjoyable read into the world of psychiatry. Stern’s style of writing is light but captivating making it a quick read which definitely helped me get out of my reading slump and I was as invested in the romance as I was in the stories of the patients.

I have always been interested in mental health and psychology since I was in middle school. This book stood out to me and I was interested to read it. I really enjoyed my read on this book about Adam Stern. He is in a class that is nicknamed "The Golden Class" but he never really gets to feeling like he belongs. I could definitely relate to the feelings of Imposter Syndrome and wondering if he could really live up to the expectations being put on him. My favorite parts were when he was focusing on cases he has worked on and the types of patients he would see. I wasn't really into his love life and his dating, but I certainly couldn't hold that against such a good book.

I was given a digital advanced reading copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I like memoirs. I am interested in mental health. As such, I was drawn to this memoir of a psychiatrist in training.

It was fine. Not great or life-changing, but not bad or poorly written. I probably won't recommend it, but it was easy reading which I found enjoyable. I was a bit annoyed by the predictable nature of the insertion of the love story, but I hope his wife finds the addition cute.

I picked up COMMITTED: DISPATCHES FROM A PSYCHIATRIST IN TRAINING because I am interested in the mental health field and I have worked with psychiatrists for many years so was curious about one doctor's take on the psychiatry residency. Adam Stern went to a state school for medical school and was then admitted to Harvard for his psychiatry residency. He definitely is feeling impostor syndrome at first. His class of residents is deemed "the golden class", which frankly, was never explained why they were particularly special. Their makeup appeared quite similar to what I imagine most Harvard residency classes would look. He highlights his residency from the overwhelming intern year, where he spends his time primarily in inpatient and emergency room settings through the final two years of his residency where he focuses more on the outpatient setting where he sees himself in the future. Having also interned on an adult inpatient psychiatry unit, it was interesting to read his takes on the job and many of his emotions resonated with me (coming from a social worker background). His experiences with child inpatient psychiatry reminded me why I also never wanted to make a career of that (namely the parents, not the kids). I enjoyed the detail about the profession. He highlights some patients who stuck with him, particular one who we see repeatedly struggling with a severe eating disorder. Later in the book he veers much more into his personal life, extolling the ups and downs in the "will they or won't they" relationship he has with his fellow intern, which was not all that interesting. I would have liked him to talk a bit more about how outpatient psychiatrist roles have changes substantially from what they used to be where the bulk of the work was providing psychotherapy, while now the majority of patients will someone else for therapy (psychologist, social worker, counselor, etc.) and the psychiatrist's role is primarily just on the medication management side.

Thank you to NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for this advance reader copy in exchange for honest review.

Reading books by people who are way (!!) smarter than me, and who are devoted to their callings is a joy. This book is no exception. I admire people so much who devote themselves wholly to a chosen profession, who are willing to admit that they're struggling with said profession and all it entails, and carry on regardless. It shows an immense strength of character.

I sped through this book, more or less reading it in one sitting. Some of the medical terminologies went over my head, but Dr Stern has a light, gentle way with words and with the people he comes in contact with. Mental illness is a tough issue to try and tackle, but this was written by someone who is obviously in the right profession. His kindness, compassion, frustration and sadness come through clearly as he makes his way through a a very tough four-year residency at Harvard.

Medicine is a bit of a mystery to me, but medical biographies are fascinating to read. This one is no exception. Thank you, Dr Stern, for staying committed to your calling and for travelling that path.

I was initially really excited to read this memoir, but honestly felt quite let down by certain parts that I believe could have been left unwritten. Aside from that, there are some touching moments, written with a more empathetic, understanding, and compassionate tone that conveys the care that Dr Stern has for his patients. I believe the book could have done with a little less fluff and a bit more bite.

A fascinating insight into the world of psychiatry, the way this is written means that you feel invested in every single persons story. Full of highs and lows, certainly an emotional rollercoaster.

A insightful look into the years Stern spent at Harvard as a resident in psychiatry, Committed honestly explores the emotional and physical effect his residency had on his personal life and professional growth. By dividing the memoir into the four residency years, the reader gets a real feel for the way in which this grueling process turned the neophyte medical school graduate into a practicing psychiatrist.

I very much enjoyed this memoir of a psychiatry resident in training at Harvard. It was engaging and well-written. I wanted to read it each night!

I truly expected to like this book. The combination of a new doctor starting his psychiatry residency and the potential variety of cases called my name. But I feel this book never got out of first or maybe second gear. The text conversations slowed the book down and, for me, the dialogue did not have the natural flow of normal, real conversation. The author refers throughout the book to his sense of not being as good as the other residents, and that's certainly 100% understandable for anyone. However, especially toward the end of the book and shortly after describing self-doubts, Stern's pendulum swings to the other extreme where he describes fulsome praise from most if not all professors and peers; "One by one, my mentors came over and told my parents what a privilege it had been to guide me over the previous four years". One of these mentors raises a toast to the author and says "how thrilled she was that I was staying close and remaining a part of our community." He wins the top award for graduating residents and the presenting head of the department says that with so many outstanding residents, it was very hard for the committee to choose the best one, i.e. Dr. Stern. I think maybe in blocking out the book, the author thought this might be a sort of dramatic arc: start out feeling less-than among peers, and through hard work become better than all of them.
I would have liked some literary cinematography. What did his apartment look like? The streets of Cambridge, the weather, other people beside medical residents and professors. The years of training were almost indistinguishable from each other.
Dr. Stern sounds like a kind man and an excellent doctor. He may have enough stories for another book before too long.

Committed by Dr. Adam Stern gives a background view of the day to day life of a then psychiatry resident. His encounters with imposter syndrome and learning how to navigate his new journey was found to be relatable to most. Stern discusses medical topics, but it is not discussed in a form that is incomprehensible. I enjoyed his writing style, it was descriptive, enjoyable, and sprinkled with humor. However, I did find some portions of the book dull, which left it difficult to read. Thank you to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.