Hot Lights Cold Steel Summary

Words: 1009
Pages: 5

The novel Hot Lights, Cold Steel: Life, Death, and Sleepless Nights in a Surgeon's First Years by Michael J. Collins may be the most influential book I have ever read. Dr. Collins' autobiography is filled with invaluable insight into the life of a surgeon. In his book, he narrates his experiences as a orthopedic surgical resident. By reading this book, I have gained unforgettable knowledge about what entering into the medical field will be like. Dr. Collins provides real and unedited information about the hardships and highlights of being a doctor. The book begins at the start of Dr. Collins' first year of his residency at Mayo Clinic. There are not any women doctors in the book, which made me sad, and fuels my goal to be a successful woman in medicine. Dr. Collins is the protagonist. He describes his life during all four years as a surgical resident at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. He and his …show more content…
When thinking about the "hot lights" portion, I picture a brightly lit operating room and the lights shining down on a patient. It makes me think about the focus and dedication that surgeons need to possess during every surgery they do. The "cold steel" portion makes me picture cold metal operating tables, scalpels, and other shiny surgical instruments. I picture the cleanliness and precision necessary for surgery. I think it is also much deeper than the literal picture, describing the different aspects of being a surgeon. It signifies the best or "warmest" times, when everything goes as planned and a doctor is able to save a patient. The worst or "coldest" times are also signified, when things go awry and a patient dies. I imagine that feeling of failure as being a cold and horrible feeling, and all of the work put into every day seems meaningless and pointless. However, I believe that when doctors are able to save a patient, it makes everything worth