In Dr G, MD playwright and prize-winning author, Barry Oakley, recounts the stories of Dr G. The doctor’s real name remains anonymous for her own protection as she exposes the sexism, racism and pressures faced by doctors and patients.
The stories are witty and entertaining as Oakley regales us with Dr G’s tales of rivalries, jealousies and stressful situations. But these are tempered with her stories of patients and their challenges which are serious, sad and confronting; understaffed hospitals which lead to patient deaths, patients who were just there for the theatrics, the obese woman that almost got stuck in the ambulance, the patient who ended up in a garbage truck, those seeking euthanasia, the horrors of HIV/AIDs and the mistakes that doctors can make. The ongoing efforts of the sexist Dr Milligan to undermine Dr G, the constant questioning of her skills, experience and relentless demeaning comments were endless. The stories about racism, mental health and homophobia are often hard to read and confronting. At the beginning of this book it states, ‘In the re-imagining, I hope, there’s truth. The stories in some sense may be fictional but there’s not a lie in them.’ This confused me and I found myself questioning the stories, experiences and lessons that this book was trying to highlight.
Dr G, MD is an interesting and entertaining insight into the medical world and what really happens behind closed doors of a hospital.

Reviewed by Amber Sawyer