Review of The Trouble With Medicine

Post by **Diana Lowery** » 11 Jul 2025, 10:47

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Trouble With Medicine" by Sheryl Walker, MD.]

5 out of 5 stars

Share This Review

Many books have been written about the problems with healthcare in the United States. This book by Sheryl Walker, MD. is different because it is a memoir of her fifty years working in the field as an anesthesiologist. The Trouble With Medicine: Bad Behavior and Who Gets the Money discusses her time as a female medical student in the 70s, her rise to success despite her background, and the reasons for the decline in healthcare.

Unlike other similar books, Walker offers some solutions to the problems. Her purpose for promoting an industry makeover is fueled by her belief that all US citizens, as promised by the Declaration of Independence, are entitled to equal access to care that preserves life. According to Walker, greed has caused the disparity in medical practices.

Raised in a poverty-prone area of the Appalachian Mountains, Walker's family suffered due to a lack of adequate health care. Her inspiration for becoming a medical professional stems from her early experience with a caring nurse. This background gives her book credibility. Because she looks at issues from a different perspective, her insights are unique.

The first part of the book is mostly memoir, and her anecdotes are entertaining and eye-opening. The second half becomes more factual and research-based. The explanations of the inner workings of hospital procedures, billing practices, and insurance regulations take over. As she describes her career in anesthesiology, I found myself thinking of the surgeries I have had and how ignorant I was of the role of the anesthesiologist.

“Can It Be Fixed?” is the last chapter of the book. Through a series of questions, Walker explains what steps need to be taken to make that cure happen. I admire the author's courage to expose the dirty secrets of her profession. My rating is five out of five stars because there was nothing I disliked. I recommend this book especially to individuals who are thinking of pursuing a career in the medical field.

******
The Trouble With Medicine
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

Post by **Kibet Hillary** » Yesterday, 00:23

It is good to read that the book is divided into two main parts, one dealing with the author's life and experiences and the other discussing the issues facing the current health system and how it can be fixed. Access to quality health care is a human right, but this has often been faced with lots of disparities. I hope that this book will serve as one more ingredient to fix the ailing health system. Thanks for the review, @Diana Lowery.

Jessy Edward · Post by **Jessy Edward** » Yesterday, 04:31

This sounds like such a powerful and insightful read. I really like that the author brings both personal experience and professional insight into the flaws of the healthcare system. Her perspective as a woman in medicine since the 70s must add so much depth. Definitely sounds like a must-read for anyone interested in the medical field or healthcare reform.

Post by **Diana Lowery** » Yesterday, 13:09

Jessy Edward wrote: ↑Yesterday, 04:31 This sounds like such a powerful and insightful read. I really like that the author brings both personal experience and professional insight into the flaws of the healthcare system. Her perspective as a woman in medicine since the 70s must add so much depth. Definitely sounds like a must-read for anyone interested in the medical field or healthcare reform.

I appreciate your comment.

Post by **Diana Lowery** » Yesterday, 13:11

Kibet Hillary wrote: ↑Yesterday, 00:23 It is good to read that the book is divided into two main parts, one dealing with the author's life and experiences and the other discussing the issues facing the current health system and how it can be fixed. Access to quality health care is a human right, but this has often been faced with lots of disparities. I hope that this book will serve as one more ingredient to fix the ailing health system. Thanks for the review, @Diana Lowery.

Thanks for taking the time to read my review and leave a comment.