Virginia Adams O'Connell – författare

The national withdrawal rate from medical school averages about 1%, but withdrawal from surgical residency programs is much higher, roughly 16%. The drop out risk is greater for white women and minorities than for white males. Getting Cut examines the factors which lead to resignation from these graduate residency programs by observing the dynamic interplay between the institution and individual residents. Professor O'Connell analyzes the current shortcomings in the process of selection, and looks at how the culture, structure, and organization of these educational programs affect the drop out rate once residents have been accepted. An analysis of the "old boy's network" culture of these surgical programs exposes the greater risk of withdrawal among female and minority residents. Further examination of the process of resident evaluation reveals that in addition to being graded on cognitive knowledge and critical judgment, residents are also evaluated on personal characteristics, the most important being "honesty." Professor O'Connell demonstrates how the medical faculty's subjective assessment of these elusive and contestable qualities not only aid in identifying the morally deficient among the technically proficient, but also how these practices promote discrimination as well.

As a medical sociologist, Virginia Adams O’Connell long studied the healthcare system and people navigating illness. Then, in 2019, she confronted her own reality of being diagnosed with primary bone lymphoma. “Since my diagnosis, I joined a club of current and past patients that I never wanted or intended to join,” she writes with both candor and poignancy, adding, “But we can collectively work to make it the best club it can be.”In the course of diagnosis, treatment, and recovery, Adams O’Connell lived through theories she had researched and applied her sociological ideas to help make sense of her personal experiences. Remission Quest chronicles how the reality of living with cancer changed her perspective on what she had studied. Adams O’Connell found her knowledge illustrated and enriched her sociological analysis of our medical institutions and that her own illness narrative shone new light on her theories.With moving prose, Remission Quest captures the emotions of having cancer and dealing with elaborate medical systems, learning how to be a “good patient” while also managing indescribable fear and fatigue, and confronting questions about the meaning of life. Adams O’Connell’s experiences are both personal and universal. They provide inspiration, compassion, and understanding.