Emeritus Fellow on becoming a brain surgeon
Emeritus Fellow Dr Chris Adams has released a new book, Becoming a brain surgeon. Chris describes his upbringing and life, first as a trainee, then his long and distinguished career leading to the Department of Neurosurgery at Oxford
Chris writes about how he overcame dyslexia as a child despite being labelled ‘stupid’ by his teachers. He explains his training as a brain surgeon in Cambridge, London, Oxford and Chicago in illuminating detail. He describes his journey to becoming first a doctor, then a general surgeon, neurologist and finally a brain surgeon.
In the book, Chris also discusses patients from his neurosurgical life such as those with head injuries, epilepsy, brain tumours, neuralgic pain, dementia, back pain and sciatica. He also covers his experiences being an expert witness in a Court of Law.
Chris offers personal reflections on coping with the National Health Service in the UK, its problems and occasional triumphs.
Dr Chris Adams is an Emeritus Fellow at Green Templeton College, University of Oxford.
He was previously a Governing Body Fellow of then-Green College.
Praise for the book
Alastair Compston
‘As an eminent Oxford neurosurgeon, Chris Adams threads domestic and professional details into the lively narrative of a medical career held during the latter part of the twentieth century. Written in lucid prose and with an attractive conversational style, the tale is rich in anecdote and refreshingly free from restraint in expressing opinion on people, places and events. More than just a family memoir, in writing of his life in neurosurgery Mr Adams adds to the authoritative and precious literature that tells first-hand the story of medicine.’
Derek Hockaday
‘This riveting account of a neuro-surgical life avoids the hand-wringing emotionalism of some recent works, evincing the mature personality of a master diagnostician, operator and communicator who has assimilated his own inevitable “hopes and fears” as well as those of so many patients. And, it gives a clear description of how this serious student overcame the difficulties of the written word in an educational system biased towards reading.’