The emergency room rotation had damaged the relationships he had with his wife and children—“I had been a terrible husband, a terrible father. I was rarely home, and when I was, I had no patience for anything, no energy for anything, no interest in anything.” His brother Denny, needing shoulder surgery, visited the family for a few days and proved to be the reality check Collins needed: “What the hell kind of life am I leading? I wondered. I hardly ever see my wife. My kids don’t even know me. My brother is more of a father to them, and more of a husband to Patti than I am. Is that what I want?” Through this interaction, Collins highlights the importance of attending to the aspects of life that are not related to one’s career, such as family. Collins admits on several occasions throughout the book that a healthy relationship with his wife Patti helped him immensely through the rigors of surgical residency. While long hours require residents to invest a substantial amount of time in the hospital, one must prioritize in order to do justice to all the other important things in life. The other issue worth discussing is the concept of moonlighting, when residents work overtime hours at rural hospitals to earn some extra cash. Collins clarifies that the purpose of this extra cash is not to support a lavish lifestyle; instead, the money can merely help him put food on…