Fifty Years a Country Doctor (Bison Books)

Hull Cook entered medical school with 89 classmates, surviving a curriculum that flunked out 50 of those classmates during the four years. Before he left medical school, he worked relief duty for the interns when they needed a night off. As an intern in San Antonio he was expected to work as a surgeon and medical internist, with but occasional supervision. Naturally, when he returned to Nebraska, he bought the small buildings that served as a hospital and covered most of the specialties himself.You think you're tough? You think you're friends are tough? This doc was tough, and smart, and had a heart.

Today's medical practice is a far cry from the times when Dr. Hull Cook was in school to become a doctor. Dr. Cook tells stories of his experiences in a way that is candid, often humorous, insightful and just downright entertaining. Each chapter almost stands alone and yet they link together, through time, to create a peek into a life of medical and interpersonal situations that will make you laugh and also sad. It's life, real life. And a life well lived I'd say. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, passed it on to my husband and he laughed out loud more than a few times.

Ok, so this 5 star review is written with a viewpoint of friendship. I met Dr. Hull Cook and his father and mother when attending the University of Colorado in Boulder, Colorado. At the time (1961-62) I was seeing his most remarkable second daughter, Sandra, a short time courtship but a lifelong friendship.The successful current movie “Nebraska” deals with much of the same Nebraska life as chronicled in Dr. Cooks book. “Fifty Years a Country Doctor” has a cast of hundreds of Nebraskans and its plot? Well, there is no evident plot but there is a plot. This book is an attitude poem, a true slice of America Medical life, in a time, not so far in the past, of a people and country doctor that make up the quilt work of this boundless country of ours. Dr. Hull Cook assigns, to our recall, a Norman Rockwell cast of characters and situations with humor and insight. The Doctor covers his subject matter, the people and land, with respect and honesty. This book could have been entitled “Out of the Past,” maybe “Coming Home to Sidney, Nebraska,” Or maybe “Around Nebraska in 50 Years,” but my reasoning is too long for a short review. Fifty Years a Country Doctor is the story of Nebraska life deepening and filling out over the passage of time. It seems nothing changes in Nebraska and yet, at the end of the book, nothing seems the same. Tom Fakehany, Malibu, CA

What a fun read. Nice to look back on where medicine has come from and great humor along the way.I highly recommend this book.

A must-read for the serious medical person or history buff. Fascinating!

My reading interests took me into this genre and I read most of what was available. This is one of my favorites because it was just loaded with real-life experiences of this rural doctor. You won't be sorry for ordering this book. It's very good.

Being from OH, near Amish country, this was especially enjoyable for me.

Loved it.