Stories of a Surgeon's Life

Jackson Cooper, MD, will never forget that first day, its stunning conclusion forever etched in his mind. His year as a surgical intern is a story of medical suspense, tragedy, and occasional terror, as a young physician deals with the world of surgery. The surgeon’s knot is a surgical tie used in the operating room that the intern practices ceaselessly. The knot refers, as well, to the tangled world of the protagonist. Jackson’s life soon becomes burned-out, resulting from events beyond his control as well as destructive behavior.

A surgical residency is a rough profession for a recovering narcotic addict. But in his second year of training, Jackson Cooper is just that. It’s 1983, and in the midst of his struggles, he meets a memorable character and patient named Maurice Latinsky. Maurice suffers from HIV/AIDS dementia. The patient has a recurring delusion of being Steve McQueen in the movie The Great Escape and continually tries to break out of the confines of the hospital.