also details the great amount of hard, distasteful work the interns must perform, as well as the inconsistent working conditions, lack of sleep, lack of time with friends and family, and emotionally demanding work. During the course of the novel, working in the hospital takes a psychological toll on Basch. His personality and outlook change, and he has outbursts of temper. He has adulterous trysts with various nurses and social service workers (nicknamed the "Sociable Cervix"), and his relationship with his girlfriend Berry suffers. A colleague, Wayne Potts, commits suicide. Potts had been constantly badgered by the upper hierarchy and haunted by a patient—nicknamed "The Yellow Man" (due to the jaundice from his fulminant necrotic hepatitis)--who goes comatose and eventually (after months) dies possibly because Potts had not put him on steroids. Basch secretly euthanizes a patient called Saul the leukemic tailor, whose illness had gone into remission but was back in the hospital in incredible pain and begging for death. Basch becomes more and more emotionally unstable until his friends force him to attend a mime performance by Marcel Marceau, where he has an experience of catharsis and recovers his emotional stability. By the end of the book, it turns out that the psychiatry resident, Cohen, has inspired most of the year's group of interns—as well as two well-spoken policemen, Gilheeney and Quick—to pursue a career in psychiatry. The terrible year convinces most of the interns to receive psychiatric help themselves. The book ends with Basch and Berry vacationing in France before he begins his psychiatry residency, which is how the book begins as well; the entire whole book is a flashback. But even while vacationing, bad memories of the House of God haunt Basch. Basch is convinced that he could not have gotten through the year without Berry, and he asks her to marry him. Characters Staff Interns and residents Dr. Roy Basch, the protagonist and one of the first-year residents. Dr. Fishberg ("The Fish"), the Chief Resident; wishes to obtain a GI fellowship. Jo, a high-achieving, by-the-book, gunner-esque resident; wishes to obtain a cardiology fellowship. "Fats" ("The Fatman"), an unconventional but effective second-year resident; wishes to obtain a GI fellowship. Dr. Chuck Johnston, a black first-year resident from Chicago; Basch's best friend. Dr. Jeff Cohen, the psychiatry resident. "Eat My Dust" Eddie, a first-year resident fixated on winning the Black Crow Award (awarded for most consents for