Ben was a zoologist. Then, at 28, he was diagnosed with bowel cancer. He survived - and is now a doctor.

His memoir The Patient Doctor is out now.

“I felt compelled to write this book because each one of us will interact with the health system at some point, which means we all have an interest in ensuring the ‘system’ doesn’t forget the people at the heart of it. Sadly, everyone has a story about leaving a doctor's office or hospital frustrated and annoyed, and doctors are stressed and burning out at record rates. Having the experience of being a patient first, and then a doctor, I can understand both sides of the story, and I know it doesn't have to be this way.”

Part memoir, part manifesto, this is the powerful and inspiring story of former science writer and zoologist Ben Bravery’s courageous journey from being diagnosed with Stage Three colorectal cancer in his late 20s to making the life-changing decision to become a doctor and enact change for the better in the health system. As a scientist, Ben understood his illness and treatment, but this in no way prepared him for what it would really be like to be a patient, and a young one at that. What he experienced often left him feeling confused about what was happening to him, anxious and vulnerable.

Now as a qualified doctor who’s seen first-hand the intense pressure many doctors are under, how grades are prioritised over bedside manner, and just how little time there is to focus on the patient-doctor relationship, Ben will share his story and shine a light on what needs to change, and how to ensure that student doctors, doctors, patients and their families work together to put the patient at the very heart of healthcare.