The House of God is a
satirical novel by
Samuel Shem (a
pseudonym used by
psychiatrist Stephen Bergman), published in 1978. The novel follows a group of
medical interns at a fictionalized version of
Beth Israel Hospital over the course of a year in the early 1970s, focusing on the psychological harm and dehumanization caused by their
residency training. The book, described by the
New York Times as "raunchy, troubling and hilarious", was viewed as scandalous at the time of its publication, but acquired a cult following and ultimately came to be regarded as a touchstone in the evolving discussion of humanism, ethics, and training in medicine.