A Dim Prognosis

This compelling tell-all reveals the realities of working as a doctor in New Zealand. Our health system in crisis — and a doctor’s view on how to fix it

Fast-paced and darkly funny, it chronicles ten years of working in medicine – treating the victims of the Whakaari White Island eruption, being on the frontline during pandemic, dealing with chronic understaffing -and sheds a light on where and why the health system is collapsing.

Covering everything from a bullying and toxic culture to the alarming disparities between the public and private health sectors and years of mismanaged priorities, this is a clear-eyed account of a health system on life support.

‘Brave, funny and heart-rendingly sad … every healthcare worker in Aotearoa will feel seen.’ – Dr Emma Wehipeihana, There’s a Cure for This

‘A must-read for all who care about the future of publicly funded healthcare in Aotearoa.’ – Dr David Galler, Things That Matter

Author Biography

Ivor Popovich works in Auckland as an intensive care doctor and will fully qualify as a specialist in August 2025. He has worked across different hospitals and specialties since finishing medical school in 2015. He was involved in treating patients during the Covid pandemic and the Whakaari White Island disaster. When not at the hospital he can be found shooting hoops or tickling the ivories on his piano.