Dr Sandeep Jauhar's book on the medical profession in his adopted home, the U.S., is a close operation of the strange medical world, that is sending some shock waves. The profession of the doctor is ill, he shows, in a book titled "Doctored: The Disillusionment of an American Physician."

Being a cardiologist, Dr Jauhar writes that medicine has become a "pitiless, mercenary," money-fleecing vocation. Doctors look at their clients as money mills, not patients. Sometimes clients are retained in hospital for longer, in order to raise more fees and tests to win profits and rope in some medical representatives that support pharmaceutical companies to sell drugs. Hence, he feels that American doctors, including Indian-Americans like him, suffer from a "collective malaise of discontent, insecurity, and immoderation."

"Spending 20-30 minutes with a patient might be reimbursed $80, $90, but sending the patient for a nuclear stress test was much more profitable," Jauhar says in an interview to Fresh Air.

"A nuclear stress test, at the time when I started working, was reimbursed roughly $800 to $900."

In a survey quoted by him, 30 to 40% of US physicians regret becoming doctors, and most of them want to prevent their children from becoming doctors too.

Being from India, Dr Jauhar gives an insight on Indian doctors being lured by American companies. However, the promised American Dream soon fizzles out when the doctor is forced to practice sham and expensive treatments.

So what is the big deal? Everyone knows that the doctor is not always a selfless, good Samaritan. He is more in it for the lucre. Still, just revealing it to the public in this book has created some shock. Dr Jauhar says he owes it to his readers to give them the "unvarnished, unfiltered truth," without being irresponsible.

The book starts with his first stint at a hospital, after studying for 19 years, including a doctorate in Physics. Interminable hours for paltry pay made him join the system, putting him through the wringer of corruption and cleaning. It included doctors, administrators, health insurance sector, and the pharma industry.

Most doctors try to rush through their appointments so that they can see more clients. Hence, the diagnosis is likely to fail. So, patients do not get the attention they deserve and are not diagnosed properly. Meanwhile, specialist doctors tend to recommend a number of tests and treatments that may generate revenue and protect them from malpractice liability suits. Dr Jauhar points out that even patients who may have minor ailments could not escape major stress tests and cardiac procedures. The insurance companies do not cover the costs of spending time with patients, but do fund CT scans and stress tests, even if they are not really required.

The New York Times reviewer writes: "This is the first book that's prompted me to write "Yuck!" in the margin, and not next to one of Dr. Jauhar's graphic descriptions of the contents of a catheter bag... Safety concerns about one of his drugs - the same one Dr. Jauhar was endorsing - had just come out in The Journal of the American Medical Association."