For those of you that don’t know, I am in the medical field. After four years of a biology degree, I had four years of a medical education. It’s my job to know a lot about medicine. Unsurprisingly, not everyone knows as much. I don’t expect people to, but that doesn’t prevent me from having an apoplectic fit every time I read a medical inaccuracy in a book.

Let me clarify:

I don’t expect authors to know the intricacies of medicine. There are more subtle inaccuracies that I can excuse.

But then there are some mistakes that are so inexcusable they lead to my husband (also medical) and I having an enraged conversation about fact-checking and who the heck the beta readers were.

For instance:

Veins do not pulse. Arteries pulse. *taps fingers frantically on table*

Pus is not produced in a matter of seconds, but rather, hours to days. *eyelid twitches* [Disclaimer: I totally understand why someone wouldn’t know this one, so I forgive the author who made this claim.]

If you’re going to insist on being anatomically specific, be anatomically correct. *face palm*

You cannot “plunge” a needle into your arm and quickly hit a vein (unless you’re a heroin addict). This procedure actually requires some finesse and concentration. *asks rhetorically if you’ve ever gotten your blood drawn*

A fever over 104F (40C) is a really big deal and doesn’t simply warrant staying at home and feeling crummy. YOU CAN ACTUALLY DIE. *double face palm*

Okay. I could go on. But you get my point.

So here’s my question for you:

I am sure I am reading tons of other inaccuracies about things (no author can know everything about everything!), and I don’t realize it, because it isn’t my area of expertise. Do you have an area of expertise that results in a lot of eye rolls and sighs of frustration while reading?