Dead Med

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. DeWitt Medical School’s nickname is “Dead Med,” a name that hangs over the entire story. Did the novel live up to the chilling promise of its setting and title for you? What element, whether a character’s decision or a plot twist, was the most memorable or shocking?

2. Freida McFadden is known for psychological thrillers like The Housemaid. For those who’ve read her other work, how does Dead Med compare in terms of suspense, character development, and plot structure? For new readers, how did the novel’s blend of academic pressure and mystery affect your experience?

3. What was your initial theory about who was responsible for the violence on the night of the final exam? How did the rotating perspectives confirm or challenge your suspicions as you read?

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. The novel vividly portrays the immense pressure of medical school, where a single exam can feel like a life-or-death situation. Have you ever been in a high-stakes environment, either academic or professional, that tested your limits? How did the characters’ coping mechanisms, both healthy and destructive, resonate with you?

2. Abe Kaufman’s journey is a series of moral compromises, starting with taking the clinic job and escalating to covering up a death. At what point, if any, did Abe cross a line you felt was unforgivable? What do you think you might have done in his position, facing similar financial desperation?

3. Rachel Binghams and Dr. Matt Conlon’s relationship begins as a manipulative transaction but evolves into genuine love. Did you find their connection believable or problematic? How does their story explore the complexities of power and vulnerability in relationships?

4. Whose perspective did you find most compelling to read, and whose was the most difficult? Why did that particular narrator’s viewpoint stand out to you?

5. Mason builds his entire identity on being the top student, a goal driven by the need to surpass his father. How does the novel explore the dangers of tying your self-worth to external achievements?

6. Sasha justifies her destructive actions as necessary steps to honor her father’s memory and level an unfair playing field. Have you ever seen someone’s ambition lead them to make questionable choices?

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

1. McFadden’s novel highlights that mental health issues are a real crisis in medical education. How does Dead Med contribute to the conversation about the psychological toll of elite academic and professional programs? Does the novel offer any commentary on how institutions could better support students?

2. What does Dr. Patrice Winters’s character suggest about institutional hypocrisy and the failure of systems designed to protect the vulnerable?

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

1. McFadden employs a multi-perspective narrative structure, a technique used in thrillers like Gone Girl to create unreliable narrators. How did shifting between Heather McKinley, Abe, Rachel, Mason Howard, Sasha Zaleski, and Dr. Conlon’s viewpoints shape your understanding of the events? What specific truths were revealed or obscured by this fragmented storytelling?

2. What is the significance of the cadaver, “Frank,” in the story? How does his symbolic role evolve alongside the characters’ psychological states?

3. The cracked sink in the women’s restroom is a recurring motif. How does this unrepaired flaw amplify the novel’s themes of institutional neglect and unaddressed trauma?

4. Consider the parallels between Dr. Conlon’s past trauma and Mason’s psychosis. What commentary does this parallel offer on violence and trauma within this high-pressure academic setting?

5. The epilogue jumps forward seven years, revealing a distorted campus legend about the murders and an act of revenge. What did you think of this ending? Does it provide a sense of justice, or create further unease?

6. How does the setting of the anatomy lab function as more than just a backdrop for the story? In what ways does this space heighten the novel’s psychological tension and reflect the characters’ internal struggles?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. Imagine you are rewriting the epilogue. What would a truly just and satisfying resolution look like for the surviving characters seven years later? Would Sasha face consequences, and what kind of lives would Heather, Abe, and Rachel be leading?

2. If you were to adapt Dead Med into a limited series, which character’s perspective would you choose for the first episode to best hook the audience? Would you start with Heather’s hopeful arrival, Mason’s ambitious scheming, or the prologue’s life-or-death confrontation?

3. Dr. Winters’s betrayal is a central part of the institutional corruption at DeWitt. Imagine a “missing scene” from her perspective where she has a mandatory counseling session with Mason before his breakdown becomes apparent. What would she notice, and what might she choose to ignore in service of her own agenda?