Paul Lambert, a quiet introspective young man, is thrown, bewildered and unprepared, into the daunting world of a busy surgical unit. Through his eyes numerous patient episodes are described - many amusing, some serious, others poignant but all very human.

After early misadventures, both surgical and romantic, he gains confidence and experience and becomes a key member of the team. Had James Herriot been a young surgeon, not a vet, these are the tales he might have told.