Any good books to read?

[jenv1082]

Just wondering if there are any good medical related books (fictional or nonfictional) that would be beneficial to read?

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[The Mysterious Stranger]

I'm currently reading "The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat" by Oliver Sacks (the author of Awakenings). Anyhow, this book chronicles different case studies Sacks encountered as a neurologist. I don't know if it's exactly what you are looking for (if you want a more general book about the medical field), but I find the book very entertaining.

 

[Doctor Octopus]

I recommend Love in the Time of Cholera , by Gabriel Garcia Marquez.

 

[Drako]

One recommendation from me:

The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures by Anne Fadiman. Click here to buy it at Barnes & Noble.com. I am not affiliated with bn.com. I just buy my books there because of the free shipping if one buys two or more books.

 

[Forensic Chick]

"House of God" by Samuel Shem, M.D. Great book outlining the trials and tribulations of internship.

 

[Cerberus]

Originally posted by The Mysterious Stranger
I'm currently reading "The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat" by Oliver Sacks (the author of Awakenings). Anyhow, this book chronicles different case studies Sacks encountered as a neurologist. I don't know if it's exactly what you are looking for (if you want a more general book about the medical field), but I find the book very entertaining.

I liked that book quite a bit. Other good medically related books are "The House of God" by Samuel Shem and "Becoming a Doctor" by some guy with a big nose. Of course both those books are a bit neurotic as they were written by shrinks

 

[dynamic02]

I'm reading Five Patients, by Michael Crichton right now and it's pretty good.
I also read Gifted Hands, by Dr. Ben Carson, which I would also recommend.

 

[missmod]

Emergency Doctor, by Edward Ziegler and Lewis Goldfrank. It's about the ER at Bellevue Hospital in New York City. It's not a story, but mostly short chapters about different topics dealing with emergency medicine at a public city hospital. Lot of medical and hospital info. All those going to NYU med should read it!!!

 

[basha]

I think i've got the book ur lookin for, its called "complications " by atul gwande.

Everyone on this forum should pick it up. Its about complications in the medical field, the issues that need to be looked at and what issues medical students will face during residency and beyond.

 

[phllystyl]

Originally posted by Forensic Chick
"House of God" by Samuel Shem, M.D. Great book outlining the trials and tribulations of internship.

RULES OF THE HOUSE OF GOD #4:

THERE IS NO BODY CAVITY THAT CANT BE REACHED BY A #14 NEEDLE AND A GOOD STRONG ARM


Seriously, one of the funniest books I've ever read.

 

[jenv1082]

Thanks guys! The suggestions were everything I was looking for

Keep 'em coming...

 

[Gradient Echo]

I read "Body of Knowledge: One Semester of Gross Anatomy, The Gateway to Becoming a Doctor" by Steve Giegerich.

It was somewhat interesting to see how med students from vastly different backgrounds approached anatomy and to get their experiences from it. Of course, its probably less interesting if you're already in med school and gone thru anatomy already.

 

[dark_scientist]

Try any of Laurie Garrett's books:

The Coming Plague: Newly Emerging Diseases in a World Out of Balance

Microbes versus Mankind: The Coming Plague

I think they will open your eyes to the very unstable world that we live in.

Enjoy.

 

[jot]

i think its essential that every doc to be knows something abotu the history of medicine - a lot would be surprising:

"The Greatest Benefit to Mankind" by Roy Porter - a brilliant medical historian who recently died. it is a tour de force of medical history and has a bunch of cool facts you can pimp your attending about.
-jot

 

[pbehzad]

I read The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures by Anne Fadiman for my Medical Anthro class and it was a really good book and interesting. Tells you about the interaction between doctors and patients from very different cultures. I agree with Drako that you should read this.

 

[jaboy]

think i've got the book ur lookin for, its called "complications " by atul gwande.

I read an interview with the author on http://www.theatlantic.com/unbound/interviews/int2002-05-01.htm .

I have not read the book, but it sounds interesting.

 

[jaboy]

I also read TSCYAYFD....which was good

 

[WakeMedHeel]

Read "Love, Medicine, and Miracles"...it's a great book and should help you reach patients.

 

[Mary Jane Watson]

Hey- these are some of the ones I've read:

"Gentle Vengeance" by Charles LeBaron - about his first year at Harvard Medical School. Makes you really think about medical education.

"First Cut" by Howard Carter - a literature prof follows students through the anatomy at Emory. A very insightful account - great to mentally and emotionally prepare you to be confronted with a dead body during your first year.

"The Intern Blues" by Bob Marion, M.D. - the diaries of three pediatric interns in New York during the mid '80s. Frightening, yet real.

I also love anything by Michael Palmer, and Tess Gerritsen's "Gravity" is one of the best medical thrillers I've ever read. I finally finished all the Harry Potter books out right now and I'm anxiously awaiting the fifth.

Happy reading!

 

[buglady]

Originally posted by phllystyl


RULES OF THE HOUSE OF GOD #4:

THERE IS NO BODY CAVITY THAT CANT BE REACHED BY A #14 NEEDLE AND A GOOD STRONG ARM


Seriously, one of the funniest books I've ever read.

I agree...I just got done reading this not too long ago....Samuel Shem has a bunch of other books, also, that seem as entertaining.

I also recommend anything by Bob Marion--he's got a few good ones out there!

 

[solid snake]

The Social Transformation of American Medicine by Paul Starr. Pretty good.

 

[Droopy]

When All the World Was Young by Ferrol Sams
A fiction novel about a medical student in Atlanta during WWII. First half of the book is during medical school and second half follows him in WWII.

Intern Blues by Bob Marion
Although I'm biased b/c I interviewed with him , this is a great book about three interns and their intern year before the Bell commission in NY.