Book recommendations?

[Schemp]

LizzyM's thread made me decide to make a thread about books. I saw there were some other threads on this, but the most recent one is 18 months old so I thought there might be some updates (or some oldies that are just worth re-mentioning).

Most of my leisure reading is fantasy/sci-fi stuff (Song of Ice and Fire, Annals of the Black Company, Foundation, etc.), so other than textbooks I don't read much non-fiction or instructional stuff. I'm specifically interested in books that give some perspective on what it means to be a doctor. That's a really broad perspective, so that could be for, say, an emergency medicine doctor, cardiologist, anesthesiologist, whatever. Even stuff on being a nurse or medical assistant would be really interesting actually.

I feel kind of silly never having read any books like this, but oh well. Does anyone have any suggestions? New stuff or classics, it doesn't make much difference to me as long as it's a great book. I'd love to be able to get through something before fall quarter starts.

Thanks!

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[Yudid]

I am deleting my comment, cuz it doesnt belong to this topic...

 

[Schemp]

Lol. I hope the first one is a joke, not sure about the others. Either way, not relevant to what I'm looking for.

 

[Yudid]

Oh so i deleted books that i posted before other members saw them, i think i look funny enough in the eyes of ppl. Just dont wanna get more hate to myself

 

[Yudid]

Just read ur comment... Too bad that u dont like this kinda style

 

[Schemp]

I'm just not interested in that type of thing. The psychologyish one, maybe, but based on the premise of the book I probably wouldn't enjoy the voice of it. Either way, yeah, looking for books about the practice of medicine right now.

 

[JonathanMD]

Books I've read in the order I'd recommend them:

Complications by Atul Gawande
Intern by Sandeep Juahar
Better by Atul Gawande
First, Do No Harm by Lisa Belkin
How Doctors Think by Jerome Groopman
On Call by Emily R. Transue

Complications is the most well written. What can I say? The guy knows how to write.

I really liked Intern and On Call because they're both specifically about those first couple years. But On Call just feels like a smattering of 45 short stories without any on-going narrative. I could only read 2-3 chapters at a time. Intern is probably the most complete story out of the bunch.

How Doctors Think is interesting and it spends a lot of time on each separate story, but it's all about an established doctor going through his thought processes (not as relevant compared to the others). It's also written much more for general readership consumption--it's more mainstream--which is a turn off for me.

I never hear anyone else recommend First, Do No Harm, but I really liked it. It focuses on 4-5 patients, long-term care, morality issues, quality of life issues, and ethics committees.

 

[LizzyM]

Perri Klass has written some excellent fiction & non-fiction about being a physician (she's a pediatrician in Boston).

Richard Selzer's Letters to a Young Doctor is a classic. (Klass has also written a book with that subtitle)


Final Exam by Pauline Chen

 

[amakhosidlo]

The Spirit That Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman

Doesn't quite offer the same excitement/insight as Gawande's stuff, but gives great perspective on cross-cultural competency

 

[Sillyshoes]

Final Exam: A Surgeon's Reflections on Mortality by Pauline Chen

 

[Long Dong]

I posted this in the other thread but I'll repost here as well.

At any stage in the game. This is gonna take up so much of your life the last thing you want to do read about how some other sucker let medicine suck the life/youth out of him.

Here is another book I liked and used some of the techniques while at different clubs in different cities interviewing for res and med school.

 

[Schemp]

Thanks for the suggestions guys, these look good! Anyone else?

 

[Exalya]

"How Doctors Think" is a great medically-related book. Though I see someone mentioned it... I would like to add that it is very easy to read. Well-written. Not dry like some medical books can be.

 

[AloysiusBear]

In my opinion, everyone, especially aspiring doctors should read-

Pathologies of Power by Paul Farmer - look him up if you've never heard of him.

and

Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder - Biography of Paul Farmer

 

[rmj254]

The House of God -- Samuel Shem
When the Air Hits Your Brain: Tales From Neurosurgery -- Frank Vertosick
Hot Lights, Cold Steel -- Michael Collins
Just Here Trying to Save a Few Lives: Tales of Life and Death in the ER -- Pamela Grim
Musicophilia, Migraine -- Oliver Sacks
Phantoms in the Brain -- V.S. Ramachandran

I also personally like Ben Carson's books. Some may find them a little hokey, but I really enjoyed them.

These are pretty good reads in addition to those already mentioned.

 

[Pedie Packs]

The Boy Who Felt No Pain... some nice short stories by a pediatric geneticist

 

[kia ora]

Schemp, I see that you are from Seattle and I'm guessing you have some interest in UW, so I would recommend the book "What Patients Taught Me" by Audrey Young. She wrote it shortly after (I think) graduating from UWSOM and it is an interesting look at the experience of a med student. she has a new book just out about working at Harborview; it's called "House Call."

another book I enjoyed was "Singular Intimacies" by Danielle Ofri. it's about her experience as a resident at a hospital in NYC.

 

[Schemp]

Schemp, I see that you are from Seattle and I'm guessing you have some interest in UW, so I would recommend the book "What Patients Taught Me" by Audrey Young. She wrote it shortly after (I think) graduating from UWSOM and it is an interesting look at the experience of a med student. she has a new book just out about working at Harborview; it's called "House Call."

another book I enjoyed was "Singular Intimacies" by Danielle Ofri. it's about her experience as a resident at a hospital in NYC.

Ah, that is really cool. Yeah I go to UW, but I'm not even applying to UWSOM. I want to leave the state for med school since I've never lived elsewhere, but it'd be an interesting read having a personal connection to the area and institution.

 

[PinkIvy08]

I second the Atul Gawande books and How Doctors Think recommendations.

I'll add a few more that are slightly off-topic...not sure what you're looking for exactly (as you said, you gave a broad category), so take it with a grain of salt.

Pricing Life: Why it's time for Health Care Rationing by Dr. Peter A. Ubel - interesting, not too dry. If I remember correctly it touches upon and integrates medical ethics, medical decision making, and basic economic principles underlying health care (like cost-effectiveness)

The Practice of Autonomy: Patients, Doctors, and Medical Decisions by Carl E. Schneider - not even going to lie to you, this one can get dense, but if you like studying medical decision making (as I secretly do), bioethics, and a hint of the law then you can pull through it

The Year of the Intern by Robin Cook - an older book, a short read, and an interesting look into the intern year

Gifted Hands by Dr. Ben Carson - imo, motivating and just a classic story

Health Care at Risk: A Critique of the Consumer-Driven Movement by Timothy Stoltzfus Jost - currently reading, but so far it gives a good over-view of the problems were are facing in the realm of health care coverage and access, and a pretty good, readable history of health care in the US

 

[Slowpoke]

last lecture by randy pausch

 

[neutropos]

The Road, Money Ball, Middlesex, Beloved --> all great books

If you're looking into something regarding health care (oh boy aren't we all?), I heard T.R. Reid's new book is pretty good.

 

[FloatOn]

The House of God by Samuel Shem. Probably one of the best works of fiction (with some hint of truth) I have ever read. I laughed, I cringed, and I actually cried.

 

[neuromd03]

The House of God by Samuel Shem. Probably one of the best works of fiction (with some hint of truth) I have ever read. I laughed, I cringed, and I actually cried.

It's kind of outdated. This book was written more than 30 years ago and before the days of diagnosis-related groups and the need to discharge patients from the hospital early. So these interns had a much lower turnover of patients and more time to spend with patients than interns do now. Interns are also at risk of being sued for millions which wasn't the case back then.

 

[FloatOn]

It's kind of outdated. This book was written more than 30 years ago and before the days of diagnosis-related groups and the need to discharge patients from the hospital early. So these interns had a much lower turnover of patients and more time to spend with patients than interns do now. Interns are also at risk of being sued for millions which wasn't the case back then.

The truth I refer to is the emotional rollarcoaster that many interns/residents probably go through (at least this is the vibe I get): questioning your decision to go into medicine, not knowing if you're helping or hurting the patient, the importance of having friends/a significant other that you can depend on, being broken down before building yourself back up again. I think it's safe to say doctors do not have orgies in the operating room.

 

[LizzyM]

The truth I refer to is the emotional rollarcoaster that many interns/residents probably go through (at least this is the vibe I get): questioning your decision to go into medicine, not knowing if you're helping or hurting the patient, the importance of having friends/a significant other that you can depend on, being broken down before building yourself back up again. I think it's safe to say doctors do not have orgies in the operating room.

I agree and would add the dehumanization that occurred then continues today and must be guarded against. There are still those who would responde to the very old and hopelessly ill with the words (in their hearts if not on their lips), "Get out of my emerency room" or course, today we'd use "emergency department" and call those patients GOMEDs. It doesn't have the same ring to it.

 

[dw2158]

Schemp, I see that you are from Seattle and I'm guessing you have some interest in UW, so I would recommend the book "What Patients Taught Me" by Audrey Young. She wrote it shortly after (I think) graduating from UWSOM and it is an interesting look at the experience of a med student. she has a new book just out about working at Harborview; it's called "House Call."

another book I enjoyed was "Singular Intimacies" by Danielle Ofri. it's about her experience as a resident at a hospital in NYC.

such a good book!

i also recommend "overtreated" by shannon brownlee. but that's a bit more economics-ish.

 

[siliso]

Loved "Overtreated," also "Hippocrates' Shadow" more recently.

 

[Schemp]

I ordered Complications on Amazon and got it today. Just started half an hour ago and have to say it's already very intriguing. I'll probably order another one in a few days so I have something else good to read when I finish this (which will probably be in a day or two at most, haha).

 

[Schemp]

Just finished Complications. It was a really great book.

I ordered Intern, Better, and How Doctors Think a few hours ago, hopefully they're just as interesting!

 

[mvenus929]

I've heard other recommend Stiff. I personally liked a rather new book called Every Patient Tells a Story, by Dr. Lisa Sanders. She writes the column Diagnosis for NYT Magazine, and is one of the sources of the stories on House. It's a great look at how important the physical exam and patient history can be, and goes through a series of cases that were difficult to diagnose and the process by which they were solved.

 

[MaryLennox]

ha . . . i tried to start a thread similar to this a few months back and got very few replies unfortunately. but i'll reply to yours. first of all to say i can't believe how many people like "Complications." I really dislike his writing, I think he is too narcissistic. it all just rubs me the wrong way. (although i did think the part with the flesh-eating virus was pretty interesting.) still though. on the other hand i really loved "Hot Lights, Cold Steel" by Michael Collins, his writing was a lot more humble and I just liked it a lot more. (it's about his ortho residency at Mayo.) i also liked "Another Day in the Frontal Lobe" by Katrina Firlik, about her experience as a female neurosurgeon.

Other interesting books that are related (and I think were both LizzyM recommendations) are "Mindless Eating" by Brian Wansink and "Our Daily Meds" by Melody Peterson. I'm only about halfway through "Our Daily Meds" but it's really . . . shocking, maybe I am naive but it's all about the pharm industry and their relationship with physicians and stuff and I have been totally shocked by a lot of the stuff in there. REALLY interesting.

 

[chman]

Others have already said it, but I will too. House of God should be read, not just by people considering medical school, but by anyone who is looking for a great book.

 

[veg MD]

When the Air Hits Your Brain, Tales of Neurosurgery
By Frank T. Vertosick Jr. M.D.

It is an AWESOME book. You HAVE to read it!!!

 

[veg MD]

I remembered another one

Walking Out on the Boys
By Frances K. Conley

It's about Neurosurgery and sexual harassment in the work place from a female neurosurgeon's point of view, but it does provide some valuable in sight to everyone

 

[Schemp]

ha . . . i tried to start a thread similar to this a few months back and got very few replies unfortunately. but i'll reply to yours. first of all to say i can't believe how many people like "Complications." I really dislike his writing, I think he is too narcissistic. it all just rubs me the wrong way. (although i did think the part with the flesh-eating virus was pretty interesting.) still though. on the other hand i really loved "Hot Lights, Cold Steel" by Michael Collins, his writing was a lot more humble and I just liked it a lot more. (it's about his ortho residency at Mayo.) i also liked "Another Day in the Frontal Lobe" by Katrina Firlik, about her experience as a female neurosurgeon.

Other interesting books that are related (and I think were both LizzyM recommendations) are "Mindless Eating" by Brian Wansink and "Our Daily Meds" by Melody Peterson. I'm only about halfway through "Our Daily Meds" but it's really . . . shocking, maybe I am naive but it's all about the pharm industry and their relationship with physicians and stuff and I have been totally shocked by a lot of the stuff in there. REALLY interesting.

Those books sound interesting.

I'm surprised you found Gawande so narcissistic. He just came across as honest to me. He kind of made the point, but to make the decisions doctors make and literally cut people open I think you have to have a lot of self confidence. To each their own though. I enjoyed it enough that I decided to buy another one of his books.

On a side note, two days after I received the book I saw on thinkprogress.org that the Center For American Progress recommended Gawande as interim senator in Massachusetts in place of Kennedy. Weird coincidence.

 

[MaryLennox]

Those books sound interesting.

I'm surprised you found Gawande so narcissistic. He just came across as honest to me. He kind of made the point, but to make the decisions doctors make and literally cut people open I think you have to have a lot of self confidence. To each their own though. I enjoyed it enough that I decided to buy another one of his books.

it's hard to explain- i read it a while ago so i can't pinpoint exactly what it was. just something about his tone annoyed me. i think a lot of the time when people start reading books in this genre (medical narratives i guess you might call it) that's the first one they pick up, just because it is so popular. for whatever reason i didn't come across it until after i had read several other books in that genre and i just found it to be a bit different in a way that i didn't like. maybe because I loved Michael Collins' book so much and their writing approaches are so different. it's like he wants to relate to the reader where as Gawande seems to just want to impress the reader?

 

[LizzyM]

Bumping this old thread to recommend Knife Man by Wendy Moore. Eighteenth century England, anatomy, surgery, zoology, medical education, military medicine, evolution, rivalries. How do we know what we know. Here's the story of one of the giants on whose shoulders we stand.

 

[Rawls87]

Bumping this old thread to recommend Knife Man by Wendy Moore. Eighteenth century England, anatomy, surgery, zoology, medical education, military medicine, evolution, rivalries. How do we know what we know. Here's the story of one of the giants on whose shoulders we stand.

Totally have this book. It's going to be nice read, especially since I'm studying anatomy right now.

 

[montessori2md]

First Cut: A season in anatomy lab, by Carter -it's a little cheesy, but you said you were in anatomy....

War Hospital -it's about the war in former yugoslavia, and will seriously blow your mind. It's a good chaser to "the spirit catches you" style books w/ the idealism and schmaltz, b/c War Hospital is all about having these happy ideas and having them meet reality.....(not that I'm not an idealist, but I'm a pragmatist too).

I really recommend some good histories about medicine in your area. I've learned bits of info this year that blew my mind, like my school's hospital was segregated until 1968, when it was divided into "public" (read: black) and "private" (white) hospital. 1/3 of the counties in my state had NO primary care physician in 1970. Like, wow, and we think health care access is an issue now.

I'd also read the health section of the NY times, and I love Dr. Edmond's infectious disease blog, and I'm not even that into ID. http://haicontroversies.blogspot.com/
http://medicaleconomics.modernmedicine.com/

 

[Aromatic Amine]

The House of God -- Samuel Shem
When the Air Hits Your Brain: Tales From Neurosurgery -- Frank Vertosick
Hot Lights, Cold Steel -- Michael Collins
Just Here Trying to Save a Few Lives: Tales of Life and Death in the ER -- Pamela Grim
Musicophilia, Migraine -- Oliver Sacks
Phantoms in the Brain -- V.S. Ramachandran

I also personally like Ben Carson's books. Some may find them a little hokey, but I really enjoyed them.

These are pretty good reads in addition to those already mentioned.

aweesome book! it was freakishly weird and interesting.

 

[oknow]

Cutting for Stone--Abraham Verghese

beautifully written novel by a Stanford doc

 

[Aerin Sol]

I am reading Song of Fire and Ice for the first time right now and it is so amazing.


(PDF) http://hmp3.ucsd.edu/Jan 09/Jan 16 email files/readinglist.Yale.pdf is a list put together by a pre-med student that I've found very helpful. My library has almost all of them.

I especially recommend The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down and Mountains Beyond Mountains. The first looks at the very different way Hmong immigrants and their local ER doctors view a child's epilepsy and the second looks at one man's mission to raise the public health of the Haiti.

I tried reading Gifted Hands and just couldn't stand it. I guess I'm a book snob but I felt it was written for middle schoolers and I just couldn't get into it. That could be because I read Complications right before it, though. I also didn't like Blue Collar, Blue Scrubs by Michael Collins. There's not a lot of medical information in it and I didn't like his writing style, plus I found it really hard to relate to him/sympathize with him. Maybe his other book is better.

I also really liked Babycatcher, by a nurse-midwife.

 

[DNM]

The House of God by Samuel Shem. Probably one of the best works of fiction (with some hint of truth) I have ever read. I laughed, I cringed, and I actually cried.

A lot of people have mentioned it, but I really enjoyed The House of God as well.

 

[wholeheartedly]

A couple I liked that haven't already been mentioned

"My Own Medicine: A Doctor's Life as a Patient " by Dr. Geoffrey Kurland. Perhaps not the best writing, but a really interesting perspective about how physician responds when he gets something serious.

along those same lines I'd also suggest
"An Unquiet Mind" Dr. Kay Redfield Jamison. She's a professor of Psychiatry at Hopkins and has bipolar disorder and this her life story. If you pay close attention when you're reading it you can actually pick up on changes in her writing as her moods shift, going from excited with very colorful descriptions to somber and dry clinical type writing. It's got some pretty laughable moments too.

Another I'd recommend is "The Doctors Mayo" by Helen Clapesattle about how the Mayo clinic got it's start.
It started off a bit slow and heavy on some local history, but it was written during a time period where medical knowledge was exploding. They really get into the cutting edge advancements of that time. Where it gets really cool is in the middle of the book where they talk about how some of the major surgical procedures of the time were developed. These two country docs were doing so many procedures with such good outcomes that they were called liars at big meetings. They invited people to watch and see for themselves. The physicians who doubted came and witnessed it first hand and then they decided to stay and learn some of the techniques themselves. At that time it was common to guard your secrets to keep your patients coming to you. This started a trend of people coming from all over to learn or teach their secrets. These people helped develop all sorts of procedures and engineer things for the hospitals. The other really cool part is talking about how patient centered they were.

 

[seracus]

Bump! Any new books people would recommend?

 

[CDAstudent]

The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer by Siddhartha Mukherjee is an exquisite recording of important breakthroughs and mistakes by the scientific community during our attempts to 'combat' cancer. I would recommend it to anyone who reads, not just medicine/science nerds. Very well written and engaging, especially if you're interested in the pathological mechanisms of cancer.

 

[ur2l8]

I

The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer by Siddhartha Mukherjee is an exquisite recording of important breakthroughs and mistakes by the scientific community during our attempts to 'combat' cancer. I would recommend it to anyone who reads, not just medicine/science nerds. Very well written and engaging, especially if you're interested in the pathological mechanisms of cancer.

Yes! I read this for a book discussion at my university. Great book, wonderfully written. Though some parts may be a little dense if you are not interested in pathology as above post stated.

 

[DAPI]

This has been discussed at length here http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=752061