Favorite books?

[NY Musicologist]

Collective wisdom:

I'm in search of some medically-related nonfiction for summer reading: memoirs, essay collections, etc. about what it's "really like" to go through med school or residency, practice medicine in various settings, etc. I've looked at such things as White Coat, Becoming a Doctor, Just Here Trying to Save a Few Lives, Intern Blues (or something like that), but haven't plunked down any precious cash yet. Anyone care to offer comments on these, or additional suggestions?

Also, what about such books as How We Live/Die, etc.?

Best,
NYM

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[laurafinn]

Complications: A Surgeon's Notes on an Imperfect Science by Atul Gawande.

A lovely book and a quick read.

 

[primadonna22274]

I thoroughly enjoyed "Strange Behavior: Tales of Evolutionary Neurology" by Harold Klawans, MD. Fascinating stories of stuff we may never see. He also wrote a book on the humble origins of medicine which I picked up in the dollar store last summer...let's see...can't remember the title at the moment.
And "Woman: an Intimate Geography" by Natalie Angier is wonderful.
There's a great collection of short stories, poetry and narrative "On Doctoring", edited by Reynolds. Worth having. Has the usual William Carlos Williams, W.H. Auden, but also Hemingway and Flannery O'Connor.
A thoroughly enjoyable not medical book is "The Botany of Desire: A Plant's-Eye View of the World", by Michael Pollan. All about four individual plants that have had a major impact on civilization as we know it (the apple, corn, marijuana and potato).
Of course, if you're into children's/young adult fantasy fiction, read "The Golden Compass" trilogy by Phillip Pullman. Better than Narnia.
IMHO...enjoy your summer,
Lisa

 

[ntmed]

I enjoyed "Learning to Play God" by Robert Marion, Fawcett.

 

[Obedeli]

Collective wisdom:

I'm in search of some medically-related nonfiction for summer reading: memoirs, essay collections, etc. about what it's "really like" to go through med school or residency, practice medicine in various settings, etc. I've looked at such things as White Coat, Becoming a Doctor, Just Here Trying to Save a Few Lives, Intern Blues (or something like that), but haven't plunked down any precious cash yet. Anyone care to offer comments on these, or additional suggestions?

Also, what about such books as How We Live/Die, etc.?

Best,
NYM

totally not what was asked for but it is because as an incoming resident, i try to stay away from medical stuff. there will be plenty of time for that later.

Uncle John's Bathroom Reader - best collection of fun reading around (if you are not too snobby enough to put down that philosophy book you will never finish anyway )

Any Far Side books

Old (pre 90s preferrebly 1970s) MAD magazines

A Bloom county collection

Dinosaur books (not the kid kind)

An Onion collection

 

[jmugele]

Well, I'm a big fan of William Carlos Williams' poetry. He was a physician and wrote "Doctor Stories", which I haven't read. Can anyone recommend this?

 

[Obedeli]

Well, I'm a big fan of William Carlos Williams' poetry. He was a physician and wrote "Doctor Stories", which I haven't read. Can anyone recommend this?

The problem with William Carlos Williams is that his parent's were not very creative in choosing a first name.

 

[jmugele]

The problem with William Carlos Williams is that his parent's were not very creative in choosing a first name.

They must have been friends with the parents of Ford Maddox Ford.

 

[IUgrad]

I really liked Intern Blues and his (Robert Marion) other book, Learning to Play God.
I also loved Perri Klass' A Not Entirely Benign Procedure, although it's more about medical school than residency. Both of those are very relevant to the "what's it's like to be a doctor/in medical school/in residency" question. I also second the poster who recommended Atul Gawande - that book was good. Another person recommended "On Doctoring," which was also very good. I am reading a new one - "What Patients Taught Me" right now, and I'm enjoying it.
There are more general nonfiction books that are stories about strange cases in medicine, etc., such as Oliver Sacks' books, which are good.
It's become a sort of hobby of mine to read these kinds of books, and I've read a lot of them over the past year (almost every one I could get my hands on), so if you have any questions about additional specific books, let me know.

 

[TheMightyAngus]

House of God
Mount Misery

Cant be a doc without these.

 

[rpkall]

Field Surgeon at Gettysburg: A Memorial Account of the Medical Unit of the Thirty-Second Massachusetts Regiment; by Clyde B. Kernek.

So maybe we don't use chloroform and ether anymore, and now we wash our hands in between cases and try to wear gloves... But it was still a fascinating read. It gave me quite a lot of perspective. Very well written, very well researched. If you're *at all* into the Civil War era (or how medicine "used to be") and are heading to med school, I highly recommend it.

 

[primadonna22274]

I always liked it; somehow the "Carlos" in the middle makes it avant garde.
"So much depends
upon a red wheelbarrow
glazed with rainwater
beside the white chickens"
Simplicity at its best.
Or, a la "French for Cats",
"So much depends
upon a yellow goldfish
washed down with bowl water
inside the white kitten"

Lisa

The problem with William Carlos Williams is that his parent's were not very creative in choosing a first name.

 

[jmugele]

This Is Just to Say

I have eaten
the plums
that were in
the icebox

and which
you were probably
saving
for breakfast

Forgive me
they were delicious
so sweet
and so cold

 

[primadonna22274]

Oh, I love that one too, but I couldn't remember it exactly. Thanks for posting.
(former English lit major now recovered)
Lisa

This Is Just to Say

I have eaten
the plums
that were in
the icebox

and which
you were probably
saving
for breakfast

Forgive me
they were delicious
so sweet
and so cold

 

[jmugele]

(former English lit major now recovered)
Lisa

Yeah, me too. Except for the recovered part.