good novels (fiction or non-fiction) about the medical profession?

[tdod]

I'm looking for some good novels (fiction or non-fiction) that demonstrate the nature and spirit of the medical profession. More specifically, novels that demonstrate why doctors love the career, and in turn, what sort of people should consider a career in medicine.

EDIT: "this is what it's like to be a doctor" books would be great.

– Thanks!

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[Snakes]

Fiction or nonfiction?

 

[tdod]

Fiction or nonfiction?

either

 

[Snakes]

Actually, let me reword that. Nonfiction in the sense of "how doctors think?" or nonfiction in the sense of "this is what it's like to practice in a hospital". Atul Gawande's books are excellent but they talk more about the big issues facing medicine today--quality of care, health care in general, errors/mistakes, access to health care. His books aren't really "day in the life" books. There are a ton of "this is what it's like to be a doctor" books.

 

[tdod]

Actually, let me reword that. Nonfiction in the sense of "how doctors think?" or nonfiction in the sense of "this is what it's like to practice in a hospital". Atul Gawande's books are excellent but they talk more about the big issues facing medicine today--quality of care, health care in general, errors/mistakes, access to health care. His books aren't really "day in the life" books. There are a ton of "this is what it's like to be a doctor" books.

"this is what it's like to be a doctor" books sounds perfect 🙂

 

[Snakes]

I recommend anything by Gawande or Jerome Groopman. Groopman has written a number of books about doctors and how they think, how we die, interesting ethical and practical issues. Also, Sherwin Nuland's "The Soul of Medicine", also excellent. "Hippocrates' Shadow" by David Newman. In the "my life as a doctor" line, there's "White Coat" by Ellen Rothman, "Genetic Rounds" by Robert Marion, "Emergency Doctor" by Edward Ziegler, "Twelve Patients" by Eric Mannheimer, "Intern" by Sandeep Jauhar, "On Call " by Emily Transue, and "Becoming a Doctor" by Melvin Konner. I also recently read one about the match but I can't remember the name. I think it actually was called "The Match", but I would have to look it up. There's always Perri Klass and the guy who wrote "House of God". Those always seem to get mentioned.

 

[Optimus-Prime]

"Genius on the edge" was one of my favorites

I liked "hot lights cold steel" and "white coat blue collar",

"confessions of a surgeon" was pretty cool; finishing up "trauma; my life as an emergency surgeon" wayyy badass

 

[mehc012]

Start with this blog: http://surgeonsblog.blogspot.com/2007/11/sampler.html (I'd start from the beginning, personally, or you can pick and choose in that list).

If you like his style, as I did, go ahead and get his book. He pretty much takes you through his residency and points out the major influences and personalities he saw, as well as the specialties. Plus cool cases, of course!

 

[Ismet]

I read "First, Do No Harm" by Lisa Belkin for a medical ethics class in undergrad and really enjoyed it. Good insight into palliative care and end-of-life decision making.

 

[LizzyM]

I like Letters to a Young Doctor by Richard Selzer -- or anything else he's written.
Perri Klass has written about medical school and practicing pediatrics. She's easy to read.

House of God by Samuel Shem is satire. Like reading The Onion newspaper, it should be read as tongue in cheek.

Times change. Reading memoirs of those who studied medicine in the 60s or 70s or 80s will not reflect the career you may have as a medical student in 2015 and beyond so take some of this with a grain of salt.

 

[Goro]

Suggest "The Greatest Benefit to Mankind" by Roy Porter, about the history of Medicine.

 

[ImmunoLove]

I second LizzyM's suggestions: House of God by Shem is a fun read, Letters to a Young Doctor by Richard Selzer also enlightening (and I like his style), Intern (Jauhar), Intern Blues (a diary of sorts of several interns in the 80s if memory serves me right, though as noted, times have changed, esp since the Bell laws).

I also like just about anything Osler wrote (not related to medicine now per se, but they do a wonderful job of relating the characteristics desirable in any physician, which I believe is a timeless notion), and on that note, the Biography on Osler by Cushing is pretty epic (though dense at times, which is not particularly surprising given the author!).

Also love anything by Verghese (some are works of fiction, and others are his account of practicing medicine. He was trained abroad and he discusses some of the unique challenges international MDs may face. Simply put, the man is fascinating and a terrific author).

 

[hmockingbird]

If you like history or something with a little more focus on the research side, I really like Breakthrough (can't remember the author), it's a novelized take on the discovery of insulin. Sure the practices aren't going to be the same as today, but I thought it was really interesting from the perspective on how earlier doctors were trying to treat diabetes alone and I found that a bit inspiring for new discoveries today and how they just kept at it even for a disease that seemed incurable.

 

[TheRhymenocerous]

I like anything and everything by Atul Gawande (he has some amazing New Yorker articles as well that don't appear in any books), My Own Country by Abraham Verghese, War Hospital by Sheri Fink, and How Doctors Think by Jerome Groopman (who also writes for the New Yorker! They have really great medical coverage in general – worth following for sure).

 

[Evisju7]

I'd have to agree that Groopman is a great author. I really liked his "How Doctors Think"