great books to read about medicine

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caloh

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I was recommended recently by a resident friend of mine to read Complications, written by Atul Gawande, a surgical resident. He breaks down his experience as a doctor, from doctors making mistakes to the feeling of attending his first convention of surgeons. also, he ties his own experiences to the experience of surgeons as a whole by citing various studies on surgeons, etc. i found it a great read because it really exposes the world of surgery in a way that allows the general reader to develop an empathy for what a typical surgeon goes through. i imagine that if i were a surgical resident, which i'm not, i would find the reading cathartic.

have u run across a book about medicine (of course, non-textbook) that has left a unique impression?

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have u run across a book about medicine (of course, non-textbook) that has left a unique impression?

I've never understood the passion for reading about medicine after you get into med school or residency. Why the hell would I want to spend my little free time reading about other people doing the same thing as me? The day I started med school was pretty much the last time I watched ER . . .
 
Ok, it goes without saying, "The House of God" is a must read for an unedited, cynical look at medicine. Of course it is fiction, and there is simply no way residents can have that much sex.

Two that I liked are "The Dressing Station" and "Mountains Beyond Mountains." Both are pretty good reads....
 
Ok, it goes without saying, "The House of God" is a must read for an unedited, cynical look at medicine. Of course it is fiction, and there is simply no way residents can have that much sex.

Two that I liked are "The Dressing Station" and "Mountains Beyond Mountains." Both are pretty good reads....


I object.

"The House of God" is a poorly written exercise in sexual fantasy and self pity. It chronicles an age in medicine that no long exists. The culture is different, the therapeutics are different, the people are different. I'm sure everyone is going to disagree with me but I found it to be a waste of time with the exception of one of the rules about "In a code, the first thing to do is check your own pulse." Why this book is still considered almost required reading is beyond me.

You don't have to drink the Kool-Aid.
 
I object.

"The House of God" is a poorly written exercise in sexual fantasy and self pity. It chronicles an age in medicine that no long exists. The culture is different, the therapeutics are different, the people are different. I'm sure everyone is going to disagree with me but I found it to be a waste of time with the exception of one of the rules about "In a code, the first thing to do is check your own pulse." Why this book is still considered almost required reading is beyond me.

You don't have to drink the Kool-Aid.

Amory, are you a JD turned med student? ;)
I agree with some of your comments, but I think it's still worth reading because so many people continue to reference it.
 
Worth reading if only for the common references to the suffering of residency. Still I worry about those who read it before medical school and then are woefully disappointed to find that over sexism and racism isn't what the book presented.
 
Amory, are you a JD turned med student? ;)
I agree with some of your comments, but I think it's still worth reading because so many people continue to reference it.

No, although sometimes I think I should be a med-student turned JD.
 
I can't say enough about how insightful House Of God was and is still today. Aside from the sex it was spot on. It described the grinding, numbing process of residency. It pointed out that they can always hurt you more and chronicled the revolving door care of the chronically demented. I applaud those who are so happy in medicine that they can discount what so many of the rest of us feel.
 
Dr. Gawande has a new book out, Better, that is pretty interesting too. I loved Complications.

Dan Shapiro is a psychologist who writes about medicine, his two books Mom's Marijuana (about his struggle w/ Hogdkins) and Delivering Dr. Amelia (about an OB's struggle w/ making a medical error) are both great reads.

Singular Intimacies (can't remember the author's name but she trained at Bellevue in NY) is a great book about keeping humanity in medicine.

Abraham Verghese is an internist and a medical writer. He has two books:
My Own Country (about his experience with an AIDS epidemic in a small rural town) and The Tennis Partner (about a physician's drug addiction)

I think medical literature gives us the chance to step back and think about medicine in a different way....just my $.02:)
 
I was recommended recently by a resident friend of mine to read Complications, written by Atul Gawande, a surgical resident.

I'm currently reading his latest book, Better, which does a nice job of presenting some common issues with medicine. Insurance, death penalty, litigation, etc. Thoroughly enjoying it.
 
I can't say enough about how insightful House Of God was and is still today. Aside from the sex it was spot on. It described the grinding, numbing process of residency. It pointed out that they can always hurt you more and chronicled the revolving door care of the chronically demented. I applaud those who are so happy in medicine that they can discount what so many of the rest of us feel.

I couldn't agree more. The core of the book remains pertinent today.

That being said, I'm still waiting for a the next "House of God" for this era. A book that scathingly satirizes today's corporate bean counters, risk management lawsuit-o-phobes, infection control germ-o-phobes, HIPPA compliance fascists, and political correctness run amok.
 
I couldn't agree more. The core of the book remains pertinent today.

That being said, I'm still waiting for a the next "House of God" for this era. A book that scathingly satirizes today's corporate bean counters, risk management lawsuit-o-phobes, infection control germ-o-phobes, HIPPA compliance fascists, and political correctness run amok.
...and the continually changing JCAHO fad mandates.
 
I'll second what Tired said. Are you not spending enough time in the hospital already? Get a hobby!
 
More a mental vacation than an educational read, I really really enjoyed Doc: Then and Now with a Montana Physician, by R.E. Losee, M.D.

From Amazon:

Losee, fresh from Yale Medical School and a Montreal internship, headed west in 1949 with his family, $100, and a medical bag, eventually settling in the small town of Ennis, Montana. His memoirs describe a country doctor's challenging and exhausting practice. Using grit and ingenuity to overcome isolation and limited resources, Losee operated, when the occasions arose, with hacksaw blades from the hardware store and special needles made from Olympia beer bottle openers. Eventually he specialized in orthopedics and developed an innovative knee operation that confounded the "big guys" back East. Although Losee has a much better grasp of knee joint structure than of the literary forms and sometimes makes it difficult to keep track of characters and chronology, his narrative is lively, earthy, and refreshingly candid about his early self-doubts and inexperience. Compassionate and dedicated, Losee is the family doctor you wish you had in your community. His memoirs will enrich regional collections as well as comprehensive medical libraries.

The only thing I don't like about this kind of book is that I end up wishing I was born about 80 years ago.
 
I've never understood the passion for reading about medicine after you get into med school or residency. Why the hell would I want to spend my little free time reading about other people doing the same thing as me? The day I started med school was pretty much the last time I watched ER . . .

definately get your main point - i too don't want to spend my non-school/work time talking shop all the time. but house, grey's, and scrubs are definately on my must-watch list, but come on - they're not medical shows, they're stories that happen to take place in hospitals. er probably is the most medical of the doctor shows and it has plenty soap opera-ness too.
 
Dr. Gawande has a new book out, Better, that is pretty interesting too. I loved Complications.

Dan Shapiro is a psychologist who writes about medicine, his two books Mom's Marijuana (about his struggle w/ Hogdkins) and Delivering Dr. Amelia (about an OB's struggle w/ making a medical error) are both great reads.

Singular Intimacies (can't remember the author's name but she trained at Bellevue in NY) is a great book about keeping humanity in medicine.

Abraham Verghese is an internist and a medical writer. He has two books:
My Own Country (about his experience with an AIDS epidemic in a small rural town) and The Tennis Partner (about a physician's drug addiction)

I think medical literature gives us the chance to step back and think about medicine in a different way....just my $.02:)


My Own Country is a great book. I like Verghese because he actually 'writes' instead of merely narrating.
 
I really enjoyed The final diagnosis by Arthur Hailey. It was written in the 60's, I think, so it's outdated, but it is still a fascinating book.
 
"Learning to play God" -- may have to find it out of print

"When the air hits your brain"

"Walk on water"

Three darn good books, if I say so myself.
 
The physician by Noah Gordon is a book you must read. I've read it 2 times and love it!!! Highly recommended
 
Singular Intimacies (can't remember the author's name but she trained at Bellevue in NY) is a great book about keeping humanity in medicine.

Here name's Danielle Ofri. She's currently at NYU.
Her other book, Incidental Findings, was good, but didn't come anywhere close to Singular Intimacies.
 
I've never understood the passion for reading about medicine after you get into med school or residency. Why the hell would I want to spend my little free time reading about other people doing the same thing as me? The day I started med school was pretty much the last time I watched ER . . .

I kind of agree with you, but you should all read The Tennis Partner anyway. It is actually just a really good book who's main characters are a doctor and a medical student. It's not about medicine so much but it is enough so to belong on this list. Anyway, someone recommended it above, but I wanted to second that recommendation.
 
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