Looking for some good medical memoirs :)

[tryp]

Does anyone know of any good doctor memoirs? I'm thinking along the lines of Perri Klass, Atul Gawande, Danielle Ofri.

Bonus points if they're available in ebook form, and mega bonus points if they're about psychiatry. I'm about to start Weekends at Bellevue.

looking for some summer reading before med school starts.

thanks

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[HH Holmes]

I've read Complications and Better by Atul Gawande, looks like you have read his stuff, but if not it's very engaging and well written.

I'm currently reading (well not so much, due to exams) Hot Lights, Cold Steel by Dr. Collins (about surgical residency). I haven't gotten far enough to comment on it, but so far it seems interesting.

I bought How Doctors Think by Jerome Groopman, but I have't gotten to read it yet.

I also bought What Patients Taught Me: A Medical Student's Journey but I haven't read that one yet either...

All of those I bought for my Kindle2, so they are all in eBook format. I recommend the ones I have already read, and the ones I haven't have been recommended to me by users on SDN and/or a family friend doctor.

The one I haven't picked up yet, but heard so much about is House of God. It's not in eBook format, but I heard it's a must read for anyone becoming any type of health professional. EDIT: Apparently this is now available on the Kindle eBook store... It wasn't last week though when I spent all of my Amazon Gift Card $$

Happy reading!

 

[startswithb]

I really enjoyed Hot Lights, Cold Steel by Michael Collins. I read How Doctors Think by Groopman but it was more like reading a textbook. Intersting but not very enjoyable. Complications by Gwande was also a great read AND informative. Another Day in the Frontal Lobe by Firlik was written by a female neurosurgeon. I liked it.

 

[ruraldocmom]

Let me ruin House of God for you and tell you that in the end he goes with Psychiatry. Its an informative read, minus the obnoxious sex. I liked it.

All Atul Gawande books rock, even the ones that only halfway deal with medicine, ie. the Checklist Manifesto.

I've been reading a few totally forgettable student memoirs. How whiny can you get. Geez. I'm still looking for something good. I'm going to try a couple from these previous posters.

 

[Encephalectomy]

When the Air Hits Your Brain by Frank Vertosick is an awesome book

 

[CaptainSSO]

Let me ruin House of God for you and tell you that in the end he goes with Psychiatry.

Thanks so much...

 

[RapplixGmed]

I'd recommend reading Heart Failure:

http://www.upalumni.org/medschool/

Its an insanely detailed log of a med student's VERY bad experience going through med school.

 

[da8s0859q]

I second the Michael Collins suggestions. He has two books: "Hot Lights, Cold Steel" and... "Blue Collar, Blue Scrubs" I think is the name of the other one. First one's about residency+, and the second one's a prequel of sorts.

The man's an entertaining writer imo.

 

[KeyzerSoze]

I'd recommend reading Heart Failure:

http://www.upalumni.org/medschool/

Its an insanely detailed log of a med student's VERY bad experience going through med school.

Wow, whiny AND emo. Impressive.

 

[Fleur de Me]

Wow, whiny AND emo. Impressive.

I also find the quotes from Shakespeare and JAMA (every other sentence) to be annoying and pretentious. Yawn.

 

[nothingman]

Samuel Shem actually wrote a second, less known book about his residency in psych at what is almost certainly McLean Hospital. Roy Basch is back as the lead character. A bit less R-rated shenanigans, more introspection, less humor, longer read, but I enjoyed it. Really drives home the relative futility of theories in psychiatry if you don't have a heart and a good connection with a patient. It's called Mount Misery.

This one is not directly about psychiatry, but I really enjoyed Abraham Verghese's book My Own Country. He's now an IM professor at Stanford and was somewhat recently featured in an NYT article, but initially as a US-trained Indian medical graduate he worked in infectious diseases in Appalachian Tennessee, and was at the heart of treating the AIDS epidemic there in the late 1980s. Most of his patients were homosexual in a pretty socially conservative place, and at a time when AIDS was highly stigmatized in general. The book explores his growth around these issues, attempts to fit into that society, and the huge cost of his obsession with patient care to his family life. Great read.

Lastly, there's always Mikhail Bulgakov's collection of stories Notes of a Young Doctor or something along those lines. Best writer of the Russian/Soviet 20th century, but also a physician. This is his memoir of residency in a small village in the 1920(?s) where he was the only doctor around for ~50 miles, by horse drawn sled/carriage. Well written and really puts into perspective how much medicine has changed.

Enjoy the summer!

And, plus 1 for Heart Failure. It's spot on in a lot of ways.

 

[samuraiR]

I second the Michael Collins suggestions. He has two books: "Hot Lights, Cold Steel" and... "Blue Collar, Blue Scrubs" I think is the name of the other one. First one's about residency+, and the second one's a prequel of sorts.

The man's an entertaining writer imo.

loved the book...also loved "When the air hits your brain" or something like that (mentioned above).
A couple others are
Intern - Sandeep Juahar
http://www.amazon.com/Danger-Self-F...9837/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1305132821&sr=8-1
http://www.amazon.com/Naked-Lady-St...=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1305132832&sr=1-1

the last one (lady who stood on head) is an absolutely amazing book. highly recommend it

 

[obgyny]

I really enjoyed Hot Lights, Cold Steel by Michael Collins. I read How Doctors Think by Groopman but it was more like reading a textbook. Intersting but not very enjoyable. Complications by Gwande was also a great read AND informative. Another Day in the Frontal Lobe by Firlik was written by a female neurosurgeon. I liked it.

I second this book. I really have no interest in orthopedic surgery, but it was very entertaining to read! And he writes about how he deals with residency in his personal life, which I'm sure all the specialties can relate to.

 

[sideways]

Where's My Wristwatch? Reflections on a Career in Gastroenterology

 

[tryp]

I actuallly picked up My Own Country a few years ago at a garage sale - it's a really good book.

 

[CaptainSSO]

Where's My Wristwatch? Reflections on a Career in Gastroenterology

Hahaha. Yea, that one was one of my favorites.

Black Gold: A Gastroenterologist's Tips for Financial Success was also one I enjoyed. It gives a business perspective of medicine.

 

[CrushMCAT]

"Blue Collar, Blue Scrubs" is a quick, light read. Not very detailed but if you want a good, easy read on a nontraditional student making it to med school, then you'll like this book.

 

[sanityonleave]

I'll second others' votes for Collins' stuff -- both of his books were great (slight edge to Hot Lights, Cold Steel since it had more medicine in it). I also have no interest in ortho but still thought it was a great comment on residency -- and very human (the guy actually admits his insecurities about his ability, which is remarkable in a surgical memoir). On Call by Emily Transue is a pretty entertaining read -- another residency memoir. Of the nsurg books, I give an edge to When the Air Hits Your Brain by Vertosick -- I didn't love Another Day in the Frontal Lobe, but it was readable.

In addition, if you like international medicine I highly, highly, highly recommend Hope in Hell -- it's written by a journalist, but it's constructed from interviews of MSF physicians. Amazing book. An Imperfect Offering (written by a former MSF president) is also awesome.

I'll have to say, I thought Intern by Sandeep Juahar was awful. He literally spends 200 pages whining about how residency is hard and he doesn't like medicine. I'm sure all residents go through a stage where they're burned out and all that, but reading about it was less than inspiring. Might be better to someone who is actually a resident. And Gifted Hands by Carson is perhaps the most arrogant autobiography ever written.

 

[Idiosyncratic]

this is very good guys keep them coming

 

[MedicineMike]

When the air hits your brain is a VERY good book in my opinion.

Both Michael Collins books are very funny and good, quick reads.

Final Exam is good.

Complications and Better by Atul Awande were ok.

I am currently reading 'Cheating Death' by Sanjay Gupta. It is a pretty good book as well.

Everyone should read 'House of God' - I still hear docs using some of the terms in that book!

 

[Music MD]

Rule #2. GOMERS GO TO GROUND! seriously House of god was a great read. Roy G Basch is my boy. Started Mount Misery right after tho and got lost somewhere around a hundred pages in.. its been sitting on my nightstand ever since block 2 of first year. Its a more thoughtful, well written book but its just not the same as House of God.

Just finished Hot Lights Cold Steel last night actually.. Couldn't put it down. It can get a little repetitive if I'm being a real critic, but it's still enjoyable and Dr. Collins is just a hardworking good dude that's really hard not to like.

If your going to read Atul Gawande, stick to his first book Complications.

Intern by Sandeep Jauhar was kinda eh imo. All books about residency have their fair share of complaining but Jauhar overdid it. While he probably portrayed his experience accurately, the book wasn't as much fun to read because he was so miserable all the time.

I have two that I've had for years but haven't read yet. Anyone heard of these?
-Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder which apparently is a true story about an infectious disease doc who works in Haiti. Supposed to be good
-Intern by "Doctor X" is a journal from a doc during his intern year in the 1950's. He used a taperecorder and transcribed it.

 

[Belleza156]

Does anyone know of any good doctor memoirs? I'm thinking along the lines of Perri Klass, Atul Gawande, Danielle Ofri.

Bonus points if they're available in ebook form, and mega bonus points if they're about psychiatry. I'm about to start Weekends at Bellevue.

looking for some summer reading before med school starts.

thanks

Man's Search for Meaning by Victor Frankyl....he developed the logotherapy theory while in the concentration camps in WWII.

 

[COBuffs]

I recently read Healing Hearts- it a memoir a female cardiothoracic surgeon, Really good!