Some great books for future/current docs!

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Hey, I know the end of the semester is nearing for some..And for those of us going off to med school, we may have some down time this summer..I'm curious if there are any "must reads" that people suggest...
Here's my list:

The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down--Anne Fadiman
A great book about the importance of cross cultural competancy in emergency medicine..

This Side of DOctoring: Reflections from Women in Medicine--Eliza Lo Chin, M.D.
Another fabulous and fast read..THere are great personal stories from women in medicine.

The Med School Survival Guide: How to Make the Challenges of Med School Seem Like Small Stuff--Jennifer Danek, M.D.
One of those little guidebooks on how to deal with med school stress...It's been entertaining.

Okay, that's my list..What about everyone else??
 
I have read "This side of Doctoring: Reflections from Women in Medicine" and I found it fascinating. I might just go and buy that book online, because I had to read a friend's copy. It's a must read.

I have heard (not yet read) House of God is great. Another fun book (not as spiritual/thought provoking in nature) is "Doctors" by S. Nuland. "Doctors" is a good read because it teaches you a lot about history in medicine....from the days of Galen to contemporary times. It even teaches you a few cool concepts in medicine and how suprizing discoveries/inventions occurred. Cool stuff. 🙂
 
The House of God ---Samuel Shem
This book is about a number of medical students and their experience during their internship year. It's an interesting twist on the medical experience, lots of sarcasm etc.. It sort of reminds me a bit of "Scrubs" but more serious. I thought it was good though.
 
I'm about 75% finished with a newer book called "Singular Intamicies: Becoming a Doctor at Bellevue" by Danielle Ofri. Its a very good book that I would recommend over all the books listed here so far. It includes Dr. Ofri's expereinces starting out as a third year and through her residency at Bellevue in NY, all you NYU acceptees might have an extra interest in this one. Its very well written because the author is also a writer and some of the experiences are memorable.
 
Here's my list... kind of long:

The Intern Blues (by Robert Marion): it's a good book about three pediatric interns in New York. It's a pretty blunt book. It could definitely depress you, but I think it's good to get this kind of exposure early on.

Julia's Mother (by William Bonadio): about an emergency room doctor.

Learning How the Heart Beats (by Claire McCarthy): a book about a pediatrician and her medical school/residency experiences.

Gifted Hands (by Ben Carson): About a pediatric neurosurgeon, his struggles to make it to college and medical school, and his role in successfully separating Siamese twins joined at the head.

Tuesdays with Morrie (by Mitch Albom): not a medical book, exactly, but it deals with death and is a very touching book.
 
I haven't read any of the ones posted above, but I will soon check them out.

Here are a couple of great books I just read:

Complications: A Surgeon's Note on an Imperfect Science--Atul Gawande, MD
This book embraces all aspects of medicine, but stresses on a lot of the things that medical students as well as licensed physicians take for granted. I don't want to list them. You will just have to see for yourself. Trust me, you'll be amazed.

Manifesto For A New Medicine: Your Guide to Healing Partnerships and the Wise Use of Alternative Therapies--James S. Gordon, MD
(The title speaks for itself)

ENJOY!
 
I forget the author, but the title is First, Do No Harm. very interesting look at a few Dr's in texas. basic gist of the book is how do you decide when to continue treatment and when to let someone just go, meaning, do dr's sometimes just prolong a miserable existance w/ no hope of recovery.
 
Not exactly targeted at premed/med students, but A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers is the best book I've read in years. Its an autobiographical account of a guy in his early twenties who's parents die within a month of one another, and has to raise his younger brother.

Its a comedy.

(really).

Great read.

I've read Intern Blues and loved it. White Coat (can't remember the author) was somewhat of a disappointment, as far as writing ability goes (took me a month to finish, it was so fascinating 🙄 ). I also loved Becoming a Doctor. I also read a book that was written by a writer, who was observing a med gross anatomy class at Emory... I think it was called First Cut... It was pretty good.
 
Not a book, but a play called Wit (actually, the real title is W;t)
There is now a movie of it starring Emma Thompson. You really have to see it. I think having seen that movie will help you to continue to see the person in the patient as you go through medical school.

Also, a bit technical, but interesting study medical language and teaching is Doctor's Stories by L. Hunter.
 
I would also recommend Complications by Atul Gawande. It was very thought provoking and gave a lot of insight into what a doctor goes through.

I just read A Not Entirely Benign Procedure by Perri Klass. It was about her experience in Medical School, mostly 3rd and 4th year. Deals with a lot of her insecurities and doubts about becoming a doctor.

I am currently reading White Coat by Ellen Lerner Rothman, which is also all about Medical School, again, mostly 3rd and 4th year. Goes into more detail on different clinical rotations.

I didn't select for this, but it turns out, all the "medical" books I've read were written by HMS grads. What's up with that?
 
Originally posted by soonerpillow
I just read A Not Entirely Benign Procedure by Perri Klass. It was about her experience in Medical School, mostly 3rd and 4th year. Deals with a lot of her insecurities and doubts about becoming a doctor.

I am currently reading White Coat by Ellen Lerner Rothman, which is also all about Medical School, again, mostly 3rd and 4th year. Goes into more detail on different clinical rotations.

I didn't select for this, but it turns out, all the "medical" books I've read were written by HMS grads. What's up with that?
Click to expand...

Perhaps its destiny... or... not...

How do you like White Coat so far? I thought it was awesome, content wise, but something about the writing style totally bored me.

I read A Not Entirely Benign Procedure as well. Pretty good.
 
I would have to agree that Complications is excellent. His writing style is very good, and he spends a large part of the book looking at error malpractice in medicine. Very unique perspectives offered.

Another good book by Robert Marion (Intern Blue) is one called "Learning to Play God." I think this was his first book. If I remember right, he covers the end of medical school and his internship. Definitely a good read.

"The House of God" is good, but intentionally cynical. It is a must read for all pre-med's though. Also second the recommendation for "The Spirit catches you."
 
E. SHorter. "Doctors and Their Patients."

Nice history of the Doc/Patient relationship in N.American medicine. Just read the last part if you're stuck on time.
 
-vixenell,

I like White Coat , if only because it makes med school seem less scary than Perri Klass's book. 🙂 I think the boring part of the writing style is that she describes the people and the surroundings in too much detail. We don't need to know who has long, beautiful brown hair and bright blue eyes....
 
letters to a young doctor by richard selzer is a fun read. it is basically a comical rendering of a few of his encounters in surgery. a bit wordy but funny once you pick up on his style.
the man who mistook his wife for a hat by oliver sacks is an absoloutely fascinating collection of odd neurological cases. really makes you think about how our machinery works. he also wrote awakenings.
travels by michael crichton is an autobiographical recounting of his endless explorations of the world. the first few chapters are about his time as a med student.
 
I can't believe no one has rec. Body of Knowledge!!! This book basically follows a table of students through their year of general anatomy. It describes what it is like to actually "get to know" your cadaver. There is no other book that is more pertinent to what we are all getting ready to do.

Complications --- Excellent.

The Making of a Surgeon --- A classic. The technology in the book is outdated now but the words remain a classic. A must for anyone who is interested in going into or learning more about surgery.
 
I only got about 1/3 of the way through White Coat because of the terse writing style. It just seemed to be so impersonal and detached at times, not engaging at all.
 
Severed Trust: Why American Medicine Hasn't Been Fixed by George Lundberg is a very good book if you are interested in the current state of our healthcare system. He talks about why it is the way it is and what can (or should) be done about it.

My favorite book is Doctors Mayo by Helen Clapesattle. This is an old book and it is out of print, but you can find copies on amazon. I think the last printing was in the early 90's and some people still have new copies. It is a history of the Mayo family (William Sr. and his sons, William and Charlie) and the Mayo Clinic. It also covers a lot of the history of surgery in general. If you like history and you like medicine, you will love this book.

Also, another vote for Complications
 
I've read a bunch of books about medical school and residency and by the end, I started to feel like every med student/author has exactly the same things to say:

1) "Most doctors are callous and unfeeling, but I am so different"

-This got to me most in Becoming a Doctor. I hate that guy. The only time he takes a break from talking about how compassionate he is, is when he talks about how hot his 15 year old female pediatric patients are.

2) "Its so hard, I'm tired."

-Intern Blues was like 500 pages of this without a break

3) "My journey through medical school was so much harder than anyone else's. No one understands how hard it is to be a... (parent, woman in medicine, older student returning to medicine...etc)."

-A Not Entirely Benign Proceedure got pretty annoying on this subject


I'm not saying any of these books were so bad (except maybe 'Becoming a Doctor'), but its tough to read more than one or two. Maybe medical school just isn't a literary subject? Why do all these books sound so much the same? Why are there no books about medical school with any literary value?
 
Atul Gawande wrote Complications during his surgical residency (=100+ clinical hours / week), plus he had a wife and kids.

Who is this guy, superman?
 
"Atul Gawande wrote Complications during his surgical residency (=100+ clinical hours / week), plus he had a wife and kids.

Who is this guy, superman?"



No, I am sure superman would be a better husband and father than that...

"The Man Who Mistook His Wife for His Hat" Oliver Sacks, is a fun one. Not about school though, just neat medical cases.
 
"MD" - collection of personal stories obtained via interviews with MD's over issues including malpractice, patients, hmo's, etc.
 
Originally posted by steve007
I forget the author, but the title is First, Do No Harm. very interesting look at a few Dr's in texas. basic gist of the book is how do you decide when to continue treatment and when to let someone just go, meaning, do dr's sometimes just prolong a miserable existance w/ no hope of recovery.
Click to expand...

Lisa Belkin wrote "First, Do No Harm" - a great book on end-of-life care and medical ethics. Another one to check out is "Drawing the Line: Life, Death, and Ethical Choices in an American Hospital" by Samuel Gorovitz. He spends several months at a Boston hospital meeting with various doctors, employees, house staff, and patients. Kind of like "Five Patients" by Crichton, in that he describes a case and then discusses the ethical implications.

I've also heard much debate on "The Medical Student's Survival Guide: career strategy for changing times" by Polk - some enjoy his unflinching look at the process of medical education, others find it brash and depressing. Unfortunately, it's tough to find (out of print for awhile) but I think you can get a copy through Galen Press (1-800- 442-5369).

Mike

LUC-SSOM 2007 (or maybe UM-TC?)
 
"Do We Still Need Doctors?"

I forget the author but it should be easy to find. It's a good look at the physician's role in the medical care process and issues of ethics (especially those touching pediatric care and invasive procedures).

"Saving the Soul of Medicine" M. Mahoney

A little over-the-top. Looks at the role of managed care in physician decisions. After I read this book I spent a few weeks plotting how I could avoid working under any HMO.
:laugh: :laugh:


By the way, I really enjoyed "The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down." As was stated before, it's a real wake-up call reminding us that docs can't be "color-blind" when dealing with patients. We don't all come from the same "place" and there are some really different ideas out there.
 
skiracer123 I agree with some of the things you said. Sometimes I feel the authors constantly -- Oh poor, poor, me. Oh, life is so hard for me...

I read The House of God - some parts of the book really made me cringe. I don't know if it's because the book was written by a man (therefore a man's perspective) - but this dude has numerous affairs with the house staff, all the while, his neglected girlfriend sits at home waiting for him. At times he completely shuts her out - because she couldn't possilby know what he's going through- however, the sexy nurses know, AND they know exactly how to make him feel better. These selfless and giving women are his only escape from the hell he is forced to live.

WHATEVER!!

While reading this book, I just wanted to say, "Get over yourself buddy."

However, if you can look past the "character" of the main character - there are some humerous and worthwhile passages.

btw- sorry for giving away some detail here, but I just couldn't help myself!
 
How We Die: Reflections on Life's Final Chapter, by Sherwin B. Nuland

Great book. Gives visual/clinical and biological commentary on how people die. With the aging of the population, basically everyone dies in a hospital bed, and the idea of "dying with dignity" has basically become a virtual myth. A great book, addressing what I think people, in and out of medicine, need to know. That people die, it isn't pretty, but its just nature running its course.

He describes deaths from different causes: heart disease, murder, alzheimers, AIDS, euthanasia, and Cancer.

Great book. Should be required reading for med students.
Also winner of the National Book Award
 
i loved first do no harm and the spirit catches you and you fall down. they are both excellent books. definately must reads.

i've read a bunch of doctor book so i get some of them mixed up without seeing the cover. isn't becomming a doctor all about that older guys experience in his third and fourth year? the one who already has a phd in sociology or something? if that's the one i actually really liked it. yes - the part where he lusts over a kid is totally sketchy and that freeked me out. but, i liked getting an inside glimps about all the different types of medicine and clerkships. i felt like i learned a lot from that book. i would recommend it.

i thought "not an entirely benign procedure" was alright. it was a really fast read. don't really know how she had a kid while at hms. you can read it in a day and it gives you a glimpse about what were getting into.

i also liked "the med school survival guide: how to make the fchallenges of med school seem like small stuff." --jennifer danek, M.D. it's kind of cheesey but with all the intense books about how awful the process is and how every doctor is an a$$ hole, how you don't get any support/sleep/fun etc it was a nice change.


i just started body of knowledge and it's really good so far.
 
for the person who wanted books about medicine with literary value:

try, "A Life in Medicine: A Literary Anthology", ed. Robert Coles & Randy Testa. Great collection of stories, poems, articles, excerpts, about all aspects of medicine, from several different points of view.

personally, i couldn't stand "House of God." sick of self-absorbed, narcisstic, baby-boomer drivel like that. glad i didn't have to go to med school in the 70s. yuck.
 
Try Confessions of a Medicine Man by Dr. Alfred Tauber. It is deeply philosophical and deals with the ethical/moral aspects of medicine and the physician-patient relationship.
 
Originally posted by UCLAstudent
Here's my list... kind of long:

The Intern Blues (by Robert Marion): it's a good book about three pediatric interns in New York. It's a pretty blunt book. It could definitely depress you, but I think it's good to get this kind of exposure early on.
Click to expand...

i ordered that book and i read the introduction and the author says something like..."i recommend not reading this before you start your intern years". that scared me and i haven't touched it since. but i'll probably start it up some time or another.

ashkan
 
yes, yet another vote for Complications. excellent book.
 
I'd like to recommend "Empathy and the Practice of Medicine." I can't remember who edited the book (it's a compilation) and I've lent it out to a classmate. This book addresses 1.) What is empathy 2.) How can it be practiced effectively in medicine 3.) How medical education strips a doctor of empathy, and 4.) How to get it back (if it's possible).

Great book.
 
Originally posted by ashkan33
i ordered that book and i read the introduction and the author says something like..."i recommend not reading this before you start your intern years". that scared me and i haven't touched it since. but i'll probably start it up some time or another.

ashkan
Click to expand...

Yes, but I think it's better to know what you are getting into before you are stuck in something that you don't like. 🙂
 
Someone mentioned Claire McCarthy's "Learning How the Heart Beats" about her time in med school and residency. She also wrote "Everyone's Children." This one is about her life working in a pediatric clinic for the underserved in Boston, and also somewhat about her balancing work with family. Both of her books are very easy and quick reads. I liked them very much.
 
I just remembered another awesome book. A Piece of my Mind is a book of the essays that are published in each issue of JAMA. They are all about 2 pages and a just little reflections on medicine. Good bedtime reading. I don't remember who the editor is, but you should be able to find it.
 
Originally posted by UCLAstudent
Yes, but I think it's better to know what you are getting into before you are stuck in something that you don't like. 🙂
Click to expand...

i totally agree. i'm probably gonna wait until summer to read it. when you're burnt out from school, mcats, life, etc.....the last thing i wanted to read about was somebody burnt out on medicine. i think i would enjoy it more if reading it casually with nothing else on my mind.
 
If you like poetry (I usually don't, but once in a while some poet catches me up and spirits me away), look for William Carlos Williams. His "day job" was being a pediatrician, and some of his pieces are brilliant insights into the life of a doctor earlier in the 1900s.

Kitchen Table Wisdom and My Grandfather's Blessings, by Naomi Remen are pretty inspiring collections of autobiographical essays. Dr. Remen trained and worked as a pediatrician, and then moved on to work with mostly adult cancer patients, and her stories are funny and poignant at the same time.

I'd also like to second My Own Country (Vergese), especially for anyone considering small town medicine. It's a well written autobiographical account of a small town doctor who becomes known as the regional HIV expert.

And, if you read nothing else, read Fadiman's When The Spirit Catches You...
 
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