What shall I read ?

**Rhubarb** · 04-08-2005, 10:19 PM

If you look to the left you will probably see lots of books being advertised with titles such as "Becoming a Doctor" or "So You Want to be a Brain Surgeon ?". I'd like to buy a book like this but dont want to waste my dosh. Can anyone recommend a book for a mature pre-med which will enlighten me as to what I am about to do over the next 6 years ? Gotta have something to read on the beach afterall. Thanks.

**alilel** · 04-08-2005, 10:28 PM

Go to the library. No wasted money!

**eternal student** · 04-08-2005, 10:35 PM

Haven't got any doctor career stuff to recommend, but I love anything by Oliver Sacks e.g. The Man who Mistook his wife for a hat, or Anthropologist on Mars. Its neurology, but told in a fascinating, human way. Great for the beach (or the bath in my case!). You don't want anything too heavy going - plenty of time for that over the next 6 years!
Enjoy the summer!

**Little White Dragon** · 04-08-2005, 10:52 PM

I'd recommend:
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime by Mark Haddon for an understanding of autism and the sort of book that you can read in a day.

The Unquiet Mind by Kay Redfield Jamieson for an insight into at manic depression and what happens when a healthcare professional gets sick and some of the related problems.

Letters to a Young Doctor by Richard Selzer (?) - I think that this is supposed to be quite gory to put people off, but either I'm so used to gory or the book was written very poetically, that I was more enthused than put off. The story of the girl with the harelip is very moving though.

**yazoo** · 05-08-2005, 01:09 AM

Country Doctor: Tales of a Rural GP
Michael Sparrow

Like "All Creatures Great and Small" (James Herriot) but Drs not vets.

It's cheerful and NOT A TEXTBOOK. He tells of his life as student, junior Dr and beyond (so it is informative) and some of it is very very FUNNY!

**dolph1n2** · 05-08-2005, 01:22 AM

id definitely definitely recommend 'bedside stories: confessions of a junior doctor' its such a great read and so funny too! Gives you a real insight into what it'll probably be like as a junior doc.

buy it now!

ms · 05-08-2005, 09:36 AM

if you want something to make you reconsider you decision read Bodies by jeb mecurio (they made it into a tv thing with a completely different story, the book is better)

House of God by samuel shem is quite funny too in a horrific kind of way, but you learn lots of funny words for patients and diseases.

If you want advive on application read through all posts on here...

**Leo2004** · 05-08-2005, 01:43 PM

Hey,

I'd recommend the above and add the following.

So you wanna be a brain surgeon is a rather intriguing and concise look at the kind of stuff you do in each speciality, training prospects, hours, pay and general encouragement to the young doctor to get out there armed with their brand-spanking new medical degree and learn about the many possibilities for learning a speciality and having a particularly rewarding career that the NHS, practice abroad, the forces or NGOs offer to the young doctor. I found it extremely intriguing.

Re. books by docs talking about their experiences I have read on top of the above and can recomend are:

The Blood of Strangers, Frank Huyler - American biased but still very interesting;

The Dressing Station - excellent read for the outward bound-doc who wants an international off-the-beaten-track career - forgotten the author's name tho (eekk);

The Mysteries Within, Sherwin R Nuland, Harvard Surgical prof. - exciting journey through surgical anecdotes eludiating the development of Medical ideas with a fair bit of pragmatic discourse thown in.

Hope this is of use to someone.

**rachelm** · 05-08-2005, 03:00 PM

Of all the "So you want to do medicine?" type books (and I have quite a collection!) I found "Learning Medicine" by Peter Richards by far the most readable and informative. Also the "Bedside Stories" book as recommended above is a good read

I absolutely wouldn't recommend "Getting into Medical School (UK Medschools Best Seller Series) by Asrar Rashid", it's the most badly-written book I've ever read and is full of spelling mistakes, typoes and awful grammar. It's therefore pretty hard to take the guy seriously when he says "paying attention to detail is an essential quality in a doctor" and so on. There's some crap out there, getting recommendations is the best way to go it seems.

**amos** · 05-08-2005, 03:23 PM

I know you are after medical books but on a non-medical aside but Jeffery Deaver is worth a try, he wrote the Bone Collecter (Denzel Washington movie), the Lincoln Rhyme stories are about a paralysed forensic detective, incredibly well written and lots of excellent twists - 'The Vanished Man' is fantastic and also 'The Empty Chair'.

Guaranteed unput-downable (is that a word?!)