If you’re a medical student, chances are you study long hours and have very little free time to read.
However, while studying medicine can seem exhausting at times, you may be interested in hearing from people who have already been through it all and come out the other side.
You are reading: Medical books to read
here are seven excellent books (written almost entirely by practicing doctors) that will hopefully remind you why you decided to study medicine in the first place.
this is gonna hurt: secret diaries of a junior doctor by adam kay
This fun yet powerful book has been a bestseller for over a year, winning four national book awards and has been the number one sunday times bestseller for over eight months.
Why has this book captivated so many readers? That has to be thanks to the sheer honesty of author Adam Kay, a junior doctor writing about his experiences working for the UK NHS in obstetrics and gynecology.
Kay, created from pages of his own journals after long, grueling shifts, doesn’t leave out a single detail of his life as a doctor-in-training, and the results are often shocking, hilarious, and heartbreaking.
Medical students will enjoy this book’s ability to make you laugh out loud, but they’ll also appreciate its honest depiction of the not always glamorous life of a young doctor.
Anyone who really enjoys this book will be delighted to hear that the BBC is releasing a television adaptation. Fans may also be interested in reading Kay T’was the Nightshift Before Christmas’s latest novel, which was published earlier this year.
when breath becomes air by paul kalanithi
See Also: How to Return Books on Kindle Unlimited? – Hooked To Books
paul kalanithi was a neurosurgeon who was diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer at the age of thirty-six, when he was about to complete his medical training. After many years of being a doctor treating the dying, he became the patient.
What results from this is a moving exploration of life, death, and the relationship between a doctor and a patient.
This is a book you will find hard to forget and it is undeniably inspiring despite its somber subject matter. any medical student or anyone considering studying medicine should read this book.
the man who mistook his wife for a hat by oliver sacks
A million-copy bestseller, The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat is described as “a provocative exploration of the mysteries of the human mind” and is written by oliver sacks, who has spent fifty years working as a neurologist.
sacks offers case studies of people who have lost their memories and are no longer able to recognize ordinary objects or people, as well as stories of people with extraordinary artistic or mathematical talents.
These case studies are part of the reason this book became so popular and medical students will enjoy it, as it shows the strong and fascinating link between medicine and psychology.
robert marion’s inner blues
the intern blues follows three interns as they talk about their experiences throughout their year-long internships, where they had to deal with 100-hour weeks, life-and-death responsibility, and surviving on very little sleep.
>
Before this puts you off completely, you’ll be pleased to know that this book was written in 1985 and there have been strict restrictions on residents’ working hours ever since.
However, many medical students comment that the feelings, emotions, and work described are still very relevant today, and thus the book has been considered a contemporary classic.
unnatural causes by dr. richard shepherd
See Also: The Top History Books of 2016 | History| Smithsonian Magazine
dr. Richard Shepherd is a forensic pathologist, which means he solves the mysteries of sudden and unexplained deaths. He has been involved in many high-profile cases, such as the Hungerford massacre, 9/11 and the Princess Diana investigation, and has performed more than 23,000 autopsies in his working life.
Unnatural Causes offers a fascinating insight into his career, which is sometimes frightening and chilling, but always interesting. It also gives readers a glimpse into the personal life of Dr. shepherd and the strains the job puts on her relationships and her own emotions.
Those currently studying or looking to study medicine will enjoy reading this, as it sheds light on another side of medicine that isn’t as often talked about and gives readers a truthful window into the joys and pitfalls of the career.
p>
in stitches by anthony youn
Growing up in a small town where diversity was rare, Dr Youn, an Asian-American boy with thick glasses and a huge protruding jaw, stuck out from his classmates like a sore thumb.
However, his visit to an oral surgeon to have his jaw reconstructed marked a breakthrough in his life’s calling. youn became an extremely successful famous plastic surgeon and explains in this book how he did it.
Medical students will be able to relate to their study-filled student and their attempts to master dating as they attempt to complete a medical degree.
in stitches lives up to its name, both leaving you in stitches with youn’s sense of humor and leaving you contemplating what he had to say.
stiff: the curious lives of human corpses by mary roach
stiff is an exploration of postmortem bodies and what happens when you donate your body to science.
roach tackles this seemingly grim topic in an extremely humorous (albeit occasionally stomach-churning) manner, covering a wide range of topics ranging from human decomposition, the use of corpses in car accidents, crucifixion experiments, and head transplants. .
Not a book for the squeamish, but the hardy ones certainly provide a good insight into human bodies and what happens to them after death. is everything you never knew you wanted to know about dead bodies.
image source: goodreads.com
See Also: Andrew Grant – Book Series In Order