Further reading for medicine

Hi
i'm searching for a good book and am hoping someone can recommend me something they are currently reading or have read recently in the field of medicine, eg genetics etc or if someone who read something before they got into medicine at uni
i'm in sixth form so am prepping for my med application
so if anyone wanted to divulge...and explain why they think its a great read

also interviews wise, what do universities think about you reading popular science medicine/biology/chem related books

thanks! :smile:

Reply 1

airtones

3

The newscientist or student BMJ are the generic science related stuff a lot of students read before medicine. MPWs' Getting into Med School is also a popular book about medical school admissions though theres nothing in it you can't get off the internet for free. The interview questions in the back are kind of useful and it makes for interesting 'toilet reading' more than anything. so you want to be a brain surgeon? is another medical book, this one is a career guide of all the different areas of medicine you can go into. Its fairly interesting but again, nothing you cant get for free on the internet. The other places are the guardian/times newspaper health sections at the weekend.

If you want to push yourself a bit further and harder you could try and get hold of the lancet or bmj, these are the publications for doctors and you wont understand every other word (literally). But if you go through it and make notes, read carefully etc. then you can probably piece most of it together. Personally I think thats better than getting the student BMJ which has been dumbed down something tragic or the newscientist which has lots of irrelevant non-medical stuff in it.

Reply 2

DriftingBore

I am currently reading 'The Man who Mistook his Wife for a Hat and Other Clinical Tales' by Oliver Sacks. It's a very interesting book about complex issues, but it presents them in an accesible way. Would be great to talk about at an interview.
I'm just about to start 'The Private Life of the Brain', the reviews and blurb look very promising.

Reply 3

scaryhair

12

'Trust Me, I'm a Junior Doctor' is an entertaining read. But if you want to look more into the science side of things, just take a browse around your 'Genetics' (or something else that interests you) section in your local library.
I'm reading a fascinating book about self-harm at the moment. It's brilliant.

In Stitches is fab!

Fluffy

In Stitches is fab!

I ordered that off play.com but it never turned up so I had to cancel the order :mad:

Reply 6

marshmallow_mayhem

'Bedside Stories' is quite good. I just read general science stuff like Richard Dawkins during sixth form, more for interest. NewScientist was pretty handy whenever a copy drifted into the school library.

Reply 7

Nicolish

I read The House of God... its not really scientific
it more comedy :smile:

Reply 8

BananaWaffles

I've read 'In Stitches', 'Trust Me I'm a Junior Doctor' and currently reading Oliver Sack's 'The Man Who Mistook His Wife For a Hat'.

Mmm, I love books.

Also, there's sometimes some interesting TV programmes related to current issues in Medicine. They're quite hard to catch, mind.

I think recently, 'Super Doctors', 'Blood and Guts: A History of Surgery' have been on. Anyone catch these? I especially like Blood and Guts :P

Reply 9

Renal

17

You should read and memorise all of Kumar and Clark & Davidson, they'll make sure you have a real head start and know so much more than everyone else...

Reply 10

Renal

17

Nicolish

I read The House of God... its not really scientific
it more comedy :smile:

Remarkably close to real life, I successfully completed a buff and turf to gerries last week.

Reply 11

Democracy

20

Renal

You should read and memorise all of Kumar and Clark & Davidson, they'll make sure you have a real head start and know so much more than everyone else...

Reply 12

clairedelune

OP

BananaWaffles

I've read 'In Stitches', 'Trust Me I'm a Junior Doctor' and currently reading Oliver Sack's 'The Man Who Mistook His Wife For a Hat'.

Mmm, I love books.

Also, there's sometimes some interesting TV programmes related to current issues in Medicine. They're quite hard to catch, mind.

I think recently, 'Super Doctors', 'Blood and Guts: A History of Surgery' have been on. Anyone catch these? I especially like Blood and Guts :P

thanks for the recommendations
it's nice to have a thread that isn't so stressful and going on about exams all the time!
i've been uber busy as has the rest of the world, so i sky +'d super doctors and blood and guts...they are rather inspiring, i liked the cavernoma in the brain one!

Reply 13

aMasterPieceOfDNA

Fluffy

In Stitches is fab!

Yes!

I really liked "Bodies" by Jed Mercurio as well. I just hope I don't become that cynical...

Reply 14

Nicolish

Renal

Remarkably close to real life, I successfully completed a buff and turf to gerries last week.

you turfed a gomer!

:smile:

Reply 15

Renal

17

Yep!

I suggested that being a bit shaky and not walking very fast were a parkinsonian tremor and fenestrating gait, and what do you know, gerries agreed.

Reply 16

Nicolish

Renal

Yep!

I suggested that being a bit shaky and not walking very fast were a parkinsonian tremor and fenestrating gait, and what do you know, gerries agreed.

Aww you make it sound so nice
at least you didn't turf to orthopedics or neuro!!

Reply 17

gm88

5

complications by atul gwande. im reading it at the moment and it's really good. the only bad thing is that it is american which confuses me when they use words like resident, attending, intern etc