The Student Room Group

Recommended reading for medicine

What books would you recommend for those interested in applying to medicine to read?

Scroll to see replies

Reply 1
Avatar for ax12
ax12
20
Original post by Anonymous1502
What books would you recommend for those interested in applying to medicine to read?


When Breath Becomes Air, anything by Atul Gawande (I thought Being Mortal was particularly good), Bedside Stories, Confessions of a GP.

A lot of people read The Man Who Mistook His Wife For a Hat, but I don't think it's a particularly useful book to read. The stories are interesting but he writes in a very over the top manner that I found tedious to read.

I think watching Hospital and Confessions of a Junior Doctor, or even 24 hours in A+E, will give you more insight into the workings of the NHS than reading the books will.
Reply 2
Avatar for ahorey
ahorey
10
Don't watch confessions of a junior doctor, will put you off medicine for life lol. I watched the first episode (where the girl gave antibiotics via NG tube - you can't do this even when we asked consultants lol) and that was enough for me. Didn't watch any More as was awful.

Confessions of a junior doctor books are good, as are any paramedic books. Confessions of a GP can be quite boring tbh.
Original post by ahorey
Don't watch confessions of a junior doctor, will put you off medicine for life lol. I watched the first episode (where the girl gave antibiotics via NG tube - you can't do this even when we asked consultants lol) and that was enough for me. Didn't watch any More as was awful.

Confessions of a junior doctor books are good, as are any paramedic books. Confessions of a GP can be quite boring tbh.


I already watched confessions of a junior doctor.It put me off a bit but not completely off.
Original post by ahorey
where the girl gave antibiotics via NG tube - you can't do this even when we asked consultants


Why not ?


My list:

Do No Harm (Henry Marsh)
Complications (Atul Gawande)
Better (Atul Gawande)
The Checklist (Atul Gawande)
Fragile Lives (Stephen Westaby)
Bedside Stories (Michael Foxton)
Admissions (Henry Marsh)

Add the health sections of one or two broadsheet newspapers to your browser "favourites" list.
Reply 5
Avatar for ahorey
ahorey
10
Original post by MonteCristo
Why not ?


My list:

Do No Harm (Henry Marsh)
Complications (Atul Gawande)
Better (Atul Gawande)
The Checklist (Atul Gawande)
Fragile Lives (Stephen Westaby)
Bedside Stories (Michael Foxton)
Admissions (Henry Marsh)

Add the health sections of one or two broadsheet newspapers to your browser "favourites" list.


You just can't give them via an NG tube! NG is for feeding someone or nutriental support etc. We asked our docs at the time as we hadn't heard of giving them that way but they confirmed that you definitely can't. They were as confused as us as to why the dr did it via NG. We hoped that the show just got it mixed up with an IV.
Original post by ahorey
You just can't give them via an NG tube! NG is for feeding someone or nutriental support etc. We asked our docs at the time as we hadn't heard of giving them that way but they confirmed that you definitely can't. They were as confused as us as to why the dr did it via NG. We hoped that the show just got it mixed up with an IV.


YES you can give antibiotics via NGT. We do it in paediatrics all the time. Also entirely possible in adults if someone is unable to swallow etc. Pretty much any suspension medicine that you can give orally, can also be given via an NG tube.

What was more unusual with that situation, was that the junior doctor was siting the NG tube. There's absolutely no reason why doctor's can't do them, but it's generally something that nurses do as they have a lot of experience and do it all the time whereas doctors do it rarely.
(edited 6 years ago)
Original post by junior.doctor
YES you can give antibiotics via NGT. We do it in paediatrics all the time. Also entirely possible in adults if someone is unable to swallow etc. Pretty much any suspension medicine that you can give orally, can also be given via an NG tube.


That's a relief because I used to prescribe oral meds (including antibiotics) to intubated patients on ITU all the time... I can't understand what the objection might be - it's just a tube into the stomach.

Original post by junior.doctor
What was more unusual with that situation, was that the junior doctor was siting the NG tube. There's absolutely no reason why doctor's can't do them, but it's generally something that nurses do as they have a lot of experience and do it all the time whereas doctors do it rarely.


I think this is hospital specific. I've heard of some places in which only doctors can site NGTs. I've also treated patients on wards where the nurses swear blind that none of them can site one. Perhaps the doctor was doing it this time because they needed to do a procedure for the camera ??
Reply 8
Avatar for ahorey
ahorey
10
Original post by junior.doctor
YES you can give antibiotics via NGT. We do it in paediatrics all the time. Also entirely possible in adults if someone is unable to swallow etc. Pretty much any suspension medicine that you can give orally, can also be given via an NG tube.

What was more unusual with that situation, was that the junior doctor was siting the NG tube. There's absolutely no reason why doctor's can't do them, but it's generally something that nurses do as they have a lot of experience and do it all the time whereas doctors do it rarely.


Well then the cardiac consultant, endo consultant, 2 respiratory consultants and the ccu consultant are wrong!

Of course Drs can do NG tubes but you give ABs via a line not NG. Maybe it's done in your trust but it's certainly not done here!

Considering the person already had an IV it's very weird that they gave the ABs NG rather than IV.
Original post by ahorey
Well then the cardiac consultant, endo consultant, 2 respiratory consultants and the ccu consultant are wrong!

Of course Drs can do NG tubes but you give ABs via a line not NG. Maybe it's done in your trust but it's certainly not done here!

Considering the person already had an IV it's very weird that they gave the ABs NG rather than IV.


You have genuinely asked all those people? They are incorrect. I reiterate, it is less frequently done in adult medicine as there is normally less need. We do it on a daily basis in paediatrics. There are many children with global developmental delay etc with unsafe swallow who have everything via NG - feeds, fluids, medicines. For some children being treated for e.g. TB, multiple gross antibiotics per day for months and where adherence is so important, we have had to resort to NG tube at home for the antibiotics and that works well. The only suspension medicine I've come across so far in paediatrics that you can't give via NG is the rotarix vaccine as it's too viscous.

It is not always better to give antibiotics intravenously rather than enterally. In C.diff treatment for example, it is more effective to give via enteral route. The are others where bioavailability of an antibiotic is the same IV and enterally - clarithromycin is the one that springs to mind, there are probably more.

Maybe it's not done in your trust. That would surprise me if it's never done - stroke patients, palliative care patients, others - there are plenty of good reasons. But that doesn't mean that it can't be done, it is perfectly normal / legitimate. Most medicines are available in suspension form, especially antibiotics. Obviously crushing tablets or opening capsules is different and that would need discussing with pharmacy to make sure that it is safe for that particular drug - but there are still situations where that can be done if pharmacy are happy.
Reply 10
Avatar for ahorey
ahorey
10
Original post by junior.doctor
You have genuinely asked all those people?. .


Yes we did ask all those people. We were on a general med rotation and had different specialties consultants teaching us. It's not done in our trust.

If you believe they are incorrect you may need to speak to them.
Reaching Down the Rabbit Hole is a good one (Ropper and Burrell) I really enjoyed it having read Do No Harm. Bad Science and anything else by Ben Goldacre although he is a bit ranty in parts. 100 Cases in Clinical Ethics and Law is an interesting one for an insight into the kinds of ethical dilemmas doctors might face as well.
Original post by Anonymous1502
What books would you recommend for those interested in applying to medicine to read?


You don't need to read any books. I just read journals like the BMJ and just read articles on the BMA
Original post by ahorey
Yes we did ask all those people. We were on a general med rotation and had different specialties consultants teaching us. It's not done in our trust.

If you believe they are incorrect you may need to speak to them.


They are incorrect. Oral antibiotics can be given down NG tubes and often are in a variety of situations for adults as well as children, if they can't swallow safely for whatever reason.

I was puzzled why that doctor gave them NG in the TV show (perhaps a ceiling of care thing?), but it's definitely doable.

Posted from TSR Mobile
Original post by Helenia
They are incorrect. Oral antibiotics can be given down NG tubes and often are in a variety of situations for adults as well as children, if they can't swallow safely for whatever reason.

I was puzzled why that doctor gave them NG in the TV show (perhaps a ceiling of care thing?), but it's definitely doable.

Posted from TSR Mobile


Can you recommend books that I can read if applying to medicine?Did you read any books and mention them on your PS when you applied to medicine?
Original post by Anonymous1502
Can you recommend books that I can read if applying to medicine?Did you read any books and mention them on your PS when you applied to medicine?



Hey, I read the Emperor of all Maladies and mentioned it in my PS as I talked about an oncology placement :smile: I recommend "the Man who mistook his wife for a hat", "confessions of a GP", "Bad Science", "Checklist manifesto", "Being mortal" and "Trust me I'm a junior doctor" for some interesting reading material and for things to talk about in your interview
Original post by ahorey
Don't watch confessions of a junior doctor, will put you off medicine for life lol. I watched the first episode (where the girl gave antibiotics via NG tube - you can't do this even when we asked consultants lol) and that was enough for me. Didn't watch any More as was awful.


Awful as in you thought it was rubbish or awful in that you think the NHS is bad?

Its widely regarded as very accurate and I'd recommend watching.

Original post by ahorey
Yes we did ask all those people. We were on a general med rotation and had different specialties consultants teaching us. It's not done in our trust.


Can confirm these 5 separate consultants whom you asked exactly the same question (?) to are all wrong. Its not about 'your trust' - the question is can it be done and the answer is yes. In fact, I'll go one step further and confidently state they DO do it in your trust - there's no way they run a paeds ward, stroke ward and ITU whilst never ever giving NG antibiotics.
(edited 6 years ago)
Original post by Anonymous1502
Can you recommend books that I can read if applying to medicine?Did you read any books and mention them on your PS when you applied to medicine?


I don't think that I did tbh, but I'm very old and applied a loooong time ago. Agree with most of the ones that have been suggested - either pop science things or ones which provide an insight into life as a doctor, particularly juniors.

This shouldn't be a large part of your PS though - work experience/voluntary work is more important IMO.
Original post by Helenia
I don't think that I did tbh, but I'm very old and applied a loooong time ago. Agree with most of the ones that have been suggested - either pop science things or ones which provide an insight into life as a doctor, particularly juniors.

This shouldn't be a large part of your PS though - work experience/voluntary work is more important IMO.


Is it better to read books to do with being a doctor or ones about biology and how the body works??I know this is off topic but how much work experience and volunteering should you do minimum if you want to apply to Cambridge and for how long?Is work experience and volunteering really important or not too much?
Original post by Anonymous1502
Is it better to read books to do with being a doctor or ones about biology and how the body works??I know this is off topic but how much work experience and volunteering should you do minimum if you want to apply to Cambridge and for how long?Is work experience and volunteering really important or not too much?


I don't think that one is going to get you in over the other. Read what you're interested in (and what's cheap!)

Cambridge isn't wildly interested in volunteering etc, more about how smart you are and how you think about the various problems they set you. For other med schools, quality over quantity is important - remember that the PS has quite a restrictive word count so you won't be able to reflect on more than a few experiences. Ideally, I would say try to get something in hospital and something in GP, plus some long term volunteering in a caring setting, but don't beat yourself up if you can't get everything.

Quick Reply

Related discussions

Latest

Trending

Trending

Articles for you