Suggested Reading List for UK Med Student Applications (Biography edition)
(Just read the bolded sections for the book titles)
1. âThis is Going to Hurtâ by Adam Kay (OBGYN turned screenwriter) - essential reading, though some unis wonât like you bringing this up in your personal statement/interview because everyone has read this. Funny, heartbreaking, with an introduction to the hardest parts of medicine and the NHS. Might also be a good read if youâre not sure whether you want to be a doctor or not.
2. âWhen Breath Becomes Airâ by Paul Kalanithi (neurosurgeon in USA) - popular for very good reason. This book recounts Kalanithiâs cancer diagnosis just as he qualifies as a neurosurgeon. Discusses the role of death in medicine and what makes a good doctor. To be honest, I was on the verge of tears throughout.
3. âYour Life in My Handsâ by Rachel Clarke (journalist turned emergency medic turned palliative care doctor) - also a look into the hardest parts of medicine and the issues facing the NHS, but less talked about than number one. Another reason I recommend it is because it looks into what itâs like to have a family when you have a medical career, especially as a woman, as some of the male writers gloss over this. Also, discusses what itâs like to be an older/graduate medic.
4. âFragile Livesâ by Stephen Westaby (retired heart surgeon) - a look into surgery and the roles of research in medicine, as Westaby has helped create multiple pieces of tech in his career that have helped with the field. Also, itâs nice to read about someone whoâs had a full career in medicine.
5. âWith the End in Mindâ by Katherine Mannix (Palliative care doctor) - written by one of the most eminent palliative care docs in the UK. A brief look into a less discussed speciality, which will provide an introduction to how we should think about death in medicine.
6. âThe Language of Kindnessâ by Christine Watson (nurse) - a useful look into nursing, which will both show that youâve researched other careers as well as teach you a lot about the importance of nurses (seriously, nurses are legends). Most importantly, though, emphasises the importance of compassion and empathy in medicine.
7. âHard Pushedâ by Leah Hazard (midwife) - again, a look into other careers which will also be helpful if youâre interested in obs & gynae. Like Clarke, Hazard discusses the strain of a career in healthcare on personal and family lives. Another thing that stuck with me was her account of the role of social care in medicine, when Hazard has to take cake of some of the most vulnerable in society.
8. âUnnatural Causesâ by Richard Shepherd (retired pathologist) - like Mannix, discusses a less popular medical speciality and shows that saving lives doesnât always require a living patient. Another thing Shepherd discusses the effect of his career on his mental health, and the strain doctors can be under mentally.
9. âIn Shockâ by Rana Awdish (Intensive care doc in USA) - Awdish, like Kalanithi, recounts her transition from doctor to patient when she almost loses her life to pregnancy complications. She reflects on the mistakes doctors made when it came to empathy and the need to improve empathy and communication in medicine.
10. âWar Doctorâ by David Nott (general and vascular surgeon) - I will be honest, I havenât read this yet. But Iâve just seen it everywhere, and itâs a look into the importance of volunteering and the variety of paths you can take as a doctor. So, yeah. If you read this, let me know what you think.
11. ââTwas the Nightshift Before Christmasâ by Adam Kay (see no. 1) - just a good festive read. Nice and short, too, if you need something quick. Here, Kay recounts the effects of medicine on your personal life as well as adds a story that he left out in his first book that he explains was hugely significant to his medical career and why he left the field.
Any other recommendations, please add!
