Suggested Reading List for UK Med Student Applications (Biography edition)
(Just read the bolded sections for the book titles)
1. “This is Going to Hurt” by Adam Kay (OBGYN turned screenwriter) - essential reading, though some unis won’t 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 you’re not sure whether you want to be a doctor or not.
2. “When Breath Becomes Air” by Paul Kalanithi (neurosurgeon in USA) - popular for very good reason. This book recounts Kalanithi’s 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. “Your Life in My Hands” 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 it’s 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 it’s like to be an older/graduate medic.
4. “Fragile Lives” 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, it’s nice to read about someone who’s had a full career in medicine.
5. “With the End in Mind” 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. “The Language of Kindness” by Christine Watson (nurse) - a useful look into nursing, which will both show that you’ve 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. “Hard Pushed” by Leah Hazard (midwife) - again, a look into other careers which will also be helpful if you’re 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. “Unnatural Causes” by Richard Shepherd (retired pathologist) - like Mannix, discusses a less popular medical speciality and shows that saving lives doesn’t 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. “In Shock” 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. “War Doctor” by David Nott (general and vascular surgeon) - I will be honest, I haven’t read this yet. But I’ve just seen it everywhere, and it’s 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. “’Twas the Nightshift Before Christmas” 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!
