books that every pre-med student should read

once upon a time, i used to read novels. now i read these. not because i have to, but because they're actually quite interesting. and, dare i say it? fun. if you're pre-med, i hope you get a good idea of what medicine is truly about through these books. and the great thing is, none of the books above are over $11! thank you amazon.

1. becoming a doctor by melvin konner, md -- this follows melvin on his journey through the 4 years of med school beginning w/ the first 2 years of crunch memorizing and then 2 years of clinical rotations. it's extremely informative about medical school and is an absolute must read.

2/3. complications/better by atul gawande -- these 2 books, complications, and its sequel, better, are a compilation of stories and thoughts from dr. gawande. the books go between sharing stories of patients and commenting on different aspects of medicine and the practice of medicine. good books if you want to see a bigger picture of the practice of medicine in general.

4. hot lights, cold steel by michael collins -- following collins as we went through residency at mayo clinic as an orthopedic surgeon. if you're considering orthopedic surgery, this book overviews what you're in for. however, its a personal memoir, of sorts, of his journey through residency. collins has a natural knack for conveying stories and they are chalk full of humor and contemplation. really casts personality and wit into every sentence. it was an extremely fun read.

5. gifted hands by ben carson -- one of the more famous books about neurosurgery. carson shares his story about growing up and becoming the youngest pediatric neurosurgeon on the hopkins team. it's truly an inspiring story-- i personally grew up reading this book over and over. my copy is completely frayed and i'm sure yours will be also.

6. the surgeons by charles r. morris -- the first book i've listed here that's not written by a doctor. rather, it's written by morris, who followed a team of heart surgeons around for a while and decided to write a book on it. it deals with the more business and bureaucracy of medicine as well as discussing the different techniques and practices of heart surgery and the evolution of heart surgery as a whole. it's definitely academic driven but still an en-captivating read. future cardio-thoracic surgeons, i recommend this.

7. when the air hits your brain by frank vertosick - a moving and somewhat humorous account of neurosurgery residency. i say humorous not quite in the subject matter, but in vertosick's way of telling his story. really, there's not much to say other than read it.

8. how doctors think by jerome groopman - this books centers around doctors themselves rather than their patients. it's a book fitting for both the physician-hopeful as well as the normal layperson. it gives you a good idea of the practice of medicine in general as well as giving some chilling facts and stories.