Reddit reviews Intern: A Doctor's Initiation

Atul Gawande - Better, Complications, and checklist manifesto.

Sandeep Jauhar - Intern

Jerome Groopman - How doctor's think

Michael Collins - Hot lights, cold steel and Blue collar, blue scrubs

Samuel Shem - House of God

Brian Eule - Match day

Paul Ruggieri - Confessions of a surgeon

Emily R. Transue - On call

Okay so I was in the same position you are in right now. I wanted to read as much as I could because I truly found it fascinating. I read these books and I'm glad I did. These books just give you an idea of how hard doctors work and what the life of a doctor is like. Another recommendation is Anthony Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential. It has nothing to do with medicine but I read it and I think you should too. He talks about the life of a chef and how perfection and long long hours are demanded of him. I feel like there are some overlaps between the different settings. Chef/doctor and Restaurant/hospital. Anyways, This list should last you a long time. Hope you enjoy.


Edit: Added links.

I'm sorry this is a little late but I know how you feel and I can relate. I'm currently a junior in college taking my pre-req's and going forward with medical school. Like you, I love helping people, etc but what really solidified my career path was shadowing and talking with doctors who've been at this for years. One particular surgeon is 55 and is incredibly respected by his peers. His wife is a nurse (they have no children-didn't want any) but meeting them and listening to their stories along with residents, nurses, medical students, EMT's has really shown me what I'm getting myself into. Doing some research on what career path- family practice, surgery, nursing, etc really helps. I know this is cheesy but watching shows like Untold Stories of the ER, Boston Med, House, etc have really helped me. I grew up watching ER (med drama) and seeing how doctors lives were portrayed helped a lot to. There's a couple of great books out that I've read such as: The Real Grey's Anatomy, Intern, Hot Lights, Cold Steel
Let me know how these work and don't hesitate to ask any questions about my experience with school, shadowing, volunteering. (:

This book will lay it down for you.

Contact the college whence you graduated and ask for guidance about getting into med school. You will most likely need to take a few more classes to to meet the prerequisites for admission to medical school. The MCAT (medical college admissions test) will be after that. You will have to study HARD. Also, think about volunteering at a local hospital to get a sense of what being a doctor might entail. Not everyone's experiences are the same but reading books/memoirs about med school/internship/practicing may help as well. Becoming a doctor later in life. Good luck!

Intern: A Doctor's Initiation

The Intern Blues: The Timeless Classic About the Making of a Doctor

I personally love the writing of Atul Gawande. http://atulgawande.com/