(Part 2) Best medical professional biographies according to redditors

You really wanna gain some respect for them, read Into The Breach, they end up paying out of pocket for mandatory training, put up with more crap from bosses and literally get shot at when they roll up on gang shootings.

My biggest issue with D.I.D has been its falsifiability, namely, how would you distinguish those who actually have seperate personalities from someone who's either fake, or been created through therapy? Furthermore, I remember hearing from my Psych. professor about that, after Sybil, cases of DID skyrocketed from 200, to 8,000. This, taken in context with a new book coming purportedly revealing Sybil as fabricated leads to me being deeply skeptical of this disorder.

In my class, when we discussed this disorder and saw video footage of 'experts' discussing it, all the evidence was purely anecdotal:'I saw it in my clinic'. While I understand the power of experience, that has little value for deriving verifiable scientific models concerning DID and its causes or symptoms.

edit: see subtextual for a much more in-depth explanation of the issues concerning DID.

FFS... https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK144018/ He's referred to by the WHO Guidelines. What else do you need to see to determine you've lived uninformed?

Would you like a religious source? http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/13712a.htm

Perhaps a nonfiction book on the topic? https://www.amazon.com/Doctors-Plague-Childbed-Semmelweis-Discoveries/dp/039332625X/

Or two https://www.amazon.com/Semmelweis-His-Life-Doctrine-Medicine/dp/0266089453

Or three https://www.amazon.com/Genius-Belabored-Childbed-Tragic-Semmelweis/dp/0817319298

And a heartfelt thanks https://medium.com/@WaterAidUK/thank-you-dr-semmelweis-f9249fef60b

Not exactly specific to genetic counseling but I liked these two and read them before going to school:

1. Far From the Tree - each chapter explores the experiences of living with or having a child with a certain identity or condition
   
   
2. Genetic Rounds - a narrative by a geneticist (MD) and each chapter tells a story about a different child or family he's met impacted by a genetic coundtion (I'm not sure why it's so expensive on Amazon, I'm sure you'd be able to find it cheaper elsewhere!)
   
   These books are both more about families' experiences than GCs, but I think they offer a good introduction into what we can encounter in our work.

I enjoyed reading this collaboration. Like some commenters, I thought it would have been improved by a more rigorous analysis of trade offs, specifically between population health improvements due to vaccinations and herd immunity versus the potential for increased auto-immune disease and allergies due to not encountering an evolutionarily-typical viral load during childhood (not necessarily any specific viruses, though arguments have been made for that as well).

For those who aren't familiar with the hygiene hypothesis, An Epidemic of Absence is a nice introduction. For reasons noted in the article, it's difficult to investigate this topic, and we need a lot more knowledge before any conclusions can be drawn. But, I think things are shaping up around reduced viral exposure being one of several changes (along with reduced exposure to bacteria and parasites) involved in the epidemic of autoimmune disease and allergies. Hopefully we can resolve this through other methods while maintaining vaccination.

Hey! Alright, so I'll go ahead and start with a disclaimer: I'm formally diagnosed with DDNOS, though it's close enough to DID (I'll point out where it differs) that I typically just call myself DID.

There are four of us:

• Little One is about 5-6 years old. She's adorable and everyone loves her. She scares easy -- thunderstorms while driving can be difficult.
  
  
• Melody is the problem one. She's 14 and we fight a lot. She's pretty suicidal, and when she's super active is when I have problems (used to cut, etc).
  
  
• Okay, this one's a little weird. We call him/her Guardian. I use both male/female pronouns because I'm pretty sure it's just one personality, but I always refer to Guardian as male but Little One refers to him as a female. Pronouns get confusing. Guardian is the one that takes over when shit hits the fan. If I'm in a job interview or at work or in a public place and something happens, Guardian will take over and calmly handle the situation.
  
  
• Uh.. me! Right. I'm less sure how to describe myself haha. I'm as emotional as a typical early-20s female, but I don't handle drama well. I have a long fuse but once I get pissed off, I really snap. I'm out most of the time, often co-conscious with Guardian and/or Little One.
  
  I'm almost exclusively co-conscious with the others. This is the primary reason that I'm diagnosed DDNOS. What that means is that when another alter is in "control", so to speak, I'm either partially present or at the least aware of what's going on. I have occasionally gone completely inside, but it is very rare. For those with DID proper, it's much more common for them to have full switches, and they may not even be aware that the alters exist because they are never co-conscious and there is little communication.
  
  That said, when I look in the mirror while another alter is out, I don't see myself as I typically would. I see the alter. It's hard to explain, really. I used to look quite a bit different from Melody (I was blonde, she has dark hair) so it used to be much more of a contrast. There are a couple of pictures that I'm in that I literally do not recognize myself at first because it is an alter out. I started dying my hair dark auburn a few years ago, and now the difference is less noticeable to me, but I am still 100% aware that it is her. My boyfriend can quite consistently tell which of us it is -- without us speaking. He says it's something in the eyes.
  
  I don't have a gatekeeper, persay, but Guardian will take care of Little One at times and make sure she doesn't come out at an inappropriate time. I pretty much just have to reason with Melody in order to get her to stay in if I need her to.
  
  I have seen US of Tara. I liked it a lot. It's obviously kinda over-the-top with the depictions of the alters, but that's kinda what's necessary for TV, which I can understand.
  
  Here's some reading material I recommend:
  
  
• Switching Time -- This is an account of a woman's DID from the point of view of the therapist. Reads like a novel. VERY highly recommended. This is the only one that I've asked my boyfriend to read.
  
  
• The Stranger in the Mirror -- This one's more informational, less story-based, but explains a lot.
  
  
• Multiplicity -- This one I would not necessarily recommend to people with DID, but it's definitely great for those that are trying to understand it. It's not about DID, but about the elements of multiple personality that most everyone can relate to.
  
  You can AMA. I enjoy educating people about DID.
  
  EDIT: Formatting.
  
  

If you enjoy examining the correlations between socioeconomic differences and health, I recommend
"How We Do Harm" by Otis Webb Brawley, and Paul Goldberg.

I found out about him when I read the book The Good Nurse a couple years ago. It's a fantastic read https://www.amazon.com/Good-Nurse-Medicine-Madness-Murder/dp/1455574139

Yeah, dude! I also have a morbid curiosity about these things. There's another book if you're interested, called The Good Nurse, about a nurse who killed something like 300 patients before he was caught in 2003. Crazy stuff.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1455574139?selectObb=new

The book Ebola by Dr. William T. Close was great, better than the Hot Zone.

Also some documentaries:

Into a bio safety level 4 lab

Vice report on bush meat

Vice on ebola outbreak

BBC Horizon Search for a cure

PBS Nova Surviving Ebola

Ebola: Worlds most dangerous virus (I think this one is about Marburg)

Ebola:Inside the Deadly Outbreak

Burial Boys

Edit: Some of these are in the above comments, I didn't realize.

Yep. The brain is not exactly like a circuit (having two bits touch won't "short" anything), but removing one region can have unintended consequences. For a fascinating history of probably the most famous brain surgery patient ever, read about HM. He had part of his brain removed and lost the ability to form new episodic/declarative memories (called anterograde amnesia), but could still learn motor tasks. Studying him led to a huge leap into our understand of memory. One of the scientists studying him recently published a book about him. I haven't read it yet but I hear it's good.

Genius on the Edge.

http://www.amazon.com/Genius-Edge-Bizarre-William-Stewart/dp/1607148587


Focuses on Halsted, the pioneer of American surgery (and the character whom Dr Thackery from the Knick is based on). Not soley focused on the history of surgery, but an interesting read that hits on major surgical developments, like first use of surgical gloves, breast surgery, etc.

This book talks about how our cleanliness is causing IBS, asthma and other autoimmune diseases:

http://www.amazon.com/Epidemic-Absence-Understanding-Allergies-Autoimmune/dp/1439199396

A long, but very interesting read.

Kelly Grayson's books are a good read. As is his blog, though he seems to be writing less frequently these days.

My recommendations are not particularly ethics focused either but I found them all interesting and think they all give good insight into different aspects of genetic counseling- whether that's what it's like to be a healthcare provider or someone living with a family member with a genetic condition.

My Foreign Cities: Just finished this one. A beautiful memoir about a woman and her marriage to her high school sweetheart, who had cystic fibrosis.

Genetic Rounds: A Doctor's Encounters in the Field that Revolutionized Medicine: A series of stories about the experiences of a pediatric geneticist.

Far From the Tree: Parents, Children and the Search for Identity: One of my favorite books. It explores what happens when children turn out to be very different from their parents in some way, with chapters dedicated to children with autism, Down syndrome, schizophrenia, and multiple severe disabilities, among other things.

[The Still Point of the Turning World] (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1594205124/ref=x_gr_w_glide_bb?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_glide_bb-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1594205124&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2): A memoir by a mother whose son is diagnosed with Tay-Sachs disease.

I also want to second The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down- another favorite of mine!

A good ole used book!

He really was one of the most key figures in the evolution of medicine from 'meat cleaving' to what would eventually become modern surgical procedures. I read a fantastic book on Halstead called Genius on the Edge which goes into detail about both his work and personal life, his bizarrely cold relationship with his wife, his addiction but also how it fueled his almost inhuman workload. It was fascinating.

You didn't mention books but I am going to give you two anyways: You must read House of God by Samuel Shem. It's a really fantastic satirical novel about first year medical students. You should also check our Into the Breach: A Year of Life and Death with EMS. Sort of a wacker book, but still worth a read.

Also check out the movie Mother, Jugs, and Speed

1. Its not Halloween that's unlucky, its my birthday, which happens a week later. EVERY FREAKIN YEAR something awful happens. The worst was the year I spent my entire birthday in the ER with my husband, who was then diagnosed with MS. Fuck that year. I typically don't have good experiences from about now until my birthday is over. This year was no exception.
   
   
2. please let G0ATLY be safe this year!!
   
   
3. http://www.amazon.com/The-Lives-They-Left-Behind/dp/1934137146/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pd_S_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=RXHSG5PE1CEH&coliid=I34P5MR7UR34Q1 used books rock my world!
   
   
4. I'm very caring and patient with animals, not so much people, and I'm 100% OK with that.

> Oh yeah, a rich soccer mom really struggles in life compared to a homeless man... what a load of shit, clearly some people have a worse live than others.

I'm certainly not denying that some people have better life circumstances than others. However, depression and hopelessness are by no means confined to people with crappy life circumstances. People can be happy even in bad times; happiness is actually at least partially a choice and a cultivated skill.

A rich soccer mom can still feel depressed and hopeless. These feelings are subjective.

>Incels have it far worse than normies that a fact.

Subjectively, yes, but not objectively. I'm not denying you FEEL isolated and depressed. But consider that the incels on here by and large have pretty wonderful life circumstances compared to a good chunk of the current world's population. Impoverished beggars, ditch diggers, and female sex slaves in the third world have it way rougher than the incels, if you want to compare miserable life circumstances. All of those girls kidnapped by Boko Haram would probably give an arm to trade places with a lot of the incels on here.

Bringing Out the Dead, the book that inspired the cult classic movie by the same name.

A Paramedic's Story: Life, Death, and Everything in Between, which was written by a guy who writes a popular EMS blog.

Paradise General is a great book about the doctors and surgeons who served in Iraq during The Surge.

just got done reading "A Paramedic's Story: Life, Death, and Everything in Between" by Steven ""Kelly"" Grayson. really good read.

http://www.amazon.com/Paramedics-Story-Death-Everything-Between/dp/1607146576/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1313459630&sr=1-1

Its about the state of mental health in this country.

> https://www.amazon.com/Lives-They-Left-Behind-Suitcases/dp/1934137146/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1519230576&sr=8-1&keywords=the+lives+they+left+behind+suitcases+from+a+state+hospital+attic&dpID=51emoQ2iSAL&preST=_SY291_BO1,204,203,200_QL40_&dpSrc=srch

How We Do Harm, by Otis Web Brawley M.D.

I've heard En Route by Steven Grayson is good.

This is a good read about the infancy of heart transplantation.

This is one of my favorites: https://www.amazon.com/Every-Second-Counts-Transplant-First/dp/1416510958

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/

Another great (terrifying) book is Ebola by William Close.

http://www.amazon.com/Ebola-Dr-William-Close/dp/0804114323/ref=sr_1_8?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1413895244&sr=1-8

Permenent Present Tense: The Unforgettable Life of the Amnesic Patient? It is a case study/biography of Henry Gustav Molaison who underwent a experimental psychosurgial procedure in 1953, woke up and couldn't form new long term memories.

NTA. There’s this stereotype of the saintly couple who have a disabled child (or multiple children), who feel blessed for the gift because it means God knew they had the love and grace inside to be able to care for their child/children. The problem is that this stereotype means anyone who DOESN’T view it that way must be horrible people and looked down on. Caregiver fatigue is a very real thing - it takes an emotional, mental, and physical toll to take care of someone with special needs. You are allowed to be fearful because you KNOW what it takes.

My recommendation is to seek out community resources to support Caregivers and their families. Even if it’s just having someone you can call who knows what it takes and isn’t going to judge you, it would be at least some help.

https://www.helpguide.org/articles/stress/caregiver-stress-and-burnout.htm

Also, tell others to try reading First Do No Harm by Lisa Belkin. She spent a year following an ethics committee, and covered two cases in the book related to children with extreme birth defects or needs. In one case the family decided against medical intervention; in the other, they fought to keep the child alive by any means necessary, and it was eye opening to say the least with how each choice impacted the families.

https://www.amazon.com/First-Do-No-Harm-Impossible/dp/044922290X

You cannot change the underlying theory behind a evidence based profession but change nothing else about it.

I'm having a hard time following some things you said, in particular your first sentence, but I think I understand where you are coming from. Basically you are saying that although some chiropractors have backed off from the subluxation theory they still doing spinal adjustments, etc the way they always have, is this accurate?

Assuming I got that, I would say a few things to counter this. First, just because something was started in a strange manner doesn't delegitimize it. We find out about things in science all the time "by accident" As I stated earlier, the medical profession has also evolved quite a bit, it may surprise you to know that only in the last 100 years or so did doctors even begin to WASH THEIR HANDS between working with dead people and touching patients. Doctors used to do dissections of cadavers, then go upstairs and deliver babies, then one day someone realized this was a terrible idea and was spreading diseases this is a great read about this topic and about medical history in general. My point being that its not like mainstream medicine did not have some strange history (and this is just one of many examples I could give) -- that doesn't make what a modern OB does witch-medicine. If you are a good practitioner you adjust with the times and with what the latest science is showing works.

Second, as I also stated earlier if there was not evidence that chiropractic actually helps people I do not believe that so many professional sports teams would have official chiros that work for them. If you pay attention on television it is often the case that after some injuries when the trainers and coaches are checking out the player, a lot of time the chiro will immediately adjust the player. Again, I can't imagine these teams would risk doing something harmful or pointless on a player potentially worth millions of dollars.

Third, if you think chiropractors have not changed the way we do things since the late 1800s you are mistaken. The adjusting techniques, the soft tissue work (which was not done at all back then) have changed a great deal.

An American Doctor's Odyssey is one of my dad's favorites. It's a memoir based on one doctor's career abroad and his struggles with early public health. Not really hunting/outdoors, but definitely not your average book.

Non-fiction for sure. I do really like history but sometimes its just too dense. I like to switch it up with non-fiction (or some sci-fi) that are kinda self-contained and only relate tangentially to larger events or just a lighter biography. Thinking Shadow Divers, The lost city of Z, Lost in Shangri-La, At Ease - Eisenhower or An American Doctor's Odyssey

It about a schizophrenic, its written by her therapist, and she has 17 personallities, and its just really interesting. It was interesting for me at least, might be for you too...not sure...check it out on amazon, maybe you can sneak a peak and read a few pages if you like to read...hold on...Ill post a link.

http://www.amazon.com/Switching-Time-Harrowing-Treating-Personalities/dp/0307382672/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1382715395&sr=8-1&keywords=switching+time

Undercurrents is a great book about a person going through ect for depression

http://www.amazon.com/Undercurrents-A-Life-Beneath-Surface/dp/006251184X

Here is a book about 3 pediatrics interns. I wouldn't recommend her reading it as it is very depressing, but it'll give you and idea of what year 1 of residency is like.

debunked
http://www.amazon.com/Sybil-Exposed-Extraordinary-Multiple-Personality/dp/143916827X/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top/189-3623226-9879640