Reading can boost your vocabulary, sharpen your reasoning, expand your intellectual horizons and improve memory. But reading for fun can also help in the battle against physician burnout.
That’s why it’s time for physicians to dust off that “to read” pile and grab some fiction to enjoy this summer as they take some well-deserved vacation time.
Whether doctors or medical students are in search of books to read to relax or learn more about a medical topic, the AMA “Shadow Me” Specialty Series—which offers advice directly from physicians about life in their specialties—provides some outstanding fiction recommendations.
Read “something fun! Read your favorite nonmedical novel or listen to a podcast in an area that interests you outside of medicine. It’s important to have outside interests,” said Jennifer Bryan, MD. She is a family physician with Hattiesburg Clinic, which is part of the AMA Health System Member Program that provides enterprise solutions to equip leadership, physicians and care teams with resources to help drive the future of medicine.
Here, in alphabetical order by book author, are six novels that physicians who have participated in the “Shadow Me” Specialty Series recommend reading. Each of these doctors is from an organization that is part of the AMA Health System Member Program.
The Alchemist
By Paulo Coelho
“This novel is one that I like to reread every so often,” said William Childs, DO, a family physician with Henry Ford Health. “As a nontraditional, first-generation college graduate and physician, most of what I’ve learned has been from failing.
“However, I lean into the fact that I am certain that life, in its totality, is about preparation and growth,” Dr. Childs added. “The Alchemist cements the notion of dreaming big, following those dreams, leaning into the ebb and flow of life, and ultimately trusting the process.”
The Red Tent
By Anita Diamant
Kimberly D. Warner, MD, an ob-gyn with Colorado Permanente Medical Group, recommends this novel because “it has important insights into how women support each other.”
Brave New World
By Aldous Huxley
This is “a futuristic book that depicts issues relevant to medicine,” said Philip Gachassin, MD, a general surgeon with Ochsner Health.
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Lady Tan’s Circle of Women: A Novel
By Lisa See
Rachel Clement, MD, an anesthesiologist with Confluence Health, recommends that when medical students and physicians pick a book, it “should be anything you want to read for fun.”
This book is “about 16th-century Chinese medicine, gender roles and family,” Dr. Clement said. “I spent years not reading anything other than textbooks while in training and have had to relearn how to read for fun. I now read or listen to two to three books at a time. I love the feeling of craving a book.”
The House of God
By Samuel Shem, MD
“Although it is fictional, this book gives students a realistic look at life during their intern year,” said Boris Cehajic, MD, a general surgeon with Hattiesburg Clinic.
“It is obviously a bit dated, with subject matter that is controversial in our time, but it is a must-read for any hospitalist,” said Clyde J. Pierce, MD, a hospitalist with Confluence Health. “It is my favorite piece of fiction.”
Christopher Davis, MD, an emergency medicine physician with Confluence Health, also recommends this book.
Cutting for Stone
By Abraham Verghese, MD
The book “is just a lovely piece of fiction,” said Rambod A. Rouhbakhsh, MD, an academic family physician with Hattiesburg Clinic. “There are many works of fiction I love, but I recommend this book to underscore how you can be an accomplished physician and still produce lovely creative work in a completely unrelated field.”
“This novel is a powerful exploration of the human side of medicine,” said Jill Kacher Cobb, MD, an anesthesiologist with Sutter Health.
Dr. Gachassin agrees, noting “it’s a fascinating book about a surgeon and his journey.”
For nonfiction recommendations, here are eight great books hand-picked by doctors for your reading list. And for medical students and physicians who are more interested in podcasts, here is what you should be listening to this year.
The AMA Specialty Guide simplifies medical students’ specialty selection process, highlights major specialties, details training information, and provides access to related association information. It is produced by FREIDA™, the AMA Residency & Fellowship Database®.
