I realised very early in my training that academic books are not enough to make me a well-rounded doctor.

The quest for books that can transform me into a finely-tuned physician dogged my medical career.

I therefore embarked on a mission to track down those books that explore the exquisite facets of my profession.

And what I discovered in my adventures was a treasure trove of gems that blew my mind.

The diversity of themes that these books cover is simply breathtaking:

Business

Creativity

Culture

Death

Decision making

Doctors’ stories

Elevated Medicine

Emotions

Expertise

Fiction related to medicine

Future of Medicine

Gender

Genetics

History of medicine

Human development

Human factors and patient safety

Human nature

Humanitarian medicine

Illness and suffering

Infections and plagues

Leadership and managementMedical ethics

Mental health

Networks and collaboration

Nursing

Patient stories

Personal organisation and self-help

Rationality and thinking

Medicine and surgery

The Brain

Women doctors

Writing and communication

Amongst these are 300 books that I deemed essential reading for all doctors.

First published as a WordPress blog, I am republishing these book reviews on Substack.

 

These book reviews are primarily aimed at doctors and medical students.

I however believe all healthcare practitioners, patients and patient groups will find these reviews invaluable.

I hope you will find this a refreshing recap of the countless gems these books hold.

More importantly, I hope you will go ahead and dive into these magnificent books.