Whether you’re a doctor or nurse, you work in the medical field, or you’re simply fascinated with all-things doctor-ish, we’ve got a collection of books to appease your medical mind. From fiction to essays, memoir and doctor tell-alls, there’s something on this list that will appeal to you if you’re interested in the field of medicine.

Sick by Porochista Khakpour

Porochista Khakpour was sick for as long as she could remember, and despite spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on doctors and hospitalizations, no one could tell her what was wrong. Because of her undiagnosed condition, she suffered mentally and physically and became addicted to prescribed medication. When she is finally diagnosed with late-stage Lyme disease, Porochista is able to accept her illness and learns to move ahead. A stunning debut by a talented voice, Sick releases in June.

People of the ER by Philip Allen Green, M.D.

For those looking for inspiring stories, People of the ER brings you smack center into the chaos of the emergency room. An unidentifiable man dies and no one knows who he is, a domestic abuse survivor needs help but cannot trust anyone, cancer patient spouses must decide the best course of action for their loved ones. These stories share what it’s like to be human in the face of trauma.

 

Ghost Heart: A Medical Thriller by Lisa Harris and Lynne Gentry

From the suburbs of Cincinnati to the African jungle, surgeon Mia Kendall teams up with an ex-military pilot who transports brokered organs across the country. When Mia discovers there might be a connection to a brutal murder and unexplained heart rejections, she must find the truth before a madman ruins a bloodline forever.

This is Going to Hurt: Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor by Adam Kay

Making life and death decisions, working nearly 100-hour weeks, and being in constant contact with all sorts of bodily fluids – this is the life of a junior doctor. Adam Kay, former junior doctor and comedian, shares stories that are horrifying, hilarious and heartbreaking about what it’s really like to work in a hospital. 

How Doctors Think by Jerome Groopman, M.D.

Author Jerome Groopman, M.D. draws upon his own experience as a doctor and a patient to share how doctors think – how they come to their diagnoses, how they sometimes make snap decisions, and how they communicate. Groopman shares that doctors make mistakes too, and this book will help readers, both doctors and patients alike, understand the complications doctors sometimes encounter and why they make the decisions they do.

The House of God by Samuel Shem

Considered a classic, The House of God takes a look at six ambitious interns who were at the top of their class. They are now at the mercy of their senior resident, a.k.a. the Fat Man, working hard to survive their first year. Hilarious, heartbreaking and completely uncensored, take an inside peek into an American hospital where life and death is everything.