What I Learned in Medical School: Personal Stories of Young Doctors

By Kevin M. Takakuwa

Book Overview

Like many an exclusive club, the medical profession subjects its prospective members to rigorous indoctrination: medical students are overloaded with work, deprived of sleep and normal human contact, drilled and tested and scheduled down to the last minute. Difficult as the regimen may be, for those who don't fit the traditional mold-white, male, middle-to-upper class, and heterosexual-medical school can be that much more harrowing. This riveting book tells the tales of a new generation of medical students-students whose varied backgrounds are far from traditional. Their stories will forever alter the way we see tomorrow's doctors.

In these pages, a black teenage mother overcomes seemingly insurmountable odds, an observant Muslim dons the hijab during training, an alcoholic hides her addiction. We hear the stories of an Asian refugee, a Mexican immigrant, a closeted Christian, an oversized woman-these once unlikely students are among those who describe their medical school experiences with uncommon candor, giving a close-up look at the inflexible curriculum, the pervasive competitive culture, and the daunting obstacles that come with being "different" in medical school. Their tales of courage are by turns poignant, amusing, eye-opening-and altogether unforgettable.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0520246810
• ISBN13: 9780520246812
• Release Date: January 2005
• Publisher: University of California Press
• Length: 230 Pages
• Weight: 0.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.2" x 8.9"

Customer Reviews

Excellent essays, but don't buy it to learn about how it will be in med school

I liked the format of the book. Discrete essays that allowed you to pick up the book whenever you had 5 or 10 minutes to read. Inspiring stories. Light-hearted. However, I bought the book to read about the experiences physicians had in medical school and what they learned there. I was looking for a "heads up." If you are looking for a "heads up" about medical school, do NOT buy this book. If you want to read some personal essays that are thoughtful and you like to read something light before bed, buy the book.

What I Learned In Medical School

A collection of touching and unforgettable true-life stories of a group of diverse individuals in pursuit of a career in medicine. Some of the stories are so intense that they leave you wanting more and wondering whether these people finally achieved their goals. This book proves that you can get accepted to medical school regardless of your ethnicity, religion, income, social status or sexual orientation.

Not too shabby.

Not the best book I have read of this type, but interesting. Some of the writers come across as a little too self-involved (woe is me stories are not my favorite) and I skipped the poetry sections. Keven Takakuma's story made the whole purchase worth while, in my opinion. I imagine if you are a minority going into med school, you could relate very well to the stories of the struggles and concerns of these students.

Insightful and Honest, Must read for anyone considering medical school.

Not just for minorities or those who have faced hardships on the road to becoming a doctor, this book paints a very realistic and (often) terrifying tales of students' worst experiences in medical school. While it may seem intuitive that medical school is easier if you have financial support as well as a healthy personal and family life, not all of us are so lucky. This is a collection of stories from those who have found themselves in an unlucky position at one time or another. While most of them faced prejudices, the culture at medical schools has become more accepting; however, many challenges still remain. The most important part of the book is towards the end where a list of problems plaguing our medical school is outlined in a concise, clear manner. These issues are important whatever your race, creed or gender. The face of healthcare is changing and our medical schools must change with it. The obstacles created by academic beaurocracy and an unforgiving system apply to all of us. I would heavily recommend this to anyone apply for or already in medical school.

Go get it!

Brilliant! As an immigrant, a person of color, and an economically unprivileged individual, I could relate to every single sentence in the book. Everyone interested in getting into medical school should read "What I Learned In Medical School", particularly those who might have faced roadblocks. The stories are inspirational and come from varied training physicians. All of them clearly show that hard work and perseverance will always triumph over poverty, stress, abuse, or any other obstacle known to man. I have been in American hospitals before and have not been pleased with the under representation of some groups in the medical field. Hopefully, books like this one should inspire people to achieve the higher things; be it in medicine or anything else out there. I would put this book in every high school library. And if you are a parent, buy this book for your child now! Hopefully the face of medicine and academia will change. I am all for this book! Some of the essays were touching, some were funny (like Holman's "Sometimes, All You Can Do Is Laugh"), and some even seemed a little silly to me ("A Prayer from a Closeted Christian"). But ALL the stories were touching. "A Case Presentation" was interestingly written. This book has something for everyone. When you finish the book, you get a sense that the face of medicine in America is changing, albeit slowly. And you learn that physicians are human beings who also come with flaws and imperfections like all of us. Read it!