Diary of a Med Student - by Daniel B Azzam & Ajay N Sharma (Paperback)

About the Book

Diary of a Med Student is a book created by medical students, for medical students, doctors, pre-med students, and their loved ones to look backward, forward, and laterally on the world of medical school. It offers a space for medical students to reflect on their emotions, process their meaning, and share them as tales of joy, sorrow, or humor.

Book Synopsis

From the earliest stages of our medical training, we experience unforgettable moments with our patients - inspiring, traumatic, joyful, and sometimes even humorous events. Too often, as doctors-in-training we talk about the suffering or recovery of our patients, ignoring our own emotions after these events, letting them passively shape us until we dig ourselves into an abyss of burn out and resentment.

Diary of a Med Student is a book created by medical students, for medical students, doctors, pre-med students, and their loved ones to look backward, forward, and laterally on the wonderful world of medical school. This book offers a space to reflect on our emotions, process their meaning, and share them as tales of sorrow, humor, joy, or inspiration, told from the perspective of medical students writing in a diary.

While the act of sharing emotion is itself therapeutic, reading these emotional challenges that we can all relate to is unifying and comforting, providing us with insight through the lessons conveyed in the light of a variety of feelings. Let this book spark a powerful domino effect of change in medical education: in the way we teach physicians to create a safe space for inner reflection and expression of emotion to ultimately enhance physician wellness.

Review Quotes

"This volume had me smiling, recalling my own passage through med school. The entries are haiku-like in their economy, yet speak so eloquently about the experience. The variety astonishes me, as does the ability to capture the challenges and indignities that are inevitable in pursuing this calling, as well as our shock and despair on witnessing human suffering. The wisdom and insight in this collection will surprise you. It bodes well for the future of our profession."

Abraham Verghese, MD

Professor of Medicine, Stanford

Author, Cutting for Stone

"Diary of a Med Student gives us all an opportunity to read the stories of our colleagues in training and experience their feelings with them. It helps us understand that we are not in this alone, and we are all more connected than we may think."

Saud Siddiqui, MD

Co-Founder, SketchyMedical

"Important and relatable. An encouraging reminder for med students and doctors that their experiences matter and that they are not alone."

Dustyn Williams, MD

Founder and Lead Educator, Online Med Ed

"This is a beautiful collection of stories about medicine. The heartfelt voices of these medical learners are touching and inspiring."

Jason Ryan, MD

Creator and CEO, Boards and Beyond