For medical students looking to broaden their understanding of various physician specialties as they make a choice about which specialty to pursue, having access to high-quality academic resources is essential. Existing resources cover a range of physician specialties—from family medicine and surgery to radiology and endocrinology—and provide necessary knowledge to support clinical practice and academic study.
Medical students who are searching for resources and instructional books to shore up the skills and knowledge within or outside their focus areas, the AMA “Shadow Me” Specialty Series—which offers advice directly from physicians about life in their specialties—provides some outstanding academic recommendations.
Here, in alphabetical order by book author, is a comprehensive list of academic books that physicians who have participated in the “Shadow Me” Specialty Series recommend reading. Each of these doctors is from a health care organization that is a member of the AMA Health System Program, which provides enterprise solutions to equip leadership, physicians and care teams with resources to help drive the future of medicine.
Cope’s Early Diagnosis of the Acute Abdomen
By Sir Vincent Zachary Cope, MD, MS
"It’s the first book that everyone interested in general surgery should read,” said Philip Gachassin, MD, a general surgeon with Ochsner Health. “It's one of the most important books about diagnosing surgical illness.”
Sleisenger and Fordtran's Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease
By Mark Feldman, MD, Lawrence S. Friedman, MD, and Lawrence J. Brandt, MD
“From an academic standpoint,” said Mazen Elatrache, MD, a gastroenterologist with Henry Ford Health, this “is the most comprehensive book for gastroenterology and hepatology and is a great overall guide and reference used.”
Fischer's Mastery of Surgery
By Josef E. Fischer, MD
“This is the best, most comprehensive reference guide for surgical operations,” said Boris Cehajic, MD, a general surgeon with Hattiesburg Clinic.
Learning Radiology: Recognizing the Basics
By William Herring, MD
Olaseni Arogundade, MD, a radiologist with Confluence Health, said “this book is an indispensable resource for medical students embarking on their radiology rotations. It offers a comprehensive overview of essential concepts and imaging techniques, providing a solid foundation for understanding radiological findings.”
“It’s clear and concise format makes it accessible to learners at all levels, and its relevance extends well into residency training, making it a must-read for anyone pursuing a career in radiology,” said Dr. Arogundade.
Miller’s Review of Orthopaedics
Mark D. Miller, MD, and Stephen R. Thompson MD, MEd
For Heather Kowalski, MD, a pediatric orthopaedic surgeon at University of Iowa Health Care, this academic book “is also a great reference, but a little dense for a medical student.”
“It’s definitely geared toward residents, but it’s also a quick reference that I refer back to in order to brush up on something that I haven’t seen in a while,” said Dr. Kowalski.
Orthopedic Secrets
By Surena Namdari, MD, Stephan G. Pill, MD, MSPT, and Samir Mehta, MD
“Orthopedic Secrets is geared toward medical students and what they might be asked on rotations,” said Dr. Kowalski.
The AMA’s 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®.
Learn more with the AMA about the physician specialties of:
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 reading fiction, here are five fantastic novels doctors recommend.
Additionally, check out 10 physician memoirs that offer inspiring accounts of life in medicine. And for medical students who want to learn even more about life in different fields of medicine, here are insights from doctors about different physician specialties.
