I have been considering a lot lately about new dental graduates and people entering into the profession and the things we can do to help them find their way in what is becoming more and more difficult a landscape to navigate.
When I first qualified one of my mentors in dentistry explained to me “It takes five years to learn the science and then five years to learn the art of dentistry”. It seems to me that we are not teaching new graduates the art of dentistry very well and it makes their life much more difficult as a result.
So, with that in mind, and with my usual bullish, controversial character in abundance I would like to put forward an idea for a reading list for undergraduates in their final year or new graduates in their first two years.
These books are in no way scientific and are opinion related only, but each of them has an individual characteristic which would assist them in dealing with patients in difficult circumstances or provide insights which may be invaluable to the developing clinician.
This is an extraordinary book which explores what is important in the end, death and old age but more importantly explores how to communicate and talk to patients in some of the most difficult moments of their lives. It would be invaluable for any clinician to read and absorb.
Even the concept of this book is one which should be taken on board; it is an honest appraisal by a world-renowned neurosurgeon of how things go wrong and what happens when they do go wrong. It shows that it’s ok for things to happen, for things to go wrong and it happens to the very best of people. It is essential learning for anybody in surgery.
- C: Because cowards get Cancer too – John Diamond
This is a patient’s account of dying of Cancer. Diamond was a Times columnist and Nigella Lawson’s Husband who notoriously died of throat Cancer. It is particularly relevant to people in Dentistry and Head and Neck Medicine and his account, particularly the account of ‘the theory of gradual disclosure’ is essential reading for all healthcare professionals.
- Linchpin – Seth Godin
This book explains clearly, concisely and eloquently how to become successful in any organisation and how to identify people who will be successful and helpful. This is groundbreaking stuff that should be read, not just by dental students or graduates but by everybody.
- House of God – Samuel Shem
Recommended to me when I was doing my first SHO job, this book is a tale of SHOs (or equivalent) in American surgery residency. It is very, very dark but does explore the feelings and experiences of people in the early stages of their medical career.
- To Sell is Human – Dan Pink
A book on human interaction which goes way beyond the concept of selling. Something which would be essential reading for anybody who is interesting in interacting with humans as part of their career.
- Healing without Freud or Prozac – David Servan-Schreiber
Absolutely the book that saved my life and was recommended to me by a friend whose life it had saved also. I don’t say that lightly and I don’t say it as a joke, it probably did save my life. When the darkness takes you, you don’t necessarily need medicine and you don’t necessarily need a psychiatrist, you need a route to navigate through to the other side to be stronger and better and this is
the book which took millions of people through. Honestly, perhaps the most important book I have ever read, certainly as far as my health is concerned.
Very presumptuous of me to put my blog into this list but I think an honest appraisal on what’s happening in Dentistry from someone within Dentistry is essential and that’s what would happen from this place.
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