Medical Memoirs

Terri Cheney ripped the covers off her secret battle with bipolar disorder in her New York Times bestselling memoir, Manic. Now, in this "stigma-buster" and "must-read", she blends a gripping narrative with practical advice (Elyn Saks). Cheney flips mental illness inside out, exposing the...

Leisa Marie Carzon, Ph.D., chronicles the extraordinary life of Sister Deirdre "Dede" Byrne, a professed religious sister, renowned surgeon, and retired U.S. Army colonel. The narrative details her journey in discerning and living her vocational calling, including providing free medical care to the poor, delivering a heroic national keynote address, and proposing Christ to everyone she meets with fearless abandon and determined love.

From the first time Vanessa Martin sets foot inside the world's most renowned children's hospital, she knows that she will never have another dull moment. In this heartwarming memoir of a passionate, determined young woman trying to help as many children as she can, Vanessa pulls back the curtain on the bustling world of 60s London, and tells the remarkable story of finding her place within it. Nostalgic, charming and full of heart, The Great Ormond Street Nurse is the heroic tale of a woman who has dedicated over 40 years to the NHS.

I got into medical school by saying I was black. I lied. Honestly, I am about as black as my sister Mindy Kaling. Once upon a time, I was an ethically challenged, hard-partying Indian-American frat boy enjoying my third year of college. That is until I realized I didn't have the grades or test scores to get into medical school. Legitimately.

It Started with a Finger Up My A*se is not your typical prostate cancer memoir—it’s a brutally honest, unexpectedly funny, and a deeply human journey through a diagnosis millions of men face but few talk about. I was diagnosed in 2024, and what followed was equal parts terrifying, ridiculous, painful, and oddly enlightening. This audiobook is filled with things you won’t hear in polite conversation, but probably should—from awkward intrusive exams and midnight fears, to German penis pumps and injections in a place they do not belong.

My Name'5 Doddie is a humbling, courageous and very funny celebration of a remarkable man. The extraordinary, life-affirming autobiography of Doddie Weir is an absolute must-listen – rugby fan or not. Rugby legend and MND campaigner Doddie Weir has always lived life to the full. On the pitch, Doddie's irresistible talent took him to the heart of every team he graced and brought him 61 caps for Scotland. He won fans all over the world with his sportsmanship, humour and boundless energy. Then, in June 2017, Doddie made the announcement that he had been diagnosed with MND.

Growing up as the daughter of a dedicated surgeon, Elizabeth L. Silver felt an unquestioned faith in medicine. When her six-week-old daughter, Abby, was rushed to the neonatal intensive care unit with sudden seizures, and scans revealed a serious brain bleed, her relationship to medicine began to change. The Tincture of Time is Silver's gorgeous and haunting chronicle of Abby's first year. It's a year of unending tests, doctors' opinions, sleepless nights, and, above all, uncertainty.

Nothing Left to Prove, Nothing Left to Hide chronicles the life of Major Sebastian Thomas Tosto, from his troubled childhood in suburban Connecticut through his improbable path to becoming a physician, a paratrooper, and ultimately his ascent to Brigade Surgeon in the 82nd Airborne Division of the United States Army. Tosto served in combat zones in Afghanistan and Iraq, earning both the Bronze Star and Meritorious Service Medals, and then deployed with the 82nd to New Orleans in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

This is the true story, told in her own words, of "The Girl with the Million Dollar Smile", how everyone described Linda Varisco, the vibrant young chiropractor whose infectious grin lit up every room. But when she meets Joseph on a pristine Cancun beach in 1988, even her dazzling smile can't compete with the electricity between them. Their connection is instant, magnetic, destiny written in the sand. A successful doctor in her own right, Linda thinks she's found her soulmate in this charismatic Italian chiropractic physician who seems to perfect her in every way.

Switching Time is the first story centering on multiple personality disorder to be told by the treating physician. It is the incredible saga of a young woman stranded in unimaginable darkness who, in order to survive, created 17 different versions of herself. One by one, Karen's "alters" began showing themselves: men, women, young boys, a toddler, black, white, vicious, nurturing, prim, licentious. And their "stepping out" confronted Baer with the challenge of a lifetime.

Eleanor met Aaron when she was just a teenager, and he was working at a local record store - older, experienced, and irresistibly charming. Escaping the clichés of fleeting young love, their summer romance bloomed into a relationship that survived college and culminated in a marriage and two children. From the outside looking in, their life had all the trappings of what most would consider a success story. But, as in any marriage, things weren’t always as they seemed.

One day in 2002 the 50-year old body of former Pittsburgh Steeler and hall of famer Mike Webster was laid on a cold table in front of pathologist Dr. Bennet Omalu. Webster's body looked to Omalu like the body of a much older man, and the circumstances of his behavior prior to his death were clouded in mystery. But when Omalu cut into Webster's brain, it appeared to be normal. Something didn't add up.

In Custody MD: Fighting for the Woo, Dr. Adwoafuaa Nwokocha delivers a raw, gripping memoir chronicling her descent into the high-stakes hell of family court. What begins as a love story between two med school students unravels into a devastating custody battle against her ex-husband—an elite cardiac surgeon with the money, lawyers, and manipulative tactics to weaponize the legal system. Told with vulnerability, humor, and razor-sharp clarity, this book is far more than a courtroom drama. It's a powerful indictment of how race, gender, and power intersect in modern custody disputes.

Mary Jane Seacole (1805­-1881) was a British Jamaican nurse, author, world traveler, and businesswoman renowned for her work with the soldiers of the Crimean War.

This is not just a memoir of a distinguished orthopedic surgeon. It is a blueprint for a life of purpose. Mark’s story reminds us that medicine is not just about fixing what’s broken—it’s about honoring what’s human. He shows us how to lead with humility, how to teach with integrity, and how to serve with empathy. He reminds us that the best physicians are also philosophers, that the best leaders are also listeners, and that the best legacies are built not in titles or accolades, but in the lives we touch.

Laugh-out-loud one minute, hauntingly eloquent the next. Equal parts witty and inspiring, this mix of stories, autobiography, and leadership/life advice within this book challenges traditional notions of success. The author, Dr. Irfan Ali, is a physician, CEO of several healthcare companies, the founder of a nonprofit focused on homelessness, and an artist and photographer. He draws on the full range of his background, including an immigrant experience that bridges East and West as he shares examples of failures that become milestone lessons.

Restaurateur, magazine publisher, celebrity chef, and nationally known lifestyle maven, B. Smith is struggling at 66 with a tag she never expected to add to that string: Alzheimer's patient. She's not alone. Every 67 seconds someone newly develops it, and millions of lives are affected by its aftershocks.

A Different Face of War is a riveting account of one American officer in the Medical Service Corps during the early years of the Vietnam War. Assigned as the senior medical advisor to the Army of the Republic of Vietnam in I Corps, near the DMZ, James G. Van Straten traveled extensively and interacted with military officers and non-commissioned officers, peasant-class farmers, Buddhist bonzes, shopkeepers, nurses, the mentally ill, and even political operatives. He sent his wife daily letters from July 1966 through June 1967, describing in impressive detail his experiences, and those letters became the primary source for his memoir.

November 13, 2021 will be forever burned into my memory. That day, my sister passed away via medical assistance in dying after an 18-month battle with metastatic breast cancer. Medical assistance in dying became legal in Canada in 2016. Since then, thousands of terminally ill patients have taken advantage of their right to die. I never dreamed that my own sister would be one of them. Jennifer's Choice is the poignant story of the final year and a half of Jennifer's life, and chronicles not only her experiences, but also those of her family as we supported her.

Diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2008, Susan Gubar underwent radical debulking surgery, an attempt to excise the cancer by removing part or all of many organs in the lower abdomen. Her memoir mines the deepest levels of anguish and devotion as she struggles to come to terms with her body’s betrayal and the frightful protocols of contemporary medicine. She finds solace in the abiding love of her husband, children, and friends while she searches for understanding in works of literature, visual art, and the testimonies of others who suffer with various forms of cancer.