The autobiography of medical education : anatomy of a genre

Cheryl A. Koski, University of Tennessee

Abstract

With the publication of Intern by Doctor X [Alan E. Nourse] in 1965, physicians began recounting their passage through medical school, internship, and residency in unprecedented numbers. Coinciding with the emergence of the youth culture, the autobiography of medical education became an established genre during the next three decades. Specifically, ten books appeared in the 1970s, fourteen in the 19803, and six in the 19905. As insider reports, they have the potential to shape the general public’s perception of the health—care system. All of them meet the following criteria: (1) nonfiction full-length books (2) by American physicians writing about their own medical education (3) issued by reputable publishers for the general public (4) from 1965 to the present. Of the thirty-one books examined, nearly one half of the authors graduated from three medical schools: Harvard, Yale, and Tufts. Moreover, nearly one third of the authors are women, all of whom exhibit conflict between gender and occupation. Various specialties are represented, including psychiatry, surgery, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, and internal medicine. Some of the authors are diarists, some are essayists, and some are nonfiction novelists. Developed here is an original typology based on how the authors portray themselves—as observers, outsiders, activists, malcontents, and apologists—with the members of each category sharing a characteristic approach toward medical education.