White Coats

Three Journeys through an American Medical School

By: Jacqueline Marino

Narrated by: Kathleen Godwin

Although we rely on physicians, calling on them at birth and death and every medical event in between, rarely do we consider the personal challenges faced by doctors-to-be. In 2005 author Jacqueline Marino and photojournalist Tim Harrison had the unprecedented opportunity to chronicle the experience of three students as they learned to become doctors at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. In White Coats, Marino and Harrison bring listeners into the classrooms, anatomy labs, and hospitals where the students take their first pulses, dissect their first cadavers, and deliver their first babies.

Marleny Franco, who moved from the Dominican Republic to Boston's Dominican projects when she was nine, must first overcome social and cultural barriers and those she constructs herself. Michael Norton, a devout Mormon, juggles the pressures of medical school along with family responsibilities and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Millie Gentry, a fashion model, tries to balance the demands of medical school with finding time to go out with friends and volunteer at the local free clinic.

These are personal stories, yet they reflect significant issues in medical education. Franco, Norton, and Gentry try to master an ever-increasing load of medical science, confront problems of professionalism, and learn the importance of empathy. Each must make personal sacrifices, including taking on crushing debt, pursuing round-the-clock work, and neglecting family, friends, and health.

White Coats focuses on the human side of the transformation from student to doctor and will appeal to anyone interested in health care, medical education, and the hopes, struggles, and joys of aspiring doctors.

©2012 The Kent State University Press (P)2013 Redwood Audiobooks

Critic reviews

“ … belongs on the bookshelf of every doctor, nurse, journalist, and scholar.” ( Literary Journalism Studies)

“Three remarkable journeys into the cauldron of medical training. If you've ever wanted to know how doctors are made, this is the book for you.” (Danielle Ofri, M.D., PhD., author of Medicine in Translation)

“This superb account of the journey through medical school is gripping, funny, sam, thrue, and ultimately triumphant.” (Samuel Shem, M.D. author of The Spirit of the Place)

Amazing Story can teach you about your doctors

I really liked this book as it made me think about both my doctors and about my brother. Medical school is amazingly difficult and not just because of subject matter. The doctor has to fit his or her personality, upbringing and culture or way of life into a rigorous course of study.

I definitely recommend this book!

good for premed

I really enjoyed listening to this. I'd give it a 4.5 stars . the reading was a little robot-like and stacatoed but not so much that it distracted from the story. I enjoyed hearing about the journey of med students from start to finish. And the emotional experiences provided valuable insight. I'm grateful to the author for providing a resource for people not yet in medical school to get a glimpse at what's to come.

Not very informative., and not very dramatic.

The book has too much prropoganda,. The author constantly worries about what shoes and skirts students wear.
If you want to be a medical student, go talk to a few recent grads. They will tell you more in five minutes, than this book does in five hours. And most importantly--get a job in a hospital and see if it is fit you.
The value of this book is comparable to a popular TV show, except that TV is funny.
Narration is fine, but I wish it sounded a little more formal. However, I might be wrong, and the narrator followed the genre perfectly.