Week 4: Medical Prep Review - A Return!

Hello Everyone,

It’s been a while - but we’re back! Apologies for the long gap since my last post. Between uni, research, and a lot of coffees, the blog took a short hiatus. But I’ve been reading, listening and making notes throughout, so I’m excited to share some of my favourites with you again. Whether you're preparing for UCAT, BMSAT or simply want to reflect on why medicine matters, here’s some of my top picks.

Let’s get into it.

Book of the Week: When Breath Becomes Air by Dr. Paul Kalanithi

I am certainly not the first person to recommend this book - but it’s an absolute must read!

“When Breath Becomes Air” is a memoir by Dr. Paul Kalanithi, a neurosurgeon who, at the height of his career, is diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. From a chilling opening, where Kalanithi states how cadavers reverse the polarity: “maniquins you pretend are real, cadavers you pretend are fake", Kalanthithi walks us through his experience of dual identity: doctor and patient. It’s raw, well written, and deeply philosophical.

“Even if I’m dying, until I actually die, I am still living.”

What makes this book so powerful for medical applicants is its honesty. Kalanithi doesn’t shy away from questioning what makes life meaningful when faced with its end. He reflects on the nature of being a doctor, the weight of decision-making, and what it means to offer care when outcomes are uncertain.

In fact, he argues his duty wasn’t to save lives as “everyone dies eventually.” Instead, he believed a doctors role is to guide a patient through death or illness. Perhaps this redefinition of the Doctor’s role might even shape how you approach your own medical Interviews.

For those applying to medicine, this book is a brilliant tool for reflecting on empathy, mortality, communication, and the human side of medicine. So take your time and bring a pencil. You’ll want to underline everything! I’ve barely scratched the surface of what I love about this book, so I’m sure I’ll be back in a future post to explore more.

Podcast of the Week: “Placebos work. Why?” – Unexplainable (Vox)

Unexplainable never misses. This is an old classic that every aspiring medical student should listen to. It dives into one of medicine’s strangest phenomena: the placebo effect. Why does taking a sugar pill sometimes actually make people feel better?

This episode goes far beyond “mind over matter.” It unpacks the science behind placebos - how expectations, context and belief can influence physical outcomes. You’ll hear about brain scans that light up when patients expect pain relief, about the power of doctor-patient interaction, and even how open-label placebos (where patients know it’s fake) still work in some conditions.

For medical interviews, especially MMI stations on the philosophy of medicine, this podcast is very helpful. It makes you think critically about what “treatment” really is. Is it the drug? The ritual? The relationship?

It also explores the current limitations of the NHS. Ethically Doctor’s can’t prescribe patients placebos - but if they are the most effective pain killer (more than morphine in some cases) surely this doesn’t uphold beneficence?

It’s also a great reminder of something that’s easy to forget when you're knee-deep in anatomy, physiology, and 17 flashcards on the coagulation cascade - healing isn’t just about the science. Sometimes, it’s about the story, the setting... and a surprisingly powerful sugar pill.

That’s all for this week. As always, if you’ve got a favourite book or podcast you'd like to recommend, feel free to reach out at reubencordina@gmail.com or drop a comment below.

Have a great week, and see you soon for Week 5 (I promise)!