Why this list? Because medicine is rooted in the humanities. It is never just about the science. These stories are about doctors and/or patients, and how they face disease and death. We don’t read that from Harrison, Nelson, Williams, or Schwartz.
I have restricted this list to Filipino authors because every Filipino reader needs to read more Filipino writers. I’ve provided spoiler-free blurbs limited by Twitter’s character count, but you can skip them and just scroll through the images. After all, great stories do not need an introduction.
Disclaimer: This is far from comprehensive. I don’t claim this to be a “Best of” list neither am I the best person to do this. It’s simply a list of stories I’ve read and enjoyed, and I feel should be read by more Filipino med students and doctors. Please leave a comment for your recommendations!
The Men Who Play God
Yes, THE Rotor Syndrome. This is the title story of his collection where we get to read about early years of Philippine General Hospital, and realize how much has changed. Or how little. Would you want to play God today, doctor?
Arturo Rotor
Faith, Love, Time, and Dr. Lazaro
A rural doctor and his son go on a house call in the middle of the night. Why do we do what we do as doctors? We are taught to heal with science, but where it fails, would faith be enough? This is my go-to story.
Gregorio C. Brillantes
Sandosenang Sapatos
A girl who loves to draw, her differently abled younger sister, and their shoemaker father’s boundless love. You can search for the text online, but it’s a vastly richer experience reading the story illustrated. Lovely gift, too!
Luis P. Gatmaitan
We Won’t Cry About This
Two daughters and their mother face the Big C. A poignant insight into the impact of cancer to patients and their loved ones, beyond what we see in the clinic and the hospital ward.
Socorro A. Villanueva
Heartland
Burned out from the ravages of war and helplessness that comes with it, an army doctor is tasked to keep alive a rebel prisoner. Even when there’s little hope for cure—or perhaps because there isn’t any—we find that healing goes both ways.
Jose Y. Dalisay Jr.
Packing for the Moon
A father and his daughter need to pack for a trip to the moon. I read this story twice, unintentionally. The emotion I felt at the end, after the second time, was just as intense as when I first read it. You’ve been warned.
Dean Francis Alfar
Touch
A nurse finds herself at her father’s bedside. How do we care for people when they’ve scarred us so deeply?
Lakambini A. Sitoy
A Retrospective on Diseases for Sale
Here’s what happened when a company decided to sell diseases, instead of cure.
Charles Tan
Hunger
A teenage girl deals with an unusual illness, increasingly frequent hunger pangs, and her “It’s complicated” relationship status. This is speculative fiction, but the adolescent health issues couldn’t be more real.
Gabriela Lee
The Reprieve
Nobody is immune to disease. Not even doctors. It is a reality we must all face at some point in our careers, and in this story we witness a surgeon struggle as he tries to get back on his feet, grappling with the possibility of defeat.
Susan S. Lara
Hi Doc! Recommend ko po yung Doctor to the Barrios ni Dr. Flavier 🙂 I would like to ask din po if saan pwede mabasa yung mga books sa list?
Thank you for the list, Doc. It made me look up for these stories. Googling them, I became oblivious of the time passing, it was like I was entering a labyrinth of wonders, where I’m lead from one treasure to another. And the unintended consequence: I got to find other stories of our literary greats. For instance, I found a PDF copy of a 236-page, 1978 book containing 18 short stories by AB Rotor, Nick Joaquin, GCF, GC Brillantes, and others. Classic! Just imagine my reaction finding all of them in one book! Haha. I think I have indulged myself too much. I hope I can merge law and literature in my stories, someday. Just like you. An inspiration you are!
THANK YOU FOR THIS HEHEH I SEARCHED FOR IT TOO !!!!
“labyrinth of wonders” indeed