Medical College of Wisconsin
Medical College of Wisconsin Medical College of Wisconsin

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Academic and Student Services

Past Common Read Selections

The MCW Common Read program began in the academic year of 2018-2019. All of the MCW Common Reads have been archived. You will find the book description, the links to the author’s Kern Grand Round recordings, and book resources.
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2018-2019: In Shock by Rana Awdish

It was with great excitement that we announced the selection of Dr. Rana Awdish’s novel, In Shock, as our first MCW Common Read during the 2018-2019 school year. In Shock was recommended to the Common Read Steering Committee by Dr. Cassie Ferguson.  Dr. Ferguson is a Pediatric Emergency Medicine doctor by day (and night), Director of the Kern Student Pillar, Director of the QuIPS Scholarly Pathway, and a driving force behind the MCW Common Read. In Shock follows Dr. Awdish’s journey through a life-threatening medical emergency and its aftermath.  Throughout the course of her story, she flips the lens on the medical system and balks at the gaps in caring and compassion.  She also expertly reflects on her own training and seeks answers for the dissonance that exists between her training and her actual experiences.  Themes of caring, competence, and character weave in and out of this purposely raw novel, demanding that readers take a critical look at themselves. 

Pick up a copy of the book:

  1. Borrow a copy from the MCW Library.
  2. Borrow a copy from your local public library:
    - Milwaukee County: In Shock is available in print and as an ebook using OverDrive. Check with local library to learn more.
    - Green Bay, Brown County Library: In Shock is available for the Kindle.
    - Wausau, Marathon County Library: In Shock is available in print.  Find electronic copies using OverDrive.
  3. Purchase a copy from Amazon.
  4. Listen to In Shock on Audible by starting a 30-day free trial.

Find a list of book discussion questions here (PDF)!

 

Watch Dr. Awdish's Kern Grand Rounds

2019-2020: Your Heart is the Size of Your Fist by Dr. Martina Scholtens

Your Heart is the Size of Your Fist: A Doctor Reflects on Ten Years at a Refugee Clinic touches on several themes throughout the book, including cultural humility, trauma and health systems and policy. Use the questions in the PDF to help guide your discussion of the book.

Dr. Martina Scholtens spent a decade in a Vancouver, British Columbia clinic for newly-arrived refugees, providing health care for families from the Middle East, Asia, Africa, and the Americas. But her real mission – the challenge that shines through her fascinating book – was to accompany them on their journeys in ways that went far beyond what she learned in medical school or during her family medicine residency.

Copies are available to MCW students, faculty, staff, and community members through the following venues:

  • Borrow a copy from the MCW Library
  • Purchase a copy from Amazon
  • Access an ebook version via Ebook Central
    - View the page number guide (PDF0 for easy converting between ebook and print book.
  • Purchase a copy from Matthews Book Store
  • Follow @MCWREADS on Instagram and Twitter

The author's visit was cancelled due to the impact of COVID-19 and in accordance with MCW's event guidelines.

 

View the discussion Questions (PDF)