Telling tales out of school--portrayals of the medical student experience by physician-novelists.

Changes in medical and medical ethics education are being considered with little attention to the experience of the medical students involved. This study attempts to characterize and highlight certain aspects of that experience from a literary perspective. After a brief review of the history of traditional academic studies in the field, eight novels, written by physician-writers and featuring medical student protagonists, are analyzed. Several common themes of the student experience are identified in the novels, and are contrasted with themes found in the medical literature. A plea is made to acknowledge literary as well as scientific interpretations of the medical student experience when considering changes in medical education.