best book about medicine

Best Books About Medicine You Can’t Miss Out On

Learn how to study twice as fast with Our fREE studying course

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links which means I may get a commission if you make a purchase through my link at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support!

Are you looking for the best book about medicine? Reading tons of books, resources, journals, and articles in medical school is a norm that every medical student should incorporate in their daily lives. 

Whether it’s an academic or non-academic medical-related book, medical students, doctors, or even doctors-wannabe, spend most of their time reading.

You surely won’t be going anywhere if you have not cracked a single medical book page per page.

For now, let’s take a break from exam and board reviews. In this post, I’m going to give you the best book about medicine for your free time pleasure.

Bonus: Want a full library of free medical school eBooks, video courses, and training? Click here to get access to your free med school advice library!

Best Book About Medicine For Medical Students

Hot Lights, Cold Steel by Michael J. Collins, M.D.

Hot Lights, Cold Steel: Life, Death and Sleepless Nights in a Surgeon's First Years
If you’re curious about the 4-year life of an orthopedic surgeon resident at the Mayo Clinic, you may check out Dr. Collins own story through his Hot Lights, Cold Steel book. The book will give you fresh exposure inside the operating room.

For more info, check it out on Amazon

See Reviews on Amazon

Emergency Doctor by Edward Ziegler and Lewis R. Goldfrank, M.D.

Emergency Doctor
If you dream of indulging in a challenging environment filled with action, perhaps being an emergency physician has crossed your mind. Dr. Ziegler’s book will take you to the crazy world of emergency medicine. Each chapter depicts a story of a notable patient Dr. Ziegler encountered in the ER. You may find this book interesting as it gives an idea of the actual tragic or epic scenario you would encounter in the future.

For more info, check it out on Amazon.

See Reviews on Amazon

Bonus: Want a full library of free medical school eBooks, video courses, and training? Click here to get access to your free med school advice library!

Better by Atul Gawande, M.D.

Better: A Surgeon's Notes on Performance
Dr. Gawande has been known for writing books about medicine such as Complications and The Checklist Manifesto which discusses how to reduce errors in medicine. The book is divided into three main sections. It contains several essays that tackle various healthcare issues including insurance, lawsuits, and more.

For more info, check it out on Amazon

See Reviews on Amazon

The Soul of a Doctor, by Susan Pories, M.D., Sachin H. Jain, and Gordon Harper, M.D.

The Soul of a Doctor (Havard Medical Students Face Life and Death)
This book mirrors the lives of several medical students who were passionate and hardcore committed to pursuing their dreams. If you are a student who is about to start or aspires to be in med school, this book will share the realization of how medical students work hard to succeed.

For more info, check it out on Amazon.

See Reviews on Amazon

The Intern Blues by Robert Marion, M.D.

The Intern Blues: The Timeless Classic About the Making of a Doctor
If there is a book for the medical student life, this book, by the name itself, focuses on how life is as an intern. It shows the lives of several pediatric interns with a focus on how they managed to handle every challenge they faced along the way.

For more info, check it out on Amazon.

See Reviews on Amazon

Bonus: Want a full library of free medical school eBooks, video courses, and training? Click here to get access to your free med school advice library!

Med School Confidential by Robert H. Miller and Daniel M. Bissell, M.D.

Med School Confidential: A Complete Guide to the Medical School Experience: By Students, for Students
This book speaks what the journey from premed to become a physician looks like. This book is recommended for premed students to give them ideas on the trials they should expect and prepare for.

For more info, check it out on Amazon.

See Reviews on Amazon

In Stitches by Anthony Youn, M.D.

In Stitches
This is a memoir by Dr. Youn-a plastic surgeon, TV personality, and writer who shared his life journey on becoming a physician.

For more info, check it out on Amazon.

See Reviews on Amazon

Bonus: Want a full library of free medical school eBooks, video courses, and training? Click here to get access to your free med school advice library!

The House of God by Samuel Shem, M.D.

The House of God
A classic 1978 book, The House of God is recommended for both pre-medical or medical students. He gives us a ride on how his life went when he was an intern in one of the premier teaching hospitals in Boston.

You will meet his fellow interns, supervising residents, and nurses. You would be amazed at how healthcare looks like in those years versus the 21st century.

For more info, check it out on Amazon.

See Reviews on Amazon

Complications by Atul Gawande, M.D.

Complications: A Surgeon's Notes on an Imperfect Science
As I mentioned earlier, Complications has been one of Dr. Gawande’s masterpieces. He strongly advocates for improvement in the healthcare system through his works. His works are enlightening and serve as an inspiration to every physician and aspiring doctor. He shares his challenging cases encountered while in practice as a surgeon.

For more info, check it out on Amazon.

See Reviews on Amazon

White Coat by Ellen L. Rothman, M.D.

White Coat: Becoming A Doctor At Harvard Medical School
The book is about the real-life story of Dr. Ellen Lerner Rothman as she conquers Harvard Medical School. She shares her experiences, fears, triumphs, and every wonderful feeling she felt every year. You’ll get a glimpse of her classroom and clinical years. This is a great book to all premed students who are curious about what med school is.

For more info, check it out on Amazon.

See Reviews on Amazon

Bonus: Want a full library of free medical school eBooks, video courses, and training? Click here to get access to your free med school advice library!

The Doctor Stories by William Carlos Williams

The Doctor Stories
The Doctor Stories is a collection of poems, stories, and personal experiences of a doctor with different types of patients. The book is a realistic description of patients you could encounter in the future. 

For more info, check it out on Amazon.

See Reviews on Amazon

The Devil Wears Scrubs by Freida McFadden

The Devil Wears Scrubs
If you are looking for the best book about medicine that’s highly relatable and would let you laugh with yourself out, then we recommend this one for you. This tells a humorous story of an intern’s first month of training with a “senior resident from hell.” This is the entertaining and relatable account of an intern struggling to be the best doctor.

For more info, check it out on Amazon.

See Reviews on Amazon

William Osler: A Life in Medicine by Michael Bliss

William Osler: A Life in Medicine
Bliss takes us to the life of Dr. Osler-the founder of American Internal Medicine. The book emphasizes his medical contributions and how he influenced better practices in the specialty. 

For more info, check it out on Amazon.

See Reviews on Amazon

Bonus: Want a full library of free medical school eBooks, video courses, and training? Click here to get access to your free med school advice library!

When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi

When Breath Becomes Air
This is a story of a neurosurgeon’s battle with terminal lung cancer at a young age. He provides insightful thoughts about the meaning of life and the issues of dying with grace. This book concerns mainly on bioethical issues that are encountered in real life.

For more info, check it out on Amazon.

See Reviews on Amazon

A Case of Need by Michael Crichton

A Case of Need: A Novel
This book is about a surgeon’s daughter who died during an abortion. The book- full of mystery and thrill provides interesting and informational accounts about medical practice. 

For more info, check it out on Amazon.

See Reviews on Amazon

Become A Top Med Student Quickly!

Get access to our top guides on how to be a top med student, get better grades, study more efficiently, crush your board exams and be impressive on your clinical rotations!

Best Books About Being A Doctor

Bad Science by Ben Goldacre

Bad Science: Quacks, Hacks, and Big Pharma Flacks
For all research lovers, the book showcases both touches of humor and facts. It tells the story behind every discovery and secrets in the lab that nobody told you. Satirical and eye-opening way of exposing malpractices or “bad science” in the world of research and development that journalists and scientists never wanted everyone to know. By reading this, you’ll be surely persuaded to get a great leap on becoming a physician and researcher.

For more info, check it out on Amazon.

See Reviews on Amazon

This is Going to Hurt by Adam Kay

This is Going to Hurt: Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor
The best book about medicine is inspiring, informational, and moving. Consider this book as one of the lists. The book is a narrative of the life of Dr. Adam Kay as a gynecologist. He narrated his journey from the admission process, his junior years as a doctor, all his first clinical triumphs and defeats, and up to his experiences as an overworked and underpaid gynecologist.

For more info, check it out on Amazon.

See Reviews on Amazon

Bonus: Want a full library of free medical school eBooks, video courses, and training? Click here to get access to your free med school advice library!

Where there is no Doctor: a Village Healthcare Handbook by David Werner

Where There Is No Doctor: A Village Health Care Handbook, Revised Edition
If you are a doctor who wants to serve the most vulnerable and marginalized ones residing in far-flung areas, this book is for you. It opens up the eyes of the readers on real-life issues and challenges in providing healthcare services in isolated areas.

The book narrates Dr. Werner’s encounter with the people in a small village in western Mexico. It is also informative on how to manage common health issues in the community.

For more info, check it out on Amazon.

See Reviews on Amazon

Do No Harm by Henry Marsh

Do No Harm: Stories of Life, Death, and Brain Surgery
Another medical ethics narrative, this book tells the story of a neurosurgeon Henry Marsh crucial decision making between life and death. He serves us with the agonistic realities of how neuro patients depend their lives on the hands of a doctor. It depicts the noble and significant roles of surgeons in maintaining and extending life.

For more info, check it out on Amazon.

See Reviews on Amazon

Being Mortal by Atul Gawande

Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End
Dr. Gawande takes us to the transition of the healthcare delivery system from the 1900s to the current times. During those early times, American hospitals were “caring” patients inside cells. But as technology advances and science continuously discovers effective treatments, service delivery has changed drastically. He also never disregarded the cultural differences of patients he encountered.

For more info, check it out on Amazon.

See Reviews on Amazon

Bonus: Want a full library of free medical school eBooks, video courses, and training? Click here to get access to your free med school advice library!

The Other Side by Kate Granger

The Other Side
Dr. Granger, a geriatric doctor, had bravely battled cancer. She tells her unique story of being a patient and a doctor. It provides insight into how important the profession is to be emphatic, compassionate, and understanding for their patients because Dr. Kate has experienced it herself. This is an inspiring story of how doctors should interact with their patients.

For more info, check it out on Amazon.

See Reviews on Amazon

The Checklist Manifesto by Atul Gawande

The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right
You’ve heard his name several times in this article. Simply because he’s a great and inspiring writer and doctor. It exposes the complexities of medicine and every failure that a doctor might encounter.

For more info, check it out on Amazon.

See Reviews on Amazon

The Optimism Bias by Tali Sharot

The Optimism Bias: A Tour of the Irrationally Positive Brain
We all know how being optimistic is important to move on and conquer with any life’s trials. But this book will leave us on the other side of the coin. It tells us how too much optimism can serve as a hindrance for people to seek medical advice. This is the best book about medicine as it will help you understand your patients’ behavior and what’s inside their heads. The book gives you the psychology behind patients’ health-seeking behaviors.

For more info, check it out on Amazon.

See Reviews on Amazon

Bonus: Want a full library of free medical school eBooks, video courses, and training? Click here to get access to your free med school advice library!

The Family That Couldn’t Sleep by D. T. Max

The Family That Couldn't Sleep: A Medical Mystery
The best book about medicine that focuses on genetics. It is about a particularly rare condition that can be inherited in the family. If you are into genetics, perhaps you’ll be amazed by the fascinating story about prions or so-called misfolded proteins that tremendously affects the brain.

For more info, check it out on Amazon.

See Reviews on Amazon

Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder

Mountains Beyond Mountains: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, a Man Who Would Cure the World (Random House Reader's Circle)
This book recalls the noble life of Dr. Paul Farmer – a physician and anthropologist. The author describes the battles that Dr. Farmer endured against tuberculosis in Peru, Haiti, and Russia.

For more info, check it out on Amazon.

See Reviews on Amazon

Here’s a video of how you could read more books in medical school. If you have found this video substantial and enjoyable, why not subscribe to our main channel?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRKOVbT4xSI

Best Book About Medicine For High School Students

The Pre-Med Journey: Advanced Strategies To Get Into Medical School

The Pre-Med Journey: Advanced Strategies To Get Into Medical School
Yours truly, I have written this best book about medicine to serve as a step-by-step guide for getting into med school. I provided effective personal strategies on how not to just survive but also ace med school. I’ll also warn you of the things that you must avoid such as inefficient study habits and unproductive and passive reviews.

Check out my book here on Amazon.

See Reviews on Amazon

My Stroke Of Insight: A Brain Scientist’s Personal Journey by Jill Bolte Taylor

My Stroke of Insight: A Brain Scientist's Personal Journey
A real-life story of how a neuroscientist who could hardly talk, read, write, and walk due to stroke managed to recover. He shares his inspiring story of resilience and perseverance to help patients with stroke or brain injury get through such a tough trial.

For more info, check it out on Amazon.

See Reviews on Amazon

The Emperor of All Maladies by Siddhartha Mukherjee

Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer
We know that cancer has been one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Many people are suffering due to unknown causes. On top of that, the cure is still yet to be discovered. If you are interested in oncology, you may get fascinated by this book.

It tells the history of cancer starting from its first documented cases. It also narrates how scientists have been struggling to discover the wonder drug that would end all suffering due to cancer and save lives.

For more info, check it out on Amazon.

See Reviews on Amazon

If you also want to read more books to get some doses of inspiration, I listed in this article my top 20 books for medical students.

Bonus: Want a full library of free medical school eBooks, video courses, and training? Click here to get access to your free med school advice library!

What Is The Best Medical Book?

As long as it is informational and inspires you to become a great doctor in the future, then that book should belong in the best book about medicine category. These books I presented were all-time best sellers and favorites of many aspiring medical students and medical students themselves. These are must-read titles that would surely help you on your journey from pre-med to the actual day when you are already in the frontlines and saving lives.

______________________________________________________________________________

If you have enjoyed this post, how about checking out some of our other blog posts for more great content?

If you want access to our full library of guides and free courses for med students, check out the Med Vault!

This is a completely free library of step-by-step eBooks & video courses that can help you on your medical journey!

Succeed In Med School With Less Stress

Get Access To A FREE Library Of Free Guides, Video Courses, And Resources To Help You Study Faster, Be More Productive, And Remain Stress Free

Get access to the Med Vault here.

I also want to share with you my best strategies and tricks on how you can succeed on your medical journey with my best selling Triple Bundle Books!Triple bundle books

Check out how I went from barely passing my exams to graduating med school with a 3.9 GPA in these resources. It worked for me and it could also work for you!

Again, thanks for stopping by!

Until next time my friend…

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *