My Favorite Medical Books

Best Books to Read for Medical and Premed Students

Disclaimer: I’ve linked them all to Amazon* so you can check the reviews and prices, but please note that I don’t buy all these books. I often read library books, borrow from friends, or use my Kindle; I only buy my absolute favorites. But I do read reviews about them, on both Amazon and GoodReads.

(*These are affiliate links, which means that if you DO decide to buy, I get a tiny percentage of it, for no extra cost to you, so if you don’t mind supporting me, then I would really appreciate it!)

If you’ve just finished your exams and you’re headed home for Christmas, itching for a new book to read, here’s a list of my favorite medical books, organized by theme: biographical, historical and forensics! At the end, I’ll list the books I want to read, because as we all know, the list never ends. Oh, and I also added those that I started and didn’t finish, for whatever reason, with the reason briefly explained.

These books are suitable for medical students, pre-med students, med-enthusiasts; truly anyone can read them, because they’re not overly medical or technical. I discovered the genre when I was applying to medical school and I was instantaneously hooked. I vowed to read every book in the category, and so far I haven’t come across a single one I didn’t like, so take my suggestions with a grain of salt! 🙂

Happy reading and please share your favorites below!

BIOGRAPHICAL

Hot Lights, Cold Steel: Life, Death and Sleepless Nights in a Surgeon’s First Years by Michael Collins: my first foray into the medical world and I was immediately enamored. The story of a young resident in Mayo Clinic who moonlights on the weekends, this book gave true insight into the harrowing life of a resident; I read this cover to cover in just a few short days.
When the Air Hits Your Brain: Tales of Neurosurgery by Frank Vertosick: I loved how raw and honest this writer was, and he shared innumerable fascinating cases. What I liked about his storytelling was that he didn’t leave out the mistakes he made; he began the story on his first day of residency, and I could feel his uncertainty and nervousness, almost as if I were there with him.
Complications: A Surgeon’s Notes on an Imperfect Science by Atul Gawande: he is my favorite medical writer and such an inspiration, as a doctor and as a human. As the title suggests, he discussed a lot of the things that go wrong in medicine, and it’s a harrowing read. I love the way he writes, and I love the topics he chooses, so I am definitely going to read his other books: the Checklist Manifesto, Being Mortal, and Better. Has anyone read them?
Do No Harm: Stories of Life, Death and Brain Surgery by Henry Marsh: if you’ve heard of the English Surgeon, a BBC documentary, Dr. Marsh is the man behind the screen. His stories are phenomenal and his writing excellent, and although neurosurgeon is very different nowadays, it was an engaging read.
Fragile Lives: A Heart Surgeon’s Stories of Life and Death on the Operating Table by Stephen Westaby: his book was so full of raw emotion that it had me in tears. Doctors, especially male ones, are not known for showing emotion, so his transparency was really touching. An excellent read and some of his cases really stuck with me (in fact, I’m still haunted by one of them, and if you read the book, you’ll know which one).
This is Going to Hurt by Adam Kay: another highly recommended book that I didn’t like at first. I picked it back up after months, and really enjoyed it that time around. It’s by far the funniest medical book I’ve read, and it had me cracking up on the plane more than once.
When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi: this is the one many of you might already know; it comes highly recommended and it’s different from all the rest in the category. Without spoiling too much, I’ll just say it’s the story of a young resident who is himself diagnosed with an illness; it follows his journey and it was definitely an interesting read, but out of this group, I would say it was my least favorite (still a far cry from “dislike” though, don’t get me wrong).

HISTORICAL

The Butchering Art: Joseph Lister’s Quest to Transform the Grisly World of Victorian Medicine by Lindsey Fitzharris: Disclaimer: I loved microbiology, and since this book took me through some of the major discoveries in the field, I ate it right up. [Ask my boyfriend: he had to listen to all the fun facts I would continuously spew at him, reciting entire passages from the book.] Oh, and the author has become one of my favorite accounts on Instagram; check out Lindsey Fitzharris’s Instagram where she shares tons of amazing, quirky, gross historical and medical facts.
Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach: a look at what we’ve used cadavers for in the past. You’ll be surprised, both by the chapters and by how unexpectedly funny this book about dead people is (I found myself laughing aloud at certain points). So far, everyone I’ve recommended it to has enjoyed it. She’s a fantastic writer and if you like humor and corpses and science, this is perfect for you.
The Brain That Changes Itself: Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science by Norman Doidge: I’m fascinated by all things brain and this book had an endless supply of fun tidbits. The author explained the progress we’ve made in neuroscience from beginning to recent and although it is a very long book, I found it really interesting, especially because I read it as we were studying neuroanatomy in class.

FORENSICS:

Working Stiff: Two Years, 262 Bodies, and the Making of a Medical Examiner by Judy Melinek: I loved every moment of this book. I actually listened to it as an audiobook (which I do not recommend) but I would gladly reread it in paperback at a later date. She covered such unique, exciting, heart-wrenching cases; it honestly felt like watching CSI, except that we know that everything that happened was real. If you’re interested in forensic medicine, this is a great book to give you some insight into the field.

BOOKS I’VE STARTED:

The Tale of the Dueling Neurosurgeons: The History of the Human Brain as Revealed by True Stories of Trauma, Madness, and Recovery by Sam Kean: I really enjoyed the beginning of this book, but I got stuck on a long-ish section on phantom pain. I definitely hope to get back to it and finish it, because it had some really fascinating cases, especially the first chapter regarding Vesalius, the famous anatomist, and his patient, the jousting king that got speared through the eye (cliffhanger: did he die? Read to find out!).
The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat and Other Clinical Tales by Oliver Sacks: this book came highly recommended as a “classic” in the category of medical reads, and it’s definitely one of the older ones. Published in 1998, it recounts unique cases that the world-famous neurologist came across, and is only one of many famous books by Dr. Sacks. It started a bit slow, but it was enjoyable; I think I got too caught up in life to finish it, but I hope to at some point.
Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman: another highly recommended book, not explicitly medical, but non-fiction science. I couldn’t get through this book, even though I tried it both as a book and an audiobook, because while the concept is interesting, it was simply too long-winded. Have you read it?

TO READ:

– Under the Knife: A History of Surgery in 28 Remarkable Operations by Arnold van de Laar
– Past Mortems: Life and Death Behind Mortuary Door
– The Man Who Touched His Own Heart: True Tales of Science, Surgery, and Mystery
– Dr. Mütter’s Marvels: A True Tale of Intrigue and Innovation at the Dawn of Modern Medicine (I’ve been to this museum twice now and I just can’t get enough!).

…and so much more! Check out my GoodReads account for my full “Want to Read” list, here.

Please share your favorite reads with me! I can’t wait for time off from school to indulge a bit.