The Pre-Med & Medical Student Reading List You Haven’t Seen Yet (2023)
Pre-med reading lists are often more-or-less the same and claim that you “must” read these books because you’ll be asked about them during your medical school interview (I can tell you from my med school interview experience that this just isn’t the case). Instead, you should be prepared to talk about a few things that interest you outside of academics rather than memorizing the SparkNotes version of books you “should’ve read” during college.
I recommend the books below to any college pre-med or medical student who has an interest in business and leadership. Whether you want to run your own private practice or serve in an administrative role within your healthcare organization, these books will equip you with strategies to become more effective and adaptable both personally and professionally. These skills are essential for future physicians who will be practicing within the ever-changing U.S. healthcare system. I have personally read each book in this list, and adopting the key principles from each of them into my own life has made me more productive and widened my perspective on leadership and the healthcare industry as a business.
*Some of the links on this page are affiliate links, which means I may earn a commission on purchases made through them (at no extra cost to you).The Pre-Med & Medical Student Reading List That Doesn’t Suck
Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win by Jocko Willink & Leif Babin
First up on the list is Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin. I first heard about this book when Nick Bare posted it on Instagram, and it’s the best leadership book I’ve ever read. Each chapter starts with a true story from the authors’ training and missions as U.S. Navy SEALs. Their narratives are engaging even to someone who doesn’t have a particular interest in war stories. The next section in each chapter outlines key takeaways from the military scenario they just described, followed by how you can apply them to your life and business. The authors also talk about how they’ve used these same principles to train anyone from C-suite executives to front-line employees across many industries at their leadership consulting firm, Echelon Front.
What I really liked about Extreme Ownership is that I could apply what I was reading to my life today. It’s one of those books that you’ll recommend to pretty much anyone as soon as you’re done with it because it’s that life changing. I plan on sharing it with everyone on my care team in the future so they can all have a better understanding of their individual role in delivering excellent patient care.
There’s also a workbook that goes into more detail about their methods and a sequel that I also plan on reading.
The Cost of Cutting: A Surgeon Reveals the Truth Behind a Multibillion-Dollar Industry by Paul A. Ruggieri
I actually bought The Cost of Cutting when I was in high school, but I was too young to appreciate it at the time. Dr. Ruggieri talks about the ethical dilemmas of being a private practice general surgeon along with the economic and political challenges facing the American healthcare system. You’ll be able to appreciate his perspective and the solutions he offers to reduce healthcare costs while maintaining quality of care. Equally as important, you’ll be able to anticipate some of the challenges you might face as a future physician and become a more informed patient yourself.
What I liked most about The Cost of Cutting is that Dr. Ruggieri tells it like it is when it comes to insurance companies, hospital reimbursement, and healthcare policy, including the effect of the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) on the U.S. healthcare system. I know I said earlier that there aren’t any books you have to read for medical school interviews, but this book will help you prepare for questions that might come up about healthcare policy (you should know what the Affordable Care Act is, how it changed healthcare delivery, and the impact it has on hospital systems, insurance companies, patients, and providers—all of which are answered in The Cost of Cutting).
Good to Great is a narrative of Jim Collins’ research into what makes companies successful in the long run. It was interesting to see how the scientific method is used to answer research questions in disciplines outside of science as someone who has only conducted bench and clinical research. I’m including Good to Great in this list because it gives perspective to the fact that there is no exact formula for reaching success and becoming a great leader. Many of the companies that are still in business today had not-so-obvious leadership.
This is one of a 6 book series by Jim Collins that I also plan on reading throughout med school.
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey
Next up on the list of books all pre-med and med students should read is The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey. The title pretty much speaks for itself. Like most of the other books on this list, you’ll be able to identify opportunities for improvement in your own life while you’re reading, with key takeaways that will benefit your personal, academic, and professional workflows. It’s a classic in any executive’s personal library and can be used as a reference for the rest of your life when you finish reading it. There’s also a journal that goes along with it if you’re into that sort of thing.
Honorable Mentions
I’ll include some books that are worth checking out but didn’t quite make it on the list of books medical and pre-med students should read:
Do No Harm: Stories of Life, Death, and Brain Surgery by Dr. Henry Marsh
Also check out Dr. Marsh’s other books:
And Finally: Matters of Life and Death was published this year
Dr. Atul Gawande’s series on medical triumphs and shortcomings from a surgeon’s perspective
The House of God is a classic by Samuel Shem that many of the doctors I work with have recommended reading before, during, and after medical school.
Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear
Conclusion
Unlike many of the other pre-health and medical school reading lists out there, I hope you’ll find that the books in this list offer perspectives beyond just what it’s like to be a doctor. A good time to pick them up would be during your gap year or when you have a break from school. Extreme Ownership, The Cost of Cutting, Good to Great, and The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People will require conscious reading, but the principles in them will change your life and your future practice by making you a proactive and adaptable leader.
All of the books in this list are available for free shipping with Amazon Prime, and college students can get a 50% discount. You can also sign up for a free Audible trial so you can listen to them in the car or during your walk to class. If you decide to pick up any of these books or would like to contribute to this list, let me know by sending me a DM on Instagram, leaving a comment on this post, or contacting me here!
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