For substance. In order of importance (top being most important)
Med School Confidential (2006) -- If I could recommend only one book for pre-meds, this would be it. Written by Robert Miller, author of Law School Confidential, and Daniel Bissell, MD, the book has something for pre-med or med students at any phase of their career. It first discusses the thought process involved with choosing a medical career and finishes by discussing how to apply for and survive for medical residencies. I already used this book to help me select and apply to med schools and I intend to use it to help me study for the USMLE and apply to residencies in the future. you get more bang for your buck, for sure. There's even a chapter for spouses of medical students. Buy this book!
Kaplan's Get Into Medical School (2006) -- Though this may appear to be a selling gimmic for Kaplan, I enjoyed this book. Unlike Med School Confidential, this book focuses on the application process. It takes you step by step though the process and gives you good advice along the way. My favorite sections included the financial aid information (which is better than Med School Confidential's in my opinion) and especially the chapters focusing on special student populations: nontraditional students, underrepresented minorities, students with disabilities, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students. That impressed me immensely.
Complications by Atul Gwande (2002) -- Realistic stories from a surgical resident who went to Harvard Medical School. I enjoy his writing style. I first encountered him in an essay writing class one summer, and I fell in love with the book ever since. I learned a lot about the subjective and philosophical sides of medicine.
U.S. News and World Report's Ulimate Guide to Medical Schools (2004) -- I considered this book helpful, but not because of the schools' profiles. I enjoyed the articles at the beginning of the book, which described how to pick a school that is right for me and my personality. I love how the articles encourage students to stay away from the idea of rankings or prestige and lean toward more personal factors (like location, curriculum, or environment).
Medical School Essays that made a difference (2006) -- This book freaked me out about medical school (and not in a good way). Not only does this book consist of sample personal statements, it included the students' GPA and MCAT scores and the list of schools they applied to. Seeing others' scores immediately make me nervous. In the back it shows where they were admitted (or waitlisted or rejected). Though every student was admitted somewhere, I considered the results to be very depressing. I enjoyed having the opportunity to read others' personal statements; however, I was able to find good (sometimes better) personal statements online for free.
