Bookshelves

Knowledge is power when it comes to medical school admissions.

Joann reads all the literature she can on getting into med school so that she can pass the best of the advice on to you. Below you’ll find a list of the books currently on the market. The first books on the list have the most information about the medical school personal statement, and they are generally in order from the most to the least helpful. All of these books can be found in the career development center libraries of most colleges and universities, or you can buy them in bookstores or online. The Amazon Marketplace has lightly used copies of many for just a few dollars. We expect to have our critiques of these books up very soon!

1. Medical School Essays that Made a Difference, 3rd Edition (Graduate School Admissions Guides). Princeton Review. (Release date: Sep 14, 2010).

2. Get into Medical School - Write the Perfect Personal Statement: Effective Techniques & Over 100 Examples of Real Successful Personal Statements. Olivier Picard, and Dominique Pizzingrilli (ISC Medical, 2010).

3. Essays That Will Get You into Medical School. Dan Kaufman, Chris Dowhan, and Adrienne Dowhan, 3rd edition. (Barron's Educational Series, 2009).

4. The Official Student Doctor Network Medical School Admissions Guide. Christian Becker. (Mill City Press, Inc., 2007). (We think this book is a great resource on all aspects of the admissions process. The advice on personal statements is slim, but the main message is key: Apply early!!)

5. Examkrackers How to Get into Medical School: A Thorough Step-by-step Guide to Formulating Strategies for Success in the Admissions Process. Raakhi Mohan, and Ibrahim Busnaina. (Osote Publishing, 2007). (This is a well-written book with some solid personal statement advice. The authors call the unifying theme of the personal statement--which they also say is the part that helps you stand out--the "gift wrap." We like this metaphor and agree with their advice.)

6. Writing about me: A step by step method to creating a powerful personal statement for schools of medicine, dentistry, chiropractic, pharmacy, PA, optometry, podiatry, veterinary medicine. Barbara Huntington, and Linda Masse. (Montezuma Publishing, San Diego State University (spiral-bound), 2007). (We enjoyed this little book and found it helpful for applicants. The authors are advisors in the San Diego State University Preprofessional Health Advising Office. This book (booklet?) collects their knowledge and provides a workbook format to help you write your personal statement.)

7. How to Write the Perfect Personal Statement: Write powerful essays for law, business, medical, or graduate school application (Peterson's Perfect Personal Statements). Mark A. Stewart, 4th edition. (Peterson's, Jul 30, 2009). (This is a thin, somewhat flimsy book. Most of the information can be found online. It does have 30 examples of personal statements, but they are from all fields (law, med, business, grad. The last nine pages on advice from medical school admissions officers is helpful.)

8. Essays That Worked for Medical Schools: 40 Essays from Successful Applications to the Nation's Top Medical Schools. Emily Angel Baer, and Stephanie B. Jones. (Ballantine Books, 2003). (The examples are fine, but there is no commentary. We think the authors should have worked harder.)

9. 101 Tips on Getting into Medical School -- Second Edition: Updated, Revised, Enlarged. Jennifer C. Welch, 2nd ed. (Gegensatz Press, Aug 14, 2009). (These are very general tips from the director of admissions at SUNY Upstate Medical University. Some of the advice you may not be familiar with, but most of it you will already know.)

10. Ivy League Admission: 100 Successful Medical School Personal Statements. Dr. Nancy L. Nolan. (Digital Download PDF, n.d.).

11. Get Into Medical School: A Strategic Approach. Maria Lofftus, 3rd edition. (Kaplan Publishing, 2008). (This book has three sample essays with commentaries by admissions officers. This is a rather general book.)

12. Med School Confidential: A Complete Guide to the Medical School Experience: By Students, for Students. Robert H. Miller, Dan Bissell M.D., and Harold M. Friedman M.D. (St. Martin’s, 2006). (This book has very little on the personal statement, but it has a lot of advice on how to ask yourself if a career in medicine is really right for you as well as advice on surviving med school after you get in.)

13. An Insider's Guide to Getting into Medical School: Tips They Don't Teach You in College! Dr. X. (Lawyers & Judges Publishing Company, 2005). (This is a very general guide to getting into medical school. It focuses on the interview.)

14. Perfect Phrases for Medical School Acceptance (Perfect Phrases Series). Paul Bodine. (McGraw-Hill, Dec 17, 2008). (We prefer you find phrases that fit you and your personality perfectly rather than stock phrases.)

15. How to Get into the Top Graduate Schools: What You Need to Know about Getting into Law, Medical, and Other Ivy League Schools Explained Simply. David Wilkening. (Atlantic Publishing Company, 2008). (This book has really large print. The weak Table of Contents and index make it hard to use. Some brief personal statement advice is buried on page 172. We suggest you skip this book.)

16. How To Get Into Medical School By Someone That Has Actually Done It. Daniel W. Mijares M.D. (Lulu.com, 2007).

17. Getting Into Medical School. Sanford Jay Brown, 10th ed. (Barron's Educational Series, 2006). (Seems a bit out of date once you get into it.)

18. Taking My Place in Medicine: A Guide for Minority Medical Students (Surviving Medical School Series). Carmen Webb. (Sage Publications, Inc, 2000). (This is a lovely book divided into essays by many doctors sharing their experiences as members of minority groups. This book doesn't have a section on personal statements, but we wanted to mention it as a good resource for minority applicants.)