"Great for understanding and learning about how patients will have different needs and how even if a treatment doesn’t make the most medical sense to a physician that it can actually be the best option based on what is important to the patient. " - Ben on Being Mortal by Atul Gawande

Atul Gawande's books, including Being Mortal (2014), The Checklist Manifesto (2009), Better (2007), and Complications (2002), offer valuable insights into various aspects of medical practice, helping premed students better prepare as future physicians. These books discuss challenges, limitations, and improvement areas in medicine, offering readers a deeper understanding of patient care, medical ethics, and healthcare systems.

Being Mortal focuses on the end-of-life care and the importance of maintaining patients' dignity, autonomy, and quality of life. This book can help premed students appreciate the significance of compassionate and person-centered care, enabling them to consider patients' individual needs and preferences when making medical decisions.

The Checklist Manifesto emphasizes the value of using checklists in healthcare to reduce errors, improve patient outcomes, and streamline complex processes. This book highlights the importance of organization, teamwork, and communication in medical practice, preparing premed students for the collaborative nature of their future careers.

Better discusses the pursuit of excellence in medicine, offering insights into the habits and practices of highly effective physicians. Through this book, premed students can develop a better understanding of medical professionalism and learn strategies to enhance their own performance.

Complications explores the uncertainties and complexities inherent in medical practice, examining how physicians make decisions, handle errors, and deal with unexpected outcomes. This book encourages premed students to acknowledge and confront these challenges, fostering a more resilient and adaptable mindset.

In summary, Atul Gawande's books provide premed students with valuable perspectives on various aspects of medicine, helping them develop a well-rounded understanding of the profession and preparing them to become empathetic, effective, and ethical physicians.

Canadian book with clinical cases of bioethics. This book provides a solid introduction to moral principles and ethical reasoning, but we consider it to be low-yield and rather difficult to read. It requires some basic clinical understanding to best understand the resource. We recommend starting with the University of Washington Bioethics site.

"Great book on ethical behaviour and compassionate medicine" - Ben

Doing Right by Philip C. Hébert is a Canadian book that delves into bioethics through the use of clinical cases. In its fourth edition, this resource offers a case-based approach, which makes it an accessible and practical guide for healthcare trainees and practitioners alike, to navigate the complex world of contemporary biomedical ethics.

The book can help premed students prepare as future physicians by providing them with a solid introduction to moral principles and ethical reasoning. Although it may be considered low-yield and somewhat difficult to read, especially for those without basic clinical understanding, it offers invaluable insights into the ethical challenges healthcare professionals face in real-life scenarios. By studying these cases, premed students can develop their ability to analyze and address ethical dilemmas in a clinical context.

Through the exploration of real-life scenarios, Doing Right allows premed students to better understand and appreciate the ethical dimensions of medical practice. This understanding can help them develop the empathy, professionalism, and ethical decision-making skills necessary to navigate the complexities of patient care.

In summary, Doing Right by Philip C. Hébert is a valuable resource for premed students preparing for their future roles as physicians. While it may require some foundational clinical knowledge, the book offers an applied case-based approach that enables students to engage with ethical issues in a relatable and practical manner, fostering the development of crucial skills for their future medical practice.

The Canadian Guide to Med School is an incredible resource. Written by 70+ medical students studying at all 17 Canadian medical schools, it provides advice and resources for every stage of interview preparation. There are several full-length MMI circuits, loads of MMI questions with follow-ups, and other helpful documents.

The Canadian Guide to Med School, created by over 70 volunteer medical students from all 17 Canadian medical schools, is an invaluable resource for premed students preparing for their future careers as physicians. It offers comprehensive advice and resources for every stage of interview preparation, including full-length MMI circuits, numerous MMI questions with follow-ups, and other helpful documents.

Interviews are a critical aspect of the medical school application process, providing an opportunity for applicants to showcase their personalities and interpersonal skills. The guide covers different types of interviews, such as traditional/panel interviews, MMIs (Multiple Mini Interviews), modified personal interviews (MPIs), and group interviews, offering insights into the structure and objectives of each format.

For MMI preparation, the guide provides tips, practice questions, and resources that help students develop their soft skills, such as communication, teamwork, and leadership. MMIs consist of a series of stations where applicants are prompted to answer questions, collaborate on tasks, or role-play with actors. By understanding the expectations and objectives of these stations, students can approach the MMI with confidence and demonstrate their competencies to interviewers.

Group interviews are also addressed, emphasizing the importance of teamwork, communication, and collaboration in a medical setting. Premed students can benefit from understanding how to effectively participate in group interviews, showcasing their ability to work well with others and contribute to problem-solving in a team setting.

Overall, the Canadian Guide to Med School is an essential resource for premed students, helping them navigate the interview process, develop crucial skills, and ultimately prepare for their future roles as compassionate and competent physicians.