There are now three books in the White Coat Investor series. Some wonder which book they should buy. While all three books are different and contain information not found in the other two, there is always going to be at least a little overlap. I hope the information on this page will help you decide which book to buy first.
The Original
The White Coat Investor: A Doctor's Guide to Personal Finance and Investing was published in 2014. It is a great overview for doctors at all stages of their career. It contains the story of how my wife Katie and I became millionaires just seven years out of residency on an average income those seven years of just $180,000 per year. The best part about that story is that it requires no luck and is completely reproducible by almost any physician. This book excels best at inspiring you to realize that you can and you should take control of your financial life. It then walks you through the basics of how to do it. It is the shortest of the three books at 161 pages, but that was done on purpose. I wanted to make sure those who picked it up would be able to finish it.
Buy The White Coat Investor today!
Boot Camp
The White Coat Investor's Financial Boot Camp: A 12-step, High-Yield Guide to Bring Your Finances Up to Speed was published in 2018. It is ideal for senior residents, new attendings, and doctors who are completely new to taking control of their financial lives at any stage of their career. The book grew out of a series of emails that was sent out to new subscribers to the monthly newsletter. The book is designed to take you from zero to hero in as little time as possible with as little hassle as possible. It is far more prescriptive than the first book (first do this, then do this). It is 205 pages long and also includes a very useful glossary of terms to improve financial literacy. While it does not contain as much personal information about Katie and I, it still contains lots of inspirational content, this time supplied by dozens of other doctors who have become financially successful.
Buy The White Coat Investor's Financial Boot Camp today!
Guide for Students
The White Coat Investor's Guide for Students: How Medical and Dental Students Can Secure Their Financial Future was published in 2021. It is aimed directly at medical and dental students, although anyone (whether a doctor or not) will find the last half of the book very useful as an overall guide to financial literacy. The first half of the book will take a student from being a premed through their intern year (or in the case of a general dentist, their first year in practice). It addresses all of the major decisions a student will face and discusses the financial ramifications of those decisions. It gives recommendations for choosing a school, paying for school, living on loans, budgeting, buying insurance, picking a specialty, choosing a residency program, and avoiding burnout. It also discusses issues like buying versus renting in residency and whether or not to open your own practice. The eight chapters at the end provide an extensive overview of how markets work (stocks, bonds, and real estate), how taxes work, and financial history.