When I review applications, I'm amazed at the handful of applications that do not list parents names, educational level, and occupations.  This information is listed at the beginning of your application packet along with your demographic data.  Sometimes I find it helpful to know the applicant's family background and how the applicant chose to pursue medicine.  Were both of your parents doctors and brought you into their clinics and talked about medicine at the dinner table? Or were your parents not in the health professions at all and thus you have have little clinical exposure growing up?

Having one or both parents as physicians give the applicant an advantage in applying to medical school.  Because the parent has successfully gone through the process, one would assume that the parent would help their child with their application and thus there would be no excuse for holes in the application.  If the applicant has very little clinical or research experience, the admissions committee will give you a hard time for not pursuing these important activities.