John Hopkins- Is it a death sentence for a pre med?

[Juana Smith]

John Hopkins has been a dream school of mine since I began high school, but doing more research now as a junior, I have found several people who are completely against it as a pre med choice. I have been told that it is too rigorous and kills one's gpa, and that Ivies are a better bet. Is this accurate? Other thoughts?

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[ArteryStudyPainting]

John Hopkins has been a dream school of mine since I began high school, but doing more research now as a junior, I have found several people who are completely against it as a pre med choice. I have been told that it is too rigorous and kills one's gpa, and that Ivies are a better bet. Is this accurate? Other thoughts?

First of all, it's Johns Hopkins. Secondly, your undergraduate institution doesn't matter in terms of getting into medical school. You should go where you're happiest. Third, there is no such thing as too rigorous. You either put the work in to do well, and learn in the process, or skate by and get hurt because you didn't learn anything when the MCAT comes. Later on, you will regret not working harder than to simply get a good grade.

Case in point, I went to a school not known for its premed at all. I worked hard for both my GPA and knowledge. Then, I was sitting in rooms with people who went to Brown for neuroscience.

If Hopkins makes you happy, by all means do it. Excel anywhere you go. And crush the MCAT and most importantly, play the game to win, and learn in the process.

Sent from my Pixel 2 using SDN mobile

 

[GoSpursGo]

Moving to hSDN.

I can't speak to whether Hopkins deflates GPAs, but there are definitely schools that are known to do this (MIT is another that I can think of off the top of my head). On the other hand, there are clear benefits to going to an undergrad with a world class medical school attached if you can find time to make meaningful connections with the medical campus. So every school has its pluses and minuses.

 

[KimPossibleMD]

Hey!

When i was a senior in high school, I was fortunate enough to get into Hopkins and my state school. I ended up choosing my state school for financial reasons, and I couldn't have been happier with my choice. I had no debt, met lots of awesome people, worked hard and did well in my classes, and got involved in lots of extracurricular activities. In my opinion, if you're 100% set on going to medical school, go to the cheapest undergrad option that will allow you to feel the most comfortable and happy. Then apply to Hopkins after. That's what I did, and I'll be there in the fall!

 

[AnimeMed]

Hi,
Johns Hopkins junior here. If your pre-med don't come here. Point blank period. Every single class goes above an beyond what you'll need for the MCAT. Simple intro courses like Gen Chem are extremely difficult for the sake of being a weed out classes. I AP'd out, but several of my colleagues with 4 AP scored still walked out with a B-. I also took Organic chemistry at my home state school. Cowardly? yes. Avoiding possibly being the 40% of the class that receives a C, worth it to me. Though Hopkins students work hard, the strenuous courses basically forces them to commit to 15 credit hours with nearly 0 out of school commitment. Unless of course your willing to only get 4-5 hours of sleep on a consistent basis, and there are several students who average less. Go to your state school, get a 3.8-4.0, retain your sanity, and make a difference in your community, because Hopkins students are only doing 2/3.