I am an upcoming freshmen of an undergrad and have been honored to be accepted into UCLA and UC Berkeley. However, I am not sure to which one I should attend. Which undergraduate school should I attend as a premed? Where do I have better chances and opportunities of becoming a cardiologist someday and someday attending UCLA medical or UCSF medical schools?
UCLA or UC Berkeley?
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That all depends on how well you do at either school. They're both great schools, the question is whether you like Berkeley or Westwood better, not which one will help you more because the difference the school would make would be marginal at best, they're both great state schools.
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I second what drizzt3117 said. They are so close academically, it really depends on whether you like the areas around the universities.
I'm a senior at UCLA, so I'm only a little biased here!
I have really enjoyed going to UCLA, both for it's reputation and for the great student life here. Westwood is a pretty cool place with lots of good restaurants and shops, and the occasional movie premiere at the Fox theater. Also, Diddy Riese, which appears to have recession-proof ice cream sandwiches, since there is always a line there. The downside: homeless people who preach, play blues guitar and scream at passers-by. I really can't complain, though. USC kids come driving out of the ghetto in their Mercedes Benz-es to spend time in Westwood, so it must have something going for it. Namely, it's not USC! 
The surrounding area is also pretty nice: to the north is a bunch of hoighty-toighty mansions in Bel Air, if you go west you can get to the beach in a short amount of time. Half an hour to the east is Hollywood and points beyond. I'd highly recommend UCLA (again, UCLA senior here). There's tons of research and volunteering opportunities here, too, and a large pre-med contingent, so you wouldn't be alone in your med school quest.
I've heard mixed reviews on Berkeley from friends and friends of friends who went there, thought about transferring, but ended up staying and liking it. But I really don't know what to say, I haven't actually been there myself. Any Bears here to chime in?
I'm a senior at UCLA, so I'm only a little biased here!
I have really enjoyed going to UCLA, both for it's reputation and for the great student life here. Westwood is a pretty cool place with lots of good restaurants and shops, and the occasional movie premiere at the Fox theater. Also, Diddy Riese, which appears to have recession-proof ice cream sandwiches, since there is always a line there. The downside: homeless people who preach, play blues guitar and scream at passers-by. I really can't complain, though. USC kids come driving out of the ghetto in their Mercedes Benz-es to spend time in Westwood, so it must have something going for it. Namely, it's not USC! The surrounding area is also pretty nice: to the north is a bunch of hoighty-toighty mansions in Bel Air, if you go west you can get to the beach in a short amount of time. Half an hour to the east is Hollywood and points beyond. I'd highly recommend UCLA (again, UCLA senior here). There's tons of research and volunteering opportunities here, too, and a large pre-med contingent, so you wouldn't be alone in your med school quest.I've heard mixed reviews on Berkeley from friends and friends of friends who went there, thought about transferring, but ended up staying and liking it. But I really don't know what to say, I haven't actually been there myself. Any Bears here to chime in?
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Berkeley student here. I like this place, it's a great place with lots of opportunities for research, top notch academics and faculty, a great enviornment for learning. And it's quirky with many weird people, but it's all good. The city of Berkeley is quite boring, though, but fortunately San Francisco is near so that's a big plus. Obviously, the location isn't quite as fancy as LA, but SF isn't that bad.
But, it's also quite hard here academically. Lot of pre-meds are cutthroat, especially in lower division science classes. And professors don't hold your hand, so you have to search and help yourself out. But if you buckle down and get to work, go to professor office hours, go to lectures, etc, you should be fine. Just be prepared to work very, very hard your 3-4 years here.
But, it's also quite hard here academically. Lot of pre-meds are cutthroat, especially in lower division science classes. And professors don't hold your hand, so you have to search and help yourself out. But if you buckle down and get to work, go to professor office hours, go to lectures, etc, you should be fine. Just be prepared to work very, very hard your 3-4 years here.
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"What are my chances" is really a sub-forum for people to talk about their chances for getting into med school given a certain application and stats. I think you might get a better response to your question in the general pre-allo forum, so I'll move it there
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Both are great schools. You may want to consider whether it might be easier to find clinical opportunities at UCLA, since it has a med school and hospital. I think Berkeley has stuff going on with UCSF but its kinda far away and maybe less accessible as an undergrad.
I'm biased towards Berkeley since I lived there a year, and I love Northern CA. The nice thing about Berkeley is there are a number of free clinics (Berkeley Free Clinic, Berkeley Primary Care... etc). The Berkeley Free Clinic is only a block south of campus.
UCSF is a bit hard to get to from Berkeley, perhaps about an hour via public transportation. It's pretty easy to find volunteer work at UCSF, or the Children's Hospital Oakland Research Institute. Paid work on the other hand...
UCLA does have a big advantage of having the medical school on campus. And LA is a bit more affordable to live in (albeit still quite expensive!).
Overall, go where you will be happiest. I'd look more into which environment you would be happier at, as the cultures are rather different, as is the climate. They both have excellent opportunities, and excellent reputations, so personal happiness, in my opinion, should be what you base your decision on.
Good luck, and congrats on being accepted to two of the best universities in the country!
-Brent
UCSF is a bit hard to get to from Berkeley, perhaps about an hour via public transportation. It's pretty easy to find volunteer work at UCSF, or the Children's Hospital Oakland Research Institute. Paid work on the other hand...
UCLA does have a big advantage of having the medical school on campus. And LA is a bit more affordable to live in (albeit still quite expensive!).
Overall, go where you will be happiest. I'd look more into which environment you would be happier at, as the cultures are rather different, as is the climate. They both have excellent opportunities, and excellent reputations, so personal happiness, in my opinion, should be what you base your decision on.
Good luck, and congrats on being accepted to two of the best universities in the country!
-Brent
UC Riverside...If i could do this whole undergrad thing all over again i'd goto UCR and then apply for the UCR/UCLA med Thomas Haider program and get into David Geffen that way...I know a few ppl who went to UCLA through that path and it sure saved them quite alot of frustration and stress.
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That's what I plan on doing. Well, applying at least.
With UCR's new school of medicine opening in 2012 it wouldn't be a bad idea. Though it's possible the Haider program may be removed because of the medical school.
They are pretty similar. Neither are great for premeds because they are huge impersonal schools with a ton of premeds and large classes. The difference is location and the fact that UCLA has the med school and hospital on campus, which I think is a big advantage.
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I'm a grad student here at Berkeley and end up teaching a lot of your premed courses. I absolutely love the area (not Berkeley so much as SF proper) and think Cal is amazing academically. That being said, I'm glad I'm not a premed here for a few reasons:
1. There are a lot of you
2. It's almost impossible to stand out at Berkeley no matter what you do
3. The grading here is tough, at least it is in any of the sciences. Not many people graduate with GPAs > 3.8 in the sciences here.
That being said, you also have access to some awesome research, there are great teachers if you're willing to go out of your way to find them, and there's something for almost everyone here. If you do well in a science program here, you'll likely be able to kill the MCAT. That, and at least California med schools generally recognize the harsh grading here relative to some other schools, so you may get a little bit of a break there.
I'm sure a lot of the same points apply to UCLA, however, as both are large schools with strong science programs. One 'pro' to UCLA is that it has it's own medical school whereas Berkeley does not. That is, unless you consider UCSF to be "Berkeley's medical school".
1. There are a lot of you
2. It's almost impossible to stand out at Berkeley no matter what you do
3. The grading here is tough, at least it is in any of the sciences. Not many people graduate with GPAs > 3.8 in the sciences here.
That being said, you also have access to some awesome research, there are great teachers if you're willing to go out of your way to find them, and there's something for almost everyone here. If you do well in a science program here, you'll likely be able to kill the MCAT. That, and at least California med schools generally recognize the harsh grading here relative to some other schools, so you may get a little bit of a break there.
I'm sure a lot of the same points apply to UCLA, however, as both are large schools with strong science programs. One 'pro' to UCLA is that it has it's own medical school whereas Berkeley does not. That is, unless you consider UCSF to be "Berkeley's medical school".
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UCLA air specifically prevents undergrads with interests in cardiology from doing well.
haha.
kidding but.
you asked your question wrong.
you should be asking "which of the two schools will prepare me better for a career in medicine"
cardiology? is wayyyyyy too far down the road my friend. where you went to undergrad wouldn't impact it. where you went to undergrad however might impact how well you do in school and subsequently where you hold acceptances to medschool
so ask yourself:
where do you see yourself doing better academically?
where do you see yourself getting involved in research?
where do you see yourself volunteering in the community?
where do you see yourself being your own leader?
not necessarily in that order, but likely so, depending on what your strengths are
(but academics needs to be up there)
and that answer.. will lead you... to where you should be going, if u've got medschool on your mind.
dont make life difficult for yourself. go where you feel you would be most likely to succeed as a versatile person.
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yea but that would mean youd have to live in riverside for 4 years of your life......which is 4 years too many IMO.
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I suggest UCB because there is no premed committee. Don't let someone other than the adcom dedicate whether you are qualified or not (committee eval)
I am not especially close with the premed scene in berkeley and did my research elsewhere, so I wasn't going to stand out as much as I could if I had to deal with committee.
I am not especially close with the premed scene in berkeley and did my research elsewhere, so I wasn't going to stand out as much as I could if I had to deal with committee.
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oh great argument there captain considering UCLA doesn't have a premed committee either
AMEN
there are personally two students from my high school same year, class of 2002 who are students at ucla from ucr.
on the other hand - i went to ucla. i loved it.
it seems like the science classes at cal are way too hard.
i'd spend 4 years in Fresno or Bakersfield, let alone Riverside, if it means I'll be spending the next 4 in westwood. lol
Cal and UCLA are full of gunner premeds...lots of competition. If the OP is gunning for a top UC medical school, imo it makes more sense to goto a less competitive undergrad institution. I'll take being the big fish in the little barrel any day.
honestly strictly from an academic stand point...
go to UCR and get the easy 4.0
i kind of kid but anyway....
competition is steep at ucla and cal, probably more at cal but i'm biased. so academically, they'll both be rewarding and hard.
now if you want research opportunities i guess ucla or cal is a flip again. but from my experience, i've never had problems getting research gigs outside of school (though I ultimately never accepted them cuz i hate research).
social life which is a must.... i think cal greeks party harder than ucla greeks if ur into that, but otherwise both schools are situated in or very near amazing city scenes/cultures (though very different imo) as noted in other posts.
volunteerism... ehh i'm sure you can find anything anywhere. all else fails, make stuff from scratch, which is bonus points anyway.
undergrad prestige is hard to look away from... but in the end, it's what you do at any school that counts.
with that being said, both schools are too similar in terms of the important pre-med school stuff. just go where you feel comfortable socially; there's definitely different vibes from both areas. looking back, i wish i'd rather gone to ucla than cal strictly for the sports but that's just the kind of guy i am.
go to UCR and get the easy 4.0
i kind of kid but anyway....
competition is steep at ucla and cal, probably more at cal but i'm biased. so academically, they'll both be rewarding and hard.
now if you want research opportunities i guess ucla or cal is a flip again. but from my experience, i've never had problems getting research gigs outside of school (though I ultimately never accepted them cuz i hate research).
social life which is a must.... i think cal greeks party harder than ucla greeks if ur into that, but otherwise both schools are situated in or very near amazing city scenes/cultures (though very different imo) as noted in other posts.
volunteerism... ehh i'm sure you can find anything anywhere. all else fails, make stuff from scratch, which is bonus points anyway.
undergrad prestige is hard to look away from... but in the end, it's what you do at any school that counts.
with that being said, both schools are too similar in terms of the important pre-med school stuff. just go where you feel comfortable socially; there's definitely different vibes from both areas. looking back, i wish i'd rather gone to ucla than cal strictly for the sports but that's just the kind of guy i am.
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Well here's my two cents for your choice:
I picked solely by where I wanted to be in the next four years. For this reason, I ended up at UCLA. Both are difficult academically (mainly because of your fellow pre-med students) and both are rich in opportunities to develop your resume.
Major differences involve the weather and lifestyle of NorCal and SoCal and the curricula available at each school (assuming you are a science major)
UCLA
-Has 4 "Biology" majors: Neuroscience, Physiological Science, Micro/Immuno/Molec Genetics, Molec/Cell/Devel Bio, and Evol/Ecol Bio
UCB
-Has 1 real major and you choose an "emphasis"
You should consider what kind of environment you want to endure the next 4 years and what kind of study you hope to accomplish.
I picked solely by where I wanted to be in the next four years. For this reason, I ended up at UCLA. Both are difficult academically (mainly because of your fellow pre-med students) and both are rich in opportunities to develop your resume.
Major differences involve the weather and lifestyle of NorCal and SoCal and the curricula available at each school (assuming you are a science major)
UCLA
-Has 4 "Biology" majors: Neuroscience, Physiological Science, Micro/Immuno/Molec Genetics, Molec/Cell/Devel Bio, and Evol/Ecol Bio
UCB
-Has 1 real major and you choose an "emphasis"
You should consider what kind of environment you want to endure the next 4 years and what kind of study you hope to accomplish.
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If you want to be a doctor I suggest not going to EITHER of those schools.
Go to an easier school. The prestige of the Berkeley name is great for many walks of life but it means absolutely nothing if you're going to become a doctor. All that Berkeley will give you is a lot of unneeded stress and a lot of grade deflation. The acceptance rates for med school for Berkeley students is not that hot.
The person who mentioned the UC Riverside program is onto something. If you applied to UCR then think about that. If not, then go anywhere else but Berkeley/UCLA.
Unless you're not certain about whether or not you want to be a doctor. Because if you change your mind you'll kick yourself for not having gone to the brand name school.
Go to an easier school. The prestige of the Berkeley name is great for many walks of life but it means absolutely nothing if you're going to become a doctor. All that Berkeley will give you is a lot of unneeded stress and a lot of grade deflation. The acceptance rates for med school for Berkeley students is not that hot.
The person who mentioned the UC Riverside program is onto something. If you applied to UCR then think about that. If not, then go anywhere else but Berkeley/UCLA.
Unless you're not certain about whether or not you want to be a doctor. Because if you change your mind you'll kick yourself for not having gone to the brand name school.
The people saying to go to UCR are giving you bad information. I did say that UCLA and UCB are not good for premeds because they are large and competitive, but UCR has the drawback of not being as well respected by med schools, and undergrad institution's percieved competitiveness does count. There are very few or maybe no UCR students in UCLA's first year class (besides from that Haider program), and you will find almost none at other top med schools. You would really have to stand out at low-tier schools to get considered by upper tier med schools, fair or not. The optimum place to go would be to a respected private school, if that were an option for you. Furthermore, UCR's program with UCLA is ending, so you won't have a free ticket into med school.
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I agree. However, this topic is completely irrelevant to the OP though, since he never mentioned even applying to UCR. Besides, not all medical programs foster cooperation. Giving you a taste of pre-med competition will prepare you for interacting with your future classmates. (Many do not give up on that edge.)
To the OP, go where you'll enjoy your next 4 years. You will find the opportunities to make you a successful candidate for medical school at either institution. Or you can be more like accepted medical students and just follow the least amount of tuition. Haha. (I did, so I ended up at UCLA)
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