What Undergrad Pre-Med School Should I go to?

Zarabato

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Hi guys,

College admissions have all come out and I can't decide what undergraduate school I should go to to pursue the pre-med path. I'm planning to major in some type of biology. Currently my choices are :

Uc Berkeley
UCSD(Regents)
Wash U Saint Louis
UCSB(Regents)
UCD(Regents)
Santa Clara University(50k per year scholarship)

I'm trying to find the balance between strength of undergraduate science program, availability of research, prestige, and probability of admission to medical school. What do you guys think?

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Wash U is probably the best place to go on your list, but you are in Saint Louis. The only other acceptable choices are UCSD or Berkeley.
 
Wash U is definitely the most prestigious and will have the best opportunities for research.
 
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I would say Berkeley, UCSD, and WashU, maybe Davis on average do very well putting people into med school. But really it depends on where you liked and where you will do well at. You don't need to go to a top tier school to get into great medical schools, you need to do well wherever you are. Go to somewhere you will enjoy, imo college was somewhere to grow, learn, and enjoy life more than just prepare my application for med school. Congrats on doing well in HS and all the acceptances to great schools, keep up the good work wherever you go and you can get into med school.
 
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Don't pick the school based on wanting to go to medical school. Pick the school whose academic and social environment you like the best. That being said, I would say pick Berkeley or Wash U. I've never visited Wash U so I'm not familiar but Berkeley is awesome. Be prepared to work very hard at either school though, they are both known as deflationary.
 
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Berkeley.

Or WashU, but... Saint Louis.
 
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Personally, I'd choose Berkley based on the location and they are number 1 in chemistry research. WashU and Berkley are both good choices though, and I don't think you could meaningfully say one choice will be definitively better than the other. At that level, it will come down to your own personal preference. I guess one strategic argument you could make is that California schools have an exceptional strong bias for in-state students, and at Berkley you would be in-state, so in that regard, Berkley might keep more doors open for you.

By the way, congratulations. I'm sure you worked very hard to earn those spots.
 
Personally, I'd choose Berkley based on the location and they are number 1 in chemistry research. WashU and Berkley are both good choices though, and I don't think you could meaningfully say one choice will be definitively better than the other. At that level, it will come down to your own personal preference. I guess one strategic argument you could make is that California schools have an exceptional strong bias for in-state students, and at Berkley you would be in-state, so in that regard, Berkley might keep more doors open for you.

By the way, congratulations. I'm sure you worked very hard to earn those spots.
Personally, I'd choose Berkley based on the location and they are number 1 in chemistry research. WashU and Berkley are both good choices though, and I don't think you could meaningfully say one choice will be definitively better than the other. At that level, it will come down to your own personal preference. I guess one strategic argument you could make is that California schools have an exceptional strong bias for in-state students, and at Berkley you would be in-state, so in that regard, Berkley might keep more doors open for you.

By the way, congratulations. I'm sure you worked very hard to earn those spots.
Thanks for the responses. A lot of you guys are saying Berkely or Wash U but I'm concerned about the grade deflation in those schools, since admittance to a good medical school requires a high gpa. If that is the case, wouldn't it be in my favor to attend a school where I can achieve a higher gpa?
 
For whatever it is worth, I thought that the Wash U pre-med community was complete garbage. Obviously only did my undergrad at one place and maybe would have thought the same at another school, but I would never tell a family member considering pre-med to go to Wash U. Now, I graduated almost a decade ago now, but it was gunner central. It went beyond stupid, people trying to sabotage the rest of the class, extensive and excessive grade grubbing, etc. Half of people showing up for my office hours were grade grubbers. When I would ignore them, they would start hammering the other TAs office hours.

I spent 30-70+ hours/week in the lab for the better part of 3 years while in undergrad, so there is no shortage of research going on all over the place, which is a pretty big bonus, but it is hard to imagine a large UC school not having the same opportunities.

I have nothing but respect for my mentors and most of the departments at both the undergrad and the medical school. But, the undergrad itself leaves a lot to be desired. The entitlement factor can not be overstated. Maybe it is just too much parental money. Maybe it is just who they recruit. But, I would push my child away from it.
 
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To a normal student without scholarships, I would say UC Berkeley

That being said, you got Regents at UCSD. This is great because tuition is cheaper and you get priority enrollment. At Cal, you'd have to compete with others for classes/times that you want, while at UCSD, you'd be able to make the perfect schedule with great times and professors who you want to learn from.

If social life is not a big factor for you, I'd go to UCSD. You'd have less stress about picking courses, it'd be cheaper for your wallet, and it's perfectly fine for getting into medical school (as long as YOU are willing to put in the necessary work). If you want the full college experience with big frat life, sports, etc. and don't care about the above, I'd go to Cal.

I wouldn't go to Wash U tbh (unless your parents are paying for your tuition). Be wary of its social life/from what I've heard, its student environment is very competitive and would definitely take away from a pleasant college experience.
 
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Don't pick a place because of premed. Just by the sheer numbers of students thay start off premed and the low acceptance rate, the chances are in the favor that you will end up pursuing another career. You need to choose the best school you can get into with the best location, the best resources, and the best price. My guess is Berkeley.
 
Hi guys,

College admissions have all come out and I can't decide what undergraduate school I should go to to pursue the pre-med path. I'm planning to major in some type of biology. Currently my choices are :

Uc Berkeley
UCSD(Regents)
Wash U Saint Louis
UCSB(Regents)
UCD(Regents)
Santa Clara University(50k per year scholarship)

I'm trying to find the balance between strength of undergraduate science program, availability of research, prestige, and probability of admission to medical school. What do you guys think?

100% Berkeley if you're paying in state tuition.

Otherwise, I would go to undergrad for free at Santa Clara... to be quite honest, an undergraduate-focused school is going to give you, by definition, the best education and preparedness for med school--unless you're trying to get into research.
 
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The cheapest one that has research opportunities and highest chance for you to maintain a high GPA
 
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Hey! Enough with the St. Louis bashing! :wtf: Ferguson and the media's portrayal of the city is not representative of what things are really like. WashU is obviously a fantastic school but I can echo what @mimelim said having some friends in WashU's pre-med program. Be ready to have knives at your throat. The rumors are true
 
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@KungFuPanda123
Thanks for the answer. Does this mean that any regents UC is preferable over Berkeley? Or just UCSD?

I would go to UCSD. The reputations of UCSB and UCD are slightly under UCSD. Although UCSD's undergrad is by no means a shining star of academic excellence (still good though), it is definitely considered to be more prestigious than UCSB and UCD. Also, you'll find more biomedical research at UCSD than you will at UCSB and UCD due to its larger medical school. You'll also find more big name researchers at its school of medicine that you can work with (although you can still find them at UCSB and UCD)
 
100% Berkeley if you're paying in state tuition.

Otherwise, I would go to undergrad for free at Santa Clara... to be quite honest, an undergraduate-focused school is going to give you, by definition, the best education and preparedness for med school--unless you're trying to get into research.

I would want to agree, but the Regents scholarship at UCSD is a huge, huge plus. It not only makes school a lot cheaper, it also gives recipients priority enrollment for courses, which is a huge boon at large state schools like the UC's where getting your preferred course at the preferred time with the preferred professor is a challenge.
 
Hey! Enough with the St. Louis bashing! :wtf: Ferguson and the media's portrayal of the city is not representative of what things are really like. WashU is obviously a fantastic school but I can echo what @mimelim said having some friends in WashU's pre-med program. Be ready to have knives at your throat. The rumors are true

Regarding St. Louis, the city is not a great place for college age/young professionals. The city itself is dead/decaying. There isn't a ton to do compared to other cities. You also have relatively limited outdoors options. On the other hand, if you are married, have kids and want suburbs, they are as good as any. Safe, good school systems, easy access to where most people work, etc. But, Wash U is in a bubble. Most students do not stray far from campus, not because it is unsafe (although there are some areas that obviously are), but because there is very little draw outside. I enjoyed my time at Wash U, but in large part because I wasn't a part of the pre-med until the tail end of my time there. But, to each their own, this is pure opinion ;)
 
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WashU is very expensive. The environment is fosters competition, and you'll run into cutthroat peers. It's difficult, so you'll have to work very hard for a good GPA. You'll get good research opportunities if you're proactive and the institution has the best reputation out of your list.

WashU med school is very selective, so I don't think going there will necessarily give you a leg up there unless you destroy your MCAT, publish research, and have a high GPA.
 
For whatever it is worth, I thought that the Wash U pre-med community was complete garbage. Obviously only did my undergrad at one place and maybe would have thought the same at another school, but I would never tell a family member considering pre-med to go to Wash U. Now, I graduated almost a decade ago now, but it was gunner central. It went beyond stupid, people trying to sabotage the rest of the class, extensive and excessive grade grubbing, etc. Half of people showing up for my office hours were grade grubbers. When I would ignore them, they would start hammering the other TAs office hours.

I spent 30-70+ hours/week in the lab for the better part of 3 years while in undergrad, so there is no shortage of research going on all over the place, which is a pretty big bonus, but it is hard to imagine a large UC school not having the same opportunities.

I have nothing but respect for my mentors and most of the departments at both the undergrad and the medical school. But, the undergrad itself leaves a lot to be desired. The entitlement factor can not be overstated. Maybe it is just too much parental money. Maybe it is just who they recruit. But, I would push my child away from it.

Hey! Enough with the St. Louis bashing! :wtf: Ferguson and the media's portrayal of the city is not representative of what things are really like. WashU is obviously a fantastic school but I can echo what @mimelim said having some friends in WashU's pre-med program. Be ready to have knives at your throat. The rumors are true

Regarding St. Louis, the city is not a great place for college age/young professionals. The city itself is dead/decaying. There isn't a ton to do compared to other cities. You also have relatively limited outdoors options. On the other hand, if you are married, have kids and want suburbs, they are as good as any. Safe, good school systems, easy access to where most people work, etc. But, Wash U is in a bubble. Most students do not stray far from campus, not because it is unsafe (although there are some areas that obviously are), but because there is very little draw outside. I enjoyed my time at Wash U, but in large part because I wasn't a part of the pre-med until the tail end of my time there. But, to each their own, this is pure opinion ;)

WashU is very expensive. The environment is fosters competition, and you'll run into cutthroat peers. It's difficult, so you'll have to work very hard for a good GPA. You'll get good research opportunities if you're proactive and the institution has the best reputation out of your list.

WashU med school is very selective, so I don't think going there will necessarily give you a leg up there unless you destroy your MCAT, publish research, and have a high GPA.

This thread needs more @efle :naughty:
 
To my understanding, undergrad prestige does not play a significant (if any, at all) role in medical school admissions.

If prestige = selectivity (which is generally the case), it apparently plays a huge role in med school admissions

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I understand basing where to go to undergrad on your medical future, I really do. But god do I think it's not a great idea.
zarabato said:
strength of undergraduate science program, availability of research, prestige, and probability of admission to medical school
Your criteria. Honestly great criteria for judging the strength of a school in your situation. But seriously consider where you will be happiest at. I hope you've visited these schools already and can see yourself at them all before posing this question to anonymous faces on SDN.
Undergrad is so much more than just a stepping stone. I wish more premeds would realize that.
 
I understand basing where to go to undergrad on your medical future, I really do. But god do I think it's not a great idea.

It's not just for med school. A strong UG name opens doors for essentially every career. It matters and should be taken into account. That's why in OP's choices, WashU, Berkeley and UCSD should be in the top of his list. To decide from there requires additional factors (e.g. cost, fit, opportunities, environment etc.)
 
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It's not just for med school. A strong UG name opens doors for essentially every career. It matters and should be taken into account. That's why in OP's choices, WashU, Berkeley and UCSD should be in the top of his list. To decide from there requires additional factors (e.g. cost, fit, opportunities, environment etc.)

Yes, I do agree. What I'm saying is fit should definitely be up there in terms of criteria and I was hoping OP thought about that before he solicited random opinions on the internet. He could go to any of those three you listed and be miserable and be worse off than if he went to UCD. Just providing an opinion that isn't solely based off of prestige.
 
@mimelim It's looking like I will be going to WashU for med school this upcoming year and was wondering if all the St. Louis bashing is for good reason? I've been to the city a couple of times and never thought it was as bad as people make it out to be.
 
What are the total yearly pricetags for each option?

UCSD is not going to give you any significant prestige bump over UCSB, imo. I have heard a large number of complaints about UCSD (difficulty getting classes/research opportunity/overcrowding, a lot of academic stress) whereas UCSB these days has a similar student body but better quality of life/social scene.

I'm also a WashU premed. Contrary to mimelim's experience, I've found people here generally very happy and collaborative. The weedout is intense (over half the incoming class is premed each year and about 2/3rds drop) but my experience was of people coming together to study rather than sabotage each other! The premed resources are also fantastic (you can enroll in classes for research, shadowing, there's a lot of clinical volunteering opportunities five minutes away at the medical center, etc).
 
If medical school is your goal I have to echo the sentiments of others, WashU is notorious for an uber competitive pre-med culture, stick with one of your state UCs, Berkley is an awesome school.
 
@mimelim It's looking like I will be going to WashU for med school this upcoming year and was wondering if all the St. Louis bashing is for good reason? I've been to the city a couple of times and never thought it was as bad as people make it out to be.

As with everything, it depends. You are going to be busy as a medical student. You are not going to have free time like your average 22-30 year old would. But, if you are the average medical student or close to it, you will have some free time and you will obviously interact with your surroundings. If you are looking to move to the suburbs, it is completely and totally indistinguishable from any other city. I think that it is a very very nice place to live, raise a family, etc. Likewise, if you are the kind of person that doesn't need much, knows they are a library rat, doesn't particularly care about arts and entertainment, restaurant scene, etc, it is perfectly fine you won't have any qualms.

But, on the other hand, it just doesn't have the same feel as other cities. If you are a grad/professional student or young professional, you just don't have the same action that you do elsewhere. You also lack the cultural draws of other cities. I'm not saying that St. Louis doesn't have it's art museum, science center, philharmonic, etc. It does, and they are all top notch. But, the list ends fairly quickly. If you are a foodie, you will also lose out a lot. While I haven't been single in 12+ years, it also follows that it is a tad harder to meet people there. But, that is obviously more of a personal issue than a pure location issue.

I'd say that for the average medical student, there is plenty to keep you sane and safe in the central west end or the loop. Just don't go too far north, or south and never cross the river...
 
Uc's are about 15k tuition. Regents knocks off 2-5k depending on school. SCU is free, and Wash U is 50k.

Decision is super easy then, financially. Don't go to WashU for 50K a year when you can go to Berkeley for 15. If you like Berkeley, go. If you don't like the environment there, choose another UC. I don't know the first thing about SCU so I won't comment. 50K in undergrad per year though is bad bad news unless you are literally made of money (which, hey, you might be).

I would like to reiterate: go to college to get an education, become a good citizen, and explore disciplines. Go to the environment that stimulates you socially and intellectually. Don't go to college to go to medical school. Figure out how to go to medical school as a secondary mission once you are wherever you want to be for undergrad. This is pragmatic because you might change your mind and it's better because predicating a decision which will seriously shape the next 4 years of your life on eventually going to medical school is awful. You might not think so coming out of high school, but if the education you get in college is worth 1/10th of what you will pay for it then you will understand where I am coming from once you go through it.
 
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Regents should also provide you with a 4-year housing guarantee (should you choose to stay on campus all four years) and can also provide early access to research opportunities at UCSD. It's possible this is changing for the upcoming school year, but this information is accurate as of last year. I can't speak to any of the other schools, but if you have questions about UCSD I can certainly answer them here or in PM.
 
Don't pick the school based on wanting to go to medical school. Pick the school whose academic and social environment you like the best. That being said, I would say pick Berkeley or Wash U. I've never visited Wash U so I'm not familiar but Berkeley is awesome. Be prepared to work very hard at either school though, they are both known as deflationary.

Agree very much with this statement. Premed school? Go to an institution where you'll be happy. Enjoy college!

As a Berkeley graduate, I'm pretty bias but Berkeley is amazing and I'm glad I picked it over my other choices. It's a huge academic institution so there are plenty of research on campus. If that's not enough for you, there's UCSF and UCSF-Benioff Children's Hospital in Oakland to do research and clinical shadowing at. That being said, it's not going to particularly easy, especially if you major in something like MCB or engineering but there are definitely academic resources available to students that I found really helpful. The tuition is much more reasonable at Berkeley than
 
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As with everything, it depends. You are going to be busy as a medical student. You are not going to have free time like your average 22-30 year old would. But, if you are the average medical student or close to it, you will have some free time and you will obviously interact with your surroundings. If you are looking to move to the suburbs, it is completely and totally indistinguishable from any other city. I think that it is a very very nice place to live, raise a family, etc. Likewise, if you are the kind of person that doesn't need much, knows they are a library rat, doesn't particularly care about arts and entertainment, restaurant scene, etc, it is perfectly fine you won't have any qualms.

But, on the other hand, it just doesn't have the same feel as other cities. If you are a grad/professional student or young professional, you just don't have the same action that you do elsewhere. You also lack the cultural draws of other cities. I'm not saying that St. Louis doesn't have it's art museum, science center, philharmonic, etc. It does, and they are all top notch. But, the list ends fairly quickly. If you are a foodie, you will also lose out a lot. While I haven't been single in 12+ years, it also follows that it is a tad harder to meet people there. But, that is obviously more of a personal issue than a pure location issue.

I'd say that for the average medical student, there is plenty to keep you sane and safe in the central west end or the loop. Just don't go too far north, or south and never cross the river...
I appreciate that quick overview. I guess growing up in a small town and living in a small(ish) college town currently, a city of any size will keep me interested with plenty to do.
 
If you're a good student, you will do well in any school you choose. Any large research school will have research opportunities as well, so you will get out what you put in.
*vomits* I can't believe I sounded like one of those premeds. In the end, the name of your undergraduate university matters much less than the actual effort you put into your application.

Do consider you Plan B's. Think about programs related to other options you should think about. You may find medicine is not for you. Then what?
Consider student life. Do you like the location? Can you get along with the type of students who go there; for example, if you can't stand snobby rich kids, going to an expensive private school may turn out to be miserable. Etc.
 
Yeah, no way is WashU worth 100k+ over Cal.

If you want the fancy name and peers that will really test you academically, go Cal. If you want a less intense / less likely weedout route instead, Davis or UCSB or Santa Clara.
 
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Uc's are about 15k tuition. Regents knocks off 2-5k depending on school. SCU is free, and Wash U is 50k.
Yeah, no way is WashU worth 100k+ over Cal.

If you want the fancy name and peers that will really test you academically, go Cal. If you want a less intense / less likely weedout route instead, Davis or UCSB or Santa Clara.

I likely misread something but where did 100K+ come from? And ya i agree that Berkeley is the way to go here unless the other UCs have something that OP likes.
 
Thanks a lot guys. I'm thinking it's gonna be between UCSD and Cal. Can some grads talk about their experiences from there?
 
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Agree very much with this statement. Premed school? Go to an institution where you'll be happy. Enjoy college!

As a Berkeley graduate, I'm pretty bias but Berkeley is amazing and I'm glad I picked it over my other choices. It's a huge academic institution so there are plenty of research on campus. If that's not enough for you, there's UCSF and UCSF-Benioff Children's Hospital in Oakland to do research and clinical shadowing at. That being said, it's not going to particularly easy, especially if you major in something like MCB or engineering but there are definitely academic resources available to students that I found really helpful. The tuition is much more reasonable at Berkeley than
Did you find the grade deflation at Cal to be a huge challenge? That's the one thing I'm concerned about at Cal which is why I'm also considering UCSD.
 
Did you find the grade deflation at Cal to be a huge challenge? That's the one thing I'm concerned about at Cal which is why I'm also considering UCSD.

No not really? The grade deflation is really over-exaggerated to be honest :/
 
Did you find the grade deflation at Cal to be a huge challenge? That's the one thing I'm concerned about at Cal which is why I'm also considering UCSD.

Looking at the colleges you're considering + how you got regents, you'll do fine at both schools. You probably will have to work a bit harder at Cal to get the same grade.

The main things you want to weigh out are:
1. Social Scene:
Cal has frat life, sports, school spirit
UCSD has parties if you look for them

2. Location/ambience:
Cal is within more of a college town, is more integrated into the surrounding city, has more things to do if you don't have a car, more things happening on campus
UCSD is in a suburban area and has a campus that is not integrated into the surroundings, has things to do if you have a car, beach is relatively nearby if you're willing to walk 20+ min, quieter/more relaxed

3. Academics:
Cal is obviously a better school if you ever want to change your career path for basically everything, more challenging courses/harder to beat the curve, you will have to compete with other students to get the classes that you want (no regents, and I don't think regents at Cal even gives priority enrollment...)
UCSD is perfectly fine for any careers you want to go into, but the name-brand of the school won't do much for you, easier courses/easier to beat the curve, you'll get all the courses you want whenever you want thanks to regents

4. Research
Honestly, both are the same in the opportunities offered to you. Obviously, Cal has more prestigious researchers in various fields, but at UCSD, you'll have more options when it comes to biomedical research due to the medical school
 
Hi guys,

College admissions have all come out and I can't decide what undergraduate school I should go to to pursue the pre-med path. I'm planning to major in some type of biology. Currently my choices are :

Uc Berkeley
UCSD(Regents)
Wash U Saint Louis
UCSB(Regents)
UCD(Regents)
Santa Clara University(50k per year scholarship)

I'm trying to find the balance between strength of undergraduate science program, availability of research, prestige, and probability of admission to medical school. What do you guys think?

Whatever's cheapest. Undergraduate education matters, but you'll have opportunities wherever you go. Medical school or not, you'll likely be going on to graduate school and don't want to have a ton of debt already (unless you're wealthy, in which case i suppose this isn't too relevant). I chose to go to my local school. Had opportunity. Went to Med School. The dream is real.
 
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