Attn: all U. of Minn. - T.C. and U. of Wisc. - Madison PreMeds

well, I didn't do my undergrad at the U of M (or UW), but I did spend a lot of time around the U of M doing research as an undergrad, and have been kicking around the school of public health for the past 2 years.

I think finding a place you like is of the upmost importance - so it sounds like leaving your current college might be a good choice. I wouldn't worry about reputation too much - do well in your classes and MCATs and it won't hold you back. I think at a large school (as both UW and U of M are) you can find those who are more academically minded, but I'm sure you'll also find people who just don't care. That's the beauty of a big school. Being at either place will give you a little better access to a greater number of research labs, but I think at a large school you have to be outgoing to get into a lab.

I've never been to UW-Madison, so I can't comment on it. I know some people love Madison, and I know others hate it.

One thing to think about: U of M and UW don't have med school reciprocity. If by attending the U of M you can become a Minnesota resident, you'll have a much greater chance of getting into U of M med, but you're chances of getting into U of W go way down. I don't know if you can claim to be a resident of both MN and WI. Just something to consider.

Goodluck!
Adcadet

no prob. If you can swing by Minneapolis, you might want to make an appointment with the U of MN's main pre-med advisor. She's a very nice lady who's seen her daughter go through the med school process, and who regularly talks with and has her information verified by the U of M's director of admissions. Her name is Kathy Peterson ([email protected]).

Goodluck!
Adcadet

PhT,

First go where you are most comfortable. However that being said, I think you should go to the UW as it is your state school. If you go to the admissions people at UW and ask them for their full acceptance stats they will give you a little booklet (free). It will show your where each student who interviewed was from (by college) and tell you their outcome. It will say: Notre Dame 3 applicants applied, 2 interviewed and 1 accepted (just as an example).

Personally, I have always wanted to go to med school and felt/knew that my state schools would be the best chances I had. So I decided to go to UW for these reasons.

Either school you chose (UW or UM) you are going to be just a number in a large system. I know MANY, MANY, MANY of my friends who went from high deans list at one of the other D3's to being on probation at UW the next semester. (Not that this will necessarily apply to you, but keep it in mind) Some people need the personal attention and you won't get it at either of those big schools. This is also a big reason why most of the UW med school is composed of kids who went to the UW. Personally, I loved the UW and will always consider it my home. UW has shaped me into the independent person I am today.

Please feel free to PM me with more questions. I have been working the med school system in WI for six years now, so I know it well. I have many friends at the UW med school and I am looking forward to school there in the fall.

Bottom line is: do well and it won't matter.
Peace,
WISC-ite

Ohh Adcadaet will not like me for this but I personally am not to fond of U of MN. I did not really care for the old facilities, the way they handled my application, and their lack of organization. Out of all the places I interviewed at I would say it was probably the worst as far as getting me to want to go to school there. Also it is a VERY expensive school!
Now saying that - there is a lot of opportunity there especially with the joint venture they now have with the Mayo. Lots of labs to take part in & a fair amount of culture for a smaller big city.

I though U Wi was pretty nice. Especially with the new medical school going up. A very nice active area to live but yet a small town atmosphere. Not as big of a research school but it ranks pretty high up there for its transplant ward & primary health care docs.

I should add that I am doing my undergrad here at the U of Mn so I've spent a fair amount of time here & I possibly just could be getting tired of the same old atmosphere.

I've been accepted with scholarship to the U of Mn & to the U of Wi. If I didn't get in anywhere else, between those I personally would've have gone to U of Wi. But like adcadet said - check them out personally!

Oh oh DocForAll - now you're in trouble! JK.

For UNDERGRAD, I prefer a small liberal arts school. This is the type of school I attended, and I would do the same if I had to do it all over again.

However, what I wanted (and continue to want) from a GRADUATE education is much different.

If PhT is unhappy at his/her current uni and would feel better at a large school, considering all the relevant factors, then switch. For undergrad, I'm not sure there's a huge difference between large public universities in terms of academics or social life. But I could be wrong. Perhaps deciding based upon which med school he/she wants to go to is best, keeping residency issues in mind.

What is this "joint venture" with Mayo? And why do all these people refer to "the" Mayo? None of my family (many from Olmsted County) has ever refered to Mayo as "the" Mayo. But then again, it's not like my family sits on the Mayo Board of Trustees.

PhT,

I will send you the acceptance stats for the UW system. I have them in storage and I will try to get them sooner than later. I am pretty sure UW Whitewater doesn't have a large representation at the UW med school, but I could be wrong. Again, I will get you the stats.

Oh, and every school has loud drunkards. I kinda enjoyed being one from time to time. The key is to find your own place to go when you don't want to join.

~WISC-ite

PhT,

I dont think you should blow this "no name school" thing out of proportion. Remember that the MCAT is technically designed to compare students across many majors and many schools. So, if you rock that test, and have good grades at whatever school you are attending, you can set yourself up to get in. Your best chance to get in to medical school will be either at UW or at MCOW. I think these numbers are roughly correct: every year about 600-800 wisconsin residents apply to medical school, and there are atleast 200 spots reserved for these applicants if you take both MCW and UW into account (about a 100 each). Additionally, not everyone stays in state, so basically life is pretty good if you are a wisconsin resident especially compared to some other states. my advice is to not worry so much about medical school. As far as picking a school, I have noticed that I get better grades when I am happier, so pick a place where you can see yourself being happy.

As a UW-madison undergrad, i can tell you that at madison you will have to deal with large science classes. So, if you are the type who needs small classes and professor's personal attention, then I wouldnt really recommend either of these schools. However, its not like you are left stranded, there are many many resources for students to get help and attention. I think UW really teaches you to be independent, and I have seen a LOT of people struggle with this aspect of madison. Due to the large student body here at UW, there is no one to spoonfeed everything one is supposed to do for medical school. Part of excelling here involves having the drive to personally seek out the things you need. If you have initiative, this is a great place to be because the resources available here are excellent. So, the question is not really what each of these schools is like, but rather what are YOU like? And only you can make that judgement. Take care, and good luck on your decision.

yeah, what The Sultan said.

PhT

You should definitely transfer. I actually did the same thing, and I'm so glad that I did. I started out at Marquette (not a no-name school, but just too expensive for me--but how about their trip to the Final Four this year?!!!) and transferred in the middle of my sophomore year to UW. It was just a lot cheaper, and the bio scieneces are solid. Apparently, biochem is supposed to be putting up a new building soon, after they just opened one in 1998 which has gold hydroxyl groups drawn into the floor.

Anyway, I think you are completely right in thinking that reputation will come back and hurt you. The only med schools that will give audience to going to UWW will be UW and possibly MCOW. And even in that case, you will be able to make connections with UW faculty who can use their connections to get you into the med school, if that's what you want. My p. chem prof is very well respected on campus, and a rec letter from him definitely helped me get accepted.

It's probably a good idea for applying to other schools as well because I think they will take you more seriously. If I were on an ADCOM, one of my first questions would be "Why did he go to Whitewater instead of Madison?"

That's my advice. Hope it helps.

Originally posted by PhT
Hello all, thanks for looking. I have a quick question for anyone who'd like to share, or anyone who'd know. How are the premed programs at the U. of Minnesota and U. of Wisconsin? My reason for asking is that I'm considering a transfer, and I don't know which school I should be more interested in. As a Wisconsin resident, it would cost me in-state tuition to attend either university (nice, eh ). I'm currently enrolled in a D3 school in the UW system, but I don't know if I want to be here for another 3 years. I love the staff and the people, but the academic atmosphere (or lack thereof) and less-than-prestigious reputation of the university are starting to give me second thoughts. Any input on this situation would be appreciated.

Regards,
Mark

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one thing i've heard is that the pre-med office at the U of MN is not very good. there isn't a support system, and i haven't heard anyone say there is a committee letter system.

Originally posted by oldman
one thing i've heard is that the pre-med office at the U of MN is not very good. there isn't a support system, and i haven't heard anyone say there is a committee letter system.

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Yeah, I'm not even sure if there is a premed advisor. But they do have a recommendation letter file service where you can have your professors send the letters to the file, then you can request that letters be sent to whichever schools. There's a fee for it, but it's very handy.

i was in a similar situation, as i attended a small midwestern state school with the name of the town attached. (ranked around the 20th best college in the state of MN) i pondered transferring to gopherville as well as some ivies, but in the end i decided not to. personally, i say stay where you are if you're happy. i developed some close ties with professors at my small college and had the ability to get into one of their labs and get a feel for science. i believe had i gone to u of m, i would not have this oppurtunity and it would of hurt my chances getting into med school. also, being taught by profs and not ta's was a big factor. going to a small school isnt going to hurt your chances. its the individual the meds look at not the school you went to.
since then ive been interviewed at top 10 meds and got a MSTP ride at 3 of them. alas, sunny sd calls

mosquito
MSTP UC-San Diego
class of 2010