Best Premed School?

[irish80122]

I am looking into psychiatry (unlike most of you, I am still a long way away since I am just a senior in high school) and because of that I am wondering which premed program is best. I will be attending Creighton University next year on a half-ride but I am not sure that I will want to stay, especially since my dream school is Notre Dame. I am not sure if they are even decent with premed, so I was wondering if you could please tell me what you thought of the following schools in reference to how they will prepare me for medical school and how they will be viewed.

Creighton, Notre Dame, Washington University (STL), Claremont McKenna.

Thanks for your help, I truly need it!

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[md_student10021]

psychiatry? really?

very few medical students enter with the notion of becoming psychiatrists....

I don't know much about Creighton and UND, but I think all 4 schools will give you a reasonable shot at medical school admissions.

 

[irish80122]

I know it is uncommon, I just have always been interested in the medical side of psychology, in addition to being very interested in psychology overall. In addition, I have come to the realization that I truly like money (one reason why I decided against becoming a Catholic priest, at least for now, lol, and psychiatry will provide that. It just seems like a very good fit for me, but I know it will take A TON of work. How did you end up getting into psychiatry.

 

[UCLAstudent]

If Notre Dame is your dream school, then I would go with that. College should be a good experience for you... don't worry so much about the best premed environment. If you work hard, you can get into medical school from any college! Good luck! 😀

 

[XCanadianRagwee]

I didn't vote cuz I think you should go to Podunk U.

 

[irish80122]

Originally posted by XCanadianRagwee
I didn't vote cuz I think you should go to Podunk U.

Okay then, I have a feeling this isn't a real post, but please tell me if it is. Being the fool that I am if it is real, I did search for it, but didn't find anything. Please help, I really need to decide if it would be worth transferring, especially since I will have to give up a half scholarship. Now granted money isn't a huge consideration for my family, but still, money is money, ya know?

 

[XCanadianRagwee]

Originally posted by irish80122
Okay then, I have a feeling this isn't a real post, but please tell me if it is. Being the fool that I am if it is real, I did search for it, but didn't find anything. Please help, I really need to decide if it would be worth transferring, especially since I will have to give up a half scholarship. Now granted money isn't a huge consideration for my family, but still, money is money, ya know?

I still think you should go to Podunk U...they have an awesome program in psychiatry.

 

[NUcat]

without taking into consideration cost, location, etc, washu would probably be the best "premed" school. But seriously, go with your dream school.

(podunk's a generic term for an unknown, low-rep school)

 

[irish80122]

Originally posted by NUcat
without taking into consideration cost, location, etc, washu would probably be the best "premed" school. But seriously, go with your dream school.

(podunk's a generic term for an unknown, low-rep school)

Thanks, I needed that. Has anyone heard anything about the premed program at Notre Dame?

 

[bholden]

Hi,
I'm pre-med and a senior at Notre Dame, graduating in a few weeks. Next year I'm going to medical school at Creighton. Funny, huh?

Well, I can tell you anything you'd like about the program here. Just list your questions, or email me at [email protected] and I'd really be happy to help you out with anything.

Are you accepted here at ND? I was waitlisted and then rejected when I applied as a senior from high school. ND was my dream school also, so I went to Vanderbilt my freshman year and then applied to transfer and what do you know, they accepted me the second time around.

It was worth the wait, I love it here. If this is your dream school, then follow your heart. You only live once, right?

Regarding the pre-med program, they have one of the best in the country. Here are some statistics to help you out from the 2000-2001 year.

82/85 applicants with a GPA above 3.5 were accepted
76/88 with a 3.25-3.49 were accepted
25/47 with 3.24-3.00 were accepted
4/10 with 2.99-2.5 were accepted

Average GPA for all applicants: 3.45
Percentage accepted with GPA above the average: 88%
Total acceptances of all appplicants: 81%
Average MCATS for accepted students: 30
O in writing sample

The stats from last year were a bit higher, but I don't have them in front of me. It's been an upward trend over the past eight years though.

Write me with more questions. I hope I can help!

🙂

 

[bholden]

I found a rating of premedical education. It's from the 1997 Gourman Report, something our advisor gave to us a while back...

1. Harvard
2. Johns Hopkins
3. Yale
4. Cornell
5. Berkeley
6. Stanford
7. Illinois
8. Columbia
9. UCLA
10. Michigan
11. Chicago
12. Notre Dame
13. Princeton
14. Wisconsin
15. Northwestern
16. Duke
17. Brown
18. M.I.T.
19. Dartmouth
20. Pennsylvania
21. CalTech
22. Washington (St. Louis)
23. Minnesota
24. Indiana
25. Vanderbilt

I remember our advisor telling us that if Notre Dame had an affiliated hospital with research opportunities for undergrads our rankings would probably be higher.

I don't know what Creighton is ranked, but it wasn't in the top 58 that were listed on the sheet I was looking at.

 

[BUmiken12]

I can't give you much differentiation between the schools, but I do remember interviewing with a lot of ND students at my interviews. It seemed like everyone I went to, there was at least one ND student there.

 

[NYGirl12]

are you the same 'irish' in the PR forums? I remember posting in one of your ND threads...as I remember, you applied early, right?but was denied...oh yeah, i also remember your enthusiasm and determination that many PR regulars liked...so are you the same 'irish'? 🙂

 

[mustang]

Six years later, I doubt that the Gourman list is still accurate at all. Do you really think that WashU and UPenn would be so far down the list? Specially since they have the #2 and #4 med schools, respectively.

 

[Woots32]

Originally posted by bholden
I found a rating of premedical education. It's from the 1997 Gourman Report, something our advisor gave to us a while back...

7. Illinois

😱 😱 😱

I know the list is old, but damn. I can't believe I lucked into that one! 😀

 

[moops]

if you're looking for the "best premed school" that's Washington University witout a doubt.

the other considerations are yours to boggle over

 

[irish80122]

Originally posted by NYGirl12
are you the same 'irish' in the PR forums? I remember posting in one of your ND threads...as I remember, you applied early, right?but was denied...oh yeah, i also remember your enthusiasm and determination that many PR regulars liked...so are you the same 'irish'? 🙂

lol, yep. I am the same never say die, I will still get in with my 1290 irish. I am amazed that someone remembers me from both boards, that is cool. Thanks for the kind words about the PR board, I am not sure if they are deserved, but they are appreciated for sure! If you have some time, email me at [email protected] and we will talk becuase if you remember me, I better remember you! I hope to hear from you soon.

 

[irish80122]

Originally posted by moops
if you're looking for the "best premed school" that's Washington University witout a doubt.

the other considerations are yours to boggle over

It is strong, there is no doubt about that. I am still sitting on their waitlist with about all the rest of their regular decision applicants (they had to have waitlisted over 50%!!!) I doubt I would go if I got in, unless I decided it was that much better than Creighton. The thing that scares me is politically it is very liberal, and I am a very active conservative. Not extremely active, but I will debate you every now and again over affirmative action, the war and alike. I am not sure how I would fit in there due to that fact. Oh well, it doesn't matter because I am waitlisted.

 

[bholden]

Originally posted by mustang
Six years later, I doubt that the Gourman list is still accurate at all. Do you really think that WashU and UPenn would be so far down the list? Specially since they have the #2 and #4 med schools, respectively.


Good point. I don't know of an updated list, but maybe you could share one with us.

 

[bigdan]

Irish-
Good luck wherever you end up going. It sounds like all of your options are viable; you may want to consider another question, and that is "where do you want to go to medical school?"
My thought is this...clearly, a great undergrad school will get you in where you want to go if you do well...but, each medical school will likely be able to tell you where most of their accepted students come from. Here's my example:
I want to go to SUNY Syracuse Medical School - good for me, low cost, near home, etc. So I meet with ad. comm. who tells me that the most accepted Syr. Med. students come from the following three undergrad schools : Binghamton, Cornell, and Boston U. So I am currently at Bing.
I must forward the obvious warnings...you can't just set your sights on one medical school, you have to do well at any school, and the MCAT is the great equalizer. Also, at some schools, kids that go through a "typical" premed set up - majoring in Bio, Biochem, Chem, don't have the highest acceptance rates at medical school. So it may be better to do REALLY well as an Enlish major than okay as a Chem major.
And don't forget to have some fun.

 

[loyen]

I might be biased (being a double domer myself), but if you are looking at what schools have good med school relations, ND has pretty strong ties with Tulane, Georgetown, Loyola, Tufts, Northwestern and has a good chunk of students at most of the midwestern state schools (OSU has 12 domers in one class two years ago).

The year I graduated the pre-med department has a 90% acceptance rate. Not bad.

 

[moops]

I think Wash U undergrad was ranked 12 in the nation for undergrad research universities this year (ahead of cornell, UCLA, and a whole host of other schools). The primary reason for this ranking is it's biological sciences/pre-med program. The other programs are alright as well, but it has a HUGE medical program. You can do TONS of stuff with the medical school, which is superfantastic. Honestly, if you get in off the waitlist I would strongly strongly recommend going- they will give you a whole host of opportunities more than Creighton (and I don't think anyone would argue that it is not a better school). That said- I'm sure finances will come into the picture, but Wash U gives a lot of money away because they have a lot. As for the conservative/liberal argument- do NOT choose your colleges based on that nature. You will find that .. it won't matter worth a damn. First, wash u ain't that liberal- and second of all, any school has it's share of conservaties and liberals .. make a wise decision, in any case.

 

[Jeffy]

Claremont McKenna is a really good school but I definitely would not go there as a premed. Those chumps don't even have their own science facilities and are forced to share them with Scripps and Pitzer Colleges.

 

[irish80122]

Thanks for all of the posts. I have done some research on med schools, and that is partly why I don't think I will stay at Creighton for four years. While they give you a great preference with getting into their med school, it is really expensive, which kind of scares me. It is more expensive than Harvard and Duke from what I have read, and I don't understand why that would be. I am not sure on med school, I am just hoping I can do very well and have my pick from the top ones. Obvious ones I would love to go to are UCLA, Harvard, Duke, schools like those but I also know that it is probably almost impossible to get in unless you are the perfect applicant. Correct me if I am wrong though, I just think that med school is a whole new ballgame in terms of selectivity!

 

[princessSMT]

hey there🙂

i went to ND and had a wonderful time and got a great education... i faired very well in the med school application process as did MANY of my good friends. what another poster said was right and carries a lot of weight... ND sends a ton of people to med school so the adcoms know what kind of a student you are... the med school guy at ND isnt the best, and he writes the recommendations-- even if you dont like him, he gets results.. hes been writing med school recommendations since the cold war. seriously. the other schools you are talking about are also great, but i dont know as much about them🙂

email the other girl who is a senior this year...

 

[gotgirth]

Beliefs of mine:

1) Getting into med school is almost entirely dependent on the student, and not the "premed program" - go where you feel at home 🙂

2) Statistics that undergrad schools will give such as "X percent of our applicants were accepted into medical school" are useless

Will explain #2 briefly...many undergrads have advisors who strongly discourage applicants from applying if they don't believe the applicant has a good chance of getting in (hence they can boost the statistic).

My undergrad (Illinois) had what I thought was fantastic advising for premed students, but the #Accepted/#Applicants was only somewhat above the national average....why? Because applicants are not discouraged from applying.

Just my $.02 - I remember when I was looking at undergrad schools I asked every school what % of their med school applicants are accepted.

Good luck!🙂

 

[dreaminOfMD>.<]

UCLA's #9???...👍

 

[Dr Trek 1]

I think that University of Rochester is being overlooked. It provides an outstanding pre-medical education and has one of the nation's top medical schools (Rochester School of Medicine). The medical school acceptance rate of students who apply to medical school is over 75%, well above the national average.