Best uc pre med/ med school

[The Che]

Which of these 3 UC schools are best for pre-med/ med school?
1. UCLA
2. CAL (I KNOW THEY DONT HAVE A MED SCHOOL)
3. UCSD

and is it true that med schools favor their pre-med students? By this i mean would UCLA look down on me if I did my pre- med at UCSD?

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[flaahless]

Which of these 3 UC schools are best for pre-med/ med school?
1. UCLA
2. CAL (I KNOW THEY DONT HAVE A MED SCHOOL)
3. UCSD

and is it true that med schools favor their pre-med students? By this i mean would UCLA look down on me if I did my pre- med at UCSD?

There is actually a UCLA vs. UCSD rivalry, such that enrolling in just a single course at UCSD will automatically disqualify you from applying to Geffen School of Med and it's associated programs.

 

[Rzarecta]

Which of these 3 UC schools are best for pre-med/ med school?
1. UCLA
2. CAL (I KNOW THEY DONT HAVE A MED SCHOOL)
3. UCSD

and is it true that med schools favor their pre-med students? By this i mean would UCLA look down on me if I did my pre- med at UCSD?

I can't help you with which is the best for pre-med, there really isn't a simple answer to that. The best program is the school that you think you would be happiest at and one that has an environment in which you can thrive.

Whether or not med schools favor undergraduates from their institutions is topic that has been debated ad nauseam. There is no consensus, but everyone agrees it matters a hell of a lot less than your GPA, MCAT, ECs, personality, etc. So choose a college you will love and work hard.

 

[The Che]

With all due respect, IS THIS ACTUALLLY TRUE?!??!!!!!!!!!

 

[The Che]

Thanx :0

 

[flaahless]

Naah man. I was lying. UCSD is a fine undergrad and no med school will look down on you for being a Triton. They will laugh at you, a great big hearty laugh of pity, but that's all.

Disclamer: I kid I kid, my roommate went to UCSD and he was accepted everywhere.

 

[Mace1370]

I went to UCLA, so I cannot comment on the other schools. I majored in physiology and out of our major (probably ~400 people) about 90% of them were premed. This is in third and fourth year, so most of the idiots had been weeded out. Classes were curved.

If you do go to UCLA, or UCSD or Cal as I'm sure they are very similar, I would recommend taking a non-premed major as it will be a lot easier to do well without all the insane competition.

 

[iTool]

LOL dude you pic is awesome (mario hussein)

 

[adizz mfresh]

UCSB is by far the best UC... anyone who thinks otherwise hasn't been to IV. Who would want to spend the four years before the four years of med school anywhere else?

 

[Pinkertinkle]

It's definitely not Cal cause taking that bart to UCSF med center is a pita.

 

[funkydrmonkey]

Go where ever you would be the happiest and get the best GPA. If that means going to UCSD, then go for it.

Although I vouch for UCLA

 

[talbo]

all three UCs are awesome schools besides the fact that UCSD is D-II. like funky said, go where you think you fit and will do the best.

i personally think that if u go to Cal u have a slight advantage for UCSF med school, likewise if you go to ucla u get a slight adv for geffen, n same for ucsd, i think this b/c ucla makes up the most uc for geffen and from my experiences with ppl who have interviews

 

[EpiPEN]

Go where ever you would be the happiest and get the best GPA. If that means going to UCSD, then go for it.

Although I vouch for UCLA

heyyy..... are you trying to say it's easy to get a good GPA in UCSD?

I hope you didn't write that on your UCSD secondary application

 

[The Che]

LOL..U had me scared man! thanx though

 

[DrAnteater]

Which of these 3 UC schools are best for pre-med/ med school?
1. UCLA
2. CAL (I KNOW THEY DONT HAVE A MED SCHOOL)
3. UCSD

and is it true that med schools favor their pre-med students? By this i mean would UCLA look down on me if I did my pre- med at UCSD?

maybe for med school, but for undergrad youre probably better off at Irvine.

 

[DrAnteater]

I went to UCLA, so I cannot comment on the other schools. I majored in physiology and out of our major (probably ~400 people) about 90% of them were premed. This is in third and fourth year, so most of the idiots had been weeded out. Classes were curved.

If you do go to UCLA, or UCSD or Cal as I'm sure they are very similar, I would recommend taking a non-premed major as it will be a lot easier to do well without all the insane competition.

Not in the slightest way does UCSD measure up to cal as far as academic difficulty, reputation, selectivity of admissions, hell, even US News ranking if you even care about that.

 

[premedsoccergod]

hey guys i'm currently a uci student. just wondering Dranteater, why did you say it's good to go to uci for undergrad? uci bio major is so competitive

 

[funkydrmonkey]

heyyy..... are you trying to say it's easy to get a good GPA in UCSD?

I hope you didn't write that on your UCSD secondary application

Ouch... no wonder I got waitlisted

I meant go wherever you are happiest, and if that means go to UCSD, (since it was bolded in the OP)... then go there...

By the way, isn't it too early to decide... you need to get in first, and you start finding out in March...

 

[funkydrmonkey]

hey guys i'm currently a uci student. just wondering Dranteater, why did you say it's good to go to uci for undergrad? uci bio major is so competitive

UCI undergrad is RELATIVELY easier than at other schools...
I went to UCI for 2 years and did all of my premed stuff there, so I can say this... at UCLA it is kind of crazy, and the premeds are nuts, and many of my friends have lower GPAs because of the premed requirements, but they do really well in the major classes... but then again, there are the people with higher GPAs who are also equally nuts...

 

[alibai3ah]

This is what I am assuming.....based on how difficult it is to be admitted and MCAT/GPA stats.

For medical schools
1) UCSF
2) UCSD (they are ranked lower, but seem to be very stingy about acceptances, and love high MCATers)
3) UCLA (can switch places with UCSD, both are very difficult)
4) UC Irvine/ UC Davis (the "easier" schools, which they are really not, b/c they are in california)

For Pre-Med- there is no pre-med major.....but if you stick to a biology major, I would go with UCSD or UCLA. As for the post below, CAL is no where in the same league as those two schools for biological sciences, its ridiculous to even think so.....Cal may be more reputable, but thats for liberal arts and engineering, I have heard very little about Cal's biology programs..... Davis/Irvine are good picks too, less compeititve, but both have decent biological sciences programs...

 

[mdmarty]

Not in the slightest way does UCSD measure up to cal as far as academic difficulty, reputation, selectivity of admissions, hell, even US News ranking if you even care about that.

Not in the slightest way do you know what you are talking about.

This is what I am assuming.....based on how difficult it is to be admitted and MCAT/GPA stats.

For medical schools
1) UCSF
2) UCSD (they are ranked lower, but seem to be very stingy about acceptances, and love high MCATers)
3) UCLA (can switch places with UCSD, both are very difficult)
4) UC Irvine/ UC Davis (the "easier" schools, which they are really not, b/c they are in california)

For Pre-Med- there is no pre-med major.....but if you stick to a biology major, I would go with UCSD or UCLA. As for the post below, CAL is no where in the same league as those two schools for biological sciences, its ridiculous to even think so.....Cal may be more reputable, but thats for liberal arts and engineering, I have heard very little about Cal's biology programs..... Davis/Irvine are good picks too, less compeititve, but both have decent biological sciences programs...

I agree. The Economist ranks Berkley, UCSD, and UCLA all in the top-twenty category. Their algorithm places a special emphasis on the number of Science/Nature papers a university produces, which is a good way to describe the level of research going on.

http://www.economist.com/displaystory.cfm?story_id=4339960

Because you get some extra points from your UG school's medical school, UCLA and UCSD would be better picks. At UCSD at least, the biological sciences and bioengineering departments really stand out.

 

[Lukkie]

 

[AlanAlanine]

Not in the slightest way do you know what you are talking about.

At UCSD at least, the biological sciences and bioengineering departments really stand out.

Berkeley's bioengineering department is top 10...

and to OP, go where you will do well academically. Berkeley may not have the best undergraduate biology or whatever, but the courses are still more rigorous than most other California schools.

and don't pay attention to rankings because they're mostly for graduate programs. Berkeley just happens to have an amazing graduate program.

 

[copingmethods]

This is what I am assuming.....based on how difficult it is to be admitted and MCAT/GPA stats.

For medical schools
1) UCSF
2) UCSD (they are ranked lower, but seem to be very stingy about acceptances, and love high MCATers)
3) UCLA (can switch places with UCSD, both are very difficult)
4) UC Irvine/ UC Davis (the "easier" schools, which they are really not, b/c they are in california)

For Pre-Med- there is no pre-med major.....but if you stick to a biology major, I would go with UCSD or UCLA. As for the post below, CAL is no where in the same league as those two schools for biological sciences, its ridiculous to even think so.....Cal may be more reputable, but thats for liberal arts and engineering, I have heard very little about Cal's biology programs..... Davis/Irvine are good picks too, less compeititve, but both have decent biological sciences programs...

Are you referring to their undergrad program?

 

[dienekes88]

Not in the slightest way do you know what you are talking about.



I agree. The Economist ranks Berkley, UCSD, and UCLA all in the top-twenty category. Their algorithm places a special emphasis on the number of Science/Nature papers a university produces, which is a good way to describe the level of research going on.

http://www.economist.com/displaystory.cfm?story_id=4339960

Because you get some extra points from your UG school's medical school, UCLA and UCSD would be better picks. At UCSD at least, the biological sciences and bioengineering departments really stand out.

HAHAHA.

You say that as if some super star researcher with publications in high impact factor journals is going to let you into his/her lab... or get you to learn INTRO BIO a little better.

 

[AlanAlanine]

Are you referring to their undergrad program?

look, it's not where you go, it's what you do. i feel like i've received an excellent education at Cal and I am a biological science major. if you go to a place with a " more reputable" biological sciences program (whatever that means) and get B's and C's then you will probably have learned less than an A student at Berkeley. And students who get straight A's at either university will have had a comparable education.

 

[DrAnteater]

Not in the slightest way do you know what you are talking about.



I agree. The Economist ranks Berkley, UCSD, and UCLA all in the top-twenty category. Their algorithm places a special emphasis on the number of Science/Nature papers a university produces, which is a good way to describe the level of research going on.

http://www.economist.com/displaystory.cfm?story_id=4339960

Because you get some extra points from your UG school's medical school, UCLA and UCSD would be better picks. At UCSD at least, the biological sciences and bioengineering departments really stand out.

youre another one of THOSE ucsd ppl i assume

 

[DrAnteater]

HAHAHA.

You say that as if some super star researcher with publications in high impact factor journals is going to let you into his/her lab... or get you to learn INTRO BIO a little better.

exactly my point. why the hell would anyone equate UCSD's undergrad with Berkeley, even LA?

 

[mdmarty]

HAHAHA.

You say that as if some super star researcher with publications in high impact factor journals is going to let you into his/her lab... or get you to learn INTRO BIO a little better.

I don't understand your comment. Getting A's in intro bio courses by itself won't get you into UCSD or UCLA. Maybe Irvine...

 

[dienekes88]

I don't understand your comment. Getting A's in intro bio courses by itself won't get you into UCSD or UCLA. Maybe Irvine...

Irvine's a good school, dude. Anyway, getting A's in low-level bio courses is not always easy.

Let me refer you to this:

Their algorithm places a special emphasis on the number of Science/Nature papers a university produces, which is a good way to describe the level of research going on.

The amount of high level of research going on at an university has very little to do with undergrads.

Also, the departments of molecular nutrition, cell biology, biomedical informatics, etc. have nothing to do with the education you'll receive as a medical student. The one exception is if you end up doing research in those fields. In reality, you probably won't, because you'll be doing research in the specialty you think you'll want to pursue... and those journals probably don't get counted in the economist's rankings.

However, you seem to think it's a good way to judge the level of undergraduate education and even medical education. Medical education is standardized: everyone has to learn a little histo; everyone has to learn anatomy.

 

[Chemdude]

LOL dude you pic is awesome (mario hussein)

lol..that's not Saddam Hussien. I believe that is Khalid Sheikh Mohammed...The Alqeada terrorist who masterminded the 911 attacks...

 

[gonj]

theyre all good schools. i considered them all and went to the one where i fit in best. careful tho, those premeds at ucla are damn competitive!!

 

[junkct]

everyone seems to over-emphasize the impact of your undergrad school on the med school admissions process. I've been told by numerous (well-informed) people that med schools do look at your UG to an extent, but that they look at them in tiers. This means that HYPS + top publics will be in one tier, while University of ABC or XYZ State University will be in a completely different tier. In that regard, UCLA and UCSD are pretty much looked at as exactly the same in terms of difficulty, prestige, etc. (I wouldn't be surprised if Cal was lumped in with those two, but I'm sure Cal gives off a slightly better impression).

Therefore, it really does come down to where you think you'll get the best GPA. Cal is considered uber-competitive in all aspects, while LA and SD are a little more lax... although their pre-meds are still pretty competitive, everyone else isn't. In addition, I don't think there is any favoritism among med schools for their own undergrads, BUT the stats show that LA has a good portion of their students who did undergrad at LA, and the same goes for SD. So, I guess if you want to look at it that way, it might be better to choose LA or SD since Cal doesn't have a med school.

 

[DrAnteater]

everyone seems to over-emphasize the impact of your undergrad school on the med school admissions process. I've been told by numerous (well-informed) people that med schools do look at your UG to an extent, but that they look at them in tiers. This means that HYPS + top publics will be in one tier, while University of ABC or XYZ State University will be in a completely different tier. In that regard, UCLA and UCSD are pretty much looked at as exactly the same in terms of difficulty, prestige, etc. (I wouldn't be surprised if Cal was lumped in with those two, but I'm sure Cal gives off a slightly better impression).

Therefore, it really does come down to where you think you'll get the best GPA. Cal is considered uber-competitive in all aspects, while LA and SD are a little more lax... although their pre-meds are still pretty competitive, everyone else isn't. In addition, I don't think there is any favoritism among med schools for their own undergrads, BUT the stats show that LA has a good portion of their students who did undergrad at LA, and the same goes for SD. So, I guess if you want to look at it that way, it might be better to choose LA or SD since Cal doesn't have a med school.

They are not considered equal in prestige, nor in difficulty. Cal is obviously regarded much higher than SD, but only somewhat more than los angeles.

 

[RySerr21]

Which of these 3 UC schools are best for pre-med/ med school?
1. UCLA
2. CAL (I KNOW THEY DONT HAVE A MED SCHOOL)
3. UCSD

and is it true that med schools favor their pre-med students? By this i mean would UCLA look down on me if I did my pre- med at UCSD?

For your undergrad, no one cares. Honestly. All of the UCs will give you a great education. Bickering about which one is the best is just stupid, and a waste of time. I say just break it into teirs... No doubt, the top 3 UCs are the ones you mentioned, followed by Irvine/Santa Barbara and Santa Cruz/Riverside/Merced.

UCLA will not care if you go to SD. At my Irvine interview, there was definitely a large majority of students from UC schools, but there were only like 1 or 2 from Irvine. Actually, I think a majority came from LA.

 

[DrAnteater]

For your undergrad, no one cares. Honestly. All of the UCs will give you a great education. Bickering about which one is the best is just stupid, and a waste of time. I say just break it into teirs... No doubt, the top 3 UCs are the ones you mentioned, followed by Irvine/Santa Barbara and Santa Cruz/Riverside/Merced.

UCLA will not care if you go to SD. At my Irvine interview, there was definitely a large majority of students from UC schools, but there were only like 1 or 2 from Irvine. Actually, I think a majority came from LA.

You are choosing arbitrary numbers. Top 3? Why not top 5? or top 8 UC's?

UCSD is not in the same league as Cal, much as irvine is not in the same league as Cal.

 

[tastybeef]

This is what I am assuming.....based on how difficult it is to be admitted and MCAT/GPA stats.

For medical schools
1) UCSF
2) UCSD (they are ranked lower, but seem to be very stingy about acceptances, and love high MCATers)
3) UCLA (can switch places with UCSD, both are very difficult)
4) UC Irvine/ UC Davis (the "easier" schools, which they are really not, b/c they are in california)

For Pre-Med- there is no pre-med major.....but if you stick to a biology major, I would go with UCSD or UCLA. As for the post below, CAL is no where in the same league as those two schools for biological sciences, its ridiculous to even think so.....Cal may be more reputable, but thats for liberal arts and engineering, I have heard very little about Cal's biology programs..... Davis/Irvine are good picks too, less compeititve, but both have decent biological sciences programs...

Since there is no undergraduate biology program ranking, I'm assuming you're referring to the graduate programs. In that case, Berkeley's graduate biology program is ranked 2nd overall by US News.

http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/grad/bio/search

UCI, UCD, UCSD, and UCLA get more rep for their biology programs because those are the only well known programs there. It's all relative. Just because a school is best known for a certain field doesn't mean it is universally the best in that subject. Similarly, just because a school isn't known for a particular program doesn't mean that the program is downright horrible. Berkeley's biology program is simply overshadowed by its more well known engineering, liberal arts, and business programs. And you're right, Berkeley's biology program is not in the same league as those of other UC's-- the other programs pale in comparison.

 

[DrAnteater]

Since there is no undergraduate biology program ranking, I'm assuming you're referring to the graduate programs. In that case, Berkeley's graduate biology program is ranked 2nd overall by US News.

http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/grad/bio/search

UCI, UCD, UCSD, and UCLA get more rep for their biology programs because those are the only well known programs there. It's all relative. Just because a school is best known for a certain field doesn't mean it is universally the best in that subject. Similarly, just because a school isn't known for a particular program doesn't mean that the program is downright horrible. Berkeley's biology program is simply overshadowed by its more well known engineering, liberal arts, and business programs. And you're right, Berkeley's biology program is not in the same league as those of other UC's-- the other programs pale in comparison.

exactly my point.

 

[junkct]

They are not considered equal in prestige, nor in difficulty. Cal is obviously regarded much higher than SD, but only somewhat more than los angeles.

yeah, obviously cal is more prestigious, but that's not my point. My point is that it really doesn't matter a hoot which school you go to because in the grand scheme of things, all three schools will get you the same results. No one is going to look at you any differently because you went to cal instead of sd or la.

And yes, I would argue that the difficulty of all three schools is the same. In fact, I would argue that most schools in the US have similar difficulty. The only difference is the people that go to each school. Like I mentioned, cal is uber-competitive, so I'm sure it's difficult to get a higher gpa there, but regardless, I'm sure someone with a 3.7 at LA would get a 3.7 at cal/SD as well.

And cal is only known for their grad program. their undergrad is not any more brilliant than LA/SD. All three are within the top 15 public schools in the country, so yes they definitely are comparable.

 

[RySerr21]

You are choosing arbitrary numbers. Top 3? Why not top 5? or top 8 UC's?

UCSD is not in the same league as Cal, much as irvine is not in the same league as Cal.

Give me a break dude. Why do the top 3 get medals in a competition? I dont f*ckin know. Thats just the way it is. Top 8? Look, I could care less about ranking of schools. Seriously. Check this out, instead of a christmas list, i made this:

List of Things I Could Not Care Less About....

1. Which UC is better...Cal or LA or SD?
2. Why things are commonly grouped into threes (eg top 3)

In my experience, when talking about the UCs, people always group them in to "tiers." And those 3 schools (LA/Cal/SD) are always in that top "tier," as in they are better/more respected/or whatever, than the others. The second "tier" usually consists of Irvine/Santa Barbara and the 3rd consists of the others. This isn't set in stone, this just what I have experienced. I dont claim to be an expert, and most importantly, I dont care. Its not going to make a difference if you go to Cal or SD or LA, they are all great schools. So If you want to argue about Cal being in its own tier b/c its better than SD and LA, then do it with someone else. If you still dont understand, see my list.

 

[DrAnteater]

yeah, obviously cal is more prestigious, but that's not my point. My point is that it really doesn't matter a hoot which school you go to because in the grand scheme of things, all three schools will get you the same results. No one is going to look at you any differently because you went to cal instead of sd or la.

And yes, I would argue that the difficulty of all three schools is the same. In fact, I would argue that most schools in the US have similar difficulty. The only difference is the people that go to each school. Like I mentioned, cal is uber-competitive, so I'm sure it's difficult to get a higher gpa there, but regardless, I'm sure someone with a 3.7 at LA would get a 3.7 at cal/SD as well.

And cal is only known for their grad program. their undergrad is not any more brilliant than LA/SD. All three are within the top 15 public schools in the country, so yes they definitely are comparable.

F**K
the only people who would group UCSD with any of the mentioned schools are either
A. UCSD students or
B. Non-California residents

 

[tastybeef]

And yes, I would argue that the difficulty of all three schools is the same. In fact, I would argue that most schools in the US have similar difficulty. The only difference is the people that go to each school. Like I mentioned, cal is uber-competitive, so I'm sure it's difficult to get a higher gpa there, but regardless, I'm sure someone with a 3.7 at LA would get a 3.7 at cal/SD as well.

You suggest that the levels of difficulty at the three schools are the same, yet you concede that it is harder to get a higher GPA at Cal. Even after conceding to that, you contradict it with your example. What the hell?

 

[DrAnteater]

Give me a break dude. Why do the top 3 get medals in a competition? I dont f*ckin know. Thats just the way it is. Top 8? Look, I could care less about ranking of schools. Seriously. Check this out, instead of a christmas list, i made this:

List of Things I Could Not Care Less About....

1. Which UC is better...Cal or LA or SD?
2. Why things are commonly grouped into threes (eg top 3)

In my experience, when talking about the UCs, people always group them in to "tiers." And those 3 schools (LA/Cal/SD) are always in that top "tier," as in they are better/more respected/or whatever, than the others. The second "tier" usually consists of Irvine/Santa Barbara and the 3rd consists of the others. This isn't set in stone, this just what I have experienced. I dont claim to be an expert, and most importantly, I dont care. Its not going to make a difference if you go to Cal or SD, they are both great schools. So If you want to argue about Cal being in its own tier b/c its better than SD and LA, then do it with someone else. If you still dont understand, see my list.

ucsd is closer in us news ranking to irvine than to either LA or cal. that is why i think it is stupid to mention it in the same breath as those two schools.

 

[RySerr21]

ucsd is closer in us news ranking to irvine than to either LA or cal. that is why i think it is stupid to mention it in the same breath as those two schools.

. I'm out.

 

[junkct]

F**K
the only people who would group UCSD with any of the mentioned schools are either
A. UCSD students or
B. Non-California residents

And incredibly, I fall into neither category

but I was in the same dilemma as a high school senior, and this was the ultimate conclusion I came to after speaking with way too many people about it.

 

[DrAnteater]

You suggest that the levels of difficulty at the three schools are the same, yet you concede that it is harder to get a higher GPA at Cal. Even after conceding to that, you contradict it with your example. What the hell?

i know dude, it f***ing pisses me off so much when people do things like this. i know how hard cal is, i took some summer classes there, semester system contains lots more info to be tested on. i dont know why pompous ucsd kids seem to think that their school can be even remotely as difficult.

 

[EP123]

I think what it all comes down to is that the students accepted at Cal and LA have slightly higher HS GPAs and SATs than at UCSD. Since most classes are on a curve, I would argue that the smarter student body would make it harder to get a higher GPA at Cal or LA and thus making them "the better schools." (or harder)

That being said, receiving a 3.7GPA at any of these UCs or irvine, davis, and SB would look great for your med school app and definitely would not be looked down upon. Of course this is based on the assumption that you do well on your MCAT.

 

[junkct]

You suggest that the levels of difficulty at the three schools are the same, yet you concede that it is harder to get a higher GPA at Cal. Even after conceding to that, you contradict it with your example. What the hell?

Just because the people at cal are more competitive doesn't make them smarter, doesn't make the school more difficult, and definitely doesn't make the school significantly better. yes, cal is a better school; I'll admit that. but it's not THAT much better in the eyes of med schools! This means that a 3.7 at SD and a 3.7 at LA and a 3.7 at cal are all going to be on the same level!

i know dude, it f***ing pisses me off so much when people do things like this. i know how hard cal is, i took some summer classes there, semester system contains lots more info to be tested on. i dont know why pompous ucsd kids seem to think that their school can be even remotely as difficult.

How can you take summer classes at a school and claim to know how rigorous the school is hahahah summer classes are in no way representative of normal semester classes.


Disclaimer: I do not go to UCSD or UCLA or any of the other UCs for that matter (although I do go to school in california, not a CSU or JC... oooh I've really narrowed down the options), so this IS a relatively unbiased opinion.

 

[Lukkie]

which UC has the hottest girls lol

 

[DrAnteater]

which UC has the hottest girls lol

Irvine...NOT
I would guess santa barbara, riverside, and merced, and all the cal states.