Biomedical Engineering, Michigan vs. Columbia

[xcboi23]

I'm a Senior in High School, from Michigan. I'm currently planning on going into Biomedical Engineering, with hopes of getting into a top medical school, such as Harvard's, UPenn's, Johns Hopkins', Stanford's, etc.
I've been accepted (undergrad) at Columbia (Fu engineering), University of Michigan (engineering), Washington University in St. Louis, Case Western, Vanderbilt, and several other schools. I'm currently trying to decide between Columbia and U of M, and maybe WashU. I've been reading about it, and have been getting mixed messages about whether the school I decide on for undergrad actually matters. I'm pretty sure U of M is actually better than Columbia for Biomedical engineering, but does that actually play a role? Or does Columbia's prestige play a role? From what I've seen, Columbia guarantees research opportunities to almost every student, and I'm also a Prescott Davis scholar there (although I'm not sure if that means I get any more research opportunities than any other student.) Does U of M have simliar research opportunities? ALSO, does grade inflation actually play a big role in this? And is U of M really that much harder to maintain a good GPA in, when compared to Columbia?
In terms of financial aid: I have the in-state tuition for U of M, but no additional scholarships. Columbia isn't offering financial aid in the typical sense, but they're giving me research grants through the Prescott Davis Scholars program. However, I'm lucky enough that my parents have told me not to worry about cost, and they will pay 100% of the tuition.
I know that I've asked a lot of questions, but I'm just confused about what actually makes the difference when it comes to getting into medical school. Sorry again, too many questions xD! Please please please help, the deadline is May 1st haha! Thanks!

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[raltima07]

LOL

Engineering is very hard to get a good GPA in, and without a high GPA, forget med school. Go for an easy major

 

[xcboi23]

Please, any help would be appreciated, especially with that deadline coming up haha

 

[xcboi23]

LOL

Engineering is very hard to get a good GPA in, and without a high GPA, forget med school. Go for an easy major

Ok, well assuming I want to put in the work to get a high GPA in engineering, which I think I can do if I do put in the work, what would you recommend?

 

[Mahliah]

Whichever is the cheapest. Your gpa,mcat, EC, etc will get you into med school, not the name of your school.

 

[Cypher321]

Ok, well assuming I want to put in the work to get a high GPA in engineering, which I think I can do if I do put in the work, what would you recommend?

Don't listen to the naysayers...engineering does require some extra effort but if you enjoy engineering then it will definitely be worth it. Aside from that, engineering makes you a man (chest hair, mustache, etc).

 

[aSagacious]

Your gpa,mcat, EC, etc will get you into med school, not the name of your school.

+1. Extra-curricular opportunities will be the same at both schools and both schools have solid reputations. The day-to-day will be quite different based on their respective locations though. My vote is for UM (because of location).

 

[slatermd]

Dude, you are in a great spot. You can't really make a "bad" decision here.

I don't how similar/different the research opportunities are, but I'm not sure that U of M "guarantees" research opportunities to every engineering student, as you mentioned about Columbia. I wouldn't put too much emphasis on this, because there are research opportunities and you should expect to do a little work to procure one. They might not drop it in your lap, but you'll be able to do research at U of M.

Realistically appraise the chances that you'll end up working as an engineer rather than going to medical school. If the chances are reasonably high, you should strongly consider going to U of M.

If you end up going to medical school, it won't really matter which of these two engineering programs was more highly ranked. Because Columbia is an Ivy, it will be networked differently with the Ivy med schools than would U of M. This is not to say that U of M hurts your chances of getting into an Ivy med school, but it is something to consider.

It vexes me somewhat that you hold undergrad acceptances at institutions which all have excellent medical schools, and yet none of these med schools are on your shortlist.

 

[camierz]

I am currently at the U of M and there are lots of good research opportunities. I recently took part in UROP (Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program), which is designed for first and second year students. You can get a research position for either credit or work study in any field in this program. They recently had a Junior-Senior program but they got rid of it. However, once doing a year of UROP you can potentially research longer in the lab you worked at for UROP. I recently got a grant for summer research. The U of M is a very good research school!

 

[TooBright]

LOL

Engineering is very hard to get a good GPA in, and without a high GPA, forget med school. Go for an easy major

What a stupid thing to say.



The original poster seems like a very bright kid, so I'm sure he promptly ignored your "advice."



Major in what you love and are interested, and work hard in school. I know I don't have to tell you that last part, considering the schools you were accepted to. People get As in these so called "impossible" engineering classes. You can be one of those people. College is a time of learning. You may find you are not interested in practicing medicine in a couple of years, months, or weeks after being involved in a clinical setting. You will learn a lot. Again, major in what you are most interested and provides opportunities for you.


Both schools are a great choice for undergraduates. Both are highly ranked and provide great opportunities. I feel that one school has a clear advantage, but that is not very important. If you want more information, PM me.

 

[raltima07]

What a stupid thing to say.



The original poster seems like a very bright kid, so I'm sure he promptly ignored your "advice."



Major in what you love and are interested, and work hard in school. I know I don't have to tell you that last part, considering the schools you were accepted to. People get As in these so called "impossible" engineering classes. You can be one of those people. College is a time of learning. You may find you are not interested in practicing medicine in a couple of years, months, or weeks after being involved in a clinical setting. You will learn a lot. Again, major in what you are most interested and provides opportunities for you.


Both schools are a great choice for undergraduates. Both are highly ranked and provide great opportunities. I feel that one school has a clear advantage, but that is not very important. If you want more information, PM me.

GPA is hard to repair, no matter how smart he/she is, I'm just looking out for them.

 

[aSagacious]

GPA is hard to repair, no matter how smart he/she is, I'm just looking out for them.

How thoughtful of you. Seriously, though, I know quite a few engineers who have done very well during their undergraduate years (and, anecdotally, they tend to be very well prepared for the MCAT).

 

[raltima07]

How thoughtful of you. Seriously, though, I know quite a few engineers who have done very well during their undergraduate years (and, anecdotally, they tend to be very well prepared for the MCAT).

I wouldn't expect someone with a 3.7 GPA to understand

 

[aSagacious]

I wouldn't expect someone with a 3.7 GPA to understand

1/10 for trolling (you get a free point for spelling ).

 

[raltima07]

1/10 for trolling (you get a free point for spelling ).

Thats fair.


P.S. - 3.7 is good, but I know many engineers from Columbia (who had a low 3) but I also know a few with a high gpa.

Sorry for giving a different approach

 

[fizzgig]

don't know that it matters if you're just not interested in BME for BME's sake, but U of M is a good BME research school. i applied there for grad school and the program seemed really nice. just another opinion.

 

[xcboi23]

It vexes me somewhat that you hold undergrad acceptances at institutions which all have excellent medical schools, and yet none of these med schools are on your shortlist.

Haha, thanks! These schools are definitely on my list of great medical schools, I would be very happy to attend! Another thing that I've been sporadically seeing is lists of "feeder schools" to medical schools... are these legitimate? If so, how big of an advantage would it be to go to a "feeder school" like Columbia rather than a public school like U of M?

 

[aSagacious]

Another thing that I've been sporadically seeing is lists of "feeder schools" to medical schools... are these legitimate? If so, how big of an advantage would it be to go to a "feeder school" like Columbia rather than a public school like U of M?

Unfortunately, I think you've missed the point of our responses as a whole. Again, you should not choose your undergrad school based on "what would give you the best chance at med school." Your performance is entirely up to you and you will have a legitimate shot at any med school provided you do well during your undergrad years.

 

[xcboi23]

Got it. Thank you for your help!

 

[slatermd]

Haha, thanks! These schools are definitely on my list of great medical schools, I would be very happy to attend! Another thing that I've been sporadically seeing is lists of "feeder schools" to medical schools... are these legitimate? If so, how big of an advantage would it be to go to a "feeder school" like Columbia rather than a public school like U of M?

I think there's some truth to this notion, which is why I said you should know that your networks will be different at these two schools. This is not to say one is better or worse, just different. In any event, your network matters far less than your performance, as others have noted. Do you have reason to believe you could get a better GPA at one school vs. the other? I can't help you with that one, but know that the difference between a 3.5 and a 3.8 GPA will have a larger effect on your application at top schools more than will the difference in "prestige" between U of M and Columbia.

Long story short (and I'm pulling this out of my butt, so don't take it to the bank), I think that Columbia might be a better choice for you if:

1. You "know" you want to end up practicing medicine and not engineering (which even if you think you know, you should keep an open mind)
2. you are hellbent on going to med school in the northeast

I think that U of M might be a better choice if:

1. There's a chance you could end up working as an engineer instead of going to med school
2. You are not hellbent on going to college in NYC
3. You are not hellbent on going to medical school in the northeast

If none of these are outstanding factors in your decision, then start examining your instincts. What does your gut (or your heart or whatever) tell you?

 

[GoSpursGo]

Questions about which college to attend are most appropriate for hSDN. I'm going to move this thread there.

 

[skierbum]

at UM...love it! I got into a research lab just by applying for a paid position on the student employment website. BME is hard here, but it will give you an edge in case you have to take a break after undergrad. Plus, UM's ecmo lab is high up there in cutting edge research with organogenesis.

Bottom Line: Go where ever is cheaper...you will be less stressed and thank yourself later.

 

[HH Holmes]

Engineering is tough, but if you are deadset on it (like 110%), I'd say choose Vanderbilt. Sure, it's lower ranked than Columbia and WashU, but Vandy's engineering program is absolutely amazing. Classes are very small, internships are plentiful and they offer a 4+1 BS/MS program that will really help a medical school application if you choose to take an extra year. As of when I visited (Feb. 2010), anyone with a decent GPA by their third year of undergraduate was allowed to do the BS/MS program.

Regardless of your choices, engineering will be a b*tch either way, but you will enjoy CU, Vandy, WashU or UM.

 

[greatlakes]

Med schools admissions place big emphasis on the combination of GPA & MCAT. Both U of M & Columbia will prepare you well with the prerequisites. However, MCAT will depend on your individual level of preparation. The curriculum at Columbia (Fu college of engineering) places more emphasis on liberal arts in the first two years. If you are good at liberal arts, you may want to choose Columbia. If on the other hand, you are more comfortable with math & science, U of M might be a better choice. However, as others have mentioned, engineering requires tremendous commitment in time/effort in order to get GPA >3.6.

Here is the matrix of GPA/MCAT info for U of M admitted to med schools in 2009.

http://www.careercenter.umich.edu/students/med/medappstats2009.html