College: Where to?

[JustK]

Just wondering where everyone wants to go to college/medical school at.

Where and why?
What are the pros and cons?
Main reason for wanting to go?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[FutureCTDoc]

Nova Southeastern/Nova Southeastern College of Osteopathic Medicine because of the BS/DO program.
Pros: Miami/Ft. Lauderdale, reserved med school spot, excellent match list, sunny
Cons: None

Main Reason: I want to practice medicine and they offered a DO and scholarship.

 

[El Nino]

Where and why? San Francisco State University (or east bay hayward) because of the interesting classes they offer for my intended major.

What are the pros and cons?
Pros: Close to home, will be able to continue working in a ucsf lab as a intern, small classes sizes, hands-on curriculum, students aren't super competitive, cheap tuition, hot girls, frats and BSU

Cons: Big intro classes (expected at a state school)

Main reasons for wanting to go? Close to home, will be able to continue working in ucsf lab as a intern and they have my intended major (physiology)

 

[unitofpain]

college: stanford 2013
Pros: sports, research, weather.
cons: nothing really

dream med school: UCSF
pros: research, weather, instate tuition by then
cons: none that i can think of

 

[Zoom-Zoom]

Where and why? San Francisco State University (or east bay hayward) because of the interesting classes they offer for my intended major.

What are the pros and cons?
Pros: Close to home, will be able to continue working in a ucsf lab as a intern, small classes sizes, hands-on curriculum, students aren't super competitive, cheap tuition, hot girls, frats and BSU

Cons: Big intro classes (expected at a state school)

Main reasons for wanting to go? Close to home, will be able to continue working in ucsf lab as a intern and they have my intended major (physiology)

SF State is a good school. My mom went there, it's great. BUT, it'll be a detriment if you plan on going to med school. There might be one or two students in the entire UC medical system that come from state-U's. It's possible, don't get me wrong, but it'll make your life harder. Why? You said it, it's just not as competitive. You'll want to transfer to a UC or other big university if you want to be a competitive applicant when the time comes.

 

[El Nino]

SF State is a good school. My mom went there, it's great. BUT, it'll be a detriment if you plan on going to med school. There might be one or two students in the entire UC medical system that come from state-U's. It's possible, don't get me wrong, but it'll make your life harder. Why? You said it, it's just not as competitive. You'll want to transfer to a UC or other big university if you want to be a competitive applicant when the time comes.

I was told if I do attend a state school, they recommend I start research the summer after or during my freshmen year. The stigma surrounding states is they don't do research compared to the UCs. Also, they are not as good.

I know there are a few students (in class of 2010) who attended states and attend UCSF.

State schools seem better to me. State students have smaller class sizes (20-150) compared UCs. A lot of hands on work (praticals) and more lab experience. UC students spend a lot of time in big lecture halls. I could list more reasons however there would be no point.

I'm not interested in "Big name" med schools. A doctor is a doctor and a med school is a medschool. I noticed on SDN, people are generally interested in the name and prestige of a med school then becoming a doctor.

 

[DevonL]

I was told if I do attend a state school, they recommend I start research the summer after or during my freshmen year. The stigma surrounding states is they don't do research compared to the UCs. Also, they are not as good.

I know there are a few students (in class of 2010) who attended states and attend UCSF.

State schools seem better to me. State students have smaller class sizes (20-150) compared UCs. A lot of hands on work (praticals) and more lab experience. UC students spend a lot of time in big lecture halls. I could list more reasons however there would be no point.

I'm not interested in "Big name" med schools. A doctor is a doctor and a med school is a medschool. I noticed on SDN, people are generally interested in the name and prestige of a med school then becoming a doctor.

You've been ill-advised if you think a doctor is merely a doctor and a med school is merely a med school. Indeed your residency will play a large roll in how well trained you are, but it is not all the same 'ol bag no matter where you go.

 

[Bacchus]

Go where you want to go. If you do well with your GPA, ECs, and MCAT you will get into medical school.

 

[Near]

New College, in Sarasota Florida.

Pros: Liberal arts college, very small class sizes, around 800 students, high academic quality, no grades (the teachers give out written assessments instead), not costly.

Cons: It's in Sarasota. Normally that's a Pro, but my parents want my to stay close to home.


For dental school, the one at UF suffices. It costs less than Nova too.

 

[Near]

.

 

[schrizto]

college: stanford 2013
Pros: sports, research, weather.
cons: nothing really

dream med school: UCSF
pros: research, weather, instate tuition by then
cons: none that i can think of

do you go by omgitsover9000 on CC?

 

[tennisball80]

Pros: Liberal arts college, very small class sizes, around 800 students, high academic quality, no grades (the teachers give out written assessments instead), not costly.

How do you guys do a GPA calculation?

 

[schrizto]

University of Pittsburgh
pros: UPMC, amazing medical school, Pittsburgh, research opps
why I went there: full tuition scholarship

 

[unitofpain]

lol i do indeed..how in the world did you come up with this?

 

[schrizto]

lol i do indeed..how in the world did you come up with this?

because I go on both CC and SDN a lot and I noticed both usernames got into Stanford, HPME, and had extensive research experience. so I was jw, lol.

 

[ToldYouSo]

Adelphi Univeristy

Pros: 3 miles away, rly beautiful campus, and full tuition scholarship doesn't hurt X)

Why I went there: Guaranteed admission to NYU college of dentistry, and I shave off a year of schooling (3-4 b.s./d.d.s = 7 years)

 

[EMS5]

BS Biology, Minor in Chemistry, University of Maryland Eastern Shore
-Close to home, small college atmosphere, and public school now saves me money
M.D. from the University of Maryland School of Medicine
-Close to home, in state, world renowned R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center, great learning hospital on the whole
Residency in Emergency Medicine at Pitt
-Has an excellent (one of the top in my opinion) EM residencies, and have heard nothing but positive feedback about it.
EMS Fellowship at Washington University of St. Louis
-I started my medical career in EMS, and am still very passionate about it. I have talked to the fellowship director at WU and they are very active, and focus on operational EMS (tactical, event, aero/ground) instead of administrative
(Of course this is all a tentative plan)
-Main reason: I want to work full time as an EM physician, and hopefully develop a physician emergency response team wherever I eventually practice

 

[jvanewportnews]

Where? - VCU Honors Program

Why? - Only dental school in Virginia, guarantees me a spot in dental school, and isn't too costly since it's in-state.

Pros - Cost, New campus buidings (including dorms), in the city, campus size (32,000 people) so many people to talk to.

Cons - In the city (crime) and too close to home....yup that's about it.

Main reason for attending - To become a dentist

 

[ToldYouSo]

Where? - VCU Honors Program

Why? - Only dental school in Virginia, guarantees me a spot in dental school, and isn't too costly since it's in-state.

Pros - Cost, New campus buidings (including dorms), in the city, campus size (32,000 people) so many people to talk to.

Cons - In the city (crime) and too close to home....yup that's about it.

Main reason for attending - To become a dentist

Guaranteed admission is a beautiful thing!

 

[jvanewportnews]

It is, but I'd like more information on getting into it. It has the required GPA and SAT scores, but I'm wondering if that is all that is required to get in.

 

[shawnpl]

Where? - VCU Honors Program

Why? - Only dental school in Virginia, guarantees me a spot in dental school, and isn't too costly since it's in-state.

Pros - Cost, New campus buidings (including dorms), in the city, campus size (32,000 people) so many people to talk to.

Cons - In the city (crime) and too close to home....yup that's about it.

Main reason for attending - To become a dentist

You listed in the city as a pro and con. Im confused.

 

[jvanewportnews]

Lol yea. I like the city life. There always seems to be something to do or something happening, and I'd like to be in it.

But the bad part is there are high crime rates in Richmond, but they say campus is safe, so I guess I'd have to stay there at night.

 

[broken tibula]

UG?

Where: Small, private liberal arts college in Ohio. It's unlikely that any of you have heard of it.

Main Reason: The kids there are... Well, they're weird. And they're not afraid to be weird. We're kind of known as the Mid-Western version of Reed College.

Pros: Far away from home, strong science program, world-class conservatory and a general campus interest in theatre/music, small classes, they have a freaking Quidditch team, and most of all, the full ride they gave me!

Cons: Not-so-great computer science program, in the middle of a bunch of cornfields, and my family is thoroughly convinced that I'm going to come back with dreads, a newfound love of smoking pot and an Obama Shrine. *shrug*

Med School?

Where: The U.R. Dade School of Mortuary Science. Fo sho.

 

[schrizto]

UG?

Where: Small, private liberal arts college in Ohio. It's unlikely that any of you have heard of it.

Main Reason: The kids there are... Well, they're weird. And they're not afraid to be weird. We're kind of known as the Mid-Western version of Reed College.

Pros: Far away from home, strong science program, world-class conservatory and a general campus interest in theatre/music, small classes, they have a freaking Quidditch team, and most of all, the full ride they gave me!

Cons: Not-so-great computer science program, in the middle of a bunch of cornfields, and my family is thoroughly convinced that I'm going to come back with dreads, a newfound love of smoking pot and an Obama Shrine. *shrug*

Med School?

Where: The U.R. Dade School of Mortuary Science. Fo sho.

Sounds like Oberlin. I've heard of it.

 

[broken tibula]

Well, that's one person!

 

[coldkatanagirl]

I've heard of Oberlin too. The conservatory there is amazing from what I've heard, and I have family in Ohio that have said it's a great school in general.

Where?
Northwest Vista College.

Why?
I didn't have the best high school record and it was the cheapest option.

Pros?
It has a pretty good reputation in Texas (as far as I know), so transferring to a university shouldn't be a huge issue when the time comes. The classes are small despite the whole system having about 100,000 students, the instructors I have are great, and the campus is nice. You can't beat the price, either.

Cons?
I get the "Ew, a community college?" reaction from people. A lot. It's not as "cool" as a university, I guess. I can't speak Spanish, so that can be a mild problem at times... And a lot of people like to stay with their same groups from high school, so making friends will probably be a challenge. I'm not crazy about San Antonio, but I like the side of town we live on so that's not a huge problem.

Oh, and my sister will be going to the same college as I am. I'm not sure if that's a pro or a con...

 

[DaTruMD]

college: stanford 2013
Pros: sports, research, weather.
cons: nothing really

dream med school: UCSF
pros: research, weather, instate tuition by then
cons: none that i can think of

Tuition. Ugly girls.

 

[unitofpain]

^^financial aid. girls not bad.

 

[orthomyxo]

Well as far as Undergrad, I'm happy with my current school which is MCPHS. However, I would like to go to Umass Medical School later since it's a great school and it's extremely affordable for residents of Massachusetts.

 

[smsc2009]

I was told if I do attend a state school, they recommend I start research the summer after or during my freshmen year. The stigma surrounding states is they don't do research compared to the UCs. Also, they are not as good.

I know there are a few students (in class of 2010) who attended states and attend UCSF.

State schools seem better to me. State students have smaller class sizes (20-150) compared UCs. A lot of hands on work (praticals) and more lab experience. UC students spend a lot of time in big lecture halls. I could list more reasons however there would be no point.

I'm not interested in "Big name" med schools. A doctor is a doctor and a med school is a medschool. I noticed on SDN, people are generally interested in the name and prestige of a med school then becoming a doctor.

There is no stigma with the California State University system, it's one of the best state systems in the country. Just do well, make friends with your professors, have some EC's and you will be fine. Anyone who tells you that you can't get into medical school because you come from a state university has no idea what they are talking about, good luck.

 

[schrizto]

State schools seem better to me. State students have smaller class sizes (20-150) compared UCs. A lot of hands on work (praticals) and more lab experience. UC students spend a lot of time in big lecture halls. I could list more reasons however there would be no point.

umm, aren't the UCs state schools too?

 

[coldkatanagirl]

umm, aren't the UCs state schools too?

Yeah, but I think the person meant the UC system vs the California State system, not state schools in general since they're both public state schools.

 

[fabricated]

I've heard of Oberlin, too. I love it and I'm applying there! It is definitely near the top of my list.

But my first choice is Wesleyan University.
Why: The size, the campus, it has my major and is relatively strong in the sciences, the people, good dance program, other stuff---I don't want to go on forever.
Pros: All of the above.
Cons: It's in Middletown! I like Middletown but I live fifteen minutes away. I kind of hoped I could go somewhere a little further away but I love Wesleyan enough to look past this.

 

[smsc2009]

BS Biology, Minor in Chemistry, University of Maryland Eastern Shore
-Close to home, small college atmosphere, and public school now saves me money
M.D. from the University of Maryland School of Medicine
-Close to home, in state, world renowned R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center, great learning hospital on the whole
Residency in Emergency Medicine at Pitt
-Has an excellent (one of the top in my opinion) EM residencies, and have heard nothing but positive feedback about it.
EMS Fellowship at Washington University of St. Louis
-I started my medical career in EMS, and am still very passionate about it. I have talked to the fellowship director at WU and they are very active, and focus on operational EMS (tactical, event, aero/ground) instead of administrative
(Of course this is all a tentative plan)
-Main reason: I want to work full time as an EM physician, and hopefully develop a physician emergency response team wherever I eventually practice

I chuckled when I read you already have an idea of where you want to complete your residency and fellowship. Most med students have no idea what there going to specialize in until their 3rd year of med school and the ones who think they do, change their mind.

 

[schrizto]

yeah I agree... at first I thought he had already done all that stuff, it's so detailed.

 

[smsc2009]

yeah I agree... at first I thought he had already done all that stuff, it's so detailed.

haha, yeah. Imagine you're the fellowship director of EMS at Washington University in St. Louis and you get a call, so you pick up the phone and it's a high school student talking to you about how he's interested in applying for the fellowship around 2020 or so. Lol, he probably will not even be the director anymore at that time.

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

Nova Southeastern/Nova Southeastern College of Osteopathic Medicine because of the BS/DO program.
Pros: Miami/Ft. Lauderdale, reserved med school spot, excellent match list, sunny
Cons: None

One con is most likely having to leave for residency, as a person can get used to having 65 be "cold". I'm about to experience that, and I am so NOT looking forward to dealing with snow.

Sounds like Oberlin. I've heard of it.

Great school. A friend of mine went there and loved it.

--

Undergrad can be such a personal choice. I had my pick of colleges and universities and it was still really hard to figure out where I felt the most at home. I'm definitely biased towards liberal art schools, and there have been some good ones mentioned here (Oberlin, Wesleyan), though I'd also suggest: Amherst, Swarthmore, Middlebury, Smith, Dickinson, Williams, Goucher, Collgate, Mount Holyoke, etc. None are easy to get into, but they all have small class sizes, great opportunities to interact with professors, are in great areas (though mostly east coast). I am slightly biased because if you throw in some Ivys and a big uni and that was pretty much my list when I looked at colleges....forever and a day ago.

 

[Near]

How do you guys do a GPA calculation?

I don't believe they do. I would just send in my "evaluations" as substitute for my grade.

 

[Overload]

UG -

Where: Small, public university in New Mexico. I think nobody has ever heard of it

Main reason: My high school record was not that good, but my ECs in high school were. They offered me a scholarship, and Overload was very happy

Pros: Awesome area, not located in a big city, research-oriented, small class-sizes, awesome people

Cons: Ugly girls.

Btw, gotta say that the university I go to offers a lot of research opportunities though!! So it's BS that State universities don't offer research opportunities, or whatsoever. I'm highly involved in psychology research right now and I love it!

 

[Gallix23]

College: Northeastern University
Why: really good school, in Boston, one of the best integrated co-op programs in the country, Tufts Early Assurance program.

Pros: Amazing campus, in Boston, tons of research opportunities, great night life, tons of people, many hospitals within 15 minutes.

Cons: Price!!!

Med School: Tufts
Pros: Hoping to get into the Tufts Early Assurance program which requires a 3.5GPA by middler year (I'm going to a 5 year school) and no MCAT required if you get in.
Cons: Price....once again =P