Do Doctors Go to State Schools?

[SpeedySavior]

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First, I apologize if I offend anybody, it's not my intention to ask an offensive question. Second, I'm new, so if I screw up, once again, I'm sorry.

The short answer is "If I go to a state school, will my chances of entering a medical school be hurt vs. going to a private school?"

My mom is a nurse and my dad is an EMT. So money isn't an issue, but it's still a little edgy ever since my sister just graduated from P.A. school at UAB. Thanks to a high ACT score and various scholarships, I can go to UT Chattanooga for almost free. I plan to get my phlebotomist certification my first year of undergraduate, and work while I'm in college. I would imagine that medical schools don't consider your school Of choice to heavily, but I could be very wrong. I'm just looking for an explanation. Anything helps. Thank you all.

 

[URMD]

First, I apologize if I offend anybody, it's not my intention to ask an offensive question. Second, I'm new, so if I screw up, once again, I'm sorry.

The short answer is "If I go to a state school, will my chances of entering a medical school be hurt vs. going to a private school?"

My mom is a nurse and my dad is an EMT. So money isn't an issue, but it's still a little edgy ever since my sister just graduated from P.A. school at UAB. Thanks to a high ACT score and various scholarships, I can go to UT Chattanooga for almost free. I plan to get my phlebotomist certification my first year of undergraduate, and work while I'm in college. I would imagine that medical schools don't consider your school Of choice to heavily, but I could be very wrong. I'm just looking for an explanation. Anything helps. Thank you all.

The short answer is no.

 

[ksmi117]

To answer the question, no. I went to a state school and go to a top 10 med school on scholarship. Wherever you go, just work hard, make good grades, and do some form of extracurriculars you can put on your app.

Also, I'm moving this to hSDN.

 

[HCHopeful]

First, I apologize if I offend anybody, it's not my intention to ask an offensive question. Second, I'm new, so if I screw up, once again, I'm sorry.

The short answer is "If I go to a state school, will my chances of entering a medical school be hurt vs. going to a private school?"

My mom is a nurse and my dad is an EMT. So money isn't an issue, but it's still a little edgy ever since my sister just graduated from P.A. school at UAB. Thanks to a high ACT score and various scholarships, I can go to UT Chattanooga for almost free. I plan to get my phlebotomist certification my first year of undergraduate, and work while I'm in college. I would imagine that medical schools don't consider your school Of choice to heavily, but I could be very wrong. I'm just looking for an explanation. Anything helps. Thank you all.

Long answer is sort of.

Also. A kid in my class had a 4.0 GPA and a 33 ACT and ended 8th in my class. We had 25 people. Lawlz.

 

[deleted480308]

Just get good grades, no one cares

 

[Instatewaiter]

As long as it is a reasonable state school, you won't have a problem.

 

[DesertPT]

All other things being equal, then if you had a degree from Harvard or MIT versus a degree from BYU Idaho, then ya probably the first one is gonna hold a little more weight. But a 3.9 at BYU Idaho is going to help you out a lot more than a 3.2 from Harvard (though the latter arguably still required more work). What grades you get matters a lot more than where you get them. That's just how the system works, it's one of the few quantitative ways schools can quickly compare applicants. So assuming you're not comparing two schools on polar opposite ends of the spectrum or talking about being a Yale legacy or something, I personally would tell you to go to undergrad wherever you will spend the least money and/or incur the least debt.

 

[efle]

Take the free school, as others have said getting a high GPA matters a lot more than where you get it

 

[SpeedySavior]

To answer the question, no. I went to a state school and go to a top 10 med school on scholarship. Wherever you go, just work hard, make good grades, and do some form of extracurriculars you can put on your app.

Also, I'm moving this to hSDN.

Thank you for moving that, I knew I would make a mistake somewhere. Excluding the grammatical mistake I made when asking a question.

I'm glad working hard is still valued, and I have all plans to do as many extra curricular activities as mentally possible. I appreciate the feedback.

 

[SpeedySavior]

All other things being equal, then if you had a degree from Harvard or MIT versus a degree from BYU Idaho, then ya probably the first one is gonna hold a little more weight. But a 3.9 at BYU Idaho is going to help you out a lot more than a 3.2 from Harvard (though the latter arguably still required more work). What grades you get matters a lot more than where you get them. That's just how the system works, it's one of the few quantitative ways schools can quickly compare applicants. So assuming you're not comparing two schools on polar opposite ends of the spectrum or talking about being a Yale legacy or something, I personally would tell you to go to undergrad wherever you will spend the least money and/or incur the least debt.

Well it was either UT Chattanooga, and easy on my parents wallet, or Vanderbilt, and probably have to take a student loan. Grades are a Major concern no doubt, but I really want to make it easy on my parents in the long run. By the way, this was An incredible quote.

"What grades you get matters a lot more than where you get them."

 

[Screwtape]

I would venture a guess that most doctors went to state schools for undergrad.

 

[Willy38]

First, I apologize if I offend anybody, it's not my intention to ask an offensive question. Second, I'm new, so if I screw up, once again, I'm sorry.

The short answer is "If I go to a state school, will my chances of entering a medical school be hurt vs. going to a private school?"

My mom is a nurse and my dad is an EMT. So money isn't an issue, but it's still a little edgy ever since my sister just graduated from P.A. school at UAB. Thanks to a high ACT score and various scholarships, I can go to UT Chattanooga for almost free. I plan to get my phlebotomist certification my first year of undergraduate, and work while I'm in college. I would imagine that medical schools don't consider your school Of choice to heavily, but I could be very wrong. I'm just looking for an explanation. Anything helps. Thank you all.

Better schools usually have better opportunities (research, faculty etc.). That being said, if you are an intelligent and motivated student you can do well anywhere. Just make the most of the opportunities available. Only you can decide if its worth the cost differential. Personally, I would go with the cheaper option (and did for undergrad and it worked out). Best of luck to you.

 

[Afford]

I would say that for almost every med school, it doesn't matter which undergrad you went to. However, at one med school that I interviewed at, one of the med students complained about the lack of diversity in undergrad institutions and that a quarter of the class came from only two undergraduate institutions and everyone there on that interview day was either from a private school or a California state school.

 

[DesertPT]

Better schools usually have better opportunities (research, faculty etc.).

Generally true, but again it depends on how far on opposite sides of the spectrum are the schools you are going to. I went to my state school which doesn't have a world-renowned reputation for academics and I was involved in research for over 2 years (at a private institute outside the school which I found out about through school) and got published more than once. This is a huge school in a huge city so pretty much everyone in every major is able to find some kind of internship or research opportunity if they want one. Obviously if you go to a tiny liberal arts college in the middle of nowhere, this is not going to be the case at all. Still a lot of people from those kinds of schools go to medical school and all kinds of other professional programs every year.

 

[DesertPT]

Well it was either UT Chattanooga, and easy on my parents wallet, or Vanderbilt, and probably have to take a student loan. Grades are a Major concern no doubt, but I really want to make it easy on my parents in the long run. By the way, this was An incredible quote.

"What grades you get matters a lot more than where you get them."

Who says your parents have to pay for college? Just sayin...you're lucky you even have that option.

If I only was gonna have to borrow like <$10k or some small amount to be able to afford to go to Vanderbilt, I would seriously consider it. But if you are going to have to take on significant debt for your undergraduate education, avoid that at all costs. Cheaper is the way to go 90% of the time. Med school doesn't end up working out for a large percentage of pre-meds. That is just the reality and that is not a bad thing, but if you end up pursuing a less lucrative profession let me tell you having a ton of undergrad debt sucks nuts.

 

[swindoll]

Go to the school that will be free!

 

[SpeedySavior]

Who says your parents have to pay for college? Just sayin...you're lucky you even have that option.

If I only was gonna have to borrow like <$10k or some small amount to be able to afford to go to Vanderbilt, I would seriously consider it. But if you are going to have to take on significant debt for your undergraduate education, avoid that at all costs. Cheaper is the way to go 90% of the time. Med school doesn't end up working out for a large percentage of pre-meds. That is just the reality and that is not a bad thing, but if you end up pursuing a less lucrative profession let me tell you having a ton of undergrad debt sucks nuts.

You know, if it was under 10,000 in loans, I would probably take it. But it's nearing the 20 to 30,000 range. Which is nothing compared to medical school.. But like you said, if medical school doesn't work out for me (knock on wood), I really don't want to be in undergrad debt, or my parents be in undergrad debt.

 

[mmmcdowe]

I went to Arizona State.

 

[Mad Jack]

I started at community college, then transferred to a small liberal arts college. This isn't too day that pedigree doesn't matter, only that it doesn't matter much. The biggest issue is GPA/MCAT, followed by ECs. Pedigree only comes into play when hairs are being split, which isn't all that often.

 

[deleted480308]

dropped out of a private university, finished an AA at a community college with a degree in nothing (officially "general studies"), failed half my classes at university of phoenix for a semester, then 5 yrs later finished a degree in nothing (officially "interdisciplinary studies") at a state university while taking all my sciences as a transient at community college ......but I got good grades when I went back to school and I did well on the mcat

matriculated

 

[RustBeltOnc]

Speedy --

The answer to your original question is -- yes, all the time. I agree with the poster above. Probably a majority of AMGs attended state schools for undergrad.

The disparity in price makes the choice pretty simple -- UT Chattanooga. Consider haggling with Vandy's financial aid department.

Is it too late to apply to some other programs? (regular decision?) I would think a different undergrad of Vandy's caliber (or better) might get you to the <10k loan range.

There is something to be said for the process of attending a very difficult undergrad (private or state); some folks find it more rewarding / easier to stay motivated when college is difficult, ultra competitive.

 

[samac]

Thank you for moving that, I knew I would make a mistake somewhere. Excluding the grammatical mistake I made when asking a question.

I'm glad working hard is still valued, and I have all plans to do as many extra curricular activities as mentally possible. I appreciate the feedback.

Be careful here and don't overload yourself. A lot of people can sink by trying to be too involved their first year. My recommendation is focus on classes your first year and add one maybe two ECs in that first year. You can add more later as you see what you can handle.
On another note, I'm going to a state school. A small one. I picked it over a nicer private school because of money. It was absolutely the best decision I've ever made. No undergrad debt for me or my parents and I have been accepted into medical school for the fall.

 

[hmockingbird]

I agree cheaper is usually the way to go. I passed up a prestigious private school mostly for the price tag and I don't regret it. My dad's advice at the time was that I'd probably want to go to grad school or med school and I should "save" (or at least wait on loans) for that and he's right, I might be in 1.5X the debt I am in now if I had gone there. I still got into medical school, I still got a good education, I still had some great undergraduate opportunities (like research and study abroad), I went to a school that I felt I could be myself at, etc. honestly the only thing I'm "missing" is the name. My undergrad is actually more well-known in the medical field than in general, though, so while it's not Ivy, I don't have a lot of people looking at me like "WHERE did you go to college?!" which is nice haha.

 

[dorothyntoto]

I went to a state school, as did most of my friends who are in medical school or are doctors. The reason people talk about private schools is 1. money gets you places in some medical schools, 2. private schools have way more grade inflation, so if you go to a private school you're more likely to have a high GPA, not because you deserve it, but because they give out more As (there is statistical evidence for this), 3. private schools frequently have policies about taking the kids of graduates...

Your GPA is what matters, NOT the school it came from. If you have a 3.8 from a state school, and do well on your MCAT you will get into med school (assuming you're not a douche)... Your biggest challenge is to get the good grades, study, volunteer, shadow, and possibly do that with a job... You can do it!

 

[DesertPT]

private schools have way more grade inflation, so if you go to a private school you're more likely to have a high GPA, not because you deserve it, but because they give out more As

This isn't really accurate as a blanket statement. I'm fairly confident getting a 4.0 in an engineering degree at MIT is harder work than getting the same at Boise State. You have to be a lot more specific in what you're talking about.

 

[JW2020]

First, I apologize if I offend anybody, it's not my intention to ask an offensive question. Second, I'm new, so if I screw up, once again, I'm sorry.

The short answer is "If I go to a state school, will my chances of entering a medical school be hurt vs. going to a private school?"

My mom is a nurse and my dad is an EMT. So money isn't an issue, but it's still a little edgy ever since my sister just graduated from P.A. school at UAB. Thanks to a high ACT score and various scholarships, I can go to UT Chattanooga for almost free. I plan to get my phlebotomist certification my first year of undergraduate, and work while I'm in college. I would imagine that medical schools don't consider your school Of choice to heavily, but I could be very wrong. I'm just looking for an explanation. Anything helps. Thank you all.

No

 

[cabinbuilder]

Go where you will have little or no debt. State school is fine. I went to University of Alaska-Fairbanks. About as cheap as you can get.

 

[QofQuimica]

OP, go to UT-Chattanooga. Taking out loans for a private school when you have the option of a free ride to your state school is just DUMB. The only people who should go to private colleges are the independently wealthy, those who get full rides, and those who can't do math.

Signed,
-Proud debt-free state school grad (New College of Florida) with an MD/PhD

 

[CircadianRhythm]

Don't walk but RUN towards the scholarship. Thats tens of thousands of dollars youll save in tuition and interest. Go to your state school, major in something you like, and enjoy college.

 

[SpeedySavior]

OP, go to UT-Chattanooga. Taking out loans for a private school when you have the option of a free ride to your state school is just DUMB. The only people who should go to private colleges are the independently wealthy, those who get full rides, and those who can't do math.

Signed,
-Proud debt-free state school grad (New College of Florida) with an MD/PhD

The state school undoubtedly seems like the best option, and to be honest, the only reason the question peaked an interest to me was because my dad (who isn't a doctor) said, "you got the grades, we got the credit, you can go to the most prestigious schools in America. To be honest, my dad just wants to brag about where I go to school. Funny enough right.

 

[QofQuimica]

The state school undoubtedly seems like the best option, and to be honest, the only reason the question peaked an interest to me was because my dad (who isn't a doctor) said, "you got the grades, we got the credit, you can go to the most prestigious schools in America. To be honest, my dad just wants to brag about where I go to school. Funny enough right.

With all due respect, I hope you're wiser than your dad is about finances, because this is *your* future you're talking about mortgaging off here. It's hard to appreciate the ramifications of crushing debt at age 17 or 18 because you've not yet been out on your own. But the decisions you make now will affect your lifestyle options and your standard of living for years, maybe even decades, to come. My dad *was* a doctor (who also attended college on scholarship at a state university, FWIW), and he pushed me hard to take the free ride for college because he had to take out loans to attend med school, and he knew what it was like. It absolutely astounds me that anyone who has ever had the experience of working for a living and paying off massive debt (at least a mortgage if not a school loan) would encourage their child to go into unnecessary debt when their kid was smart enough to get into a state school for free.

I don't have my own kids. But I believe so strongly in avoiding saddling young people with debt that I just bought a prepaid tuition plan for my niece, so that she can attend one of our state schools for free when the time comes. Of course, it will be a while yet before she faces this issue; she's turning one year old this month. 🙂