Easiest Med schools to get into

[mvenus929]

I think your best shot would be at state schools. unless your from cali.

Or Wyoming or Montana, which don't have medical schools, and whose 'in-state' med school is University of Colorado, which mostly accepts Colorado residents.

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[deleted103644]

Yes, he will still get an M.D. But people on SDN pre-allo (as focused as we are on getting in anywhere) sometimes forget that this is just the first of many similar ordeals we will have to go through in medicine, and just like this part of it, where you went helps/hurts your chances when you're finding out where you'll go.

If you are going into family practice and do not care if you get into one of the top residencies, then yes you can earn an M.D. at any school and find a decent spot. If you want anything more competitive, you have to make sure you stand out not only at your school but in the overall applicant pool.

Applying from a bottom tier school already puts you at a disadvantage relative to the people from the top tier schools, so unless you are the top of your class you will have a lot more trouble getting into the best programs compared to a person with similar stats from a "better" school. If you can check out US News, make sure to pay attention to the
assessment score by residency directors column - that will make the most impact on the next part of the process.

(Obviously, some schools are very good in particular specialties, so don't rely solely on US News. Do some research and see if the schools you are considering are strong in the specialties you are considering. Also, if you're not sure which specialties are competitive and which are not, check out the report on www.nrmp.org, it will give you more statistics on match than you want to know.)

Good luck everybody, so glad I'm done now.

 

[spartanwarrior]

I'm quite sure it's an excellent institution. Those rankings are taken a tad bit too seriously. It's fine if you want to know about stats, endowments, research, and about a schools strengths and weaknesses. But the overall rankings and squabbles over which school is easier/harder is just unnecessary. As long as you have the MD/DO after your name, that's all that really matters to me.

Yes, I agree. Ultimately, that is what counts, being and MD or DO.

 

[HarveyCushing]

According to US News - if you disregard the DO schools - the easiest schools to get into (according to their premium list hardest and easiest medical schools to get into) is what I have below (in order from easiest to hardest thru NYMC). To come up with this list they used GPA, MCAT, and acceptance rates. Their complete list ranks everyone from the top to the bottom, and considering how much money already goes into the medical school applications game, everyone should really be willing to spend another $15 to get it on-line. It has very helpful profiles of each school. Also, realize that a lot of these schools will accept anyone with a pulse in-state, but accept <1-5% OOS, so they are still not necessarily that easy to get into unless you're considering a move first.

Howard University (DC)
Ohio University
Oklahoma State University
A.T. Still University of Health Sciences (Kirksville) (MO)
University of Missouri--Kansas City
Southern Illinois University--Springfield
University of Louisville (KY)
East Carolina University (Brody) (NC)
Wright State University (OH)
University of North Dakota
University of Arizona
Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science (IL)
Michigan State University
Florida State University
East Tennessee State Univ. (Quillen)
University of South Carolina
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
U. of Texas Health Science Center--San Antonio
University of Tennessee Health Science Center
George Washington University (DC)
Virginia Commonwealth University
Wayne State University (MI)
University of New Mexico
Uniformed Services Univ. of the Health Sciences (Hebert) (MD)
Northeastern Ohio Univ. College of Medicine
SUNY--Syracuse
New York Medical College

You know that these three are DO schools, right?

 

[Brigade4Radiant]

I guess it is good that I live in TN. I also heard that University of Tennessee Health Science Center is increasing their class size 20.

 

[Blanket]

I go to ETSU (got in as OOS)...And it is easy to get into this school. With that said...you have to be the RIGHT FIT for this school. If you are, they put less emphasis on the grades, MCAT etc..

I would recommend visiting the school before the interview if possible, see if the town and school are right for you. If so, let them know in the interview (that you visited and liked what you saw) and show that you really wanna go here.

 

[Doctor Peloncito]

You know that these three are DO schools, right?

Yeah, and UMKC is a 6 year post hs school.

 

[Doctor Peloncito]

Yes, he will still get an M.D. But people on SDN pre-allo (as focused as we are on getting in anywhere) sometimes forget that this is just the first of many similar ordeals we will have to go through in medicine, and just like this part of it, where you went helps/hurts your chances when you're finding out where you'll go.

If you are going into family practice and do not care if you get into one of the top residencies, then yes you can earn an M.D. at any school and find a decent spot. If you want anything more competitive, you have to make sure you stand out not only at your school but in the overall applicant pool.

Applying from a bottom tier school already puts you at a disadvantage relative to the people from the top tier schools, so unless you are the top of your class you will have a lot more trouble getting into the best programs compared to a person with similar stats from a "better" school. If you can check out US News, make sure to pay attention to the
assessment score by residency directors column - that will make the most impact on the next part of the process.

(Obviously, some schools are very good in particular specialties, so don't rely solely on US News. Do some research and see if the schools you are considering are strong in the specialties you are considering. Also, if you're not sure which specialties are competitive and which are not, check out the report on www.nrmp.org, it will give you more statistics on match than you want to know.)

Good luck everybody, so glad I'm done now.

I disagree. Though some PDs may say that they look at schools as a factor, ultimately it is board scores and whether you are a fit with the program. If you went to East Jesus Medical school and were number 1 in your class, scored in the top 5th percentile on the USMLE/COMLEX and are charismatic, you will go wherever the hell you want to go. Whereas, if you go to Stanford, Yale, Johns Hopkins, yada yada yada... insert top tier school here... and bomb your boards, it doesn't really matter where you went to school. Most PDs care whether you know your stuff. If you are pompous enough to think that your school matters, then you probably will stay waitlisted or in a post bac while the rest of us become attendings.

Good luck!

 

[Depakote]

I disagree. Though some PDs may say that they look at schools as a factor, ultimately it is board scores and whether you are a fit with the program. If you went to East Jesus Medical school and were number 1 in your class, scored in the top 5th percentile on the USMLE/COMLEX and are charismatic, you will go wherever the hell you want to go. Whereas, if you go to Stanford, Yale, Johns Hopkins, yada yada yada... insert top tier school here... and bomb your boards, it doesn't really matter where you went to school. Most PDs care whether you know your stuff. If you are pompous enough to think that your school matters, then you probably will stay waitlisted or in a post bac while the rest of us become attendings.

Good luck!

You know, I've heard East Jesus Medical School is opening a branch campus in Hell's Kitchen, NY.

 

[spospo]

Or Wyoming or Montana, which don't have medical schools, and whose 'in-state' med school is University of Colorado, which mostly accepts Colorado residents.

wyoming and montana are in-state at UWash. the school reserves spots for them. they are technically labelled as in-state (for admissions at least, don't know about tuition)

 

[Dookter]

If you are pompous enough to think that your school matters, then you probably will stay waitlisted or in a post bac while the rest of us become attendings.

Oh come on. Seriously? I agree that knowing your stuff and having all the goods on paper [board scores, etc] are the things that matter. But this last statement.... yeah right...

 

[mvenus929]

wyoming and montana are in-state at UWash. the school reserves spots for them. they are technically labelled as in-state (for admissions at least, don't know about tuition)

Of the approximately 156 places in the class, the majority are Colorado residents. Thereafter, preference is given to applicants from certain western states participating in the WICHE program and to applicants from other states who have high GPAs and MCAT scores.

From UCHSC website: http://www.uchsc.edu/som/admissions/selfactors.htm

The following schools are in the WICHE program for Montana and Wyoming residents:

University of Arizona
Loma Linda University
Stanford University
UCB-UCSF Joint Medical Program
University of California, Davis
University of California, Irvine
University of California, Los Angeles
University of California, San Diego
University of California, San Francisco
University of Southern California
University of Colorado Health Sciences Center
University of Hawaii
University of Nevada
University of New Mexico (Accepts EDP only)
University of North Dakota
Oregon Health & Science University
University of Utah

http://www.wiche.edu/sep/PSEP/medi.asp

I don't know about UWash's policy, but I learned about WICHE, and that's what I was talking about. Still, though, even with WICHE, the majority of Colorado's class is Colorado residents. I don't know about the other schools.

 

[spospo]

Of the approximately 156 places in the class, the majority are Colorado residents. Thereafter, preference is given to applicants from certain western states participating in the WICHE program and to applicants from other states who have high GPAs and MCAT scores.

i wasn't doubting what you said earlier, i was just adding i guess. UWash has this deal with alaska wyoming montana and idaho where applicants from those states compete against one another (ID vs ID, WY vs WY) for a specified number of spots. each state gets a certain number in the first class. seeing as how there are not as many applicants with residency in those states, they don't have it as bad as one may think.

 

[BDNF]

How is Tulane after hurricane Katrina? Will this affect their admissions rates?

 

[Abilene85]

The only med schools that are easy to get into are the ones where you know people who have influence over admissions committees. Unfortunately, much of this life is about who you know and not what you know.

 

[atalkinghead]

Of the approximately 156 places in the class, the majority are Colorado residents. Thereafter, preference is given to applicants from certain western states participating in the WICHE program and to applicants from other states who have high GPAs and MCAT scores.

From UCHSC website: http://www.uchsc.edu/som/admissions/selfactors.htm

The following schools are in the WICHE program for Montana and Wyoming residents:

University of Arizona
Loma Linda University
Stanford University
UCB-UCSF Joint Medical Program
University of California, Davis
University of California, Irvine
University of California, Los Angeles
University of California, San Diego
University of California, San Francisco
University of Southern California
University of Colorado Health Sciences Center
University of Hawaii
University of Nevada
University of New Mexico (Accepts EDP only)
University of North Dakota
Oregon Health & Science University
University of Utah

http://www.wiche.edu/sep/PSEP/medi.asp

I don't know about UWash's policy, but I learned about WICHE, and that's what I was talking about. Still, though, even with WICHE, the majority of Colorado's class is Colorado residents. I don't know about the other schools.

The University of New Mexico is not easy for out of state applicants to get into. I could be wrong, but 97% of people at UNM med school are NM residents. The applicants that do get into UNM have extremely good applications (such as high GPA/MCAT score). Preference is given to NM residents/spanish speaking applicants first, I believe. Hope that helps

 

[postbacker]

I haven't looked through this thread and don't know if this has been discussed, but my advice for someone with marginal stats would be to move to either Louisiana or Mississippi, establish residency, and apply in-state. I am sure there are other states where this would be worthwhile, but I know a bit more about these 2 states...

This would be a hell of a lot cheaper than spending $50k on an SMP...of course there are limits to how "marginal" an applicant you can be even in LA and MS, but take a look at the MSAR and tell me that these are not among the "easiest" allo med schools to gain admission to...no offense to anybody attending them.

 

[Doctor Peloncito]

Oh come on. Seriously? I agree that knowing your stuff and having all the goods on paper [board scores, etc] are the things that matter. But this last statement.... yeah right...

Study hard, because in a few years if you don't do well on the boards, Duke class of 2010 won't matter much.

 

[Dookter]

Study hard, because in a few years if you don't do well on the boards, Duke class of 2010 won't matter much.

I never said going to Duke would matter. I just thought it was strange that you suggested that if a person DID think school name mattered they would be waitlisted or stuck in a post-bac. With all the big egos running around medicine, I don't think buying into school prestige has kept many people out of medical school. Your statement is just fighting stupidity with more stupidity.

 

[Doctor Peloncito]

I never said going to Duke would matter. I just thought it was strange that you suggested that if a person DID think school name mattered they would be waitlisted or stuck in a post-bac. With all the big egos running around medicine, I don't think buying into school prestige has kept many people out of medical school. Your statement is just fighting stupidity with more stupidity.

I was implying that if you hold out for top tier schools and don't apply to a fallback school you will be stuck on a waitlist, in a post bac, or even worse, denied from every school you apply to.

Here's an example. I have a friend who applied in the same cycle as me. She had better stats then me across the board, except that I had a bit more experience in life. Her GPA was better, her MCAT was better, you get the idea. She applied ONLY to top tier schools. Of her 32 applications, she got 8 secondaries. Of those, she got zero interviews. I knew from the beginning that I wanted to go to an osteopathic school. I applied to several. I got secondaries for all and I was initially offered interviews at 3. I got into two and turned the third interview down. Later after accepting my invitation to KCUMB, I was invited to interview at two more schools. I turned them down obviously. I am now starting my residency in the field I got into medicine for (Family Medicine). I know, it's nothing glamourous, but it's what I want and I got it. She still hasn't started med school. I love her dearly, but if she had applied to a school she had a chance of getting into, she'd probably have been towards the top of her class.

Anyway, didn't mean to hijack your thread. I've said my piece and I'm out! Have fun y'all

 

[Dookter]

I was implying that if you hold out for top tier schools and don't apply to a fallback school you will be stuck on a waitlist, in a post bac, or even worse, denied from every school you apply to.

Here's an example. I have a friend who applied in the same cycle as me. She had better stats then me across the board, except that I had a bit more experience in life. Her GPA was better, her MCAT was better, you get the idea. She applied ONLY to top tier schools. Of her 32 applications, she got 8 secondaries. Of those, she got zero interviews. I knew from the beginning that I wanted to go to an osteopathic school. I applied to several. I got secondaries for all and I was initially offered interviews at 3. I got into two and turned the third interview down. Later after accepting my invitation to KCUMB, I was invited to interview at two more schools. I turned them down obviously. I am now starting my residency in the field I got into medicine for (Family Medicine). I know, it's nothing glamourous, but it's what I want and I got it. She still hasn't started med school. I love her dearly, but if she had applied to a school she had a chance of getting into, she'd probably have been towards the top of her class.

Anyway, didn't mean to hijack your thread. I've said my piece and I'm out! Have fun y'all

Now that makes MUCH more sense. I agree with what you're saying here, even though most people don't let the prestige factor keep them from applying broadly. Even people who talk a big talk are usually smart enough to apply to all sorts of schools since it isn't actually easy to get into any medical schools. Now if a person [like your friend] decided to apply to only "top" schools, I'd say he/she is making a huge mistake.

 

[Doctor Peloncito]

I haven't looked through this thread and don't know if this has been discussed, but my advice for someone with marginal stats would be to move to either Louisiana or Mississippi, establish residency, and apply in-state. I am sure there are other states where this would be worthwhile, but I know a bit more about these 2 states...

This would be a hell of a lot cheaper than spending $50k on an SMP...of course there are limits to how "marginal" an applicant you can be even in LA and MS, but take a look at the MSAR and tell me that these are not among the "easiest" allo med schools to gain admission to...no offense to anybody attending them.

Ok, ok, ok, I know I said I was done here, but I couldn't leave this one alone. When I was in undergrad, I took the Kaplan MCAT prep course. One day, while heating my lunch in the break room I came across a guy studying for the USMLE I asked him where he goes to school and he said LSU. He said that his MCAT scores sucked (~6 average) as did his brother's. So they hatched a scheme. They looked in the books and found the schools with the highest in state acceptance rate, moved there, established residency and were accepted on their first try. It was pretty sad though. This guy that I was talking to wasn't exactly the sharpest knife in the drawer and he was on his second or third attempt at a pass on the USMLE. Anyway, couldn't help throwing that story in here!

Later all.