Hi everyone! I'm currently a senior in HS and will be attending Rice Univ. in Houston, TX next year. I was just wondering what sort of "unsaid" requirements are required to be a competitive med school applicant (i.e. shadowing, volunteering, etc). Would it also be to my advantage to get involved in extracurriculars outside of medicine, such as newspaper and club sports? Any help/advice would be appreciated!
Going to Rice next year & need advice
- Thread starter atxgirl
- Start date
High School
- Come back in a couple of years.
- Take college grades seriously, you'll be thankful when application time comes.
- If you're asking to do something because it might look good on your application, chances are you aren't interested enough to commit to it right now.
- Go to office hours, even if you are getting an A in the class because rec letters need to come from somewhere.
- Overstudy your freshmen year in college. Better to get an A+ in all your freshmen classes then wonder if that was time well spent than screw up your freshmen grades and wonder whether you have a chance.
- Work hard to get a stellar GPA so you can count on the MCAT as additional evidence of your academic capability, rather than a stressful redeeming factor.
- Don't hesistate to take on a leadership role in your activities. The work you put into it will benefit you twofold, you will learn a lot about time management and build interpersonal skills.
- Don't think that a great MCAT will compensate for a low GPA.
- Clinical extracurricular activities show admission comittees you have been exposed to the realities of medicine and you can handle them.
- Pursue ECs you are passionate about, don't try to do a little of everything.
- Compete ONLY against yourself.
- Time is better spent pursuing a mastery of the course material rather than calculating the minimum grade you can get by with for a 90 or planning how to spread a rumour that the date for the final has been postponed (when in fact it hasn't.)
- Moderation is key. Take the time to enjoy college but keep in mind that your grades and ECs will be important in the future.
- Remember that medical schools do not want a textbook memorizing machine. What you do outside of class is just as important and what you do inside as far as growing into a well rounded, articulate prospective physician - you can't develop socially if you don't put yourself in social situations and some of the best things do talk about in interviews are interesting things you do for fun!
- Don't take the MCAT until your full-length practice scores are exceeding your target score (generally accepted to be 30+ total, with nothing less than a 9 in any section).
- It's MCAT (Medical College Admission Test), not MCATs (Medical College Admission Tests) as there is only one test not multiple ones.
- Stop reading SDN when you're studying for the MCAT. It'll stress you out when you're inevitably reading those score report threads, and it seems like everyone's getting 36+.
- If you find yourself asking, "Should I use this book or that book?" it's a good sign that you should probably use both.
- If you're asking questions about having to "study" after completion of med school, then you shouldn't be applying to doctorville.
- Take things one-step at a time, rewarding yourself along the way as this process is a marathon, not a sprint.
- APPLY EARLY!
- MDApplicants.com should be used to see on average what kind of people get into certain schools, but it's skewed extremely upwards and don't use a single profile as a ray of hope.
- When a school offers you an interview, learn as much as you can about the school, its focus, and its history. They have shown interest in you and you must do the same.
- Look at the mission statements of each school to see if you fit what they are looking for and to answer their secondaries
- Send Transcripts in MAY even if you don't want to start working on the AMCAS application
- A good personal statement takes time to write (1+ months) if it's been thoroughly edited and you've had time to reflect on what you really want to say.
- Show a little cleavage.
- Show a lot of cleavage.
- Use the search feature before asking routine questions
- Take deep breaths.
- Believe in yourself.
- Don't ask other peoples' opinions of your chances unless you're prepared for an honest answer.
- Fat drunk and stupid is no way to go through life, son.
- Slow down! Taking an extra year to do things well is much better than rushing through and having to deal with the consequences later.
- Learn some humility. If you haven't been beaten down to the ground yet, you'll get used to it during this whole process.
- When deciding what kind of prep material to use, sometimes its a good idea to go to amazon.com and read the reviews before you buy your material.
- The farther you go, the more you are in the public's eye. Treat everything you do seriously, respect everyone, and be aware that people will be critiquing you more and more. But don't get paranoid.
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Don't hit on the person who interviews you during your med school visit. She'll want to you to "settle down" with her after a few dates and when you turn her down, she'll influence the committee to reject you even though you scored really high on the MCAT and got good grades in school.
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I wouldn't call it stuck. I'm very happy in the field. People make fun of me and whatnot, but hey most people in the medical field look down on podiatrists and refuse to even think about entering the field; but guess what? I make really good money because of people like you. There is so many more podiatry jobs than podiatrists in my area. So, yeah... I do really well.
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Moving to hSDN.
why does this need to be on h.SDN? i've already been accepted to and will be attending college next year...
*If you're asking to do something because it might look good on your application, chances are you aren't interested enough to commit to it right now.*'
I am interested in and completely commited to doing research, shadowing, volunteering, etc, I just wanted to know if medical schools EXPECTED to see these types of things on an application.
*If you're asking to do something because it might look good on your application, chances are you aren't interested enough to commit to it right now.*'
I am interested in and completely commited to doing research, shadowing, volunteering, etc, I just wanted to know if medical schools EXPECTED to see these types of things on an application.
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Research is not required, but shadowing is absolutely expected. Volunteering is basically also expected, though this doesn't have to be crazy extensive, we just want to see that you are curious about the human condition and don't hate people.
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I graduated from Rice in 1984, went to UTMB for medical school, did a residency in Radiology at UT Houston, then a fellowship in Neuroradiology.
I am following this site because my daughter is applying to college.
If you are a Texas resident and a Rice graduate, you will get into medical school.
My wife did her undergrad at the University of Houston, and went to UT Southwestern, which rejected me and was my first choice.
What I would have done differently was to be more proactive. All my friends were Premed so I went with the flow. Rice gave me a lot of academic freedom. There was no core requirement other than a distribution of courses in various disciplines. I never met an advisor until time for application to medical school and I needed a letter from the committee. Rice did not require that I declare a major until late junior year, so like my friends I double majored and just took courses listed in the bulletin. I didn't know I needed one more social sciences course to graduate and had to take it in the last semester of my senior year. I crammed for the MCAT in one week and made a low 32. My GPA (3.5) was probably one of the reasons I didn't get into Southwestern. I knew very little about medicine and didn't know anything about hospitals until I started my clinical rotations in the third year of medical school. UT Southwestern interviewers were tough. They questioned why I wanted to start medical school at age 19 and about my lack of insight into the field. I should have taken advantage of the proximity of the school to the Texas Medical Center and do some research. I should have taken some easy courses, particularly in Psychology (I took one self-paced course for an A+, then proctored it twice for A+). I should have also explored some fields fully and not relied on the Pass/Fail option for four courses not in my major since I put no further effort once I chose the designation. Another leniency at Rice is the ability to drop a course all the way till midterm.
You will do well at Rice if you actively seek out your options, be adventurous and smart in your course selection and put a lot of effort into the MCAT. I wish you the best of luck and hope you take more advantage of the offerings at Rice than I did.
I am following this site because my daughter is applying to college.
If you are a Texas resident and a Rice graduate, you will get into medical school.
My wife did her undergrad at the University of Houston, and went to UT Southwestern, which rejected me and was my first choice.
What I would have done differently was to be more proactive. All my friends were Premed so I went with the flow. Rice gave me a lot of academic freedom. There was no core requirement other than a distribution of courses in various disciplines. I never met an advisor until time for application to medical school and I needed a letter from the committee. Rice did not require that I declare a major until late junior year, so like my friends I double majored and just took courses listed in the bulletin. I didn't know I needed one more social sciences course to graduate and had to take it in the last semester of my senior year. I crammed for the MCAT in one week and made a low 32. My GPA (3.5) was probably one of the reasons I didn't get into Southwestern. I knew very little about medicine and didn't know anything about hospitals until I started my clinical rotations in the third year of medical school. UT Southwestern interviewers were tough. They questioned why I wanted to start medical school at age 19 and about my lack of insight into the field. I should have taken advantage of the proximity of the school to the Texas Medical Center and do some research. I should have taken some easy courses, particularly in Psychology (I took one self-paced course for an A+, then proctored it twice for A+). I should have also explored some fields fully and not relied on the Pass/Fail option for four courses not in my major since I put no further effort once I chose the designation. Another leniency at Rice is the ability to drop a course all the way till midterm.
You will do well at Rice if you actively seek out your options, be adventurous and smart in your course selection and put a lot of effort into the MCAT. I wish you the best of luck and hope you take more advantage of the offerings at Rice than I did.
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Hey there,
Congrats on getting in! You should totally stop by the academic advising office and talk to Dr. Pulidio!
Congrats on getting in! You should totally stop by the academic advising office and talk to Dr. Pulidio!
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BenFelson--Why was using the pass/fail bad?
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I used the option on subjects that I knew little about and should in more of an effort. I wasted my time on Economics, Computer Programming and Art History etc.
Some professors were very strict graders. Few people received A grades in Organic Chemistry, Biochemistry and Physical Chemistry etc.
I took Advanced Calculus at the University of Houston in the summer. There were 16 students, 14 of whom went to Rice. There A grades were easier to get, the cost per credit was cheaper, and count the same as Rice courses in the view of Med Sch admission officers. Rice also offered very few courses in the summer. Many of us took Logic at Rice, and another course or two at U of H.
Baylor had a preference for Rice students. With an MCAT above 30, GPA above 3.5, you pretty much were guaranteed admission when applying early decision. It's too bad that the merger of Rice and Baylor didn't happen.
I cannot stress enough the significance of undergrad grades. All professional schools rely on the undergrad GPA and don't care if you got good grades in graduate school.
When I applied to law school, it didn't matter that I did great in med sch and had a high class rank. What mattered was undergrad GPA and LSAT score. Same for business school, undergrad GPA and GRE/GMAT etc.
Some professors were very strict graders. Few people received A grades in Organic Chemistry, Biochemistry and Physical Chemistry etc.
I took Advanced Calculus at the University of Houston in the summer. There were 16 students, 14 of whom went to Rice. There A grades were easier to get, the cost per credit was cheaper, and count the same as Rice courses in the view of Med Sch admission officers. Rice also offered very few courses in the summer. Many of us took Logic at Rice, and another course or two at U of H.
Baylor had a preference for Rice students. With an MCAT above 30, GPA above 3.5, you pretty much were guaranteed admission when applying early decision. It's too bad that the merger of Rice and Baylor didn't happen.
I cannot stress enough the significance of undergrad grades. All professional schools rely on the undergrad GPA and don't care if you got good grades in graduate school.
When I applied to law school, it didn't matter that I did great in med sch and had a high class rank. What mattered was undergrad GPA and LSAT score. Same for business school, undergrad GPA and GRE/GMAT etc.
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I agree with you on that.
Orgo here is ridiculous. It is near impossible to get an A. BIOS 201/202 now BIOC 201/202 are the same way...although 202 isn't nearly so bad. UH gets pretty saturated by Rice students in the summer because Rice summer classes are INTENSE, far and few, and $$$.
Do you know if BCM still prefers Rice students?
Orgo here is ridiculous. It is near impossible to get an A. BIOS 201/202 now BIOC 201/202 are the same way...although 202 isn't nearly so bad. UH gets pretty saturated by Rice students in the summer because Rice summer classes are INTENSE, far and few, and $$$.
Do you know if BCM still prefers Rice students?
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I think Baylor takes a lot of Rice students.
When I was at Rice, the premed adviser actually sat in with the Admissions Committee at Baylor. Because he was assigned to my college (Sid Rich), we knew him quite well.
One of my room mates majored in Chem Engineering. His GPA was 3.0 and he didn't do that well on the MCAT. The adviser was very helpful in his admission to Baylor.
Because of his relationship with Baylor, the adviser really pushed us towards Baylor and less towards Southwestern. Personally, I think Southwestern is the better school and the students there worked very hard. Baylor did not push their students that hard.
Overall, I think Southwestern students were better trained. Also most residencies at Southwestern were ranked higher than Baylor. Baylor does have Honor/Pass/Fail grading system. UTSW uses actual grades. I did my internship at Parkland, so I know the system somewhat.
When I was at Rice, the premed adviser actually sat in with the Admissions Committee at Baylor. Because he was assigned to my college (Sid Rich), we knew him quite well.
One of my room mates majored in Chem Engineering. His GPA was 3.0 and he didn't do that well on the MCAT. The adviser was very helpful in his admission to Baylor.
Because of his relationship with Baylor, the adviser really pushed us towards Baylor and less towards Southwestern. Personally, I think Southwestern is the better school and the students there worked very hard. Baylor did not push their students that hard.
Overall, I think Southwestern students were better trained. Also most residencies at Southwestern were ranked higher than Baylor. Baylor does have Honor/Pass/Fail grading system. UTSW uses actual grades. I did my internship at Parkland, so I know the system somewhat.
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Oddnath- What did you think about the cognitive science major? Is it considered "hard?" I am particularly interested in neuroscience and am considering starting out in that major. Is it as easy as they make it seem to take neuro classes @ Baylor?
I have a few questions:
1) I recieved a 4 on AP chem test last year with out studying and could get lots of credit @ Rice. I will be taking the bio AP this year and expect at least a 4 on the exam. Should I claim credit for these, or should I retake these classes @ Rice?? I've heard some med schools won't accept APs so I'm kind of confused.
2) I have alot of non-science AP credit and am considering trying to graduate in 3 years from Rice and then take a year or two to do Teach for America or Peace Corps. Would med school adcoms look down on this?
3) I live in Austin, so would it be okay to take some classes next summer (the summer after my freshman year) @ Univ of Texas to get some credits out of the way? I have alot of contacts in Austin, and I know several doctors who would let me shadow them and I could also volunteer @ St. Davids to get some experience and ECs in. Is this a good idea, or would it be better to pursue a summer research program?
4) Is it okay not to double major and graduate in 3 years with a cog sci degree as I mentioned before? When I visited Rice, every pre-med I met was either double or triple majoring...
Thanks so much guys! I'm so excited to be a Rice Owl next year!! 🙂
I have a few questions:
1) I recieved a 4 on AP chem test last year with out studying and could get lots of credit @ Rice. I will be taking the bio AP this year and expect at least a 4 on the exam. Should I claim credit for these, or should I retake these classes @ Rice?? I've heard some med schools won't accept APs so I'm kind of confused.
2) I have alot of non-science AP credit and am considering trying to graduate in 3 years from Rice and then take a year or two to do Teach for America or Peace Corps. Would med school adcoms look down on this?
3) I live in Austin, so would it be okay to take some classes next summer (the summer after my freshman year) @ Univ of Texas to get some credits out of the way? I have alot of contacts in Austin, and I know several doctors who would let me shadow them and I could also volunteer @ St. Davids to get some experience and ECs in. Is this a good idea, or would it be better to pursue a summer research program?
4) Is it okay not to double major and graduate in 3 years with a cog sci degree as I mentioned before? When I visited Rice, every pre-med I met was either double or triple majoring...
Thanks so much guys! I'm so excited to be a Rice Owl next year!! 🙂
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Hey there
Sorry I just saw this! The cognitive science courses were my fun "break" from engineering courses, for the most part. You can definitely take courses at Baylor, and I personally took at grad neuroscience course at UT-Houston during my senior year. Basically, if a course is cross-listed as a Rice course, it's easy to sign up for and take.
As for AP exams-- I personally used the AP credit and started with the more advanced classes (i.e. organic chem during freshman year). I did this to make room for my double major, but I'm not sure I would recommend it. Since Rice gives you hours for AP credit, it's fine for med school admission, so that's not the problem (my bio and chem AP courses counted just fine for the med school application).
The reason that sometimes AP credit is NOT accepted is if the university doesn't give you credit hours for the AP credit (at least this was the case 5 years ago).
Graduating in 3 years-- that's fine, I guess. Using AP credit is fine too, I had like 42 hours of AP credit when I started at Rice. Nothing wrong with that, but do make sure to do well in your coursework that you do take at Rice, whether it's 3 or 4 years.
If you're thriving at Rice and super motivated to do more advanced classes at Rice and research, then don't necessarily rush your college experience and force yourself to finish in 3 years (unless there's a financial stipulation or something). Once you get to med school, you can't go back and take more languages and philosophy. Savor being an undergrad! And remember, you don't get any extra points for graduating in 3 years vs. 4 years.
Summers-- Doing a summer research program is not required, and certainly don't do it if you already know that you hate research. But, if you like research, go for it. Otherwise, taking courses in Austin and volunteering is fine too. Doing research is really only required for MD/PhD admissions.
Basically, do something that is meaningful to you in the summers. If you would get more out of clinical shadowing with your patient population of interest, do it. If you love research, do that. Whatever it is, you want it to be something you seriously care about, b/c this comes through in essays and interviews.
Double majoring-- so not necessary. Everyone double majors at Rice only b/c Rice makes it very easy to do. For example, to double major in engineering and cog sci, technically you only have to take like 11 extra cog sci courses to get the other major. But many other schools require that you get another minimum number of hours (like alot) to get an additional major. So, double majoring is just logistically easy at Rice.
That being said, it's totally unnecessary. If you have 2 interests that you have a burning desire to study, then double major. Or, just take a bunch of courses in that other field and do well in them, that's perfectly acceptable.
Bottom line, make good grades and do well on the MCAT. And have shadowing and volunteering that actually matters to you, where you show some initiative and leadership and a spark in your eye when you talk about it. Same for the major-- just choose something that excites you intellectually and will inspire you to take more advanced classes, do a senior thesis, or a summer project to further explore, etc. Everything else is just details (3 or 4 years, AP credit or not, which major, etc).
OddNath- thanks so much! i've actually decided that i'm not going to take the biology ap this year and that i'm going to repeat intro chem at rice. since i'll technically be a "non-science major" i think its important to show that i can do well in science classes and i think that already taking them should give me an edge. the only other majors that i'm really considering are poli sci, psych, or econ at the moment and will probably only minor in biology or chemistry. my parents are pushing me to major in a science, but i just have such diverse interests that i'd rather due something like cognitive science that is disciplinary and bridges across many topics.
thanks for letting me know about not having to double major! when i visited rice, it seemed like everyone was planning on double majoring, but i don't feel the need unless i find something else i'm interested in.
can you elaborate more on your experience with the cog sci major. i know you said it was your "break" from engineering classes, but i'd like to know what you thought of the strength of the department and the research opportunities associated with the major. could i get a job with that major if i decide med school isn't for me?
thanks for letting me know about not having to double major! when i visited rice, it seemed like everyone was planning on double majoring, but i don't feel the need unless i find something else i'm interested in.
can you elaborate more on your experience with the cog sci major. i know you said it was your "break" from engineering classes, but i'd like to know what you thought of the strength of the department and the research opportunities associated with the major. could i get a job with that major if i decide med school isn't for me?
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Hey there
Haha I am so very separated from the world of getting a job, so I really have no idea what the job market is like for someone with a cog sci undergrad degree 🙂
I do know that you could definitely go to grad school in neuroscience (or psych or linguistics, any related field), then get a post-doc, then find a job that way. But strictly after undergrad, I don't know what the demand is for a cog sci major. If I had to guess, it's probably lower than the demand for an engineering degree.
In any case, though, I doubt that having a biology undergrad degree would really give you that much more of an advantage on the job market than a cog sci degree, so just do whatever you're interested in. And if you don't go to med school, be prepared to teach and/or go to grad school.
Apart from the job end-- I really enjoyed this major, and really wish I had more flexibility in my schedule to take more classes. The bare minimum for the major isn't much (maybe 11-12 classes), but it's a very rich and awesome major if you go above and beyond that, really exploring the upper division courses in philosophy and linguistics and neuroscience. I did the honors thesis thing, where you maintain some reasonable gpa and then do a independent project during your senior year. I think this is a great way to delve into the topics that interest you, especially if cross-disciplinary, and make the major your own.
All that being said, wait until you get to Rice to hammer out the exact details of your major(s). Who knows, maybe during your freshman year you will fall in love with math (or chemistry or econ) and decide to make that your 2nd major. Take a variety of coursework for the first few semesters and things should fall into place. You don't have to declare your major officially until like the end of sophomore year.
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You will meet many smart people at Rice and in medical school. One of my suitemates at Rice did well in every course that he took. He only needed to read something once, took no notes and never highlighted a book. His MCAT score was 40, taken as a sophmore.
It is imperative that you get a high GPA. If you can ace the upper level courses, then it is okay to claim AP credits. If you cannot, then acing the intro courses will provide you with a cushion. The major you are considering seems to be lenient in the grading, which is fine. Just don't do engineering, as the grading is not on a curve.
Even in medical school, you have to be strategic. I had classmates with PhDs in Neuroscience, Physiology or Anatomy who used to teach medical students. They could have opted out of those classes; but many just took them for the easy grades.
A roommate I had in med sch did not get into med sch on his first try. He worked in the lab at UT Southwestern for two years. He attended the basic science classes. This really helped in the long run b/c he was able to use the research/publication on his resume. He also did very well in the courses that he attended. He made Junior AOA (top 5%) and had his pick of specialties.
Medical school overwhelms you. Any prior knowledge allows you to concentrate on the new material. I was glad that I took Biochemistry, Physiology, Cell Biology, Genetics etc. at Rice. Wish I took Microbiology as well. I had more time for Anatomy, Pathology etc. Some of the non-biology majors didn't do well.
Looking back, I think the most important thing in a medical career is the opportunity to choose the specialty of your liking. Being a neurosurgeon is completely different from being a pediatrician. The type of practice, the hours, the locale, the income etc. favor the competitive specialties.
These include Opthalmology, Dermatology, Radiology, ENT, Orthopedics etc. Primary care specialties are easier to get in. Pediatric hours can be very long, with anxious parents hounding you at all hours. But the income is among the lowest of the specialties. That said, many AOA students go into Pediatrics.
If you are at the top of your class, you have the pick of specialties. Dermatology has about 250 spots a year, with the total applicants in the Match numbering 20,000.
It really does not matter which med school you attend, as long as you have great USMLE scores and are AOA.
Perhaps the less competitive medical schools are not so bad, if you can attain higher GPA and class rank. Some of the more competitive schools do not offer letter grades, just Honor, Pass and Fail. They can afford to do this by their reputation. This helps the "average" students.
Quite a lot of students fail to match each year in the more selective specialties. If I had the grades, I might have considered ENT or Orthopedic Surgery.
For me, the most important goal is to be able to choose your own specialty, all others are secondary.
It is imperative that you get a high GPA. If you can ace the upper level courses, then it is okay to claim AP credits. If you cannot, then acing the intro courses will provide you with a cushion. The major you are considering seems to be lenient in the grading, which is fine. Just don't do engineering, as the grading is not on a curve.
Even in medical school, you have to be strategic. I had classmates with PhDs in Neuroscience, Physiology or Anatomy who used to teach medical students. They could have opted out of those classes; but many just took them for the easy grades.
A roommate I had in med sch did not get into med sch on his first try. He worked in the lab at UT Southwestern for two years. He attended the basic science classes. This really helped in the long run b/c he was able to use the research/publication on his resume. He also did very well in the courses that he attended. He made Junior AOA (top 5%) and had his pick of specialties.
Medical school overwhelms you. Any prior knowledge allows you to concentrate on the new material. I was glad that I took Biochemistry, Physiology, Cell Biology, Genetics etc. at Rice. Wish I took Microbiology as well. I had more time for Anatomy, Pathology etc. Some of the non-biology majors didn't do well.
Looking back, I think the most important thing in a medical career is the opportunity to choose the specialty of your liking. Being a neurosurgeon is completely different from being a pediatrician. The type of practice, the hours, the locale, the income etc. favor the competitive specialties.
These include Opthalmology, Dermatology, Radiology, ENT, Orthopedics etc. Primary care specialties are easier to get in. Pediatric hours can be very long, with anxious parents hounding you at all hours. But the income is among the lowest of the specialties. That said, many AOA students go into Pediatrics.
If you are at the top of your class, you have the pick of specialties. Dermatology has about 250 spots a year, with the total applicants in the Match numbering 20,000.
It really does not matter which med school you attend, as long as you have great USMLE scores and are AOA.
Perhaps the less competitive medical schools are not so bad, if you can attain higher GPA and class rank. Some of the more competitive schools do not offer letter grades, just Honor, Pass and Fail. They can afford to do this by their reputation. This helps the "average" students.
Quite a lot of students fail to match each year in the more selective specialties. If I had the grades, I might have considered ENT or Orthopedic Surgery.
For me, the most important goal is to be able to choose your own specialty, all others are secondary.
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i've gone to a very prestigious high school and i feel well prepared for rice, but i don't see the point in rushing into upper level science classes especially as i am transitioning into college. i'm planning on retaking bio, chem, physics, calc, etc. i'm definetaly not one of those people that can read something once and learn it, like your suitmate 🙁 i do well in science classes, but my strength is definetaly more in the social sciences and humanities.
i'm really interested in neurosurgery, although i think any type of surgery would suit me. i'm not in it for the money, but i think i would be MISERABLE in primary care. i guess i'll just have to work really hard in med school and undergrad.
from what you are saying about med school being overwhelming, i get the impression that you think a science major is better for medical school preparation. when i visited for owl days, the advisor said that non-science majors would be at no disadvantage MCAT wise and would probably be more desired by med schools. do you agree with this? i keep hearing mixed things...
i'm really interested in neurosurgery, although i think any type of surgery would suit me. i'm not in it for the money, but i think i would be MISERABLE in primary care. i guess i'll just have to work really hard in med school and undergrad.
from what you are saying about med school being overwhelming, i get the impression that you think a science major is better for medical school preparation. when i visited for owl days, the advisor said that non-science majors would be at no disadvantage MCAT wise and would probably be more desired by med schools. do you agree with this? i keep hearing mixed things...
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MCAT is something you can study for; and it is probably correct that non-science majors are not disadvantaged. But the courses that I mentioned are not all tested on the MCAT.
Also in med sch the subjects that I mentioned are covered like in a week. Biochem goes into much more details, and is clinically oriented in med sch.
You can major in any field, just make sure your GPA is high and take the courses that I mentioned if you can.
As a neuroradiologist, I work with neurosurgeons and neurologists everyday. Neurosurgery can be brutal and residency takes 6 yrs. A classmate of mine was the fourth neurosurgeon in his city. His hours are very long, but his initial salary was $800K first year out. New neurosurgeons typically take a lot of trauma cases. As they develop their practice and clientele, they can afford to be more selective.
Since neurosurgery residency is so long and demanding, only a select few choose this specialty. It is prestigious, but is not in the most competitive category.
I hope this helps.
Also in med sch the subjects that I mentioned are covered like in a week. Biochem goes into much more details, and is clinically oriented in med sch.
You can major in any field, just make sure your GPA is high and take the courses that I mentioned if you can.
As a neuroradiologist, I work with neurosurgeons and neurologists everyday. Neurosurgery can be brutal and residency takes 6 yrs. A classmate of mine was the fourth neurosurgeon in his city. His hours are very long, but his initial salary was $800K first year out. New neurosurgeons typically take a lot of trauma cases. As they develop their practice and clientele, they can afford to be more selective.
Since neurosurgery residency is so long and demanding, only a select few choose this specialty. It is prestigious, but is not in the most competitive category.
I hope this helps.
i'm not really focused on the money, but its nice to know that i shouldn't have trouble paying off student loans! 🙂
sorry, one last question. how difficult are the pre-med reqs at Rice specifically? do you have any tips for excelling in these classes? i've taken calc, bio, chem, and physics in high school, and will be retaking all of my pre-med reqs...
sorry, one last question. how difficult are the pre-med reqs at Rice specifically? do you have any tips for excelling in these classes? i've taken calc, bio, chem, and physics in high school, and will be retaking all of my pre-med reqs...
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A nice thing about a small school is that there never is problem getting into a class. At larger schools, you may not get a required course in your major and may not get to graduate if it is offered only once a year. (I ran into this problem when I was at the University of Texas Law School). At the University of Houston, you have priority if you are in the Honors program. At Rice, there is also consistency in the grading, since there is only one teacher. At other schools. there are multiple sections taught by different professors. People flock to the easy graders; but not all can get in.
I don't know what may have changed since I graduated in 1984. While I was there, non-engineering Physics was offered as 2 semester-long self-pace courses. You must pass two quizzes per chapter to progress. You take the quizzes when you are ready. Upper classman graders/proctors were there at the appointed time. If you have completed all 22 chapters, you get an A. You get a B if you completed only 20 etc. People have completed the chapters in just one month. There was a similar set-up for Psychology. The highest grade was an A+. You also got A+ as a proctor. There was also a self-paced option for Calculus.
I didn't take Intro Chemistry. Organic Chemistry was extremely hard. On some exams, the highest grade might be 40/100. There would be a curve, so your grade is a B if your score is 30. Biochemistry was tough, but enjoyable. There were only two A's given out. For Biology, there was an introductory course designed as a distribution course for non-majors. It was very good (especially for the MCAT) and all of us premeds took it for the easy As. Genetics and Physiology gave low grades. Physical Chemistry was very hard and time-consuming, as you are taking it along with the Chemical Engineering students. Homework problems took hours. The nice thing was the take-home exams. You take it whenever and where ever you like, but you are bound by the honor code to take it within the allotted time.
Some courses allow open book take-home exams. Some courses allow you to set up your own time for the final exam. This helps space out the tough subjects.
The year behind me, the two students with the highest GPA (4.3+) majored in Biology/Biochemistry. They both went to Baylor Medical School and then Radiology for residency. I know my GPA would have been much higher if I had gone to UH. And I was glad I did not choose Johns Hopkins. My friend who went there got terrible grades. On top of that, the medical school showed no preference for their own undergraduate students, made no allowance for the grade "deflation" and encouraged the students to apply elsewhere.
I did not take Calculus. Advanced Calculus a lot of us took at UH in the summer. But it was not difficult at Rice.
I loved the upper level/graduate student seminar courses. One class had four students and met in the evening. We brought food and the professor brought coffee. Everybody got As.
There was an option of doing research in the senior year in the lab of a professor, rather than taking some upper level courses. You have to apply for the few openings. I preferred taking courses like Endocrinology, that I could use in medical school.
I think some residential colleges had old exam files. I never looked at them. Two sisters a year behind me collected my notes and old exams. They did that for other courses too. Both made it to Baylor. The younger sister graduated in three years at Rice, to be in the same class with her sibling.
I hope the above helps.
Unfortunately my daughter is wanting to go away for college. I work with the Admissions committee at Rice and she has a good shot at the Rice-Baylor program. She is a National Merit finalist. But she wants Brown combined program or an Ivy League school.
I don't know what may have changed since I graduated in 1984. While I was there, non-engineering Physics was offered as 2 semester-long self-pace courses. You must pass two quizzes per chapter to progress. You take the quizzes when you are ready. Upper classman graders/proctors were there at the appointed time. If you have completed all 22 chapters, you get an A. You get a B if you completed only 20 etc. People have completed the chapters in just one month. There was a similar set-up for Psychology. The highest grade was an A+. You also got A+ as a proctor. There was also a self-paced option for Calculus.
I didn't take Intro Chemistry. Organic Chemistry was extremely hard. On some exams, the highest grade might be 40/100. There would be a curve, so your grade is a B if your score is 30. Biochemistry was tough, but enjoyable. There were only two A's given out. For Biology, there was an introductory course designed as a distribution course for non-majors. It was very good (especially for the MCAT) and all of us premeds took it for the easy As. Genetics and Physiology gave low grades. Physical Chemistry was very hard and time-consuming, as you are taking it along with the Chemical Engineering students. Homework problems took hours. The nice thing was the take-home exams. You take it whenever and where ever you like, but you are bound by the honor code to take it within the allotted time.
Some courses allow open book take-home exams. Some courses allow you to set up your own time for the final exam. This helps space out the tough subjects.
The year behind me, the two students with the highest GPA (4.3+) majored in Biology/Biochemistry. They both went to Baylor Medical School and then Radiology for residency. I know my GPA would have been much higher if I had gone to UH. And I was glad I did not choose Johns Hopkins. My friend who went there got terrible grades. On top of that, the medical school showed no preference for their own undergraduate students, made no allowance for the grade "deflation" and encouraged the students to apply elsewhere.
I did not take Calculus. Advanced Calculus a lot of us took at UH in the summer. But it was not difficult at Rice.
I loved the upper level/graduate student seminar courses. One class had four students and met in the evening. We brought food and the professor brought coffee. Everybody got As.
There was an option of doing research in the senior year in the lab of a professor, rather than taking some upper level courses. You have to apply for the few openings. I preferred taking courses like Endocrinology, that I could use in medical school.
I think some residential colleges had old exam files. I never looked at them. Two sisters a year behind me collected my notes and old exams. They did that for other courses too. Both made it to Baylor. The younger sister graduated in three years at Rice, to be in the same class with her sibling.
I hope the above helps.
Unfortunately my daughter is wanting to go away for college. I work with the Admissions committee at Rice and she has a good shot at the Rice-Baylor program. She is a National Merit finalist. But she wants Brown combined program or an Ivy League school.
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For sure! Participating in the things you enjoy doing, even if they are not medical related shows that you are a well rounded applicant, which is a plus for the admissions board!
