Good premed schools

[DawitGoshime]

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What are the best undergraduate PreMed programs that will better prepare me for admission to medical schools? When I say this, its interms of getting good grade and shorter time to complete the courses. If you have any idea please forward me the website or the name of the schools.

Thank you

 

[jason3278]

any accredited university/college

 

[Projectx]

Go look at the US News rankings for the top colleges, usually the ones on the list (Top 50-75) are pretty good for the prestige they have.

Just take a look at the list, pick out an interesting school and search more on the number of graduates they send to Med. school on www.mdapplicants.com

Goodluck

 

[Telo78]

This scares me. I'm going to be finishing my requirements at Christopher Newport University in VA. I don't see any med schools in VA accepting any students from there. Should I not even go there?

 

[Projectx]

No, www.mdapplicants.com is only a rough estimate, there are many more applicants that actually do get accepted but don't post their profile up. Just do well on the MCAT+Good E.C.s+GPA etc. and you should be fine. Also, you should talk to your premed advisor to see where your school sent a few graduates to for med. school.

GL.

 

[snobored18]

People on this site will rip this advice, but take it for what it is worth. I'd highly recommend at least looking at some of the top tier national liberal arts colleges. Carleton, Grinnell, Amherst, Swarthmore, etc. are absolutely terrific (and tough) schools. They lack the name brand appeal, and huge student bodies, but you probably won't find a better and more challenging education anywhere in this country. It is not to say that the big name research institutions don't provide a good education, learning is just different when your tests are entirely essay based (you learn to write instead of filling in bubbles), you get to know your profs because there are only 20 kids in the class (plentiful, detailed and personal LORs) and there isn't the pressure to mainly be mentoring graduate students and publishing every 3 months in glossy journals. Done right (3.4+, decent MCATs, relationships with profs in and out of class, high level of campus involvement and summer research fellowship at big name) coming out of one of these schools gives you a fantastic chance at not just medical school, but being able to select where you want to go. You can get an education just about anywhere that will in theory set you up for medical school, but I think small schools do a better job of "developing" the intangibles that make or break most applications and at least looking at my medical school class and those second visits I attended I think medical schools know this as well (translation an inproportionate # of kids from liberal arts schools given how many more students apply out of the big guys). If you've already got leadership, critical thinking and life long learning skills instilled in you then great you will make it no matter what, but if you think you've got some room to grow and some skills to gain take a look at the smaller schools they focus solely on undergrads for a reason.

 

[EndSong]

Duke, UCLA, Harvard and the other Ivies are also notoriously good and have a fairly good rate of success on getting pre-meds into med school.

 

[tdkneo]

What are the best undergraduate PreMed programs that will better prepare me for admission to medical schools? When I say this, its interms of getting good grade and shorter time to complete the courses. If you have any idea please forward me the website or the name of the schools.

Thank you

since i live in california, i have to go UCLA and UCSD........both very nice schools and very ogranized..........

 

[sprinkibrio]

If you want to get good grades in the classes I would not rec any big name research institution. I went to Wash U, where roughly 60% of the kids enter pre-med and 10% leave pre-med due to weeding. Even if you make it through the classes with decent grades, if you have a few C's the pre-med deans will weed themselves. I've cried in that dean's office at least three times b/c they've told me I couldn't get in anywhere. I've gotten into five places already... (They want their applicant stats to be 100 applied, 100 got in and they make sure they get as close as possible.) Make it through all the weeding, though, and you're golden. Nothing says more than getting decent grades at a school like Wash U, and no doubt you'll have the toughness to make it through the admissions process. You'll have already experienced the competition, the big classes, the great professors that you have to fight to get to know, and the toughness of medical school. At the same time, you'll have so much support and knowledge about the med school process, like that it's completely necessary to take a Kaplan class, that you need to apply as early as possible, that recs need to be written in the fall before you apply, that you need to know how to define yourself as an applicant for your personal statement, etc. Wash U even flew in an AMCAS website guy to help us with the application and to push us to apply early. The routinely have students from the med school come talk to us. I don't know if you could get that at a small liberal arts school.

 

[MonkeyNuts!]

JHU's rocks.

 

[aardvark14]

Pomona College is awesome. 90% get into med school.

 

[modelslashactor]

FWIW, the schools I have seen the most students from on the interview trail (6 of the top 20 schools) are by far yale and princeton, but if you got into those you would probably have just gone and not asked us. most popular state schools are UCLA, UCB and UMich, probably due to their enormous number of premeds.

I agree that you get the best education at a liberal arts school, but it's probably easier to get research experience at a major state school or top private. I went to my state school over a solid liberal arts school for that reason, although I did meet some students at a research convention that did major work at small schools and were going to top grad schools. I'm rambling now, just go where you want.

 

[Dookter]

Go wherever you want. The last thing I would do is pick a school b/c you think it will get you into med school. I would avoid schools you think won't get you into med school [like U of Bumblefudgetown, etc.]. But, seriously, most colleges will do. And about the small LAC suggested above: only go there if you want to go there. They are great schools, but you honestly have no better chance from there. And when it comes to individual attention, etc., I found that at my huge state school I got all the attention I wanted b/c the resources were all there, but many students had no interest in using them. Finding lab spots, etc., was easy as cake. I would honestly focus on which schools are more fun and worry less about getting into med school. Just make sure you make the grades.

 

[45408]

(you learn to write instead of filling in bubbles)

Except, of course, there's fact that the MCAT, medical school exams, and the USMLE are all multiple-choice....

 

[45408]

And when it comes to individual attention, etc., I found that at my huge state school I got all the attention I wanted b/c the resources were all there, but many students had no interest in using them. Finding lab spots, etc., was easy as cake.

Word. I went to a school with 28,000 undergrads, and about a whopping 30-50 of them apply to med school each year. Berkeley has like 800 each year. So I got into student organization leadership easily, got into volunteering easily, almost none of the EMTs are pre-med, and almost all of the ambulance companies are hiring, and all the PIs were looking for research assistants. The intro classes were pretty big (psych 101 was like 400 people), but by the time I got past those, my bio major classes were shrinking, and if you just talked to a prof on a semi-regular basis, you had no trouble getting LORs.

 

[ADeadLois]

Some schools have higher pre-med success rates than others, but I think it's a mistake to chose a college based on its impact on your medical school application. Keep in mind that fewer than 1/3 of people (by my estimation) who go into college as a pre-med end up applying to medical school. You don't want to get stuck in a place you don't like.

 

[sweet2th]

MUHLENBERG COLLEGE! the classes will rock your socks, but acceptance rate to med school is 90%+

 

[doctolbert]

People on this site will rip this advice, but take it for what it is worth. I'd highly recommend at least looking at some of the top tier national liberal arts colleges. Carleton, Grinnell, Amherst, Swarthmore, etc. are absolutely terrific (and tough) schools. They lack the name brand appeal, and huge student bodies, but you probably won't find a better and more challenging education anywhere in this country. It is not to say that the big name research institutions don't provide a good education, learning is just different when your tests are entirely essay based (you learn to write instead of filling in bubbles), you get to know your profs because there are only 20 kids in the class (plentiful, detailed and personal LORs) and there isn't the pressure to mainly be mentoring graduate students and publishing every 3 months in glossy journals. Done right (3.4+, decent MCATs, relationships with profs in and out of class, high level of campus involvement and summer research fellowship at big name) coming out of one of these schools gives you a fantastic chance at not just medical school, but being able to select where you want to go. You can get an education just about anywhere that will in theory set you up for medical school, but I think small schools do a better job of "developing" the intangibles that make or break most applications and at least looking at my medical school class and those second visits I attended I think medical schools know this as well (translation an inproportionate # of kids from liberal arts schools given how many more students apply out of the big guys). If you've already got leadership, critical thinking and life long learning skills instilled in you then great you will make it no matter what, but if you think you've got some room to grow and some skills to gain take a look at the smaller schools they focus solely on undergrads for a reason.

Excellent advice. Lipscomb university, very small liberal arts university, has a 99% acceptance rate among pre-med students whom they recommend.

DT

 

[serviceoverself]

I am talking about the University of Chicago. A private institution. This is NOT UIC. Anyway- a great school for med school prep- 80% acceptance rate for those applying from here. It's very tough but the other students are not cut-throat, just passionate about learning. The pre-med adivising office is GREAT (yeay Cassie!) and will give you what you need to know/hear straight up plus they put on some good programing for pre-meds. There are tons of opportunities for those who want to do research and plenty of shadowing/community service projects available as well. Just my 2 cents.

 

[etf]

don't go to berkeley

 

[evade]

I'm a Californian. I gotta put in my two bits for UC Davis. I'm assuming that you're interested in biology if you're interested in medicine, and man, do they have an amazing assortment of bio programs. Even if you decide (like so many college students do) that med school is not for you, they've got such a breadth of other bio sci programs that you're sure to find something else you love.

And of course, plenty of UCD grads go to med school, too. 🙂

 

[Cirrus83]

Only schools in the Ivy Plus will do. Anything else and you will only be able to become a used car salesman, and a lousy one at that.

 

[maestro1625]

honestly, the more and more I go thru this process, the more I realize that where you go really doesnt mean anything. I go to a LAC that's barely hanging on to a top 100 spot (and is almost assured to drop out next year or the year after given our constantly declinging student body quality), and my application process couldn't have gone more smoothly... At my first out of state interview I was surrounded with Berkeley, Penn, Cornell, WashU, Williams, other fancy ass degree people and realized that the people who are here are here because of thier MCATs and little else. (and yes I got in).

It's pretty much been the same thing at my interviews since then. Basically a lot of students who come from big name schools, but you see the occasional Kansas State/Grand Valley State/CSU Chico people there too. Your own personal achievements are what will get you noticed, not the name on your degree.

I have a good friend of mine who's at UMich with the exact same MCAT and slightly lower GPA by a few small decimals, and really we've done pretty much exactly the same ... applied the same time, both have the same number of acceptances to the same places, and only 2 more interviews recieved for me.

however, as for my own school: yeah, dont come here... it sucks.

 

[Cirrus83]

honestly, the more and more I go thru this process, the more I realize that where you go really doesnt mean anything. I go to a LAC that's barely hanging on to a top 100 spot (and is almost assured to drop out next year or the year after given our constantly declinging student body quality), and my application process couldn't have gone more smoothly... At my first out of state interview I was surrounded with Berkeley, Penn, Cornell, WashU, Williams, other fancy ass degree people and realized that the people who are here are here because of thier MCATs and little else. (and yes I got in).

It's pretty much been the same thing at my interviews since then. Basically a lot of students who come from big name schools, but you see the occasional Kansas State/Grand Valley State/CSU Chico people there too. Your own personal achievements are what will get you noticed, not the name on your degree.

I have a good friend of mine who's at UMich with the exact same MCAT and slightly lower GPA by a few small decimals, and really we've done pretty much exactly the same ... applied the same time, both have the same number of acceptances to the same places, and only 2 more interviews recieved for me.

however, as for my own school: yeah, dont come here... it sucks.

I think the real benefit of a more prestigious school isn't that it's more prestigious exactly, but that they have more resources that make doing the things you'll need to do for med school easier.

Like, if your school has massive amounts of research funding, it's obviously going to be much easier to find someone to do research under. And I know at many Ivy and similar schools (OK, and CUNY Honors apparently) they'll give you a stipend if you want to spend a summer (or a semester even, depending on the school) doing an unpaid internship, or exploring something in some way (I believe one example Dartmouth gave would be if you wanted to spend an intense summer in NYC, just writing-lol, my brother goes to Dartmouth). I know with Dartmouth even if your internship pays, they'll still give you extra money so you can afford rent in an expensive place that's not just where you're from.

So, a more generic state school wouldn't have the resources to put that kind of weight behind you. And, if you look at the graduation rate statistics, you'd also see that people who go top private schools have a much much higher 4 year and 6 year graduation rate, because they have more stuff in place to keep you from falling off the tracks. Well, there's also other socioeconomic factors involved, but the atmospheres are also part of it-out of my friends who went to public school, only 1 person out of 3 managed to graduate within 4 years, and these were all very smart people. And I also know one guy who transferred to our school after 1 year, and 1 guy who transferred out after 1 year [and currently regrets it as he's doing his post-bacc]. The guy who transferred out, definitely says that there's just something about being at the public school that made it so much easier to get lost-I suggested that it was just slow administrative stuff (because apparently the administrative stuff at SUNY Stony Brook is lousy according to students and I had gone there for a summer), but he said it wasn't even that.

Anyways, if you're super driven, you could basically go anywhere and do well. But having the resources of a more prestigious place behind you wouldn't hurt either, lol. Hell, I'd love to take a random summer off and sit around Soho writing while my school paid the bill. *sigh*

 

[maestro1625]

yes, but again, when the average ACT at a school of generic quality is only something like 24, you cant expect too many successful pre-meds. A Michigan student on these boards once commented to me that the only people from the state that he sees on the interview trail are Michigan folk... however that's understandable when there's only one other school in MI that has a student body quality equal to UM and that school has only 1200 people. You wont see many people from my school on the interview trail because there were only 3 of us who scored a 30+. But for those of us who did, we're just as well off as any others on the trail.

every school has pros and cons... what some lack in resources, they make up for the advantage of being near the top of the class...

so basically, go to the school you'll have the most fun at... my biggest regret was not doing that.

 

[HumbleMD]

yes, but again, when the average ACT at a school of generic quality is only something like 24, you cant expect too many successful pre-meds. A Michigan student on these boards once commented to me that the only people from the state that he sees on the interview trail are Michigan folk... however that's understandable when there's only one other school in MI that has a student body quality equal to UM and that school has only 1200 people. You wont see many people from my school on the interview trail because there were only 3 of us who scored a 30+. But for those of us who did, we're just as well off as any others on the trail.

every school has pros and cons... what some lack in resources, they make up for the advantage of being near the top of the class...

so basically, go to the school you'll have the most fun at... my biggest regret was not doing that.

Heh, I think I'm that student. I still contest that undergrad matters no matter how much people don't want to beleive it does. The point that has already been made is that there is access to research and faculty who can write influential LOR's with a name behind them (say, a Nobel-prize winning researcher).

Yes, it is indeed true that there are more "smart" people at more prestigious schools, which would account for the disparities, but the truth is still there. At my UPenn interview, for example, I was feeling self conscious about going to U of M. I'll guarantee you there won't be anyone interviewing at U Penn or WashU from Albion. Go to the best school you can afford and be acceptied to. You really don't want to go somewhere that you have to make excuses for.

 

[Dookter]

There is really no right answer to this question. But I will have to say that using stats about how many years it takes people to graduate from state schools, graduation rates, etc., are absolutely meaningless. Wanna know why that is the case? Cause those kids don't have their stuff together. It says nothing about how you will perform. And the thing about state schools not having the resources--in my experience this is also not true. I was even randomly basically offered a paid summer research internship at St. Jude in Memphis for last summer. It even paid for housing if you did not live in the area. How did I know about it? I aced everything in my immunology class and went to pick up an exam one day when the professor's wife told me about it [she worked in his lab]. I did not go for it, but the connections were there. I also could have been paid to work in my lab over the summer, etc., etc., etc. If the school doesn't have the resources, that does not mean the research labs at the school don't. If you actually based paying out the a$$ to go to a fancy private school over your state school [which is often free] solely on the basis of getting into medical school, you're just playing off your own insecurities. Not that people don't do that all the time [even I am now at a fancy private school]. There are tons of reasons to pick schools, but basing everything on getting into medical school is absurd since you can get into medical school from almost anywhere.

 

[maestro1625]

Heh, I think I'm that student. I still contest that undergrad matters no matter how much people don't want to beleive it does. The point that has already been made is that there is access to research and faculty who can write influential LOR's with a name behind them (say, a Nobel-prize winning researcher).

Yes, it is indeed true that there are more "smart" people at more prestigious schools, which would account for the disparities, but the truth is still there. At my UPenn interview, for example, I was feeling self conscious about going to U of M. I'll guarantee you there won't be anyone interviewing at U Penn or WashU from Albion. Go to the best school you can afford and be acceptied to. You really don't want to go somewhere that you have to make excuses for.

Students attending WashU from Southern Utah University,Harding University, Union College (NE), Iowa State, and Austin Peay State would like a word with you...

 

[45408]

I still contest that undergrad matters no matter how much people don't want to beleive it does. The point that has already been made is that there is access to research and faculty who can write influential LOR's with a name behind them (say, a Nobel-prize winning researcher).

It probably does matter, but I don't think it's good that it matters (if someone is judging SOLELY on the name on your diploma).

 

[kicking back]

I am talking about the University of Chicago. A private institution. This is NOT UIC. Anyway- a great school for med school prep- 80% acceptance rate for those applying from here. It's very tough but the other students are not cut-throat, just passionate about learning. The pre-med adivising office is GREAT (yeay Cassie!) and will give you what you need to know/hear straight up plus they put on some good programing for pre-meds. There are tons of opportunities for those who want to do research and plenty of shadowing/community service projects available as well. Just my 2 cents.

i beg to differ. as far as advisers go, cassie is not good. if anything, she just makes you feel bad for not being a perfect applicant. i have never met someone who was so discouraging to me about pursuing medicine....and i'm a pretty competitive applicant! however, i have heard that she is really nice to guys and not so nice to girls.

and in general, the classes are so hard that you just feel stupid all the time. you spend so much time trying to keep up with your other classes, that it makes extracurriculars very difficult to do, even though there are a plethora of opportunities out there. this school brings your self-esteem down and makes the dream of becoming a doctor almost impossible. i made it out okay, but the majority of the people that i know that came here thinking that they were going to go premed have given up on it b/c they couldn't handle the courseload.

 

[Projectx]

i made it out okay, but the majority of the people that i know that came here thinking that they were going to go premed have given up on it b/c they couldn't handle the courseload.

This is what makes an acceptance letter a bit more fulfilling and worthwhile.

 

[searun]

People on this site will rip this advice, but take it for what it is worth. I'd highly recommend at least looking at some of the top tier national liberal arts colleges. Carleton, Grinnell, Amherst, Swarthmore, etc. are absolutely terrific (and tough) schools. They lack the name brand appeal, and huge student bodies, but you probably won't find a better and more challenging education anywhere in this country. It is not to say that the big name research institutions don't provide a good education, learning is just different when your tests are entirely essay based (you learn to write instead of filling in bubbles), you get to know your profs because there are only 20 kids in the class (plentiful, detailed and personal LORs) and there isn't the pressure to mainly be mentoring graduate students and publishing every 3 months in glossy journals. Done right (3.4+, decent MCATs, relationships with profs in and out of class, high level of campus involvement and summer research fellowship at big name) coming out of one of these schools gives you a fantastic chance at not just medical school, but being able to select where you want to go. You can get an education just about anywhere that will in theory set you up for medical school, but I think small schools do a better job of "developing" the intangibles that make or break most applications and at least looking at my medical school class and those second visits I attended I think medical schools know this as well (translation an inproportionate # of kids from liberal arts schools given how many more students apply out of the big guys). If you've already got leadership, critical thinking and life long learning skills instilled in you then great you will make it no matter what, but if you think you've got some room to grow and some skills to gain take a look at the smaller schools they focus solely on undergrads for a reason.

I graduated from a wonderful liberal arts college and it definitely gave me an edge in this process.

Searun

 

[etf]

seriously, don't go to berkeley.

 

[brbsb]

All this makes me nervous that I go to a state school that isn't really known for producing pre-meds. I came here for a different major but switched to pre-med...and I love it here, so I don't want to switch. I hope it doesn't effect my application next year.

 

[Dookter]

All this makes me nervous that I go to a state school that isn't really known for producing pre-meds. I came here for a different major but switched to pre-med...and I love it here, so I don't want to switch. I hope it doesn't effect my application next year.

Relax. If you have the numbers and everything else that it takes, your school won't hurt you.

 

[maestro1625]

Relax. If you have the numbers and everything else that it takes, your school won't hurt you.

agreed...

 

[modelslashactor]

All this makes me nervous that I go to a state school that isn't really known for producing pre-meds. I came here for a different major but switched to pre-med...and I love it here, so I don't want to switch. I hope it doesn't effect my application next year.

I am in a similar position. But, get a high GPA/MCAT, do some bench research, and you too can roll with the big boys. Honestly I think you can make it work to your advantage since in a twisted way you add "diversity" to a class, and since no school wants to be the lame-o that accepts only ivy type kids (well, Columbia wants to be that school, but what's one in a hundred twenty?)

 

[wolverinefan]

This is really plain and simple. Go to the University of Michigan if you can get in. Why? One reason and one reason only....FOOTBALL!!

oh yeah, i've been accepted to 3 med schools already to

 

[MahlerROCKS]

Students attending WashU from Southern Utah University,Harding University, Union College (NE), Iowa State, and Austin Peay State would like a word with you...

WashU is known for being the only major med school that accepts students with high MCATS from pisshead colleges no one has ever heard of.

To the OP, a lot of people have voiced their opinions, but here's my two cents: go to the best college you can get into. Name is EVERYTHING in medicine; the stronger your academic pedigree is, the easier it will be for you to enter a top tier med school, and then a competitive residency, etc. If nothing else, more academically rigorous colleges and universities better prepare their students for the MCAT: go to mdapps and compare scores--the proof is there.

 

[sirus_virus]

What are the best undergraduate PreMed programs that will better prepare me for admission to medical schools? When I say this, its interms of getting good grade and shorter time to complete the courses. If you have any idea please forward me the website or the name of the schools.

Thank you

I have never heard of any school handing out good grades while accelerating the pre-med process. It is all about your own individual effort.

 

[maestro1625]

WashU is known for being the only major med school that accepts students with high MCATS from pisshead colleges no one has ever heard of.

To the OP, a lot of people have voiced their opinions, but here's my two cents: go to the best college you can get into. Name is EVERYTHING in medicine; the stronger your academic pedigree is, the easier it will be for you to enter a top tier med school, and then a competitive residency, etc. If nothing else, more academically rigorous colleges and universities better prepare their students for the MCAT: go to mdapps and compare scores--the proof is there.

I call bull**** until you can show me the undergrad list from some of the other top 10 schools... either way, I looked at WashU on my first try, one of the schools that Humble mentioned and found plenty with a hell of a lot lower average test scores than my own...

name is EVERYTHING in law... personal performance is EVERYTHING in medicine.

 

[flaquita69us]

I have to agree with serviceoverself. The University of Chicago is excellent for PreMed. I have Susan, not Cassie, so I can't comment on that disagreement, but every interaction I've had with everyone in that office has been pleasant and helpful. What a lot of students at the U of C don't realize is how much attention they are receiving. I transfered from Boston University to U of C, and the difference is amazing. If you can avoid going to a huge school (16,000 undergrad), you will have a much better relationship with your advisor, which will probably result in a better LOR, since most schools ask for letters from your advisor. Also, I agree that the small liberal arts schools are fantastic. They will teach you how to write and how to think, and that is valuable in any profession you choose.

 

[Dookter]

I call bull**** until you can show me the undergrad list from some of the other top 10 schools... either way, I looked at WashU on my first try, one of the schools that Humble mentioned and found plenty with a hell of a lot lower average test scores than my own...

name is EVERYTHING in law... personal performance is EVERYTHING in medicine.

Agreed to an extent. Medicine is probably the most merit based field out there. Name does help. But name alone will do absolutely nothing. And no "name" value coupled with a brilliant person will land him/her at a top 10 school easily.

And as for WashU admitting people from questionable schools--I think they actually do a good job of finding out about schools before they admit students. Or at least I know they have adcom members that oversee different areas of the country and know about the schools in those areas.

 

[sweetlife]

It's really a personal decision. No one can tell you what is best for you. Some things I thought about though... financial aid especially. I went to the school that would pay for all of my undergraduate in scholarships. So when it comes to getting into med school, I don't already have that financial burden. Some say the school I go to is not really a school at all, and its a joke. Well, thats only half true and def not true in my major! My major is really gaining ground at my school and there is a LOT of money being put into the program. SO, that was another factor.

One thing I do regret is going to such a large school. Large gen science classes make it hard to really get to know the professors. If you go to a large school, it takes more work. Sometimes I wish I went to a smaller school.

 

[JustBreathe]

I'll guarantee you there won't be anyone interviewing at U Penn or WashU from Albion. Go to the best school you can afford and be acceptied to. You really don't want to go somewhere that you have to make excuses for.

There are many people in the first-year class at Wash U (including myself) that are from "no name schools." You can't generalize like that. Individual performance is key - go somewhere where you can thrive.

 

[youngnflyy]

My advice to the OP without a doubt would be to go wherever you feel the most comfortable. I chose a small liberal arts college which is better known for its engineering department. In fact the biology department is the most run down department on campus. However the reason I chose my school was because I felt comfortable here. It's relatively small in comparison to the other state schools, so I really get to interact with professors easily, and I can learn a lot more as they are able to reach out and help me at any time. I could have gone to a more prestigious place, but what was important to me was going some place where I'd actually enjoy undergrad as well as learn a lot. So don't let prestige skew your p.o.v, if you're a great student you will get into a great medical school regardless of where you are coming from.

 

[maestro1625]

Agreed to an extent. Medicine is probably the most merit based field out there. Name does help. But name alone will do absolutely nothing. And no "name" value coupled with a brilliant person will land him/her at a top 10 school easily.

And as for WashU admitting people from questionable schools--I think they actually do a good job of finding out about schools before they admit students. Or at least I know they have adcom members that oversee different areas of the country and know about the schools in those areas.

and let's be honest here... if you can score a 39 from Podunk State, you deserve to be there, possibly moreso than a student who's had every resource known to man at (insert prestiegious sounding school here)... plus you've probably got a hell of a lot better hardship story for your application.

and the name on your undergrad degree is dependent on 2 things...

1. $$$$
2. your HS performance.

...neither of which mean **** when you fill in the first bubble on the MCAT.

 

[HumbleMD]

.

 

[Ari Gold]

and let's be honest here... if you can score a 39 from Podunk State, you deserve to be there, possibly moreso than a student who's had every resource known to man at (insert prestiegious sounding school here)... plus you've probably got a hell of a lot better hardship story for your application.

and the name on your undergrad degree is dependent on 2 things...

1. $$$$
2. your HS performance.

...neither of which mean **** when you fill in the first bubble on the MCAT.

while the last quote from humbleMD wasn't too humble sounding i think you guys are looking at it the differently lets take this example. do you think someone with a 35, 3.8 from albion is on par with a 35, 3.8 at michigan? is that what you are saying? how come it is always assumed that a student at a crappy (excuse me...no name) school has better numbers than the other kid?

 

[maestro1625]

while the last quote from humbleMD wasn't too humble sounding i think you guys are looking at it the differently lets take this example. do you think someone with a 35, 3.8 from albion is on par with a 35, 3.8 at michigan? is that what you are saying? how come it is always assumed that a student at a crappy (excuse me...no name) school has better numbers than the other kid?

once you get to that point, there's a whole lot more involved than just name and numbers (research/personality/general experience)... however, as my purely anecdotal evidence above suggest... yes... yes we MIAA applicants are just as on par...

and I've since stopped defending my own school... this place has been going down the toilet for the past four years... hopefully a new president next year will turn things around.... but either way, I'm trying to shoot down the prestiege argument in general.

btw, Michigan's average ACT is what, a 28 or so? you're not exactly an Ivy...