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[Jonathan13180]

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Hello everyone-
I am applying to schools this year and i was wondering how people chose the schools they were applying to, and more importantly, where they found info... other than the schools website and aamc site. I am trying to focus on schools which look heavily into research and i dont know where to begin.
Thanks in advance for any help you may provide.

 

[Wiggy73]

Try the Medical School Admissions Requirements book (MSAR). It has a double page spread about every school with mission, requirements, stats, etc. Absolutely invaluable!

I think US News may also put a book out... I'll let someone who knows what they're talking about give you the details.

 

[shantster]

Try the Medical School Admissions Requirements book (MSAR). It has a double page spread about every school with mission, requirements, stats, etc. Absolutely invaluable!

I think US News may also put a book out... I'll let someone who knows what they're talking about give you the details.

US News does have a book, and I have been using it to figure out what schools I am interested in looking at more indepthly (I'm currently a sophomore pre-med). I do not know how it compares to the MSAR since I have not read that one yet, but it does have good information. In the front the schools are ranked based on how selective, price, average debt after graduation, percentage of primary care physicians that graduate, and other things. Each school has a spread (usually about a page to a page and a half) with basic information, including the curriculum, but I think that information was provided by the school so it obviously is biased. It also includes the US News' rankings of the schools, which you can take however you want. Just because a school is ranked higher than another school does not mean that you should go to it if you don't like the area or the school itself, but it is a good start so that you can find more information. I hope that helps.

 

[OSUdoc08]

Hello everyone-
I am applying to schools this year and i was wondering how people chose the schools they were applying to, and more importantly, where they found info... other than the schools website and aamc site. I am trying to focus on schools which look heavily into research and i dont know where to begin.
Thanks in advance for any help you may provide.

1. Schools in your regional area.
2. Schools on the US News & World Report Research Ranking List.
3. Recommendations from your school's premedical advisory committee.

 

[Dr.LeoSpaceman]

All those sources are good places to look. Also another piece of advice, do your homework and pick the schools you want to apply to very carefully. The number you should apply to varies depending on the strength of your application, but don't just add schools you have heard of because you think they might work out. I found that out th ehard way when I found that some schools I spent the money applying to (usually about $100-130 per school, including the AMCAS and secondary apps) weren't that appealing to me.

Something you may want to determine prior to choosing schools is grading system (P/F vs. non-P/F), class schedule (lots of lecture vs. minimal lecture), PBL, location, etc. Finding answers to these questions about every school will help you narrow your list, which can save you time and money.