Is it possible to go to an Ivy Med School from an average undergrad?

[ScholarStud]

See title ^

I'm going to a pretty average undergrad (ranked in the 100-110 range), does this completely ruin my chances of going to a prestigious medical school? Common opinion on this board would be that undergrad doesn't matter that much, but does this include admission into Ivy's?

Thanks

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[kcin]

Yes, if you work hard enough. Don't get your hopes up though, it's unlikely just because they get so many qualified applications.

ps. People need to get over this Ivy fetish.

 

[YoungDocs]

Yes, if you work hard enough. Don't get your hopes up though, it's unlikely just because they get so many qualified applications.

ps. People need to get over this Ivy fetish.

I agree completely. You can get in but you're going to have to rock undergrad and get lots of extracurriculars and networking (research, pre-med club, shadowing, etc).

And yes, there are lots of awesome non Ivy schools, so don't get too caught up in that.

 

[bucks2010]

Yes.


/thread.

 

[ScholarStud]

Yes, if you work hard enough. Don't get your hopes up though, it's unlikely just because they get so many qualified applications.

ps. People need to get over this Ivy fetish.

I agree completely. You can get in but you're going to have to rock undergrad and get lots of extracurriculars and networking (research, pre-med club, shadowing, etc).

And yes, there are lots of awesome non Ivy schools, so don't get too caught up in that.

Yes.


/thread.

I apologize, I used the word Ivy too generally. I suppose I meant a top 20 school. But thank you for the replies.

 

[astrife]

See title ^

I'm going to a pretty average undergrad (ranked in the 100-110 range), does this completely ruin my chances of going to a prestigious medical school? Common opinion on this board would be that undergrad doesn't matter that much, but does this include admission into Ivy's?

Thanks

I'm going to Pitt (top 15), and I came from a very average liberal arts college that no one has ever heard of. That said, I still had to rock the MCAT and GPA compared to kids from higher ranked undergrads (i.e. 36+ and 3.9+)

 

[ScholarStud]

I'm going to Pitt (top 15), and I came from a very average liberal arts college that no one has ever heard of. That said, I still had to rock the MCAT and GPA compared to kids from higher ranked undergrads (i.e. 36+ and 3.9+)

Congratulations! Thanks for posting; hearing about this gives me hope 😀

 

[BigRedBeta]

If you're going to be competitive for a "top" medical school it's not going to be because of the name on your diploma.

 

[astrife]

Congratulations! Thanks for posting; hearing about this gives me hope 😀

Thanks so much! Yeah, I decided to respond to your thread because I remember worrying about the exact same thing when I was your age.

 

[NickNaylor]

I also went to an average undergrad (top 75) and will be headed either to the University of Chicago (ranked 12) or the University of Michigan (ranked 8). It's certainly possible.

THAT SAID, I wholeheartedly believe that attending an Ivy is beneficial because of the incredible opportunities available to you and the connections that you'll make while there. However, those things aren't necessary to attend a top school.

 

[loveoforganic]

If you're going to be competitive for a "top" medical school it's not going to be because of the name on your diploma.

This. My undergrad's #79, and I personally know a few holding acceptances (in some case multiple) to top 5 med schools.

 

[Severus]

I attended a small liberal arts college in the middle of nowhere and am now about to graduate from Columbia P&S. Might it have been harder to get in? Possibly. Just work hard, get good scores, do interesting ECs, and be yourself.

 

[kansaskid]

Even if you do go to a top rated undergrad, it's a long shot to get into a top med school! I went to a top 5 undergrad, but I'm probably going to end up at a state school for med school bc of scores. Sometimes it's actually harder to get a top notch GPA at those top undergrads. There's definitely part of me that wishes I had went to my state school because I'd probably have a killer GPA right now!

 

[deleted357625]

See title ^

I'm going to a pretty average undergrad (ranked in the 100-110 range), does this completely ruin my chances of going to a prestigious medical school? Common opinion on this board would be that undergrad doesn't matter that much, but does this include admission into Ivy's?

Thanks

yea it's possible.


but if it's like a tier 2 undergrad prob not

 

[NickNaylor]

I should add the caveat that if you're looking at the Ivies specifically (rather than simply the top 10-20 schools), I think it will be significantly more difficult to get in coming from a non-Ivy unless you have some incredible stuff on your app. The fact is that, in my opinion, the Ivies in particular very much stick to the "eastern elites," i.e., those people that came from Ivy undergrads. That doesn't mean that every single person that attends an Ivy for med school went to an Ivy for undergrad, but I think there's definitely a very strong correlation. There's a reason why the majority of people that I met at my Yale, Cornell, Columbia, and Hopkins (I know not an Ivy, but they have the same attitude) interviews went to Ivy undergrads. And there's a reason a good chunk of their matriculating class every year have Ivy undergrad degrees.

There are, however, fantastic schools that don't have such a hard-on for elitism. Michigan. WashU, and Chicago immediately come to mind, but there are others.

 

[kai35]

This whole thread loses track of what's most important. You don't apply to a good medical school to go to a good medical school. You apply to a good medical school so that you can get into a specialty field or specific program that you want. If you're thinking Urology, Ophtho, Plastics, etc., then it's probably good to shoot for a good medical school just because it looks good on paper and makes you stand out. But regardless, no matter where you go, if you perform well enough on your Steps and on your clinical rotations, you have just as good a shot as any to get into a top notch residency program.

After you start residency, where you went to medical school becomes about as important as where you went to high school. So, your focus should be on getting into medical school and preparing yourself now for future success. Medical school is only four years of your life. It will give you the tools you need to succeed, but ultimately, your level of success to obtain your goals is solely up to you. Where you go only plays a minor supporting role.

Ranking medical schools is ******ed. Seriously... it's as if to say it actually matters for your future more than your own drive, motivation, and work ethic...

 

[NickNaylor]

This whole thread loses track of what's most important. You don't apply to a good medical school to go to a good medical school. You apply to a good medical school so that you can get into a specialty field or specific program that you want. If you're thinking Urology, Ophtho, Plastics, etc., then it's probably good to shoot for a good medical school just because it looks good on paper and makes you stand out. But regardless, no matter where you go, if you perform well enough on your Steps and on your clinical rotations, you have just as good a shot as any to get into a top notch residency program.

After you start residency, where you went to medical school becomes about as important as where you went to high school. So, your focus should be on getting into medical school and preparing yourself now for future success. Medical school is only four years of your life. It will give you the tools you need to succeed, but ultimately, your level of success to obtain your goals is solely up to you. Where you go only plays a minor supporting role.

Ranking medical schools is ******ed. Seriously... it's as if to say it actually matters for your future more than your own drive, motivation, and work ethic...

While that's true, your educational pedigree certainly plays a role in shaping your career.

 

[bucks2010]

While that's true, your educational pedigree certainly plays a role in shaping your career.

It does play a role, but it's impossible to determine its significance compared to other variables (i.e. your work ethic, etc.). Especially if you're headed to private practice, academic pedigree matters extraordinarily little. If you want to be a department chair one day, however, having a pedigree would help at least a little. But no one can tell you how much. I read a study a while ago that compared physicians in MA that had been educated at Harvard et al vs those from other places, and they found no measurable difference in quality between those with a pedigree and those without (granted, things like these are tough to measure).

All that said, your residency is really what teaches you how to practice, and people get into top-notch residences from both state schools and Ivies all the time.

The realist in me is weary of trying for some expensive private schools based on cost. By the time we're out in practice, the compensation we receive could be vastly different than what it is today. Or maybe we start medical school and really like a lower-reimbursing specialty. I'd rather not have the debt load hanging over my head, especially if compensation goes further south and the loan payments start to hurt.

There are many, many variables to consider.

 

[kai35]

That's all true, for sure. I think a lot of that is self-selecting, too. Since Harvard and Hopkins tend to attract better applicants, they can recruit a more talented class, and those students are more likely to do well on Step 1, etc. If there's any difference in professional success between students at Ivy League schools and non-Ivy League schools, it probably would have turned out the exact same if the non-Ivy students went to Harvard and the Ivy students went to the Caribbean. Good students are going to do well no matter where they go, and that's what's most important.

It does play a role, but it's impossible to determine its significance compared to other variables (i.e. your work ethic, etc.). Especially if you're headed to private practice, academic pedigree matters extraordinarily little. If you want to be a department chair one day, however, having a pedigree would help at least a little. But no one can tell you how much. I read a study a while ago that compared physicians in MA that had been educated at Harvard et al vs those from other places, and they found no measurable difference in quality between those with a pedigree and those without (granted, things like these are tough to measure).

All that said, your residency is really what teaches you how to practice, and people get into top-notch residences from both state schools and Ivies all the time.

The realist in me is weary of trying for some expensive private schools based on cost. By the time we're out in practice, the compensation we receive could be vastly different than what it is today. Or maybe we start medical school and really like a lower-reimbursing specialty. I'd rather not have the debt load hanging over my head, especially if compensation goes further south and the loan payments start to hurt.

There are many, many variables to consider.

 

[chidoman]

.

 

[skierbum]

YES! any school in the top 400 will do...just don't try going to the undergrad college of homeschooling. It is what you make of it. (well and how much it costs you)

 

[deleted393595]

Yes if you work hard enough and have outstanding stats. But you'd also be taking $250K+ student debt with compounding interest.

I also went to an average undergrad (top 75) and will be headed either to the University of Chicago (ranked 12) or the University of Michigan (ranked 8).

Nick, since you're from Dallas, did you go to UTD or UTA by any chance?

 

[NickNaylor]

Yes if you work hard enough and have outstanding stats. But you'd also be taking $250K+ student debt with compounding interest.




Nick, since you're from Dallas, did you go to UTD or UTA by any chance?

Nope. I know a few people that go to UTA, but I go to Baylor.

 

[mmmcdowe]

AArizona state to columbia here, didn't seem to hold me back and it made an interesting talking point.

 

[HH Holmes]

In all honesty, where you go to school (undergraduate has a very low effect on where you go to medical school. I know people who have gone to schools like St. Johns, various small state schools and even community college for two years and transferred to a local commuter school who have gone to excellent medical schools. Focus on your GPA, getting a good MCAT score and your extra curriculars (especially clinical experience, research and community service). Make yourself stand out.

I think someone said it above... But it really does not matter where you go to medical school (in relation to how "good" of a doctor you will become). That all depends on residency (which is mainly determined by Step 1 of the USMLE and/or COMLEX).

 

[Kahr]

Friend of mine went to CUNY Queens College, is now attending Johns Hopkins. Sorry not ivy, but hey, not everyone can go to an... ivy.

 

[RapplixGmed]

Some schools (Harvard, Yale, Columbia, and Hopkins come to mind) are very into the pedigree of their students. Many other schools are not. It just depends on the whims of the people with power on the admissions committee.

Most important thing is go to a school where you'll do well and be happy. The second most important thing to remember is do not go massively in debt for an education in this day and age when a bachelor's degree is worthless. Save that money for your med school education.

People have come to my med school from a very wide range of undergrad backgrounds. As far as I can tell, where they went to undergrad has no correlation with how well they are doing in med school. The only thing that is correlated is how may hours per day they spend studying.

 

[gettheleadout]

AArizona state to columbia here, didn't seem to hold me back and it made an interesting talking point.

I immediately think of your case every time someone makes a new thread about this. 👍

Also, state school here and we've had applicants go on to Harvard, Hopkins, and more as recently as last year.