Medical Is transferring as pre med usually worth it and is it okay if I take classes at a different school?

[GoSpursGo]

Hi!

Recently, I saw a post here that some medical schools evaluated colleges in groups of 50 (i.e. top 50, next 50 etc.), I was wondering do medical schools adcoms stay aware of "college rankings"?

Obviously, last year, I cared a lot about these things, but I felt as though they don't matter now. I talked to a physician (who I shadowed in high school) the other day who seemed to be of the opinion that medical school adcoms review the various rankings before reading apps every season. Is this true?

For what it's worth, my undergrad is in the 40s on the Wall Street Journal rankings (which include LAC's) and around the 50s on the US News rankings. These are, for obvious reasons, subject to change over the next 4 years. I've seen schools brag about these rankings and offer explanations when both these rankings dipped, but I didn't think med school adcoms would take them so seriously...

The physician I talked to said that I should consider transferring, and that medical school admissions analyzed both of those ranking sources. Is he right? He went to a T-20 medical school, and claims he knew people on the admissions committee. Are most admissions committees like this, and is it really necessary to consider transferring? I would guess that most medical school AO's would have an idea of where schools stand, and not have to turn to paying such close detail to the rankings. Thought I'd ask here since some people are involved with admissions.

Thanks for the help!

Undergrad reputation plays some role in admissions, but it is just one data point and there are no hard cut-offs (ie, you don't just fall off a cliff because your school is ranked 53 vs. 48).

Ultimately your own GPA, MCAT and ECs will play a much larger role in your chance of being accepted than the name of your school. It sounds like your school would meet the criteria to be considered a "good" school under almost any definition, so transferring probably isn't worth your time or energy.

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[TheBoneDoctah]

Probably wouldn't put a ton of energy into this. It is more important that you excel and have a good GPA, MCAT, and EC package than the school you went to. For example, someone who gets a 3.0 from Harvard will have less of a shot than someone with a 4.0 at their state school. For your situation, it doesn't seem like it would afford you much benefit and would be a hassle to switch. I would stay where you are.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

I don't group schools like this. A lot of students go to multiple schools so it's too simplistic and reductionist to do that.