Pre-med school selection

[AshleynDavis]

Hello,
I am currently a student at the University of Oklahoma, but have decided that I will transfer for the spring semester. As well as I have done here, I am incredibly unhappy, and feel that a change is in order. I have a very competitive GPA, a member of honors college, and on track to start mcat prep classes.
I am considering two different schools for transfer, but am unsure what the best path would be.
I live in Houston, TX, and know many people that have successfully made it to medical school through the University of Houston due to maintaining a good GPA, and the large amount of volunteer and internship opportunities in the area.
However, I am also considering Baylor, which I have been accepted to. Although Baylor is a very highly rated pre-med school, I worry that the difficulty level will pose a threat to my GPA due to the fact that I have begun organic chemistry at OU.

Not sure what to do, and looking for some input!

-Ashley

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[PreDoc4321]

Hello,
I am currently a student at the University of Oklahoma, but have decided that I will transfer for the spring semester. As well as I have done here, I am incredibly unhappy, and feel that a change is in order. I have a very competitive GPA, a member of honors college, and on track to start mcat prep classes.
I am considering two different schools for transfer, but am unsure what the best path would be.
I live in Houston, TX, and know many people that have successfully made it to medical school through the University of Houston due to maintaining a good GPA, and the large amount of volunteer and internship opportunities in the area.
However, I am also considering Baylor, which I have been accepted to. Although Baylor is a very highly rated pre-med school, I worry that the difficulty level will pose a threat to my GPA due to the fact that I have begun organic chemistry at OU.

Not sure what to do, and looking for some input!


-Ashley

Go to the school that YOU like the most and think that you will personally do your best. Don't pick a school simply because it is a good "pre-med" school. As long as it's not a community college, and you do well in your classes, you will be fine.

 

[Benedictus123]

Hello,
However, I am also considering Baylor, which I have been accepted to. Although Baylor is a very highly rated pre-med school, I worry that the difficulty level will pose a threat to my GPA due to the fact that I have begun organic chemistry at OU.

Not sure what to do, and looking for some input!

-Ashley

I transferred schools when I was an undergraduate. It was the best decision I ever made, and I would do it again in a heartbeat. But don't worry too much about the 'prestige' of your program with the choices you have. Both are fine schools (though I'd lean towards Baylor). You need to pick an undergraduate school that addresses the problems that you had at your previous school.

For example, I transferred because I didn't feel challenged at my first school. I also didn't like living in the same town I grew up in, and I was (like you) worried about the reputation of my school (a school I doubt you've ever heard of). So I transferred to a university that addressed all of those concerns very nicely, and I earned a degree that was much more valuable to me than the one I was on track to get.

So I'd recommend doing the same thing. Let things fall into place as they do, I wouldn't worry much about where or when you took organic chemistry.

 

[Doc Gray]

As PreDoc4321 said,

Go to where you will be happy. In the end, medical schools are looking at YOU, not your school. Let your GPA and MCAT speak for you, as well as your extra curricular activities.

The advantage that I see in one place over the other is that the University of Houston is near both UT Houston Medical School and Baylor College of Medicine. Staying in Houston to finish your undergrad degree will allow you to get exposure to the admissions committees and faculty members of both of those medical schools.

Baylor obviously in Waco and you won't be able to get the same exposure.