Public College ?

[FutureDr5]

---

Members do not see this ad.

Hi this is my first post on student doctor 😀 so bear with me if I seem like an amateur
I am currently a high school student going to attend Binghamton University in New York.
I chose Bing because of the lower price since I am a NY state resident, but Iv been wondering now if it will prepare me enough to get into top medical schools? I want to set a goal bc I feel it will keep me on track, plus its always good to have them! So my top choice for medical school will be the Pritzker School of Medicine; my question now is do I have a chance to attend such a prestigious medical school with the university I picked? I know its a good school but I really need some in put. Maybe a privet university will be a better choice? PLEASE HELP

 

[Almost7Famous]

Absolutely.

 

[RuralPhysician8]

I do not know specific information on either of the schools you have listed; however, I can tell you that the general consensus is that it does not matter where you went for undergraduate studies, but what you did and why you are applying to graduate school. Check the medical school's average admission statistics and try to keep your scores in those ranges in addition to gaining clinical and research based experience. Do not get dead set on one graduate school, apply to all the ones you can afford. Others will likely be in later to give you more detailed information, good luck.

 

[Noggin]

For the most part it doesn't matter where you go to college. Getting good grades, MCAT scores, and extracurriculars are far more important.

 

[nysegop]

Nobody cares about where you go to undergraduate school. Also, Binghamton has a really good reputation. Better than many private schools

 

[October88]

In my experience I don't think it really matters. I went to a public school too because it was cheapest. Just make sure you get good grades and become involved while you are in school. Good luck!

 

[FutureDr5]

Thank you everyone for your in put it is really appreciated! So from what I'm hearing my choice isn't bad? Bing's academics, ofc along with the amount of hard work I put in, has the potential to get me into The University of Chicago's Medical school or other top notch med schools? Good luck to everyone!

 

[darkjedi]

Thank you everyone for your in put it is really appreciated! So from what I'm hearing my choice isn't bad? Bing's academics, ofc along with the amount of hard work I put in, has the potential to get me into The University of Chicago's Medical school or other top notch med schools? Good luck to everyone!

As long as you perform near the top of your class, destroy the MCAT and become involved in substantive EC's around on campus, there's no reason a school like Pritzker is out of reach at a place like Bing.

Just remember to never put all your hopes in one dream school, especially a school as competitive as Pritzker. The entire medical school application process is a random nonsensical process, and even if you have the stats and background, there is still a significant luck component.

 

[FutureDr5]

Thank you darkjedi thats some great advise and something I really needed to hear! I am majoring in Bio Anthropology at Bing, but my top choice was Notre Dame therefor I was looking into reapplying after my first year at Bing. Do you think its worth it to spend 3x the amount of money at Notre Dame when I got close to a full ride at Bing? I really like Notre Dame and its Anthropology department is stupendous. If you could id like you hear your opinion or anyone else's ?!

 

[darkjedi]

Thank you darkjedi thats some great advise and something I really needed to hear! I am majoring in Bio Anthropology at Bing, but my top choice was Notre Dame therefor I was looking into reapplying after my first year at Bing. Do you think its worth it to spend 3x the amount of money at Notre Dame when I got close to a full ride at Bing? I really like Notre Dame and its Anthropology department is stupendous. If you could id like you hear your opinion or anyone else's ?!

The common SDN mentality is to go where it is cheapest, however if being at a place like Notre Dame is important to you, then you should definitely try to apply.

As for as strictly medical school applications go, if you're not at an Ivy, it doesn't matter that much where you go. That said, going to a school such as Notre Dame as compared to Bing opens up significantly more doors and opportunities in fields or careers you may be interested in outside of medicine, but only if you are driven enough to pursue them. Networking opportunities also tend to be more robust at more 'prestigious' schools.

 

[mcloaf]

Just remember to never put all your hopes in one dream school, especially a school as competitive as Pritzker. The entire medical school application process is a random nonsensical process, and even if you have the stats and background, there is still a significant luck component.

Heartily agree. Just focus on putting yourself in a position to be competitive for as many schools as possible, OP. Don't worry about which school you'd like to attend until you are actually applying, and even then it's foolish to expect anything from any single medical school admissions committee.

Thank you darkjedi thats some great advise and something I really needed to hear! I am majoring in Bio Anthropology at Bing, but my top choice was Notre Dame therefor I was looking into reapplying after my first year at Bing. Do you think its worth it to spend 3x the amount of money at Notre Dame when I got close to a full ride at Bing? I really like Notre Dame and its Anthropology department is stupendous. If you could id like you hear your opinion or anyone else's ?!

Your are going to go to medical school, not grad school for anthro, so the strength of the department doesn't really make much of a difference. As for transferring, if your family can afford to pay for it up front then do whatever you want, but don't take out any extra loans to go there.

 

[darkjedi]

Your are going to go to medical school, not grad school for anthro, so the strength of the department doesn't really make much of a difference.

How many people do you know go into college pre-med and decide not to go to med school though? Plus college is the time in which you're supposed to explore academically.

 

[mcloaf]

How many people do you know go into college pre-med and decide not to go to med school though? Plus college is the time in which you're supposed to explore academically.

You could just as easily argue that most people change majors during undergrad anyway. Perceived strength of the anthropology dept just seems like a really weak reason to transfer to a more expensive school if you're not for sure going into the field and in need of the networking. I'd assume you can explore academically just as easily at Binghampton as at ND.

 

[darkjedi]

You could just as easily argue that most people change majors during undergrad anyway. Perceived strength of the anthropology dept just seems like a really weak reason to transfer to a more expensive school if you're not for sure going into the field and in need of the networking. I'd assume you can explore academically just as easily at Binghampton as at ND.

Medicine is special in that the institution you go to/went holds less weight. This is mostly due to the fact that there are very few medical schools, and all of them are competitive to get into. Unfortunately, in most other fields, school name carries much more weight. Of course if you are the type to succeed, it will probably not matter where you go, but I don't think it's unreasonable to argue that going to a 'better' school opens more doors in life. This coming from someone who went to an "OK" undergrad and struggled a bit in the job market initially due to fact that no one cared to really recruit at my school, whereas across the river, banks literally wined and dined the students in recruitment efforts.

 

[mcloaf]

Medicine is special in that the institution you go to/went holds less weight. This is mostly due to the fact that there are very few medical schools, and all of them are competitive to get into. Unfortunately, in most other fields, school name carries much more weight. Of course if you are the type to succeed, it will probably not matter where you go, but I don't think it's unreasonable to argue that going to a 'better' school opens more doors in life. This coming from someone who went to an "OK" undergrad and struggled a bit in the job market initially due to fact that no one cared to really recruit at my school, whereas across the river, banks literally wined and dined the students in recruitment efforts.

I don't disagree with any of this. I think it just depends on how you view the differences between the two schools. You seem to regard ND a lot higher than I do, which isn't a bad thing and I may well be wrong since my opinion is informed based on growing up in the NW. Certainly not somewhere I'd pay more to attend, but perhaps I'm just uninformed.

 

[Yankeedoodle13]

"I can tell you that the general consensus is that it does not matter where you went for undergraduate studies"
I know I've taken just half the quote but it is absolutely inaccurate. "what you did and why you are applying to graduate school" may be a more important determiner of whether you are accepted to graduate school but where you got to college absolutely matters. You can compensate for the disadvantage that accompanies going to a particular school, but that won't be necessary if you choose the right (for you) school. Even after you are a professional with an MD or PhD people will ask you where you went to college. Those most vocal about the college not mattering are those at places like Binghamton. I doubt those at Ivy plus schools say similar. Those at Binghamton have an investment in the notion that it does not matter. It does matter. You can overcome the obstacles just as you can tell people that there is no P in the name Binghamton but you will forever be doing that. Naturally whether Binghamton is a good school for your purposes depends upon what you want and what are your other options.

 

[mcloaf]

"I can tell you that the general consensus is that it does not matter where you went for undergraduate studies"
I know I've taken just half the quote but it is absolutely inaccurate. "what you did and why you are applying to graduate school" may be a more important determiner of whether you are accepted to graduate school but where you got to college absolutely matters. You can compensate for the disadvantage that accompanies going to a particular school, but that won't be necessary if you choose the right (for you) school. Even after you are a professional with an MD or PhD people will ask you where you went to college. Those most vocal about the college not mattering are those at places like Binghamton. I doubt those at Ivy plus schools say similar. Those at Binghamton have an investment in the notion that it does not matter. It does matter. You can overcome the obstacles just as you can tell people that there is no P in the name Binghamton but you will forever be doing that. Naturally whether Binghamton is a good school for your purposes depends upon what you want and what are your other options.

I went to a "little ivy" and I think this is largely bull****.

 

[A7X]

School doesn't matter that much, get a great MCAT score which will serve as an equalizer.

 

[Pookie9000]

I go to a public university and my fellow classmate received an MCAT in the 99th percentile, has a 4.0 GPA, and amazing ECs... Doesn't matter where you go, it's how hard you work!