Should I transfer to a better school

[saswimr]

I am currently a student at a reasnable school. They have a pre-med program, but its not a set major, its a part of a bio major. I have the grades to transfer pretty much anywhere, but I don't want to chance getting grades any worse than what I am getting now. Should I transfer to a more prestigious school, or is it only the grades that count. Also what extra things can you recommend for easier selection into med school.
Martyn

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[WingZero]

Most good schools do not have a pre-med major - in fact, you want to stay away from those programs at all costs. Majoring in "pre-med" (whatever that means) does not help your application at all and most likely hurts it. Study what interests you while in undergrad; you can get into medical school with any major as long as you have the basic prereqs. Those who pursue their genuine interests, rather than study what they THINK adcoms want to see on paper, are doing themselves a big favor. Undergrad prestige does play a factor, but really only if you're applying to a top-10 school and even then if you're a middle-of-the-road applicant in terms on pure numbers.

[This message has been edited by WingZero (edited 12-12-2000).]

 

[Floyd77803]

I hate the term "pre-med", and I hate it even more when people say they are pre-med. There is no such thing as a pre-med major, and I laugh at people who think that because they call themselves "pre-meds" they will have a better chance at getting into med school. At my school we have what's called biomedical sciences, which is a major that inlcudes all the prereqs for med school, however it is not designed specifically for people planning on becoming doctors, therefore it is not a "pre-med" program. One final thing that bugs me is when people ask whether or not a school had a good "pre-med" program, hmmm are you really asking how are their bio,chem, and physics departments?

 

[turtleboard]

I was premed.

In most colleges the premed program exists as an advising and prescribed course system. We had our own advisors, our own events, and were told to take Bio, Chem, Orgo, Physics, and Calc. There was some structure to it, and thus, was a program.

It's almost never a major, and I only remember one college that I've come across tha actually offers a "premed major." The idea of being a premed major died about 20 years ago.


Tim of New York City.

 

[mjs419]

actually, Penn State has a pre-med major. It's basically a four year curriculum in biology with less emphasis on understanding general ecology and more higher level electives. It's not like you have to major in pre-med to go to medical school, but it is major.

 

[moo]

It's a dumb major nonetheless (premed that is). What if you don't get into med school? I can just see it now: You: "I got a degree in pre-med." Your future employer: "Why aren't you a doctor?" You: "..."

I hate that term premed too. You're in college to get an education, not to train yourself to become a doctor or anything else. That comes AFTER, in medical school.

 

[turtleboard]

I agree that getting a degree in "premed" isn't the most marketable thing, but in today's economy you don't need a degree in finance to go into finance, just as you don't need a degree in "premed" to go to medical school.

Gosh, my degree is in mathematics and I'm in med school but was actively recruited by Prudential Securities to be in their Executive Actuary program (OK, so actuarial science may be a little closer to mathematics than, say, finance to medicine, but the point is there exists a specific actuarial major in my college and I didn't do that to be a recruited dude).

Tim of New York City.

 

[Pathologist]

I'm not saying that a pre-med major is the best, but it is an option if you're interested in it. Two out of the five undergraduate schools I applied to had it as a major. I was planning on majoring in pre-med at the first school I was going to. This school had it set up so that if you didn't make it into med school, you go to more years (a total of 6) and become a physician's assistant. After working at that a few years, if you still want to be a doc, then you try applying again. After working as a PA, you have a better chance this time around because many of the doc's you work with will write recommendations for you. This obviously wouldn't be the best way to go about entering med school, but it's a good program if you don't have the best GPA and MCAT scores. Also, if you want to major in pre-medicine, it's a good program.

[This message has been edited by Pathologist (edited 12-12-2000).]

 

[psychmed2005]

The answers you have gotten have only answered one question, or at least one aspect of it. I completely understand your concern about the best possible way to get into medical school. Believe me your not the only one. The people who have responded are right though. People get accepted into medical schools who are english and financing majors. They all still had pre-medical requirement classes, but this was only a portion of what they were really about. All the requirements do is get you prepared for the MCAT as well as prove your apptitude for the sciences. Hey I'm a psychology major, but you know what? I still say pre-med. I'm proud that I want to be a doctor. Say it how ever you want, becoming a doctor is not something that just falls in your lap as a senior who just decided to go to medical school. It's pre-meditated. You know what though if your really want to be a doctor then do a lot of volunteer work, make sure your pre-med classes are in good standings, and believe or not that test you take your junior year does really matter, even more than a pre-med major. Also do you have a back up if medical school turns out not to be your thing. That's why you should do what you like as well as the pre-med classes on the side. People who get into medical school are normally well rounded people who have several other interest, but have decided to persue the medical field.

 

[lilycat]

FYI -- I'm not sure if this really helps answer your question, but I recently was informed about the applicant evaluation used by a med school ranked in the Top Ten, to determine whether that applicant goes on to be interviewed or rejected. I believe there were 4 different categories the applicant was evaluated in, on a scale of 1-4(one being the highest). Anyways, the first category was breadth of study, and to get a 1 or a 2, the applicant should have taken at least 50% or more of his/her classes in NON-science discipline/s, and for the 1, have some kind of specialized focus in a non-science discipline (ie, independent research project, honors thesis, study-abroad program, etc.) Just something to think about...

 

[Hercules]

lilycat,
What school are you describing?

------------------
Hercules

But there is also a time for sleeping.
-Odysseus in the Odyssey 11.330-331

 

[lilycat]

I'll tell you that it is a school in California and leave it at that... but also keep in mind they had three other categories (I know one of them was extracurriculars, but I can't remember the others)

 

[Mustafa]

Stanford.

 

[Hercules]

Wow, I guess I should have sent their secondary back to them. I got the impression that I wasn't a very good fit for them, but it sounds like I may have been wrong. I'm a Classics major who studied overseas in Greece. Oh well...

------------------
Hercules

But there is also a time for sleeping.
-Odysseus in the Odyssey 11.330-331