Top med schools

[metalkaren]

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Sorry if this seems like a really stupid question, but I'm just wondering which schools are widely considered to be the top 5 or so best med schools in the country/hardest to get into/etc. Regardless of which ones actually are the best education (I've read the U.S. News and World Report) I'm just wondering which ones actually have the best reps. Is it the usual suspects (ivy league, expensive, private schools), or are those not necessarily the top places to attend for medical school as they are for undergrad?

Also, does anyone know of any websites that offer MCAT stats? For example, charts of what percentage of takers fall under what range of scores, etc. I'm just trying to get a feel for what's average, good, great etc. I mean I realize anything above 30 is pretty good but how many people actually score in that range? Do you have to be a complete idiot to score a 17 or is that actually quite common?

Sorry if I sound naive but I'm new to the whole process and trying to get a feel for everything and assess all my options. Thanks.

 

[Law2Doc]

Sorry if this seems like a really stupid question, but I'm just wondering which schools are widely considered to be the top 5 or so best med schools in the country/hardest to get into/etc. Regardless of which ones actually are the best education (I've read the U.S. News and World Report) I'm just wondering which ones actually have the best reps. Is it the usual suspects (ivy league, expensive, private schools), or are those not necessarily the top places to attend for medical school as they are for undergrad?

Also, does anyone know of any websites that offer MCAT stats? For example, charts of what percentage of takers fall under what range of scores, etc. I'm just trying to get a feel for what's average, good, great etc. I mean I realize anything above 30 is pretty good but how many people actually score in that range? Do you have to be a complete idiot to score a 17 or is that actually quite common?

Sorry if I sound naive but I'm new to the whole process and trying to get a feel for everything and assess all my options. Thanks.

While all ranking systems have inherent flaws, the US News listing of the top 10-15 or so med schools - research rankings will give you a good idea of what are considered the most prestigious med schools (hence the hardest to get into), and perhaps what many would consider the "best" (but because of the relatively limited number of seats and intense competition for admissions, all US allopathic schools are quite good). Pick up a copy of the MSAR book to get most recent numerical stats for various schools. The MCAT is a test you need to prepare for -- it doesn't test aptitude for the most part, it tests knowledge in the required subject areas. Thus if you are unprepared, sure, you can score a 17, but you really have no business sitting for the test if you didn't study for it. AAMC has stats on how many score above what range someplace on their website.

 

[NapeSpikes]

Off the top of my head, I'd say the most reputable are Harvard, Hopkins, UCSF. Those are the big three in the medical community, I'd say. UPenn, Duke, Yale, Stanford, WashU, etc. can battle for the rest of the top 5.

For the MCAT, 17 for a composite score is very low, and probably one standard deviation below the mean. Likewise, a 30 is probably the 70s percentile. Don't quote me on these, this is just rough estimates to give you an idea.

 

[EctopicFetus]

I believe a 32-33 on the MCAT is in the top 12% or so. Dont quote me on that, but I am like 97.65% sure.

 

[benelswick]

The five schools that accept you.

 

[Hindiana_Jones]

Isn't this the wrong forum yo? But on a related question, do people who don't have very competitive undergrad stats (3.0-3.2 GPA) but have a strong SMP work get into top medical school? This is providing they have an adequate MCAT score for said school. Essentially, I am asking if you jagged your GPA and had to bring it up with an SMP, can you still get a spot at a top school, or are you automatically out of the running, even though you have impressive ECs, upward trends, et al.

 

[tacrum43]

Isn't this the wrong forum yo? But on a related question, do people who don't have very competitive undergrad stats (3.0-3.2 GPA) but have a strong SMP work get into top medical school? This is providing they have an adequate MCAT score for said school. Essentially, I am asking if you jagged your GPA and had to bring it up with an SMP, can you still get a spot at a top school, or are you automatically out of the running, even though you have impressive ECs, upward trends, et al.

It is possible to get into a top medical school if you do what you described, but unlikely. For example, I know that in the past at least one person from Georgetown's SMP has gotten into UPenn, but it is rare. Plus, it seems likely to me that they went there for undergrad, because I've met a number of people here that did.

However, if you are URM, you have a better chance. And nobody flame me, because there is a poster hanging outside the SMP office from Harvard med that specfically encourages URMs to apply.

A number do get into Georgetown of course, which is a good school, but certainly not top 10.

 

[NRAI2001]

I want to be the unofficial moderator.


Thread being moved to pre allo.......biatches

 

[NRAI2001]

Isn't this the wrong forum yo? But on a related question, do people who don't have very competitive undergrad stats (3.0-3.2 GPA) but have a strong SMP work get into top medical school? This is providing they have an adequate MCAT score for said school. Essentially, I am asking if you jagged your GPA and had to bring it up with an SMP, can you still get a spot at a top school, or are you automatically out of the running, even though you have impressive ECs, upward trends, et al.

If you had strong SMP work the wouldn't you be admitted straight into the linked med school? Unless if you declined them and reapplied to other schools.........biatches.

 

[tacrum43]

If you had strong SMP work the wouldn't you be admitted straight into the linked med school? Unless if you declined them and reapplied to other schools.........biatches.

😕

At least with Georgetown's SMP, you apply to other schools too the first year. That's one of the best things about the program.

 

[NRAI2001]

😕

At least with Georgetown's SMP, you apply to other schools too the first year. That's one of the best things about the program.

Hmmmmm....but the med schools wouldn't see your SMP grades if you were applying while you were there? Also this person has a 3.2 undergrad gpa so that certainly wouldn't cut it for a top school. Maybe if he got like close to a 4.0 during the program, but again he would probably be admitted straight into the smp program........biatches