Transfering...?

[premedgal]

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Hello...
I was considering transfering to a school to finish my undergrade degree, that I also want to go to for medical school. Do medical school accept their own students before they accept student from other schools? And go you think it'd be easier to get accepted into a residency program, if you completed both your undergrad, and medical school there?

My GPA is 3.9...and my mcat should be great.

 

[CoolWhipp]

Usually medical schools with accompanying undergraduate institutions take a considerable number from their own school. However, it is not worth it to go to an undergrad solely to better your chances at the graduate school. Remember, you are competing with alumni too.

 

[seelee]

Hello...
I was considering transfering to a school to finish my undergrade degree, that I also want to go to for medical school. Do medical school accept their own students before they accept student from other schools? And go you think it'd be easier to get accepted into a residency program, if you completed both your undergrad, and medical school there?

My GPA is 3.9...and my mcat should be great.

I am assuming that you are transferring from a school that has a medical program to one that does not. Either way it doesn't matter. What matters is your GPA, MCAT, ECs, LORs, etc. Your undergrad doesn't factor in much. I have not heard of a single school that gives preference to their own undergrad program (maybe ivy league or east coast? I don't know much about them). Go to whatever undergrad program you feel will give you the best education and preparation.

Edit:

What state you live in does play a factor. State schools almost always give preference to state residents. If you are moving out of state then you need to see how it affects your residency status.

Good luck.

 

[seelee]

Usually medical schools with accompanying undergraduate institutions take a considerable number from their own school. However, it is not worth it to go to an undergrad solely to better your chances at the graduate school. Remember, you are competing with alumni too.

May be true, but not because they give preference. More likely due to the fact that the majority of their applicants come from that school. Especially true in states that have one or two medical schools and one or two major universities.

 

[schrizto]

The only reason that a larger number of students at a medical school come from the medical school's undergraduate institution is because all the premeds from the undergraduate institution apply there. They are still held up to the same standards as all the other applicants.

 

[shiftingmirage]

Do medical school accept their own students before they accept student from other schools?

Assuming two applicants are identical, maybe. I have heard, though have no proof, that Northwestern, for example, doesn't like accepting its UG for grad school. While I would imagine that is not the norm, other schools could share this view.

As for residency, I know that at my school, some programs 'reserve' one of their spots for a grad of the school. Usually, though, 3 or 4 from the school match, so it would seem even without the reservation, grads have little problem getting in. If the guy that wrote your letter is chair of the department/senior attending, and he says your awesome, that's going to carry more weight at your school's hospital, than somewhere across the country.

 

[chman]

I think it really depends. Like the UW in Seattle already accepts a lot of its UG's because they prefer WA residents. The flip side of that coin is that all the gunner pre-meds go there because they think it will give them a better chance, so the curve for the pre-reqs is a ****. You see what I mean? They also are more aware of what UG programs are in terms of rigor etc. becuase, well, it is part of the same school. In other words you cannot get away with picking the "easier" road.

 

[thesauce]

Assuming two applicants are identical, maybe. I have heard, though have no proof, that Northwestern, for example, doesn't like accepting its UG for grad school. While I would imagine that is not the norm, other schools could share this view.

As for residency, I know that at my school, some programs 'reserve' one of their spots for a grad of the school. Usually, though, 3 or 4 from the school match, so it would seem even without the reservation, grads have little problem getting in. If the guy that wrote your letter is chair of the department/senior attending, and he says your awesome, that's going to carry more weight at your school's hospital, than somewhere across the country.

Don't tell me you're sending your chair's letter back to his own department? This is awkward and makes it look like:
a. You didn't put any effort into you application there and just sent them the same thing as everyone else, or
b. You couldn't acquire any other good letters
Either is bad.