UMBC for premed

[CeriseMoon]

My goal is to become an orthopedic surgeon, but I’ve heard that attending a prestigious medical school is important for matching into a competitive specialty, especially as an Asian applicant. Do you think I should try to transfer to a more prestigious school, such as a top-20 institution, during my junior year? I’m open to taking a gap year, but no more than one, since I already had to repeat junior year while I immigrating here due to credit issues.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

My goal is to become an orthopedic surgeon, but I’ve heard that attending a prestigious medical school is important for matching into a competitive specialty, especially as an Asian applicant. Do you think I should try to transfer to a more prestigious school, such as a top-20 institution, during my junior year? I’m open to taking a gap year, but no more than one, since I already had to repeat a junior year while I immigrating here due to credit issues.

UMBC is a high-value school. Very well known for being a source of a science/STEM pipeline.

 

[AJS59]

My goal is to become an orthopedic surgeon, but I’ve heard that attending a prestigious medical school is important for matching into a competitive specialty, especially as an Asian applicant. Do you think I should try to transfer to a more prestigious school, such as a top-20 institution, during my junior year? I’m open to taking a gap year, but no more than one, since I already had to repeat a junior year while I immigrating here due to credit issues.

The strength of your undergraduate institution has an almost zero correlation with your ability to match into a competitive specialty. Transfer if it's what you want (i.e. if you woke up tomorrow and decided medicine isn't for you, would you still make the same the decision?). Put in the right work now and you'll have a solid selection of med schools to choose from. Put in the work in med school, and you'll have your shot.

 

[CeriseMoon]

UMBC is a high-value school. Very well known for being a source of a science/STEM pipeline.

Really? Everyone around me either looks down on me or tells me to transfer to UMD

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Really? Everyone around me either looks down on me or tells me to transfer to UMD

College Park will always be the flagship, but UMBC has a lot of attention from higher education about their track record getting their students into STEM careers. Dr. Hrabowski (sorry, spelling) is an academic celebrity for what he did. They do very well in the USNWR rankings for best value (or they have for quite a while).

It's also the most convenient campus to fly in and out of for conferences. 🙂

 

[chilly_md]

Really? Everyone around me either looks down on me or tells me to transfer to UMD

You should stop listening to these people.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Read

Colleges adopt UMBC’s model for STEM student success - THE FEED

The University of Maryland, Baltimore County’s Meyerhoff Scholars program is so effective at supporting STEM achievement among students of color that UNC-Chapel Hill and Penn State have launched similar programs—with similar results.

feed.georgetown.edu

 

[CeriseMoon]

Read

Colleges adopt UMBC’s model for STEM student success - THE FEED

The University of Maryland, Baltimore County’s Meyerhoff Scholars program is so effective at supporting STEM achievement among students of color that UNC-Chapel Hill and Penn State have launched similar programs—with similar results.

feed.georgetown.edu

Only incoming freshman can apply to be a Meyerhoff Scholar. I applied here last minute.

 

[PreMed2006]

Really? Everyone around me either looks down on me or tells me to transfer to UMD

You can approach UMBC premed office and ask them to generate a report from AAMC website on the number of UMBC graduates that get accepted by every medical school. Ask for the reports for the last three years. Go through them and decide for yourself. UMD PreHeakth website have this info for the last 10 years or so.

I have known people getting into Johns Hopkins medical school from UMBC