What do you look for when choosing a medical school?

[Rikkye]

.... beside whether you can get in or not.

Just a curiosity ... because here I am wondering how to narrow the schools down to around 20-30.

here's my list from most important to least important

1. tuition
2. programs
3. GPA & MCAT (can I get in?)
4. location

but I'm still at around 60 schools or so ... damn!

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[UnderdogMD]

.... beside whether you can get in or not.

Just a curiosity ... because here I am wondering how to narrow the schools down to around 20-30.

here's my list from most important to least important

1. tuition
2. programs
3. GPA & MCAT (can I get in?)
4. location

but I'm still at around 60 schools or so ... damn!

Start researching schools and drastically cutting down man, you must like some more than others. Are you saying that there are 60 schools which you can afford the tuition, like the program, could get into, and would not mind living there. If so, you are a very very qualified applicant and extremely flexible. In that case set up a dart board.....

 

[Law2Doc]

.... beside whether you can get in or not.

Just a curiosity ... because here I am wondering how to narrow the schools down to around 20-30.

here's my list from most important to least important

1. tuition
2. programs
3. GPA & MCAT (can I get in?)
4. location

but I'm still at around 60 schools or so ... damn!

What do you mean by programs? Other things also worth considering are (1) curriculum -- full day vs half day lectures, PBL, organ vs systems, (2) grading system - if it matters to you; some folks feel P/F is more laid back, (3) research opportunities, (4) technology -- there are definite advantages to schools that are very computer savvy and have set up everyplace for wireless and put their lectures, notes, etc up on the web so you can watch/read them at home in your PJs. Finally, (5) when you actually go to interviews, go with your gut feel about the place, and whether you feel you could thrive there.

 

[pennybridge]

location, associated hospitals, whether I've heard of it or not.


that's it.

 

[Law2Doc]

whether I've heard of it or not.

For a lot of us, this only would narrow it down to about 110 schools.

 

[alwaysaangel]

You should be able to narrow it much more for whether or not you can get in by looking at the OOS rates in an MSAR. See how many out of state applicants are accepted each year. If its less than 10% and you have no ties to the area then its really not worth your time/money since they probably won't take you anyway.

This should cut down A HUGE CHUNK of that list for you.

 

[Green Pirate]

For a lot of us, this only would narrow it down to about 110 schools.

and for others, it would narrow it down to 2.

 

[Law2Doc]

and for others, it would narrow it down to 2.

Stewart and Princeton?

 

[mikeinsd]

You should be able to narrow it much more for whether or not you can get in by looking at the OOS rates in an MSAR. See how many out of state applicants are accepted each year. If its less than 10% and you have no ties to the area then its really not worth your time/money since they probably won't take you anyway.

This should cut down A HUGE CHUNK of that list for you.

absolutely agree, grab the msar... thats what took my list from rediculous to manageable

 

[pennybridge]

For a lot of us, this only would narrow it down to about 110 schools.

let me rephrase "whether I've heard of it in a good way"