<p>Hello. (:
I'll be starting my undergrad at Chico in August, and I'll be going to orientation in a couple of days to sign up for my classes. I'm majoring in Cellular & Molecular Biology.</p>
<p>My high school career wasn't so hot, I'll admit it. But I've changed things around quite a bit and I'm ready to work my butt off in college to get into medical school. </p>
<p>The problem is, from what I hear, a lot of UCs look down on the kids that go to CSUs, and I wondered if that was a bit of a universal thing? Does that put me at a disadvantage, or do they consider the school at all when considering the student?</p>
<p>Additionally, does it help to be in the honors program? I know that AP/honors helps loads into getting into undergrad, but I've heard it doesn't matter much to graduate schools? o3o; True or false?</p>
<p>Also, what sort of ECs should I involve myself in? Do sports matter for medical school? Will my high school grades affect my chances, or will they be strictly looking at college? And when should I start studying for the MCAT? </p>
<p>I'll of course be aiming for straight As, so any tips you have on studying/keeping up would be great. :) I'm a bit new to all of this, if you couldn't tell. But I'd really like to get into a /good/ medical school--UC level at least. I mean, I'd like to aim high--maybe even Standford or ivy league. Is it possible? ANY advice is much appreciated!</p>
<p>Just work hard in all your classes and get as close to a 4.0 as you can. Who cares if others look down at your school. One of my good friends in med school went to one of the CSU, and he’s doing fine (I’m at a “top 10” med school). I went to a crappy state school myself.</p>
You’re already off in the weeds on this. All US med schools are good. And trust me, 4 years from now you will cherish an acceptance from any of them.</p>
<p>Several of the things you worry about, such as HS grades or graduating from Chico, are completely irelevant to med school admissions. On the flip side, there are a few critical things such as volunteer or paid work in a medical setting, that I bet you aren’t aware of. Posting here is a start, but for more comprehensive advice you should look elsewhere. A site with an excellent intro to med school admissions is <a href=“https://www3.amherst.edu/~sageorge/guide1.html[/url]”>https://www3.amherst.edu/~sageorge/guide1.html</a> There are also many books on the topic.</p>
<p>Lastly, and I usually bring this up so I’m not just picking you out or trying to dissuade you, how do you know that being a doctor is right for you? Have you looked at alternatives such as nursing, the whole gamut of therapists (physical, respiratory, etc) that work with patients? Maybe it turns out that being a doctor is the right choice for you but you should take the time to investigate. You are looking at 11 years minimum from HS graduation as well as considerable debt before you are a practicing doctor, add on up to 5 more years if you want a specialty. One doctor I know said that if she was going to do it all again she would have gone into nursing.</p>
<p>Acceptance at any medical school in California is extremely difficult due to the relatively few number of spots in California medical schools. You are going to want to apply to a fairly large number of East Coast and Midwest schools to have a decent chance of acceptance somewhere. These schools generally do not know nor care what the difference is between a UC and CSU.</p>
<p>Truth is, ya, it doesn’t look as good, but another truth is, it’s not something admissions care about (though I think saying that east/midwest schools don’t know the difference is an overstatement).
To answer your questions: graduating with honors is a plus but not necessary to getting into a good school from what I’ve heard (seemed pretty necessary to getting into undergrad though). For ECs, look into research opportunities the sooner the better (I waited until after my 1st year to start looking and then couldn’t find a lab until the end of my 2nd year). Also look for leadership roles, this doesn’t just mean president of x or y club, but look into teaching some undergrad led classes on campus, or being a TA, organizing some volunteer programs maybe, etc. I think sports are a plus as a hobby (as in, they’re not going to be recruiting you onto their teams when you apply) but I’m not entirely sure about that one. No, they won’t be looking at your high school grades! Many people I know started studying for the mcat the end of their second year, but depends on when you want to take it.
If you don’t feel comfortable at your school, you can always, as someone suggested, transfer to a UC.</p>
<p>Attending a CSU is a disadvantage when it comes to applying to medical school. As an example, there tends to be only a handful or so CSU graduates in each entering class at UCSF and UCLA. There are probably 10X more UC graduates in those same classes. My CV also includes three top research medical schools in the east and I cannot recall any CSU graduates among the students from California. Although I have not seen the insides of an admissions office in decades I will also tell you that your academic record is evaluated not only by your grades but your institution, courses taken and academic rigor.
Success in your quest is however possible. It will require a very high GPA, high MCAT score and the development of activities such as research, volunteer work and shadowing physicians. You will also have to apply widely outside of California.</p>