I’m a senior in high school and I recently got admitted to Cal Poly Pomona as a bio major. My end goal is to go to med school however, I haven’t seen that many discussions about the process of getting into a med school from a csu. I got into UCR for bio however, I’m leaning more towards Cpp because it’s cheaper and more convenient. Do you think going to a Cal State would make it harder to get into a medical school? I’m also trying to get into NYU’s medical school.
If you are going for bio and in a Cal State and you are not the top, then put a line across Med school. Don’t listen to people when they say “Just get any major, at any university it doesn’t matter.” It actually does, a lot; it’s just that philosophy majors want to make themselves feel good.
If you are going to a Cal State better be the top, be over everyone else, be over the top, because if you don’t stand out you are NOTHING. Many people are filled with lies of what they tell them to not discourage them “becuase everyone is a winner.” This is the truth.
@Armando22 lol dude are you having trouble man? Med is competitive no matter what! Also it appears you’ve done little to no research at all. You can in fact pick any major you want however the only caveat is that you must complete all the required coursework for med school admissions. Reason why majors like Bio are so popular amongst aspiring med students is that they typically cover most if not all of the pre-reqs for med school. So if you want to major philosophy then do it! You’d bring something different to the Adcom’s. Med school is competitive and unforgiving would OP be at less of an advantage if he went to some big name school? Maybe. Then again I’m a random squirrel on the internet so what do I know?
@thingshappen It’s doable man! Just understand it isn’t easy. Its gonna probably be the single most difficult thing you’ve done up until then. Make sure you do your search and do everything you possibly can! Also one thing I want you to notice is how toxic the comment above mine is(its harsh but kinda true), know that pre-med students are like that. They are toxic, bashful, mean, rude and generally only out for themselves. Do yourself a favor and tour Pomona and UCR get a feel for both campuses. UCR does have its own School of Medicine so that might be something to consider. Do copious amounts of research, look into /r/premed (reddit) and SDN (Student Doctor Network). Know the differences between MD & DO, see what MCAT Scores are needed to get into NYU Med etc. See what you need to do to stand out. You’ll being things like volunteering, research etc. Its gonna be a tough and long road that many people are not cut out for but you’ll never know unless you try.
All in all good luck! It isn’t impossible but it isn’t easy either.
ps. also since you’re in high school maybe give CC a shot? They do have support programs for aspiring med students that begin at CC. A friend of mine transferred to USC last fall for medicine. It’s doable.
@thingshappen I think you might actually have just as good or a better chance of getting into a med school through a CSU than a UC. I am a doctor and went to USC medical school: at that time; I was accepted at UCSD and SDSU: I met with the premed advisor (for about 300 premeds at the time) and she explained to me that UCSD is on a curve system whereas SDSU is straight grade. UCSD at that time had 3000 premed majors and no advisor or secretary to take you through the process. You could study your tail off at UCSD and get a 3.3 because of the competition but at SDSU you get rewarded for all of that work . I chose SDSU and my 3.9 SDSU looked really good to med schools and I got into more than one. Same material (except that I had professors teaching my classes and my UCSD friends had TAs in classes of 300).I know a UCSD student right now that had 4.6 from high school and is getting 3.3 at UCSD and can’t get into med school. She studied day and night to ge that 3.3. At a straight grade CSU, she could have had a much higher GPA and then had time for all of the ECs needed to get you in. Nobody talks about this. I know of a Berkeley kid that has to go back and take more classes to bump his gpa because he wasn’t high enough for med school. Yes.a 3.9 from Berkeley or UCSD looks better than a 3.9 from a CSU. But, you still need to stand out at the UC. That is harder to do than at a CSU. You can also ask the CSU if they have an advisor and how many kids do they get into med school. I work with a doc in my office that did cc first and then a four year . It is definitely what
It is definitely what you do to stand out that will get you Into med school. UCs are a great education and if you are a great test-taker, that might work out fine for you. But you absolutely can get into med school from a CSU.
If you could get into this program at UCR medical school after you graduate it would be an amazing opportunity. They may give their own grads priority.
@patunia @albiongirl @Zygole Thank you guys so much. I’m still not sure where to go however, I think it would be better to go to a school that I know I will strive in compared to one just for it’s prestige. Your comments were super reassuring and informative and I really appreciate that. Thank you!
It’s okay. you will figure it out on your way. Many people start as dreamers.but they realize that later. Many people still think it doesn’t matter what you do. Many people still think that it doesn’t matter where you go. I just find it interesting that they realize the reality a bit too late in their career. I never said it’s not doable. I just said you better prepare because what you are doing and where you are going are two large disadvantages already. And for those thinking you might have a better chance of getting in a med school from a CSU!!! Did a counselor tell you that ?
@armando22 And you would know this because?