<p>I'm currently a high school student (going to be a Junior) and i'm looking at getting into the medical field. I was wondering how big of difference does it make if you go to an ivy league school or state university compared to a community college. So basically is it better to get all a's and be at the top of your class at a sub par community college or get a's and b's and be in middle of your class at a prestigious school?? which one do you think would help me have a better chance of getting into med school at a good medical school (ex. Johns Hopkins, Harvard, or U of Penn.)???</p>
<p>With Pre-Med, the program is pretty important. Med schools look at primarily the following things:</p>
<p>MCAT score
Transcript (making sure you fulfill the course requirements and preferably have more than just “required”, with good grades of course)
Demonstrated interest - this typically means volunteering at hospitals or in other medical environments
Research - Best if it is in microbiology or biochem related to the medical field, and best if you get published
Program strength</p>
<p>Someone more knowledgeable should correct me if I’ve missed something, but you really need all five of those categories to be a solid applicant to med school. Consequently, most community colleges simply do not offer the opportunities you need - especially for research. There are exceptions to this, though. Check with the colleges that you would be interested in before discounting them completely.</p>
<p>Also, “pre-med” is kind of an amorphous term. As long as you fulfill the course requirements, you could be an english major and qualify for med school. Most colleges don’t have a “pre-med” major, just a program that sets you on that track.</p>
<p>Another thing (and this is a bit of a sticking point with me), but there are many smaller schools which have excellent pre-med programs. Mine is an example - 95% of our students that apply to med school get in, and 80% end up attending one of their top 3 choices. 2 out of the last 3 years we’ve sent a student to Harvard Med on full academic scholarship. My school has ~1,100 students (Earlham College). There are a lot of other great colleges for pre-med, not just the big names like JH, UPenn, Harvard, etc. By no means are we the only great LAC for pre-med. One of the other threads that I’ve posted on here has some other examples you would be interested in (can’t figure out which thread).</p>
<p>So don’t limit yourself too much. I recommend searching in both directions - look for great med schools, and colleges you think you’d like a lot, and see where those two categories match.</p>
<p>Do a search on the forums for pre-med and you’ll find the consensus is to go to the cheapest school where you can get the best gpa. The possible exception seems to be those who are aiming for academic positions and reputation comes into play. You’ll have to dig a little more for the community college aspect. In any case, you can demonstrate interest at hospitals no matter where you go and I haven’t heard that published research is a critical component, maybe for the academic track? There are a number of post by doctors who state that there aren’t any “bad” med school in the US in terms of just wanting to become a practicing doctor. This is a well-discussed topic, just do a little reading.</p>
<p>@Sadilly Yep, sounds about right for me. The bit I mentioned about having published research is more of a “bonus” than anything else. Certainly not required for med school, but it is good to have.</p>
<p>" So basically is it better to get all a’s and be at the top of your class at a sub par community college or get a’s and b’s and be in middle of your class at a prestigious school?? "</p>
<p>I wouldn’t say that your only two choices should be two extremes…ivies or cc’s.</p>
<p>I would avoid CCs if you plan on med school. While some CCs are very good, many are not. </p>
<p>No, it’s not necessary to go to an ivy in order to get into med school. Most med students didn’t not attend ivies. I would guess that most med students likely attended state schools and mid-level privates. </p>
<p>As for your comment about “good medical schools”… </p>
<p>Are you aware that ALL US MD med schools are VERY GOOD? None are sub-par or just “so so”. All are very good. The goal is to be accepted to ONE US MD med school.</p>
<p>Like sadly says, do the search for pre-med on the forum and you’ll find lots of threads with valuable info for prospective pre-meds. Its not worth it to repeat all the info here given that it’s been provided in so many prior threads.</p>
<p>Here’s a link to WUSTL’s med school page where they conveniently list the undergraduate schools represented for their last 16 years (seem to require a minimum of 3 students to make the list). If you pick a school off that list - or comparable in quality - and do well, you should have opportunities available to you. Hover over the undergraduate link.</p>
<p>[Who</a> Chooses WU](<a href=“http://medadmissions.wustl.edu/HowtoApply/selectionprocess/Pages/WhoChoosesWU.aspx]Who”>http://medadmissions.wustl.edu/HowtoApply/selectionprocess/Pages/WhoChoosesWU.aspx)</p>
<p>I’d stay away from community colleges. Med school admissions folks we talked with told us they do not like to see pre-req classes from community college for a student who feels they are headed into pre-med from the beginning. Why? Because it looks like they tried to take the “easy” route - not a trait popular with med school admissions. They are more likely to overlook cc courses if the applicant is an adult or late student who changed course in their life. Competition for top schools is very tough. Going in with nicks on your application isn’t the best idea - but you don’t need an Ivy League school.</p>
<p>All hearsay, but words we were actually told from people who make decisions at some top med schools (top 15).</p>
<p>I know that all med schools in america are good, but there is a difference between them. You cant tell me that if two people apply for the same medical job that there aren’t schools that would help you get the job. Anyways im going to be going to the east coast to look at some of the colleges i might apply to. what schools should i visit in the Baltimore, Philadelphia and Raleigh area??</p>
<p>I don’t have direct experience, just watching my sister go through the process. Med school doesn’t matter so much for your job since most don’t get jobs out of med school, they get internships/residencies. And ultimately, if you’re setting up a family practice residency, how much of a difference will it matter which med school you go to? My sister went to a “good” med school in Texas and ended up finishing her training in a residency associated with an Ivy League School. </p>
<p>I think that’s why people say it will make a difference if you are looking at an academic track because of research opportunities and such will play a role in which training programs you can get into. I also think things change dramatically once you’re in Med School. My sister went from almost all A’s, full-ride scholarship, and teaching the MCAT classes because she blew it away, to reciting what do you call a med student who graduates last in the class-Doctor. </p>
<p>Take a closer look at the WU info. The numbers can support going for the ranked school or that people make it without going to a ranked school. [College</a> Rankings for Everyone](<a href=“http://diycollegerankings.com/2012/02/22/college-rankings-for-everyone/]College”>http://diycollegerankings.com/2012/02/22/college-rankings-for-everyone/)</p>
<p>* You cant tell me that if two people apply for the same medical job that there aren’t schools that would help you get the job*</p>
<p>Doctors do not usually apply for “jobs”. And of those who do, they aren’t applying after med school. They apply after their residencies, which are done ELSEWHERE.</p>
<p>And, no, it really doesn’t matter where you go to med school as long as it’s in the US. Any obsession on Top 15 SOMs or whatever is a waste of time, especially as a high school student looking for a med school.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t use WashU’s acceptances as any kind of guideline. That SOM is known for being a obsessed with very high MCAT scores for non-URMs. Other top schools want very good scores, but don’t seem so obsessed with MCAT 37+. lol</p>
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<p>But those top MCAT scores can come from any of the schools listed. That was the point.</p>
<p>When I’ve run the list past a couple of other top med school people they said their lists would be similar.</p>
<p>While all med schools will get one their MD, there are some that are better than others in most people’s eyes - pending, of course, what one is looking for or to do (research, rural medicine, etc). This is also true when one is looking for residencies. I agree that a high school student shouldn’t focus on getting into ____ Med school, but trying to ascertain where they will have the best options is well worth their time. It’s nice to be able to get into “a” med school when you graduate. It’s even nicer to get into “preferred” med school. No one can guarantee “preferred” or “a” from any school, but there are some where the odds appear better for the same scores. Getting those scores is then the challenge. Aim for an MCAT of 37+ and you’ll (likely) have options. ;)</p>