So I want to know about colleges with a good pre med program. I am a freshman, so I don’t have and test scores or anything of importance
My ending got cut off, but I said that my grad s are average (3 A’s, 2 A-s, and one B- ) and to keep it simple money won’t be in issue, and other than that I don’t know what I want in a college
Colleges don’t really have “premed programs”.
A premed student chooses the major that he likes and then takes the Bio, Chem, Ochem, Physics, BioChem, and Psych or Sociology required classes.
there is nothing special about those classes…they’re just regular classes that other Engineering, chem, bio, and physics major will also be taking.
What state are you in?
Have you talked to your parents about how much they’ll pay for college?
I’m in Washington, and I’m not sure how much they will pay, I know nothing outrageous like 60,000 a year but something reasonable (there words)
Most schools offer the basics that you would need to complete to apply to medical school. As mom2collegekids says, there is no ‘pre-med’ major. In fact, 40% of medical schools students don’t even major in a science - you can do English or Spanish or Economics, as long as you complete the pre-requisites. Medical schools don’t even care about school prestige particularly - it mostly your grades (which have to be very good) and MCAT score, so go wherever you think you’ll do well and you won’t end up in debt (because medical school is wickedly expensive.)
I agree with N’s Mom and mom2collegekids (as usual, Mom knows best). You and your family are fortunate to live in Washington and have UW Medical School as a lower cost option. As you may know, it is ranked #1 (primary care) and #10 (research) by US News. UW’s undergraduates track into the medical school and have research and internship opportunities there as well.
The only other school with US News rankings in the top 10 of each category is University of California, San Francisco, which is a graduate school. Harvard is close, with #11 for primary care and #1 for research, as are Michigan, with #8 primary care and #12 for research, and UCLA, with #13 for primary care and #12 for research. Undergraduates at Harvard, Michigan and UCLA track into their respective medical schools, and I expect UCLA’s also track well into UCSF.
As N’s Mom said, medical school is wickedly expensive. At UW Medical School, you would get a top ranked medical education for half the cost: $29,958 (in-state, full-time); $58,947 (out-of-state, full-time). So, even if you leave the state for college, if you came back for medical school, it would be like giving yourself a $120,000 scholarship.
I understand a second medical school may be opened soon (by Washington State University independently or in collaboration with UW) in the eastern part of Washington. If so, by the time you are ready for medical school, this might be another attractive option.
Good luck!
Yes, aim for UW Med, but like all med schools, admission to the UW is quite hard, especially so at UW because it is considered a superior school. I don’t believe the WSU medical school has been approved yet. UW is opposed to it, as you can imagine.
Here are a few liberal arts colleges that have a fine track record in sending their graduates to medical school;
St. Olaf College
Ohio Wesleyan University
I would throw Washington University St. Louis into the mix because they have a new emphasis on improving their financial aid packages for middle class and moderate income families. For a great combination of academics and value you may want to look at the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology, the state’s STEM university. Don’t be fooled by ‘Mines’ rather traditional name. It offers a full range of majors in the sciences that one would take to prepare for medical school. It’s a very demanding undergraduate program that has a very fine reputation.
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I’m in Washington, and I’m not sure how much they will pay, I know nothing outrageous like 60,000 a year but something reasonable (there words)
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Well, talk to them. You have UW which is excellent.
Show BOTH parents the cost of UW and ask them if the cost is do-able.
Tuition and fees $12,394
Room and board $10,833
Books and supplies $1,206
Estimated personal expenses $2,265
Transportation expenses $414
Estimated Total $27,112 <<<====== $27k per year.
Your parents were very vague…“something reasonable” sounds like they may not have ANY idea of how expensive even state schools have gotten. UW isn’t great with merit aid, so it’s likely your parents may be expected to pay all or nearly all costs.
Show your parents these costs and ask them, “can you pay this.” If they say, “yes,” then you’re fine. If they say, “no”, then ask them how much they can pay. You need to know this.
@mom2collegekids; “UW isn’t great with merit aid, so it’s likely your parents may be expected to pay all or nearly all costs.”
Boy you said it…UW admission and financial aid has become a very sore spot for parents in the Pacific Northwest. The OP’s good grades are not a guarantee of a good package from the UW. The total COA at UW-Seattle would be about $10,000 more than SDSM&T. And the OP might get much better aid from a regional private like George Fox University near Portland, Oregon. GFU’s life sciences departments are very good. U of Portland’s financial aid has been praised also, though I can’t speak to their life science departments.
While any college will give you the classroom prep necessary, there are definitely schools with better premed programs (not majors). Look for universities that have medical schools in the same city or area as the undergraduate campus (ex. University of Iowa, UC Davis; not Baylor). Then look for colleges that have lots of internship opportunities; a larger public university will beat a small LAC in that regard. Then look at location - how many hospitals are in the area? How many volunteer opportunities are there, and how hard will you have to compete to get one nearby? Once you’ve got a list, start figuring out which colleges are financially affordable for you.
Start by learning more about what becoming a strong med school applicant takes. Read thru the very informative FAQ at http://www.rhodes.edu/hpa/15890.asp They also have a nice writeup in the PreMed Essentials link on the left side of that page. There is also an excellent online handbook at Amherst I recommend to get an understanding of the process and what really matters
One thing to avoid is placing any importance into acceptance numbers. Some schools boast incredible rates, but it boils down to one of two things. Either they start with great students (think Stanford, etc) or the school weeds out students. Look out especially for the “committee letter” which small schools with average students coming in wield like an axe to prevent all but the strongest applicants from applying right out of college; to no surprise, they often boast 90% or better med school “acceptance” numbers for their undergrads. Soon a regular poster will chime in to recommend one such school, Holy Cross.
I always ask kids that say they want to be doctors, why an M.D? Not that I know it is wrong for you, it may be the right fit, but have you actually looked into the medical field and considered the alternatives? From the day you start college it will be 11-15 years before you are a practicing doctor, depending on what field you go into. In other words, think back to 1st grade; all those years since then matches the minimum it will take to become a practicing doc! Its almost a reflex action among HS kids, they think of a career in medicine and its “I’m pre-med!” Doctors are far from the only ones in the health field that help people. Physical therapists, radiology techs, nurses, speech pathologists, to name but just a few. Before you go heavily into debt and commit so many years I suggest you explore the alternatives.
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While any college will give you the classroom prep necessary, there are definitely schools with better premed programs (not majors). Look for universities that have medical schools in the same city or area as the undergraduate campus (ex. University of Iowa, UC Davis; not Baylor). Then look for colleges that have lots of internship opportunities; a larger public university will beat a small LAC in that regard. Then look at location - how many hospitals are in the area? How many volunteer opportunities are there, and how hard will you have to compete to get one nearby? Once you've got a list, start figuring out which colleges are financially affordable for you.
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??? You haven’t described anything that suggests a college has a “better premed program”. You’ve described area situations that might be better…hospitals nearby, medical schools in same/similar area, nearby volunteer opps.
Yes, there are certain univs that are situated so that shadowing, research opps, etc, will be easier to get. And there are certain univs that write Committee Letters and probably do a better job advising.