<p>I'm planning to become a physician, and I was wondering if Columbia has a really good medical program, or if not, what school would you recommend?</p>
<p>heh... Columbia Med School is one of the best in the country. probably top 5.</p>
<p>the undergrad program has a lot of premeds in it but i'm not sure it's an explicit feeder. don't pick an undergrad program based on plans for med school though... let that become a decision you come to junior and senior year.</p>
<p>Why? I really don't understand the whole concept of choosing an undergrad program. Does it affect my chances for medical school?</p>
<p>look, right now, you're looking to go to college. College is the only time in your life that you will have the time to reflect on the various opportunities offered to you, with very little cost for trying a bunch of them out, discovering new ideas, and running with them. </p>
<p>Thousands upon thousands of new college freshmen enter every year with the idea that they MUST, somehow, go and become doctors or lawyers. Many will deny, verbally, that this need has been planted by their parents, but I have found it to be true of many of them. Regardless, rather than using college as a time to explore what is most meaningful and attractive to them, they follow this path until disillusioned somehow. Certainly many of my fellow columbia students ended up applying to (and attending) medical school, but many fewer than had the idea when they entered as freshmen.</p>
<p>So my advice to you - that statement about "don't pick an undergrad program based on plans for med school" - is based on the idea that you have plenty of time to worry about graduate plans. Right now should be the time that you find the undergraduate program, i.e. the college, that fits you best and makes you the happiest. You'll have plenty of time - as I say - during your junior and senior year to think about and make plans for the future. Your time right now shouldn't be focused on that, just focus on the time and task at hand.</p>
<p>Best of luck,
Steve</p>
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College is the only time in your life that you will have the time to reflect on the various opportunities offered to you, with very little cost for trying a bunch of them out, discovering new ideas, and running with them.
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<p>This sounds so depressing. I don't think college is the <em>only</em> time for that. It's certainly a bit harder after college, but it isn't like you're not stuck doing what you chose to do for the rest of your life.</p>
<p>to use an economic term, the switching costs become much higher - because you need to earn a living, and continue to earn a living. </p>
<p>In any event, I think we can all agree that whether or not it's the ONLY time, College is definitely the BEST time for exploration. That's my point: if she's worried only about getting into a med school, she's going to waste lots of opportunity during 4 of the best years of her life.</p>
<p>To answer her question though, the concept of choosing an undergrad program is that you need a bachelor's degree before you can apply to med schools. When people talk about "going to Harvard", they're talking about harvard undergrad, i.e. Harvard College. Harvard Med School is usually specified in those terms. The same would go for any other university.</p>
<p>-Steve</p>