Difficulty of Getting Into Med School

So, I’ve been looking into BS/MD programs lately (pipe dreams), since they would “reduce” the stress of applying to medical school in the future. I know I’m set on medicine, but I realized that I don’t actually know how hard it is to get into medical school (I have a feeling I’m not the only one). I don’t know if it’s possible to compare, but it would be nice to gather some insight from people who have already gone through this process.

Is it reasonable for an above-average student in high school to attend a lower tier 1/upper tier 2 university to earn a seat at an “above average” medical school? Are there any pitfalls to avoid?

I’m also reconsidering attending one of the many fantastic LACs in the US. Are there any criteria one should look for during the college search?

Not a med student, but parent of one young doctor (currently a 2nd year resident) and one med student (3rd year).

Before I answer your questions, I’d like to correct a misperception you have–

all US med schools are good. They all teach the same curriculum and all med students take the same national standardized exams. (USMLE or STEP exams.)

Medicine is very much a meritocracy–what you achieve matters, what your scores are matter, what your grades are matters-- not where you go to med school. (Honestly where you do your residency is much more important.)

Yes, is possible for an above average student to get into med school. D1 certainly wasn’t a wonderful student high school. (Academics just weren’t her thing.) She didn’t go to powerhouse college. (State U ranked ~#200). She got into more than one med school and is now at top residency program in the specialty of her choice. D2 was the complete opposite–top student in high school & attended a top 30 research U. Like her sister, she got into more than one med school and will be a candidate for top residencies in her specialty of choice next year.

I like to tell students that there as many routes to med school as there are applicants. D1 and D2 have classmates from a wide variety of backgrounds and colleges. Some are from brand name schools (USC, Stanford, JHU, UCLA), some are from LACs (Carleton, Swarthmore, Colorado College, St Mary’s), many are from state Us and some are from small regional colleges. The one commonality is each of those students made the most of the opportunities they had at wherever they ended up for college. They had top grades, great LORs from professors they got to know well, had track records of community service and altruism, had extensive clinical volunteering/paid employment and most had done some sort of research (although not all of them did biology research) and had demonstrated leadership in variety of ways. And besides all that, they are well-rounded, interesting & compassionate individuals.

That said, it’s getting harder and harder to get into med school. There has been an strongly upward trend in average GPA and average MCAT scores for accepted med students nationally, both in allopathic and osteopathic medical schools, for the past 5-6 years. For allopathic (MD) schools, last year’s average GPA was over 3.7; for osteopathic (DO) schools, it was 3.58. Likewise average MCAT scores for accepted students have been edging upward even as the average MCAT score for all test takers has gone down.

Based on my observations, what you do and achieve matters a whole lot more than where you go to college. You need an excellent GPA, a strong MCAT plus the full complement of pre-med ECs to be competitive.

My suggestion is that you find a school that “fits” you. Happier students earn better grades. (And there’s empirical evidence to back that up.) Your college shouldn’t break the [parental] bank or put you into substantial debt. (Med school is expensive and there’s little aid except for loans.) Find a school the offers you opportunities to engage in the expected pre-med ECs-- community service, clinical volunteering/employment, leadership activities, clinical or bench research. Good pre-med advising is a plus, but not strictly necessary.

LACs that are very small (<2000 students) often have limited research opportunities and you will need to use your summers remedying that by doing summer research programs–which are extremely competitive to get into.

Colleges in rural areas may have very limited opportunities for clinical volunteering and may require having a car on campus to get to them.

@WayOutWestMom Thanks for you reply! I’m bookmarking it for future use. The info on the demographics of students was really insightful (and inspiring). There might even be a spot for me at the state medical school in 5-100 years!

It’s clear your daughters were very successful in college, but would you say they were “swamped” with academics, ECs, etc in order to get to where they wanted?

It’s always been tough to get into med school. Not sure its any easier or harder than when I went say 30 years ago. The BS/MD programs are good for those who already know what they want to do and have stellar and compelling stories that have steered them on this path. Compelling is the key word here.

@neconfusedguy

I wouldn’t say “swamped.” Busy certainly, but never swamped. I guarantee neither ever spent a Friday night studying in the library. Both had time for fun stuff. Both had active social lives. Both participated in recreational sports. Both had a circle of friends, went to parties, to concerts, out to bars on Friday/Saturday nights once they were old enough. D2 was an active member of her sorority.

Learning how to achieve a work-life balance is a critical skill for pre-meds, med students and physicians. Burn out is a real issue.

For the record: I would argue it’s harder to get into a BS/MD program than an MD program

I generally agree with iwbb. Bs/md programs take in less than 20 candidates in most institutions, some in the single digits.
But the newly established, 1 year old, for profit ca northern university took in over 100 bs/md students. The outcome is still up for the judges in the community.