I’ve been accepted to UCSB Honors for Bio, visited the school and loved the campus. Pretty much had my mind set on UCSB.
But — I just got accepted to UCB (L&S Bio) - and I’m at odds with what to do…
My goal is to get into Med School right after my undergrad, so my GPA has to rock. I was told that at UCB it’s almost impossible to get a good enough GPA for med schools.
I’m so honored to get admitted to UCB and feel like I’d be letting a huge opportunity go if I choose not to go there. But at the same time, is it smart for me to go if I may hinder my long-term goal?
I know a guy that got into Cal. Went to UC Riverside. He’s a doctor today.
The real question to address at this point is not what college, but why an M.D? When you start college it will seem like every 5th kid you meet is “premed” but far fewer make it more than a year or two. Have you 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. 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, physician assistants, to name but just a few. Unless you’ve considered the alternatives and have spent time actually working in a health care setting/u its better to think of yourself as interested in exploring a career as a doctor rather than someone who has already made the decision. In fact with a few months before college starts why not start volunteering now?
I’ve been wanting to become a Physician for most of my life. I worked at two hospitals, volunteered at ICU, Dialysis Unit, and shadowed cardiovascular surgeon for the summer. I also went to summer Pre-Med program and spent a week in Cadaver Lab and Robotics Lab. I absolutely loved every single minute if it!
I understand that my career plans may change in the future, but for now, I’m trying to pick the right college assuming my goal is to get into Med School.
If you are completely sure that you want to go to Med School, then it is not an insane choice at all. Berkeley is very difficult and competitive and you need to be in the top of your college class to go to med school.
However, if you change your mind and decide to study something else, Berkeley will provide you with more and better opportunities. The “middle of the class” kid at Berkeley gets more doors opened for them than the middle of the class kid from UCSB.
I wouldn’t call it crazy at all. I would also take a look at their programs, see which one fits you better. My sister got into Princeton for engineering, but she didn’t like the lack of hands-on learning there and the fact that she’d just be another person who was once top of her class. On the other hand, University of Michigan was also a very good school with an incredibly hands on program that she loves, with many more opportunities for her. UCSB is a very good school, which it sounds like you really like. And you’d potentially have a much better time there with less competitive classes and less pressure about your grades. So basically, Berkeley is great (and congrats!), but don’t feel forced to go there just because it’s Berkeley if you don’t really like it.