<p>I've been having a dilemma with this. Right now, I am 100% sure that medical school is where I want to go after college. The problem is that I'm not sure what type of colleges I should apply to. I've been hearing things like going to a small school or LAC is best because you have individualized attention and that you are a person rather than a number. You will have a better chance to get to know your professor and that they will the same for you. Then there is the medium-large school, perhaps a prestigious school, is best because of the name. The downfall is that you may be a number more than a person or that the competition for pre-meds is stiff due to the lack of personal attention. Here, I could have a hard time getting recs. Then there I've heard that going to very well-known schools with competitive pre-med progams are great because you will have gone to a great school and assume that you are fully prepared. But what if you are having a hard time? Some have said to stay away because it would be hard to make yourself stand out. Does coming from a brand name school have better benefits than going to a small LAC? How about the research? Do you think that there is a place where I could be able to be a person and get to know my teachers and have great recs and great grades? Would this be possible at a place like Duke U?</p>
<p>You should go wherever you will be happy. Most people I know that were "100%" premed stray away from it during their college career for whatever reason (this includes myself).</p>
<p>Each type of school has benefits of its own, as you said yourself. I can say that I go to a small-medium private research university, and it has been great for me. I have not had any trouble getting research opportunities, the profs hold office hours where it is easy to get to know them-obviously great for recs.
It is probably best to avoid places where there is grade deflation if possible, especially if you really end up as a premed.</p>
<p>As for Duke, I have heard nothing but great things, especially concerning their premed advising. Also, I believe the average student from Duke accepted to med school has a lower-than-national-average GPA. This means med schools respect Duke and its students.</p>
<p>I think we've beaten this topic to death on the pre-med high school and college forums.</p>
<p>As I see it, go to the school where you'll be happiest. If you're not a fit for that school, chances are you'll be unhappy, and unhappy students generally don't do well academically. Not doing well academically is a death-knell for your medical school application.</p>
<p>No one has conclusive proof that going to a "prestigious" school helps your med school application. There have been suggestions that going to a certain undergrad might bump you over the edge when applying to certain medical schools, but so would another 1 point on your MCAT or another 0.1 GPA point. Also note that what seems prestigious to a student might just be another yawn on the part of the med school adcoms.</p>
<p>Given the uncertainty of the importance of a "prestigious" undergraduate and given the importance of a great school fit, I strongly suggest that you apply to the schools where you think you'll be a great fit. If the school happens to be Harvard or Harvey Mudd, so be it. But make sure you like more than the shiny name.</p>
<p>jakem333 - Is Duke a research university?</p>
<p>bump. bump.</p>
<p>"Does coming from a brand name school have better benefits than going to a small LAC? "</p>
<p>YES! ER NO! ER MAYBE!</p>
<p>;) </p>
<p>Kid it comes down to how well YOU do where ever you end up. Find your fit for undergrad and make it work. You may be over worrying an issue that has no real bearing on medschool. You have the most bearing on med school.</p>
<p>Mine, went to a small LAC (3 people took MCAT, 2 got in to a med school 1st try). He had a great time in LAC, studied hard, played hard, partied too! Could he have done the same at a medium or large school? Yea, he could have. </p>
<p>It's going to come down to you and what you bring to the party. Find your fit so you have one less distraction while attending college and shine.</p>
<p>Then why not consider a prestigious LAC? What makes a college prestigious to you?</p>
<p>If you like small schools, go to a LAC. If you like larger schools, go to a larger school. Personally, I hate smaller schools (I DON'T want personal attention, small classes; I want to be able to just come in and chill in the back of a lecture) so I went to a larger school, did fine, and am now applying to med school.</p>
<p>moviefreak,</p>
<p>Duke, like almost all of the universities listed on the "National Universities" U.S. News Rankings, is indeed a research university. If at any given university, there are some faculty who devote their time to research rather than teaching, that school is a research university.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Is Duke a research university?
[/quote]
Yes, but it definitely has the feel of a small university. All of my courses except for one (organic chem freshman year) have had fewer than 30 students, and most have 10-15 at the most. Professors really get to know you, it's INCREDIBLY easy to get involved in research, and some professors even live in the dorms. </p>
<p>Duke has recently started a program to encourage students and faculty to eat together. If a professor invites students to join him/her for dinner on campus, Duke pays for it!</p>
<p>moviefreak, </p>
<p>Some LACs, as firefly scout pointed out, are prestigious as well, though not as prestigious as places like HYPSM etc etc, they still have considerable brand name recognition. E.g. Amherst, Williams, Swarthmore, Wesleyan</p>
<p>I'm pre-med at Wesleyan, with a 3.4+ from Wes the average acceptance rate to medical school is 91%... this is really high. I chose Wesleyan because it has one of the strongest science programs among the LACs. They are also very research oriented for a LAC. I think you should apply here.</p>
<p>Your top choice if you want premed should be Duke, 100%. If you want a small school that also has a rep, they do exist, dartmouth is a small school, and i guess it sort of has a decent rep, you know, being an ivy and all....</p>