I am considering going to Medical School, but I am debating which undergrad school I should go to.
I could go to my state school (University of Washington), which is decently ranked for pre-med, or a higher ranking one (Brown or Dartmouth). Both Brown and Dartmouth are known for strong undergrad focus.
Of course, going out-of-state would be more expensive, but is it worth it? (I’d also prefer to go out of state for the experience)
Would it make a difference which undergrad school I go to with acceptances to medical school? Would going to the undergrad school increases chances of getting accepted to the medical school?
You maybe able to find some OOS schools that aren’t too much more. U of Minnesota is relatively inexpensive OOS. U Alabama gives some scholarships if you have strong stats. Ohio State has some good sized scholarships for OOS. Or you could go to a lower ranked LAC that would give you a good merit award for your stats.
Unless your parents are rolling in dough, or you are eligible for need based aid, I’d consider going a less expensive route and saving money (and minimizing debt) for med school.
The things that med schools consider are your GPA + your ECs (especially research), as well as recommendations and your interviews. Minimize debt if you have ANY thought that you may wish to go to med school or any grad school for that matter. You will be grateful you have more options and are not saddled by debt when you finish your undergrad degree.
Med schools look at your GPA and MCAT score first, then look at your LORs and ECs. While the name on your undergrad diploma isn’t of zero importance, its influence is tiny compared to everything else listed above.
Going undergrad at the same university will have zero impact on gaining an acceptance to the university’s med school. You don’t get any special treatment for going to undergrad there. If you’re numbers aren’t competitive, the name on your diploma won’t help you.
And as everyone has mentioned, if med school is in your future, you’ll want to minimize your undergrad loans as much as possible because med school is expensive and there is little FA for med school except for loans.
Look for the college that offers you the best combination of cost, fit and opportunities.
If you want to live OOS, you can look for summer programs (REUs) that will *pay* you to live and do research for summer somewhere other than your home campus. There are REU programs for biology/chemistry students in all 50 states. (Yes, even Hawaii….)
You can also use your summers to get involved in volunteer activities OOS. Or you can do a gap year between undergrad and med school and live/work OOS.
Your ECs don’t have to be research. Something medicine related (campus EMT, hospital volunteering, etc) is fine. And your MCAT scores will be critical.
Bear in mind that many students that start out as premed don’t end up going to med school for any number of reasons (heck, I even started out as premed and changed majorsin junior year when I realized that as a doctor I’d have to listen to sick, whining people every day for the rest of my life).
Therefore, make sure the major u choose is something u can live w if med school doesn’t happen.
Actually pre-med are expected to have variety of ECs; research is one of them. ( >85% of matriculating med students have research experience. according to AMCAS)
Pre med ECs are:
clinical or lab research
community service
clinical volunteering
physician shadowing
leadership
teaching/tutoring/TAing/coaching
And the rec to have a Plan B is a wise one--even if you are set on a medical career. More than 60% of students who apply to med school every year get rejected. (The acceptance rate for 2015 was 39%.)