<p>I have looked at the "Haverford vs. Swarthmore" threads and they seem to be from 2008. Has anything changed in three years?</p>
<p>My son is interested in pre-med. I understand that Haverford has more research opportunities and has an excellent pre-med program. I can't seem to find much specific information about the pre-med program at Swarthmore.</p>
<p>From a student mix standpoint, my son is very laid back. Fraternities are not important to him. </p>
<p>Any current insight on the differences between the schools from a current student or recent graduate would be most appreciated. Thank you!</p>
<p>I cannot speak for Swarthmore, but Haverford has pre-med advising which will inform your son of necessary courses, recommendations and just about anything he could need to know.</p>
<p>Based on only a few minutes of online research, I cannot find any specific medical research areas in which Swarthmore engages, but you can find Haverford’s here: [Haverford</a> College: Pre-Health Advising](<a href=“http://www.haverford.edu/deans/prehealth/research.php]Haverford”>http://www.haverford.edu/deans/prehealth/research.php)</p>
<p>Honestly, your son would probably not be limited by either of the colleges’ options. The real limiting factors are doing well in your classes, scoring well on the MCAT, and building contacts with professors for recommendations. Haverford puts serious effort into simplifying the process and helping its students get into great medical schools, but more likely than not, it will come down to your son putting in that extra effort at Swat or HC to get into his dream medical program. If we’re comparing top ~10 colleges or universities, this will often be the case.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t say Swarthmore has less research opportunities than HC. I think it has different research opportunities. HC’s bio is purely bio med/ molecular bio while Swat’s bio department is general and its faculty do research in a variety of areas from birds/fish to plants to a little molecular bio/bio med. Depending on your son’s area of interest, Swat’s bio program may be better. HC’s programs in bio-physics and biochemistry are fairly advanced and not sure how they are at Swarthmore… you can e-mail the Swat chemistry chair (HC alum) and ask! HC also is developing a curriculum in public health too. [Public</a> Health at Haverford: A Growing Field of Study and Service - Haverford College News](<a href=“http://www.haverford.edu/news/stories/47421/13]Public”>http://www.haverford.edu/news/stories/47421/13)</p>
<p>There are incremental differences in the opportunities (such as HC having the only human stem cell research lab in a LAC; 2 NIH funded labs which is totally unique for a purely undergrad institution; faculty with an MD/PhD, a DVM and an MD visiting professor) but I know you don’t need such big guns to teach undergrad bio and be a successful pre-med. Your son will have a pick of med schools if he does well at either college.</p>
<p>Random fun facts</p>
<p>Dr. Tom Farley ‘77
NYC Commissioner of Health
[Dr</a>. Thomas A. Farley, New York?s Health Commissioner - NYTimes.com](<a href=“Dr. Thomas A. Farley, New York’s Health Commissioner - The New York Times”>Dr. Thomas A. Farley, New York’s Health Commissioner - The New York Times)</p>
<p>alumni include the 1st director of the Institutes of Medicine, the 1st director of the Harvard Framingham Heart Study (1st large prospective public health study conducted), the doctor who developed the test for Tay Sachs disease, the doctor who figured out Legionnaire’s disease, the Penn surgeon who developed intravenous nutrition back in the 1950’s, the doctor who started Harvard’s Department of Community Medicine…
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/11369439-post6.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/11369439-post6.html</a></p>
<p>“Per capita, the college is tied with Harvard and Stanford for the number of M.D.-Ph.D. and D.V.M.-PhD students it trains- the highest ratio in the country.” This was based on a finding in a book, “The Vanishing Physician Scientist?” </p>
<p>Alumnus William Harris MD '49, former head of orthopedics at Mass General, authored a paper in 1969 that based on a citation review is the the #1 cited paper in the field of orthopedics. The 100 classic papers of orthopaedic surgery: A BIBLIOMETRIC ANALYSIS – Kelly et al. 92-B (10): 1338 – Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery - British Volume<br>
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/12287674-post31.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/12287674-post31.html</a></p>