<p>Ok so i am planning on attending College of Charleston in the fall going pre med/bio major. Is the fact that this is not a very prestigious/well know school going to hinder my med school acceptance. Also if anyone has any tips for things to do while in my undergrad to improve my chances of getting into a good med school i would greatly appreciate it.</p>
<p>Getting in med school does not depend upon going to a prestigious college. It’s more about you and what you do at the college you attend.</p>
<p>Things you should do:</p>
<p>1) do well in your coursework. Obvious, but extremely important. The average GPA of a successful med school applicant’s hovers around 3.6. OTOH, don’t load up on GPA-fluffers just because you can. Challenge yourself occasionally. (Med school adcoms know how to read a transcript.)</p>
<p>2) don’t be a grind. Don’t spend every moment of every day studying. Med schools want well-rounded individuals. Seek out activities that interest you. They needn’t be medically related. Get involved! Join clubs, do volunteer work, seek out leadership positions. Try new things.</p>
<p>3) all US med schools are “good” med schools. In the end, every graduate of a US medical school receives the same degree and the same title: doctor. All US med schools follow the same basic curriculum since all doctors have to pass the same standardized exams. Don’t fixate on a “name brand” for med school.</p>
<p>4) make the most of any opportunities that turn up along the way. And if none seem to coming your way–make your own. Don’t wait to have things (shadowing, research, summer internships, volunteering, etc.) handed to you. Seek them out. Cause them to happen.</p>
<p>5) enjoy yourself! Seriously. College is time to grow, explore, make friends and memories, try new things, develop new interests. It’s 4 years of your life you’ll never get back, so enjoy those years while you can.</p>
<p>Great post, WayOutWestMom.</p>
<p>"Also if anyone has any tips for things to do while in my undergrad to improve my chances of getting into a good med school i would greatly appreciate it. "</p>
<p>-college GPA=3.6+, MCAT=33+, reasonable number of medically related EC’s and as a bonus showing some non-medically related but strong personal interests and great social skills ( do not underestimate spending time with you friends!!) will get you in.</p>
<p>
Corollary: Going to a prestigious college does not get you a free pass.
</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>^^ Really that is all you need for a “good” medical school. I guess my definition of a good medical school is one that is ranked in the top 30 or top 25. I realize that all medical schools are decent, but to make something “good” it has to be “above average”. So a top 30 top 25 medical school is what I consider to be “above average” enough to be a “good” medical school. I doubt a college gpa of a 3.6 will allow one to get in. For a “good” top 30 top 25 medical school you may need a 3.78+. </p>
<p>I have always wondered this but what kind of science gpa does one need for a good medical school (according to my definition). I highly doubt a 3.5 will suffice. Would a 3.6 be acceptable considering the applicant has everything else that MiamiDAP mentioned?</p>
<p>If you really want to know the specific stats for various medical schools you find worthy—buy the MSAR and look it up.</p>
<p>^ lol, I currently do not have access to one, but maybe someone here can help me out? lol</p>
<p>You’ll find when comparing school averages that GPA is in a tighter range than MCAT. The difference between a top 25 medical school and one more “average” (or lower ranked if you prefer) is maybe 0.2 or less while the MCAT score may be 3 or 4 or more points higher. There is not a lot of leeway for less than great GPA’s at US allopathic medical schools, all of which are “good”.</p>
<p>Science GPA needs to be similar to your cumulative. Not much leeway there either.</p>
<p>I think you’ve gotten some great advice from some posters who are known for providing solid advice to students contemplating medical school. I’d like to challenge your definition of “good” and hopefully illustrate why you could be selling yourself short if you narrow your list of potential schools too soon.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>How are you measuring this? Research dollars? Match lists (don’t even get me started on premeds (or even young med students, for that matter) interpreting match lists)? Location? Student satisfaction? Propensity for generating primary care doctors? Curriculum design? Ability to train forward-thinking physicians? Ability to train physicians who are ultimately satisfied with their careers? Schools which attract graduates from similarly highly ranked institutions? Schools that primarily serve a demographic of patients (eg, those from your state) you’re interested in working with? Students who graduate with the least amount of debt?</p>
<p>There’s considerably more to choosing a medical school than simply which ones have the matriculants with the highest GPA and MCAT scores, so I would recommend that (before you limit yourself to only schools which you deem good based on some superficial scale) you do some soul-searching to figure out what you’re looking for in a medical school based on your personal and career goals.</p>
<p>I wanted a small program in the midwest that has a collaborative, supportive environment, dynamic curriculum, and tends to train physicians who are forward-thinkers and have a propensity to practice primary care. I happened to find one and I absolutely could not be happier with my choice to attend. What would be the point in choosing a large, traditional program on the east coast that typically turns out researchers/physician-scientists? Is the name of the school on your diploma, and the name of the school that shows up on your hospital’s website’s mini-bio of you worth rejecting your personal goals for?</p>
<p>"Really that is all you need for a “good” medical school. "</p>
<p>-Every single American Med. School is a good Med. School. And yes all you need to get in is what is listed in #4. And if you believe that it is 'walk in a park", you are incorrect, it is not. Your misperception is huge. Even at no rank, off charts UG, list in post #4 is still no 'walk in a park". My D. was accepted at couple top 20, if you are so much into ranking. however, her criteria was different and she had nice choices for herself although somebody else might have a different opinion of that. This is the only important thing - to make yourself happy and forget about all this rankings and “fancy” school names.</p>
<p>^ to add to this:</p>
<p>OP, a 33 is the 92nd percentile, and that’s from a pool of people who want to apply to medical school, which is much more competitive than the pool of people taking the SAT. The average med student scored in the 85th percentile on the MCAT. Even the bottom of the barrel medical schools are hard to get into.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>The above two facts may be related to some extent.</p>
<p>Just think about this: If in a premed class, the scores of both your mid-term(s) and your final exam scores are at the 92nd percentile, don’t you think you may get an A in the class? The pool of the students who take the mid-terms and final are even not as “good” as those who take MCAT (as statistically speaking, more students with poor GPAs may drop out of the premed track.)</p>