<p>I've read a lot of posts and information to find out if it matters where you attend for pre-med when you apply for medical schools and many say it doesn't matter. I don't understand how this is possible? Okay so, let me give you my situation. I want to attend Loyola University Chicago for Pre-med. If I go there, will I even have a chance at top-notch medical schools like John Hopkins?</p>
<p>if your gpa and mcat scores is in the range of the students they accept, imo, you will have as much chance as anyone else. the 2008 data shows over 8000 apply and 118 matriculate!</p>
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I would add “if your ECs are of the similar quality of the ECs of the admitted students.”</p>
<p>The admission to John Hopkins med school is like the admission to HYPSM in the college admission cycle (probably even harder and less predictable), and the stats is not the only thing. Having a good enough stats like GPA and MCAT is the necessary condition but not the sufficient condition for the admission. After the stats threshold requirement is met, it is all about ECs and other qualifications. Having a significant achievement outside of your own college (this could be especially needed if your college is relatively not as well known to the top notch med school as other college which sends many students to this particular very top notch med school every year – the similar “trend” could be seen in the college admission cycle) would definitely help to distinguish yourself, as there are still more high stats applicants than the number of students that a very top notch med school like John Hopkins would admit.</p>
<p>true mcat, should have added that.</p>
<p>Thanks for the reassurance. One of the only reasons why I am going to be a school that is lower than my potential is to save money but if that means I lower my chances of getting into a top medical school, it just wouldn’t be worth it. From what you said, I guess at the end of the day, I just need great ECs, GPA, MCAT score and maybe that “x factor” that no one else carries.</p>
<p>I have a question about ECs, though. mcat2, I know the “normal” things pre-med students do is like shadow a physician, volunteering in a hospital and maybe some research. What other kinds of ECs will make me a unique candidate. Also, how would ECs out side the borders of US look? Could that be the kind of experience that might put me on top?</p>
<p>For medical schools like JHU, research is the key. They are looking for med students interested in doing research. That is why there are far more students coming from colleges that have research opportunities for their ugs. But you can find those opportunities yourself as well.</p>
<p>Actually, Cptofthehouse, I love doing research so that’s perfect for me. Do you think, though, that I might not be a contender to obtain top research opportunities if I attend Loyola? I was a research assistant at Feinberg School of Medicine in my Junior year. Do you think that if I were to apply when I am attending Loyola, I would still be able to get a prestigious research opportunity like that?</p>
<p>If you are thinking this far ahead while still in high school and you have already been a research asst. in a med school, then you have the opportunity and intelligence skills to attend a top med school. But get over that it has to be Johns Hopkins. There is a whole level of top med schools and any one of them will prepare you for a excellent career. </p>
<p>Just focus on getting a great undergrad education with the best GPA you can manage. Yes, get into some research that interests you. If you can get published, that would be good. </p>
<p>Since you are so focused on the whole broad procedure, you have an excellent opportunity to compose a great application to med school. Find an area of volunteering that interests you and work on that all through undergrad. For example, volunteer with cancer patients or hospice or disabled children or nursing home patients or whatever interests you, and keep up with it. Four or more hours a week plus maybe a summer job or two in this area will show your sustained interest. </p>
<p>You can also start shadowing drs. from freshman year on and accumulate a lot of hours if you look for opportunities right along. </p>
<p>Being involved in some campus activity with a leadership role is also a good goal, which could also connect with your area of volunteering interest. </p>
<p>It’s good to think ahead, but also don’t put the cart before the horse. The horse you need to ride to med school is your undergraduate education, with the best GPA overall and in science that you can achieve.</p>
<p>Bookiemom, do you think the rankings for medical school even matters? Medical schools are very selective and it’s great if I can get into one but should I even care for rankings? What do the rankings say for medical school?</p>
<p>Although I am not contradicting anyone from what has previously said, that you need great gpa and mcat score, I have heard you improve your LizzyM score slightly if you went to a top school.</p>
<p>limabeans, isn’t the LizzyM score just this: MCAT + (GPA*10) - 1? So it is based on MCAT and GPA. Nothing in there says that if you got a top school your LizzyM score will be higher?</p>
<p>I’m not sure what you define as “prestigious” in terms of research experience. Most of all of my friends who did research as ugs did true grunt work. Like measuring rat urine output and cleaning up animal cages. It’s more a matter of being part of a true research project and knowing what it takes.</p>
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What did you mean by saying this? Did you mean to say that the chance of getting a higher GPA and a higher MCAT score is increased slightly by going to a top college? Or, you meant to say that having a slightly lower LizzyM score at a top college would be equivalent to having a slight higher LizzyM score at a non-top college? After all, the formula used to calculate LizzyM is the same no matter what college you choose to attend.</p>
<p>One thing seems to be true. Toward the very upper-end of GPA scale, say, 3.7 or 3.8 up, going to a college which does not give out +/- grades (i.e., only give out grades A, B, C, D, but no A-, B+, B-) tends to increase the student’s average GPA, IMHO. DS’s college has the +/- grading system. It is often the case that, in most years, not a single student from the whole graduating class has a 4.0 GPA. Then, when I look at the graduating class from some other college in our state which gives out A, B, C, D grades only, it appears there are at least half a dozen to a dozen premeds who are graduated with a 4.0 every year.</p>
<p>But when your GPA is above 3.7/3.8, it matters very little whether you increase your GPA by another 0.1-0.2. One CCer here once claimed that the same could be said of the MCAT score.</p>
<p>High rankings for a med school mean they get lots of research dollars and their avg gpa and mcat is really high. Does rankings matter? Slightly for competitive residencies, but other factors are way ahead of the list like step score, clinical grades, lor, research</p>
<p>I heard your LizzyM score improves ever-so slightly if you go to a top school.</p>
<p>Oops sorry about that double post. Still can’t figure out this new phone.</p>
<p>MCAT, assume two applicants have identical profiles except one went to an ivy that is known for its grade deflation vs the other who went to a mid-tier LAC. Which one to choose? Statically I think it’s the first.</p>
<p>* One of the only reasons why I am going to be a school that is lower than my potential is to save money but if that means I lower my chances of getting into a top medical school*</p>
<p>A few points.</p>
<p>1) Your point about “saving money” be going to Loyola Chicago would be worth it if going somewhere else means debt. How would you pay for a more expensive school? It’s not “worth it” to rack up undergrad debt.</p>
<p>2) All US MD schools are very good. The idea of focusing on a “top med school” is needless. The goal is to get accepted to ANY US MD school.</p>
<p>3) There are only a smallish number of “top MD schools”. And each one is enrolling about 80-120 students each year, so you’re talking about maybe 2000 or so students. Focusing on being one of those 2000 or so students instead of working towards being accepted to a MD school then you’re missing the boat.</p>
<p>Let’s go back to basics for a sec. OP, why Hopkins for med school?</p>