<p>MD/PhD programs require high stats and excellent research/publications. Given that, I’d go with Cornell. Cornell will be significantly less challenging than Cal Tech but the research opportunities should be better than at UGA. Ultimately, to get into a good MSTP program, you should attend a prestigious undergrad (don’t let anyone tell you that undergrad doesn’t matter in med school admissions), get a 3.75+ GPA, 35+ MCAT, and solid research (publications aren’t absolutely necessary but are very helpful).</p>
<p>Well, I have better chance to publish at UGA, given the nature of my research and the lab that I’m in, plus the workload isnt’ as rigorous so I may be able to focus on my ECs and research. And UGA offers stipend to go aboard, so I might be able to use it to do volunteers/internships.
Idk if I can jump right into research in my first semester at Cornell. I’m not even Rawlings Scholar, so there’s not much incentives. Plus, i have no idea how Cornell will serve for me in the long run. What does Cornell offer that UGA doesn’t beside the name?</p>
<p>Plus I’ve looked around top med school MD/PhD programs and I’ve seen lots of ppl from less well known schools getting in, tho of course, there’s a high overrepresentation of ppl from top undergrad schools</p>
<p>OP, it sounds like you’ve already made your decision—you make your case for UGA.
For the reasons you’ve stated, UGA would seem to be a good fit for pursuing your stated goals. I don’t think you answered your original question of whether Cornell is a good place to prepare for an MD/PhD, however. Actually, both schools would be quite suitable for that purpose, depending on what is important to you.</p>
<p>@Norcalguy, do you really think that Cornell is significantly easier than Cal Tech that it would make a difference?</p>
<p>^ imo, I think Cornell is hard, but compared to Caltech, it’s much easier. Caltech rigor is really in a world of its own.</p>
<p>The key to getting into top med schools (and only the top 35 or so med schools have MSTP programs) is to have a high GPA AND come from a top undergrad. Hence, Cornell is the happy medium in this situation.</p>
<p>And I really don’t think your situation at UGA is set up for you to publish. You will come to find that publishing is at least 50% reputation. In fact, there was a study done ironically enough where the authors re-submitted previously published papers but changed the institution from Harvard to a no-name school and found that many of these papers (most of which were not caught as re-submits) were no longer accepted for publication. In other words, new PI from UGA? Your research better be damn good to publish.</p>
<p>FWIW, when I looked at them in the past, the Honors sections of Cornell’s intro physics classes were similar to MITs intro physics classes; or at least they used the same (very advanced level) text. I asssume cal Tech’s classes would be at least as advanced as MIT’s. The famous Feynman lectures in Physics were created for the Cal Tech intro physics sequence in the early 60s; the level of that series is way, way beyond Cornell intro physics courses. (Though IIRC they were also beyond the Cal Tech students who took the class. And Feynman came there from Cornell!)</p>
<p>Boo</p>