<p>so i am currently a majorless student at AUB (American University of Beirut wishing to transfer to a university in the US and hopefully get into a top research medical school.</p>
<p>now i know there's been a considerable amount of debates about the Ivy leagues but for me,
I want to attend medical school because personally i want to do research on brain function and try to hopefully unlock some of it's mysteries. so that's why i am aiming for medical schools like harvard and john hopkins etc...
(i would like some feedback on this )</p>
<p>i am currently a sophomore in my first semester and have looked into some premedical colleges and have found a good college to transfer to ( washington U in St Louis or WUSTL).
due to it's great track on getting students into medical school plus it has alot of research opportunities so it's going to be perfect for me ( to my knowledge).
As an aspiring doctor ( hopefully neuro/brain surgeon) i don't want to work solely on patient care, i want to do research as i have stated before and that's why i'm aiming at these very selective schools.
So I would very much appreciate feedback and insight on the process of achieving this goal.
Thank you.</p>
<p>Do you have the money for Wash U- they really dont offer much aid to international students. JHU Medical school offers no financial aid for international students and expects you to place 250,000 dollars in an escrow account. Harvard medical school is well . . . Harvard. You have to be a superstar to get in. If you want a PhD/MD program be aware that several MSTP programs do not accept international students</p>
<p>I am assuming you are a non-US Citizen of ocurse</p>
<p>An alternative to pre-med would be to take the 100% research route to a PhD in an appropriate field. It would mean something like five to seven years after your BA/BS, living as a starving student, but the school would likely pay you while you earn your PhD. This assumes that your abilities match your ambition! :)</p>
<p>actually i am a US permanent resident but due to some family issues i had to come to lebanon for a definite duration. i was a french bac student when i became a US citizen and the education i received was better in terms of quality and cost.</p>
<p>i think Wash U would give me financial aid since my dad is retired from work, i would just like to know the steps that i need to have to get in a good school like gpa required etc… undergrad school that is.</p>
<p>but an undergrad school that would allow me to achieve what i want to achieve.
it’s early to decide know and say for sure but i want to be a brain surgeon/brain-neuroscientist researcher. as i have stated before the brain is a passion of mine that i would like to study and unravel its mysteries. that’s why i am aiming for ivy leagues because i want to practice academic medicine.
all insight and advice are welcome.
I think the money will take care of it’s own eventually i just want to get in at the moment.
thank you</p>
<p>I would ask about this in the pre-med forums, they really know their stuff and can point you in the right direction as far as where to aim. </p>
<p>But, as a warning, this kind of question gets asked a lot, and your overwhelming response will be something like “It doesn’t matter where you go to undergrad. Find a school that has the major you’re interested in (neuroscience or some kind of offshoot), that you’ll be happiest at and where you can get the best GPA.”</p>
<p>I agree with Emily except about the GPA part. Grad schools know which undergrad schools are “harder” than others, and apply an appropriate GPA factor. So don’t choose a school because it is known for easy grading.</p>
<p>It is much more important what you do at a college than which college you attend.</p>
<p>yep, thats what they are going to say- basically the company line. * But it does matter * where you go to school. Infact its really important where you go to school. In general for medical school:</p>
<p>-Great GPA (>3.6)
-Great mcat score
-Community service
-Research experience in a biology/biomedical lab (Try and get into top labs or maybe some REU programs) This the most important if you want to attend the schools you mentioned. More important than what undergrad you went to.
-Volunteering experience/ Shadowing a doctor (Good idea to do this during the summer)</p>
<p>If you can get into Wash U at the undergrad level great. There are tons of other good premed schools. Emory is one that comes to mind, and Rice has a Rice-Baylor program. Brown also has a PLME program (though your ambition is to go to a top medical school)</p>