Does the quality of the school I go to for premed affect my chances of getting into a selective med school?
All US medical schools are highly selective. You will be admitted primarily on your GPA, MCAT score and personality. Unless you attend a fourth tier college that lacks adequate science facilities the college you attend is irrelevant.
Some argue that attending certain top universities will hurt your GPA and chances of medical school admission.
The school you attend for undergrad is way down the list of importance in medical selection. Where is comes into play is in access to the advising and extracurriculars required to present a strong application. If you are planning to study an undergrad degree with an intent to go to medical school you should understand how the school supports premed advising and talk to the support team (could be an office or could be just a person). It is important the pre med students have access to medical experience like shadowing and research. Also look at the schools track record producing successful canidates (which said advising should be able to explain). Many non select schools do a great job creating opportunities. They also offer the ability in some cases to minimize debt which is critical for undergrad premed students. Name brand schools do churn out large volumes of candidates but they often leave many pre meds on the cutting room floor.
@Sigmasincos Here is the shortest answer if I may rephrase your question.
Does the quality of “the school” I go to for premed affect my chances of getting into a “selective” med school?
Does the quality of WHAT I DO IN THE NEXT 4 to 6 YEARS for premed affect my chances of getting into a ANY med school? YES
Prepare well and apply to 20-30+ schools to match with your personal situation and what you have done, include top to bottom ranked schools, since even ad-com of 1 school can not predict the outcome of other school.
If you are not 100% sure of medical career, then it is more important which school you plan to go and the major for your plan B.
No.
No…agreed. What matters is what you do in the next 4-6 years, your GPA, and your Mcat score. And in my opinion the goal should be getting into medical school…not getting into a selective medical school.