Medical School - Public vs Private?

Alright, so I am currently deciding between OSU and Case Western for undergrad, for various reasons. I am planning on going on a premed track and want to get selected into a top medical school. I know this might sound idealistic, and it is, but it’s a goal. However, I have been hearing that if I go to OSU, some medical colleges, especially the Ivies, will not select me because it is public and not “extremely” prestigious. I want to know if that is actually true. Please help, I keep hearing contradictory answers and I need someone to give me some info! Thanks!

Personally, I think you are asking the wrong question. Getting admitted to medical school, any medical school, is great. Contact OSU and Case’s pre-health/pre-med advising and talk to them about the medical school admission rates for their students. You should be able to find out what kind of stats you need (or their averages for admitted students) and where their students tend to go for medical school. Good luck.

You are also asking the wrong question because, for those Ivies that have med schools, they are not “better” than other med schools. All med schools in the US teach a very standardized curriculum. Prestige is “flat” in medicine with respect to med school. It’s not like law or business school where there are clear hierarchies.

If your goal is to be a practicing Doctor, you will not earn one penny more from insurance companies if you go to Harvard Med vs State U Med. You will have the exact same patient base, the same diseases, the same “everyday life”.

To answer the question - no, OP, that’s not true. Someone who went to Ohio State could go to Harvard or Stanford or Columbia for medical school. It’s not so much about where you went to undergrad as it is about your grades, MCAT scores and other portfolio materials.

That said, yes, going to a private prestigious medical school isn’t really that helpful given the very high standard for medical education in the U.S.

@Pickle0323 You will find the highest ranked medical schools for primary care are generally the less prestigious state schools.

If your goal is to care for the sick, then prestige would be inconsistent with the calling of the profession. Just imagine Little Sisters of the Poor saying yes we will sit with the sick and elderly but only in Beverly Hills.

For Med School admission, where you complete your undergrad degree really doesn’t matter. As pointed out above, hat will matter will be your GPA, your MCAT, and your other portfolio materials.

Med school programs are essentially the same where ever you would study. What really matters is where you find a residency, and again, the name of your med school doesn’t really matter for that. What you did during your med school years will be what matters.

If there is a big cost difference for you between OSU and Case, then go to the one that is cheaper. That way you will have money left for med school and/or will be starting med school without any student debt.

Thank you all so much! This will help a ton!

If you want to go pre-med then think about:

  1. The cheapest reasonable college so you/your parents can use the money for med school
  2. The college needs to prepare you for MCATs but still allow you to get a good GPA
  3. Access to volunteering opportunities (e.g., near a hospital)…Case has 4 next door)
  4. Success in graduates getting into med school
  5. Options if you don’t go to med school

Pre-med is all about GPA, MCAT, Volunteering, Community Service and maybe Research.

What is the net cost for each school?

You can always volunteer in the summers, though, if the school is not near a hospital. Or it is not uncommon for students to take a gap year after undergrad and get the experience then while working on their med school apps (my nephew did that, is now an MD).

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However, I have been hearing that if I go to OSU, some medical colleges, especially the Ivies, will not select me because it is public and not “extremely” prestigious. I


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Who are you “hearing” that info from? Certainly not from anyone who knows about med school admissions.

As mentioned above, all US med schools are EXCELLENT, and to get admitted to any of them is awesome, wonderful and an amazing achievement. The education is flat. They all have to teach the same things because all the students have to pass the various USMLE exams.

BTW…all the ivy med schools are not “the best”. Not that they aren’t great, all med schools are great. But, every Ivy SOM isn’t top…not that rankings really mean much.

Unless you’re aiming for Academic Medicine (MD/PhD), then attending one of the better-ranked research SOMs is not necessary.

That said, the top med schools do not just accept applicants from private undergrads and/or “prestigious” undergrads.

If you goal is Case Med School, attending Case undergrad will give you a small edge. But overall your best bet is the best value of the two, so can you indicate

  • if you got into any special program at Case or Honors (or something else) at tOSU?
  • net cost* at each
  • parents’ budget

net price = (tuition+room+board+fees) - (grants+scholarships)

@MYOS1634 I got into the Honors program at OSU, but nothing at Case (I don’t think they have any special program). As for net cost, I will be paying 20k at OSU and 33k at Case, which is affordable. The only problem is that I am interested in majoring in Neuroscience, and Case doesn’t have a very anatomy-heavy Neuroscience program. I know that they have a Cognitive Science program, but that seems more focused on Psychology.

It sounds like tOSU Honors is the BestBuy foe you all around. Enjoy Honors classes and dorm, work hard, and you’ll be as well placed as if you’d attended case western and worked hard.
You may want to read on tumbler the story of AFrenchie36 who is in neuroscience.