<p>I was wondering which schools, including small LACS, are the best in the midwest that prepare their undergrads for elite med schools? I also would like to know would it be a risk to attend low inflation schools such as University of Chicago and Washington University? Thanks</p>
<p>Northwestern, Notre Dame, Michigan?</p>
<p>It's a calculated risk for low inflation, but you really need to ask how much of a difference that is really going to make for you. I tend to think that the grade inflation issue is somewhat sensationalized, and if you do well it's an issue that disappears on it's own.</p>
<p>As for "elite" medical schools, you should define what those are: are you hoping to get into WashU, or another "name" school, or are you using USNWR listings. Asking for odds into a given school is impossible to predict - saying if I go to X will I have a good chance at y med school is an exercise in futility, because to get into Y (washU, Udub, harvard, etc) the stats you need are so outstanding that it doesn't matter where you went to undergrad.</p>
<p>Further, just as undergrad school doesn't really matter for most jobs, neither does what medical school you went to matter to most docs. Unless you are hoping to go into academic or research heavy medicine, your med school doesn't really matter, and your residency is the most important thing (although, even that doesn't matter that much). </p>
<p>Finally, the difference between the "elite" med schools and the worst med schools in the US is so small, that you are really just splitting hairs with such a question. All the schools teach nearly an identicle set of topics, all have a phenomenal rate at passing USMLE Step 1 on the first try (about 93% of M2's pass on the first try). And any difference in average score on USMLE's between two schools are most likely due to differences in the average entering MCAT scores since the two are highly correlated (if you do well on one standardized test you are likely to do well on all of them).</p>
<p>So all that said, the thing that you should be looking for in a school is fit. What school out there is going to give you the most opportunity to accomplish the most during your time there. Grades, MCAT, co-curriculars, involvement, leadership, research, volunteering, clinical experience and so on are all important factors, so you need to find a school that allows you to do as much as possible, while also being able to enjoy yourself while you are there.</p>
<p>carleton college and uw-madison</p>
<p>Chicago's reputation for tough grading is somewhat exaggerated. About 5 years ago the average GPA was a 3.30, which is much higher than at many public schools.</p>
<p>There are many good LACs in the Midwest, but Hope, Kalamazoo, Earlham, Lawrence, and Beloit are superb for pre-med. Carleton, College of Wooster, Grinnell, Kenyon, Macalester, and Union are also good bets.</p>
<p>when looking at med school admit rates, be SURE to find out if the school will write a "committee letter" for anyone who asks or if they screen their students. Some schools with high admission rates have them because they in effect prevent their weaker students from even applying.</p>
<p>Also, do you have any experience volunteering in a medical setting? A lot of kids start college with the idea of medicine and quit along the way before even applying. For many it's the classes (they can be tough). But a good percentage find out that the ideas they had about medicine from TV shows, magazine articles, etc. don't match the day-to-day reality they see when they volunteer or get other exposure to the actual career and the hours/demands it makes.</p>
<p>Yes, I have volunteered many hours</p>
<p>Michigan/Wisconsin produce the top # of med school applicants each year. Wisconsin has almost an absurd amount of research opps for pre-meds with the strongest overall "hard science" departments, particularly in chemistry/biology in the midwest.</p>
<p>Check out Carleton's med school acceptance rate--much higher than Michigan or Wisconsin's.</p>
<p>It will be the student, not the school ma'am.</p>
<p>Transfer, I couldn't agree more with your assessment. However, the original question ask about who would best prepare their students for acceptance into elite med schools and that was what I was addressing.</p>
<p>I will say this: looking at the acceptance % to medical school is a deceiving statistic, one that doesn't really tell you much about the students, the school, or the preparation they give you. It "penalizes" schools that don't particularly hover over their students (ie State schools which have a certain number of students who apply with no real business doing so - extremely low MCAT scores, very low GPA, etc). Further, particularly small schools and LAC's are known for employing pre-med committees - mikemac has already covered this, and his info is correct. </p>
<p>More over, the stat tells you nothing of where the students were accepted. </p>
<p>In the end, I don't think a question should just be answered b/c it was asked. If there is info that the person asking the question doesn't know, which might change their question, I think it is appropriate to share such info and insight.</p>
<p>Grinnell, Beloit, Carleton, Northwestern, Hope, WashU, Lawrence, and UofC are all great for this sort of thing. </p>
<p>I'm not sure about the grade inflation thing though. I know that at Grinnell, Carleton, WashU, and UofC, good grades take A LOT of work and dedication. These peeps seem to be doing quite well at med schools all over the nation though. Perhaps they just tested really well on their MCATs though...I'm not sure.</p>
<p>Undergraduates at the Lyman Briggs School of Natural Sciences at Michigan State University are well prepared for medical school and graduate study.</p>
<p>By the way, what's your assessment of an "elite medical school?"</p>