Which has better academics/resources/opportunities for pre-med students? I know that Pitt has a strong med school, and strong ties to UPMC (which is right on campus), so are the undergrad research opportunities plentiful?
I know northeastern does not have a med school but it’s surrounded by hospitals also. Does the co-op program benefit a pre-med student? Does it provide you experience that med schools are looking for?
Yes, many students at Northeastern in Science and Bouvé coop at Harvard medical school and its affiliated hospitals which are just down the street from campus. These are also paid positions, not unpaid internships.
Either school would be an excellent choice with terrific opportunities available. Pitt ended up being my middle son’s second choice due to their opportunities. (He ended up at U Rochester as he liked their campus better - both had opportunities.)
Pitt is a way better opportunity because of the research and other medical volunteering opportunities right on their campus. Much stronger in the bio and health sciences. Research opportunities are night and day.
NIH sponsor R&D at Pitt = $420 million; Northeastern = $20 million. http://www.brimr.org/NIH_Awards/2014/Institution_2014.xls The opportunities for exposure to, and variety of, bio and health science research as an undergrad are night and day. Hospitals and labs are literally mixed with their undergrad facilities. Very easy to fit opportunities into any undergrad schedule with a physical proximity like that.
Either, it doesn’t matter. Northeastern is in the middle of Boston - there are hospitals and medical volunteering opportunities galore. A school doesn’t have to have a med school for you to do that; you just need proximity. (NIH money doesn’t matter, either, at the undergraduate level - particularly if you have access to other nearby universities where you can do the research.)
Apply to both. If you’re admitted to both, you’ll either decide based on financial packages, or will post a new thread in the Spring. Until then, it doesn’t matter - apply to both, one is rolling admissions and the other has EA so you’ll know fairly soon!
pitt is an awesome school with a world renown medical school/research center. pittsburgh is an awesome awesome city and has tons of schools. (yes boston has the same…but pittsburgh and u of pitt wins!)