My son’s 1st choice is UMCP for everything that is great about it. He will be applying early. However just recently we visited another MD school - St. Mary’s College of MD. He was impressed and loved the “on the water” environment but was also concerned with how small it is. - until in the interview they stated that their pre-med students have the highest rate in Md of getting into Med school. That the advisor/professor has a great reputation with the med schools of getting a truthful account in their extensive letters of recommendations of the students applying. The advisors/professors will even meet daily one-on-one with students to study and prep for the MCAT- and do very well. There has even been testimonies from admitted medical students that never heard of such support as given to SMCM students. This aspect of the school, made him re-think his priorities. He has always dreamed of that big college experience so many Terps talk about however he wonders if he would have the same kind of support from UMCP. Can anyone here comment on that?
Can’t speak to that, but frankly doubt it could be comparable. At Maryland, since it is a large public university, I can’t imagine the same kind of hand-holding is possible.
However, I do know they have advising http://www.umd.edu/catalog/index.cfm/show/content.division/c/1/ss/303 and there is also early assurance admissions to some med schools http://www.prehealth.umd.edu/early-assurance-programs …from that link:
“The program is intended to encourage talented and committed undergraduate sophomore students, who have achieved academic distinction, to gain a provisional early acceptance to the George Washington University M.D. program. Candidates who are admitted into this program and accept the offer are expected to have a strong interest in attending The George Washington University, School of Medicine and Health Sciences.”
http://prehealth.squarespace.com/gwinformation
And the bonus of the early assurance admission to GW med school is NO MCATs…
To be clear, when I say no hand-holding, that does not mean professors are not accessible or not helpful if you ask. It simply means I don’t see them sitting down on a daily basis, one-on-one, to help study and prep for MCATs the way you described SMCOM doing.
This link may be helpful for you if you haven’t seen it before http://www.prehealth.umd.edu/facts-and-figures/
The HPAO (health professions advising office) at UMD is great.