<p>A friend of mine told me this and I am wondering if it's really true. I am deciding between UCSD and the University of San diego</p>
<p>UCSD has a better academic program and is better known. But I don't think I can get as high of a GPA than if I went to USD. USD is a lot smaller, so I will be competing with less premeds for classes and everything else for medical school. Their acceptance rates are about the same, but USD's acceptance rate into med school is 80% with a GPA higher than 3.5 (what their brochure says) </p>
<p>I am really confused. Is the academic prestige at UCSD going to give me that extra push, or better prepare me? And if I went to USD, it'll give me a well rounded education, and that's what medical schools want. Also, I don't know if I am really naive or what, but I feel like I would be able to double major at USD (bio and psych) and not at UCSD.</p>
<p>If that 80% number is true - and if there are no strange factors clouding it (i.e. including schools in the Caribbean, or schools of Osteopathy) - then that's quite an impressive number.</p>
<p>Unless USD has comical grade deflation, a 3.5 should be relatively easy... shouldn't it?</p>
<p>I don't know about the schools in the Caribbean, but I know that the number is to medical schools and not osteopathy. And at USD, I believe that the grade you get is the grade you receive and is not on a curve.</p>
<p>I don't know anything about the two schools in question, so I hope you'll pardon my ignorance on this subject if I miss something that's commonly "understood".</p>
<p>Based solely on the information you've given here, it sounds to me like USD enjoys a premed success rate that is comparable to some of the more elite private schools in the country. If that turns out to be the case, your odds would probably be better there than they would be at UCSD.</p>
<p>Of course, that is only part of the equation, as you would also want to do well in medical school itself, and that depends largely on the quality of your undergraduate education. If it turns out that your education would be better at USD - not because it's more reputable but because you get better attention from profs and whatnot - then this sounds like USD is a very good premedical college.</p>
<p>80% seems very suspicious....are you sure it's not one of those schools where if they think you're not performing upto par they will kick you out of premed??? I know schools like Miami (OH) do that where if they think you won't make it into med school they'll cut you out of premed...thats why their acceptance rate is like 85%</p>
<p>overall, the acceptance rate is 50%. But for those who have higher than a 3.5 it's 80% (which I got from the brochure). And they don't kick you out if you are not up to par. Here is actually what the lady wrote me.</p>
<p>About 50% of the USD students who apply to medical school in a given year are successful that year. Several students are successful on a second round of applications. I want to point out that our student evaluation committee writes recommendations for any student we feel is strong enough academically to handle medical school courses, of excellent integrity and strong commitment to service. We do not reserve our recommendations only for students with the highest GPA and MCAT scores. </p>
<p>And correction...there were some who applied to osteopathic schools. Maybe that is why the percentage is so high? But there are those who got into very good med schools as well such as John Hopkins, Georgetown, USC etc..</p>
<p>
[quote]
Based solely on the information you've given here, it sounds to me like USD enjoys a premed success rate that is comparable to some of the more elite private schools in the country. If that turns out to be the case, your odds would probably be better there than they would be at UCSD.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Nah, it's mostly the "above 3.5" thing that really warps the equation. Lots of schools, including the elite ones like HYPSM, have plenty of people with GPA's lower than 3.5 who apply to med-school. These people obviously tend to drag down the overall admit rate, as obviously, the better grades you get, the better the placement rate tends to be. Any school will look far better if you just look at students with high grades.</p>
<p>For example, if you just look at the percentage of graduating seniors from Berkeley with a 3.4 or better who get into med-school, it's about 78%. And for those Berkeley grads who are one-year-out (already had their degrees for one year), of those having a 3.4 or above, the admit rate is about 85%. Add it up and you can see for yourself. Remember this is for a 3.4 or above. The USD data is for those with a 3.5 of above. </p>
<p>I don't have the UCSD breakdown, but I strongly suspect that the same thing holds - of those students with a GPA above a certain figure, the placement rate will be quite high.</p>
<p>Right, but don't forget - part of the equation is, how hard is it to get a 3.5 GPA? If USD's answer is, "You could do that in your sleep", then that changes things significantly.</p>
<p>With that said, if you do end up sleepwalking through undergrad, you'll be in trouble when you actually get to med school.</p>
<p>Hmm..I don't really see how your comment connects to sakky. But thanks for your advice.</p>
<p>I think the real pros of going to USD would be
-one on one w/professor --->better letter of recs
-more opportunities for research and published work
-less competition with other premeds
-well rounded education (but lots of GEs--->wasted time??)
-I would probably be in the Honors program, so that would maybe add to my academic rigor?
-easier for me to double major (???)</p>
<p>and the cons would be
-academics not comparable to UCSD</p>
<p>the con is really my biggest concern, because it might not prepare me for medical school as if I went to UCSD. At USD, I'm in the 75th percentile, where as at UCSD I am just the average student. Or maybe I am overestimating the easiness of USD. But I am going to go to a class there in a couple of weeks, so we'll see</p>
<p>wow, i am choosing between the two also, but you seem much more goal oriented. I am completely undecided, and pretty much considered average at both schools. Only thing is that I am terrified of the large classes at UCSD. I am having so much trouble deciding. I guess i'm just throwing that out there to let u know ur not in the boat alone. Decisions STINK.</p>
<p>If you want to get into a good specialty later on, go to UCSD, which will no doubt prepare you better academically for the rigors of med school.</p>