<p>I need help. I'm picking between UC Davis and Santa Clara University.
I'm mostly a B+ average student.
Anyways, I want to do pre-med and those are my options. </p>
<p>Where should I go? Any comments will help.</p>
<p>Based on what UC Davis science dept. people told me, many years ago, the
acceptance rate to med schools was high. Davis does not even give that info.</p>
<p>I also believe I will shine at SCU, coupled with opportunities for research that are much easier to get, makes it seems like SCU's my best option.
Somebody say something, I'm just not sure.</p>
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<p>This link said that 100% students who had a “3.5+ GPA, 30+ MCAT and solid extracurricular involvement” got into med school.</p>
<p>What does solid extracurricular involvement mean specifically?</p>
<p>Likely, just how it sounds. A lot of pre-med students try to get into SCU-EMS (Emergency Medical Services), which looks great on a med school app. Some work at a hospital or nearby med school (Stanford) couldn’t hurt, I’m not really sure how that whole situation works out because I’m not a pre-med. Anything you think a competitive app should have. You have a huge advantage in the Bay Area, near some of the premier med schools and plenty of hospitals, especially compared to Davis. Good luck deciding!</p>
<p>is cost of education a factor? SCU tuition is much higher than UCD. however, SCU provides a much more interactive experience with profs than UCD</p>
<p>bump for more responses</p>
<p>thanks</p>
<p>Personally, I would choose UC Davis. UCD has its own medical school, so if anything, you will have more opportunities to get involved there. Emergency Medical Services exist everywhere, including Davis, so if you’d like to become an EMT or a paramedic, nothing is going to prevent you from doing that in Davis. Ultimately, UCD is a bigger school, and is even somewhat known for strength in the biological sciences, while SCU is small and known mainly for engineering and business.
As far as the acceptance rate to medical schools, I wouldn’t put too much stock in those claims. First, you’re right, “solid extracurricular involvement” leaves a lot of room for interpretation. Also, SCU most likely doesn’t have a very large pool of students who apply to medical schools. And ultimately, your performance is going to help you get into medical school more than anything else. If either name or pre-med program was going to help you though, I would definitely be willing to bet that it would be UCD’s, and not SCU’s.
I would post your question in a pre-medical board where you can get some more opinions from students who are interested in pursuing medicine and knowledgable about the admissions process.</p>