<p>I'm leaving everything out of this post except for the issue at hand. Yes, I care for people and have a strong desire to help through medicine, yes I have a genuine interest in and appreciation for the science....all of that is put to the side for now.</p>
<p>Well, here's the deal: I'm a second year at one of the top ten universities in the nation. It just so happens that this school has the reputation of being a little, well, a lot less than easy. Accordingly, my GPA is pretty sad - not below a 3.0 but not above a 3.5. My initial desire was to get into med school, but as time goes by, the idea of a career in infectious disease research sounds more and more appealing.
I feel as though if I were to apply to med school and somehow get in, it would be a "lower-tier school". However, I don't want to go to a school that's any less "prestigious" than the school I'm attending now - and some of my friends feel the same way. There's a sense of stepping down the ladder that seems to permeate and I really don't like it. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not a snobby pretentious cake-eater that only wants the name - I want a solid medical education...which is why I decided to attend this university - for its rigorous reputation.
For some reason I equate prestige with quality and I can't get it out of my head. Is there some sort of stigma that follows students who come from a prestigious university and end up at a less than stellar medical school? I know we've all heard something about D.O. schools and poo-poo state med school.....I just need somebody to either affirm or clear this up. I mean, I worked by butt off to get here and I've been working really hard ever since. I feel as though the degree I'm working towards has to be justified by the caliber of med school I attend...and right now, the situation isn't looking too hot.</p>
<p>Statistically speaking, about 75% of “successful” premed students from any top college (including HYPSM) go to a public medical school in his home state for a variety of reasons. Here, the definition of a successful premed student is an applicant who applies and is successfully admitted into at least one medical school.</p>
<p>Actually, I start to believe that</p>
<p>1) If your goal is to enter a so-called top/academic medical school, there is some advantage of going to a top undergraduate college.
2) If your goal is to enter any medical school, it does not matter very much which college (as long as it is above some standard) you go to.
3) The students from a top college tend to get a higher MCAT score, statistically speaking. (But some of the best MCAT takers are from a big state school. The sheer number of applicants from there almost guarantee that there are some MCAT superstars from there.) It is hard to say how much it is due to the “rigor” of the course work at a top college, or these students were naturally good at any standardized tests even before they had entered the college – that is the reason why these top colleges admitted these students in the first place.
4) You can receive a solid medical education at most medical schools.</p>
A wild guess here: Do you happen to be working toward a degree that is relatively more marketable right after graduation? I hate to mention this, but it is usually the case that, as long as a degree is more marketable (but is also “not too vocational”) AND this degree is from a prestigious college, two things happen naturally:
More competitive students will be crowded there. The curve tends to be steeper for every student there.
The professors from that department (esp. they are from a prestigious department/program) tend to give students worse grades. These professors are used to dealing with students of high ambition year after year so they naturally expect more from the students before they give out an A.</p>
<p>But you benefit by having a backup plan. You can not have the best of both: 1) having a good backup plan, and 2) having an easier grade. In other words, you can not have the cake and eat it too – you need to accept the whole package (a very marketable degree from a prestigious college vs easier grades.) If I misread your post, I apologize here.</p>
<p>I hope you understand that one day nobody will care where you went undergrad or grad/medical school and that day will come sooner than you think. The cream always rises to the top and there are a lot of people attending public colleges and universities and poo poo state medical schools who will emerge as leaders in their respective fields. Don’t confuse a prestigious education with career potential, focus less on prestige, and find your passion.</p>
<p>Any medical school in the country will allow you to reach your goal. Getting in is a challenge on its own; being overly concerned with “prestige” is a good way to not get in at all.</p>
<p>trigonometry - hahaha, I AM at the UofC +10 points.</p>
<p>Thanks for the replies.
I understand that prestige means next to nothing at some point, but I want to know what it’s like to “step down” from undergrad to med school. My friends and I have spoken about it - most of us have come to terms with the fact that UPenn, Hahvahd, and UCSF are completely out of reach for us…and it’s a little unsettling.
I would be ecstatic if I got into Rush - it’s more than likely going to be my top choice. I just don’t know if it would be weird to end up there and not Pritzker or Feinberg.
I’ll just have to reevaluate my ideas about this whole process.
Thanks guys.</p>
<p>Oh, mcat2 - I’m majoring in Bio with a specialization in either microbiology or immunology - I haven’t quite decided yet. My problem so far hasn’t been with bio; I’ve rocked that class and really enjoy it. It’s everything else that’s bogging me down. I think I’d really like a position in the CDC or NIH…so I’m looking into REUs and other internships to help get me started in that direction.</p>
<p>No one gives a crap about where you went to college. I have classmates from all kinds of colleges (prestigious ones, local publics, schools I’ve never heard of). We all have one mission and that’s to learn as much as possible and make our way through med school.</p>
<p>I know three people who are Harvard grads who are currently at UT San Antonio (2) and one at UTMB-Galveston. Neither schools are usually in the same discussion as Baylor or UTSouthwestern but guess what, when they graduate they will still be called “Doctor.”</p>
<p>You and your “friends” need some serious reevaluation of priorities. Once you are in a med school NOBODY cares where you went to undergrad and you might be surprised when a classmate from a far lesser school runs circles around you.</p>
<p>What do you mean by “step down” anyway? Are you basing your opinion of prestige on USN rankings or popular conceptions or name brands or something? What, in your mind, makes Harvard so great, besides the name?</p>
<p>I predict that you’ll end up at a so called “poo poo state med school” and will be in for a very rude awakening. Your attitude and presumptions about the rigor you’ve faced as an undergrad will likely set you for a big surprise if you make it into medical school.</p>
<p>And in terms of being a good resident, fellow, or an attending no one cares where you went for undergrad. They’re going to care about how you work in the hospital, if you care for your patients, if you work well with your colleagues…not about the degrees on your wall.</p>
<p>Chair of Academic Department
36 million dollar budget
21 faculty, 8 fellows, 10 mid-level providers, and more than 100 employees.<br>
Several nationally recognized programs.
~300 applicants per year for 3 fellow slots.</p>
<p>C.V.
Undergrad - SUNY College at Potsdam
Med School - SUNY Upstate Syracuse</p>
+10 points.</p>