<p>I'm trying to find the best premed program for me and I was wondering what's your guys thoughts of Vanderbilt,Universary of Alabama,William and Mary,St.Louis Universary,and Washington Universary in St.Louis.Also if you recommend any other premed programs in the south please tell me.I want to to have the highest chance possible to get into med school.</p>
<p>Your accomplishments (GPA, MCAT, ECs, etc) have more to do with your chances that does the name on your diploma.</p>
<p>Start here:</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/pre-med-topics/1486654-premed-resources-thread-start-here-first.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/pre-med-topics/1486654-premed-resources-thread-start-here-first.html</a></p>
<p>Your question is answered here:</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/pre-med-topics/1122176-bluedevilmikes-ten-step-guide-picking-premed-school.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/pre-med-topics/1122176-bluedevilmikes-ten-step-guide-picking-premed-school.html</a></p>
<p>Asking the same question on different threads does not make a diff. The answers are still the same…</p>
<p>Washington University is by far the strongest of the schools you mentioned. I graduated from the medical school and did my residency at Barnes Hospital. The medical school typically has taken about a third of their medical students from the undergraduate school. Vanderbilt and William and Mary are very good as well.
Dr. Hack</p>
<p>“Your accomplishments (GPA, MCAT, ECs, etc) have more to do with your chances that does the name on your diploma.”</p>
<p>Good to know…</p>
<p>Not sure how many Pre-Meds come from my 4 yr university, honestly. Didn’t seem to be many transferring and no pre-med committee, although there are 15,000 students there…</p>
<p>??</p>
<p>WUSTL is fabulous for pre-med, try to visit and check it out.</p>
<p>Many universities will offer you a great UG experience and comparable education. That being said, for pre-meds, you should aim for schools that have a strong biology department that has lots of research going on. Such schools should also have activities that play into your personal interests and most importantly keep you happy. If you’re not happy, how can you have the best chance of getting into med school? You won’t be able to study as efficiently and you’ll be miserable, not to mention probably not very motivated. Don’t get so hung up in what school to pick to maximize your chances. </p>
<p>As WOWM said, it’s really what you do with your UG experience that matters. The MCAT standardizes “intelligence” and “aptitude,” so stay happy and keep up the grades. Get involved in things you love and enjoy your UG experience.</p>
<p>Interested in “pre-med in the south” Duke should be on your list, as well as Vandy. But UNC, as well as numerous other public universities could be on your list too.</p>
<p>
What’s that?</p>
<p>UG = undergraduate</p>
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</p>
<p>The OP first posted on one of the long, ongoing threads and addressed their question to a member who has not been active recently. I instructed them to start a new thread to ask their questions.</p>
<p>
I got that part. 
It’s the experience part that I wanted know about. As a parent, when kids drool over the “UG experience” at a school as the reason why they want to go there, my thoughts go to the experience of writing the checks. And that ain’t nice, I can tell you that. :D</p>
<p>^ When my child was a freshman at a private college, he told us that he valued the experience in the evening more than the classroom experience in the day time. And we wrote big checks for that!</p>
<p>I think he really did not appreciate his premed experience in the first year or two of his college career. Those introductory science prereqs were not very interesting to him (even though his grades were not bad at all.) However, he was not the type of students who are very “devoted” premeds early in his college career. He completed his prereqs at the end of sophomore but was not willing to take MCAT until he was just graduated.</p>
<p>This is one student’s perception about “UG experiences.” He may be an outlier in terms of how to “do premed.” But I think he had a relatively good UG experience.</p>
<p>I want to to have the highest chance possible to get into med school.</p>
<p>Your “highest chance” has little to nothing to do with which of those colleges you choose. Colleges don’t place people in med school. Your chances have to do with YOU…how hard you study, the grades you get, your MCAT scores, your volunteering choices, your LORs, etc. </p>
<p>There’s some kind of myth out there that colleges have “pre med programs” that somehow hold your hand thru four years of undergrad with all the other premeds all in lock-step going thru a “program”. It’s not like that. All schools have the same classes that premeds take, which are the same classes that the STEM majors take. The premed classes aren’t unique therefore the other students aren’t only premeds.</p>
<p>“As a parent, when kids drool over the “UG experience” at a school as the reason why they want to go there, my thoughts go to the experience of writing the checks.”
-Yes, it is a very correct goal to avoid paying tuition for an UG. Save your “checks writing” ability for Med. School. Honestly, there is no reason whatsoever to pay for an UG if plan is to go to Med. School. Apply to UG that will offer you you full tuition / full ride Merit awards, save $$ for the Med. School.
One aspect has helped my D. in UG - great pre-med advisory / committee. She was able to apply very early, and that was crucial,saved lots of $$ also, as she applied to very few schools.</p>
<p>I think the UG experience is very important. It is helpful for the development of critical thinking. It certainly is a factor when medical schools are looking at candidates.</p>