I’ve been accepted at both. Which school is better for premed? What are the pros and cons of each? Do either of the schools try to weed out students in their science classes as some UCs do? Which has the best premed advising? What are the clinical opportunities at each school?
Also, I’m adding that at both schools I will be a music major and taking all the premed requirements. If this seems like it would present a challenge at either, please let me know. I’m aware it can be challenging to get classes at California state schools.
Finally, I have been accepted to some smaller private schools with merit aid such as Denison and Whitman. At both of these I would double major in music and a science. How would a private school compare to a large public school?
I would recommend Denison or Whitman for a music major/premed. First, you’ll have no trouble getting the classes you need even though the premed core classes will be outside your major. Second, you’ll get a personal adviser. Third, if you want to switch to something else (as many freshmen do), you’ll be able to, easily, since both Denison and Whitman have a “whole college” approach, ie., you’re admitted to the whole college not to a specific major. Finally, California is the hardest State from which to get into med school, so being out of state will actually be an advantage since it doesn’t block CA and may open more choices.
(check out if going to college in WA or OH would qualify you as an instate applicant for a public med school in either state).
However…
What’s the cost differential?
Are all affordable without parental loans?
What’s your plan B?
Also, while there’s some weedout, UCD or Cal Poly aren’t as aggressive about it as some other UCs;
I would second Denison. My daughter is a senior on the pre-med track. The med school advisor has been really helpful as have many of her professors who have also become mentors. An additional advantage which she has taken full advantage are the ample research opportunities which at larger universities would go to graduate students. But at Denison go to high performing undergraduate students.
These responses are super helpful! I should add that I have merit at Denison and Whitman, so while they’re still a little more expensive than Davis and Cal Poly, it’s not by too much. The merit at Whitman is better but still have a decent Denison package.
As far as Davis is concerned, there are no barriers to a music major taking pre-med courses. However, regardless of your major, pre-med classes fill up quickly. There might be a chance that you take the first quarter of chem but can’t get into the second quarter. If you can’t get off the waitlist for the class, you will need to take other classes that quarter and take the 2nd chem class the following quarter. Again, this isn’t because you are a music major, it is because those classes are in high demand.
UC Davis has an excellent pre-health advising office. Lean on them and ask for help.
It sounds as if you’re not considering Whitman as seriously as the others, but I have heard wonderful things about their music department, and I’d expect the premed preparation and advising to be comparable to Denison’s . What makes you lean towards Denison over Whitman?
If you can I would recommend going to one of Denison’s Admitted Students Day. They paid for my D’s airfare, hotel and provided an airport shuttle. We were all so impressed with the programs, faculty and facilities and my D really enjoyed the class she attended. They had a great student bluegrass band playing at the parent reception. I know 2 committed students for 23, both nice kids and talented athletes. Good luck with your decision.
UC Davis also has a superb DVM program (top ranked in the world). I am expecting that this means that they will have some very strong pre-vet undergraduate students, who will be in many of the same premed classes. As far as I know the required premed classes and the required pre-vet classes are the same.
I am not sure whether this will make a difference one way or another however in terms of which school to choose.
This is a very good question. The majority of students who start university intending to be premed end up doing something else. Which university would be better for whichever “something else” seems likely?
I’m not trying to convince you to choose Davis. My oldest attended Davis so I know the program well.
Davis does indeed have a large College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences (CAES) and most of those majors take courses similar to what pre-med students take. Several majors in L&S, as well as engineering, also take those courses. The school is aware of how many students/majors require certain courses and plan accordingly. As I mentioned, lower division STEM courses are very popular and, even with multiple lectures/labs, they often fill up. But, ANY major can enroll in those courses. They are not restricted to certain majors.
Common pre-med classes are BIS 2ABC, CHE 2ABC, MAT 17ABC, PHY 7ABC, CHE 8AB. OP can look at the course catalog and see that, while many courses have pre-reqs, there are very few enrollment restrictions. (Click on the + to view enrollment restrictions.) Note: When looking at the catalog, courses numbered <99 are considered lower division. 100-189 are upper division. 190-199 are research/TA/teaching, and above 200 are considered graduate level courses.
This article on the Davis website indicates that you can double major across colleges but advises students to meet with advisors to set up a 4 year plan early.
Pre-med classes are rigorous but Davis does not try to weed out students. However, students who have their eye on professional schools are looking to get top grades in all of their classes. I think you will find this anywhere.
Several years ago UC Davis revamped the BIS 2 series in order to ensure greater student success. They added a pre-req of chem before BIS 2A and allowed students to start the series with BIS 2B if they wanted. Davis has three levels of calculus. MAT 16 is intended for non STEM majors, MAT 17 is Calculus for Biology and Medicine. MAT 21 is intended for engineers. Students can enroll in whichever series they want but MAT 21 is much more rigorous.
I noticed you mentioned a potential double major in music and a science. One thing we found out about UC Davis, specifically, is that they have excellent support for non-music majors to be involved in music. This would give you the flexibility to do a standalone science major if you choose, and still be involved in music to the extent that you want.
At Davis, non-majors are allowed to enroll in private lessons at a reasonable cost, use practice rooms and instruments, and participate in ensembles just like the music majors. Out of 20+ schools that my son considered, Davis is one of the best in terms of access to music for non-majors. (My son wants to do an engineering major, but he wants the option to remain involved with music to the extent possible within his engineering degree.)
Cal Poly also encourages non-majors to be involved in its orchestra, but they do not offer music lessons to non-majors. I think you might need to be a music major there if you wanted full access to the music department.
However I do think there’s a risk to the OP of the tail wagging the dog. At most colleges perhaps one out of three kids that enters college thinking of pre-med ever applies to med school (and of those about 40% get in). Even for a HS that feels they have an interest in medicine few are aware of careers outside of being a doctor or nurse, but these are far from the only in the health field that help people. Physical therapists, radiology techs, speech pathologists, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, to name but just a few as shown on http://explorehealthcareers.org Careers that take less than 11+ years of education and training and the immense debt that comes with a M.D.
Unless you’ve considered the alternatives and have spent time actually working in a health care setting (an unwritten requirement to get into med school, BTW) its better to think of yourself as interested in exploring a career as a doctor rather than someone who has already made the decision. Sure, start off with the sciences in college, but make sure to get experience as soon as you can (this summer wouldn’t be too early)
Along those lines, look at the UC Davis Health Professions Advising website. Under the first category of Health Professions, you will see a drop down of 14+ health related professions. When you choose a profession (ex. physical therapy), it will open a page that outlines the profession and what is required. On the far right is a button that says “PT Helpful Links/Resources.” When you open that, there are numerous other resources related to physical therapy. The most important (in my opinion) is the Prerequisite Chart. Davis has this listed for virtually all of the health professions on their website.
Research has shown it’s actually lower than this. Only 16% of freshmen pre-meds persist in completing all the pre-reqs needed for a med school application. Of those that actually apply, only 35-40% get any acceptances.
California is a particularly difficult state for pre-meds. Too many applicants, not enough seats. Only 17% of CA med applicants matriculate in-state; 23% go to an OOS med school and the rest failed to gain an acceptance anywhere. https://www.aamc.org/media/6016/download?attachment