Hey all! As the title indicates, I was admitted to UC Berkeley, UCLA and USC for biological sciences to prepare for medical school, but I can’t decide which college would give me a leg up for med school admissions. I would greatly appreciate any pros/cons on any of the schools listed!
As you know, school matters less for med school admissions than, primarily, your GPA, MCAT scores, followed by research/medical-related ECs. Plus, med school is so expensive, most students go where it’s cheapest, since they will be usually facing $200K in debt for med school alone. So pick your school by price - and by where you think you will have the best chance of getting those excellent grades you will need for med school.
none of them give you a leg up. No college does. As Amherst says
It’s up to you to study hard, get to know profs for good recs, take part in research and med-related ECs. Read thru thru the very informative pages at https://www.rhodes.edu/content/health-professions-advising-hpa on the “PreMed Essentials” link. There is also a good handbook at https://www.amherst.edu/campuslife/careers/act/gradstudy/health/guide and no doubt many other websites, as well as books.
The real question to address at this point is not what college, but why an M.D? Have you looked into the medical field and considered the alternatives? From the day you start college it will be 11-15 years before you are a practicing doctor. Its almost a reflex action among HS kids, they think of a career in medicine and its “I’m pre-med!” Doctors are far from the only ones in the health field that help people. Physical therapists, radiology techs, nurses, speech pathologists, physician assistants, to name but just a few. Unless you’ve considered the alternatives and have spent time actually working in a health care setting (which is an unofficial 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.