UCD or UCSB

Which school woukd be better to transfer to? I am a Biopsychology major and will have met all the pre major requirements for this major. For those who are attending either school which one is better academically I plan on going to medical school and which school would you say would give me a better chance to achieve my goals. Also for Biopsychology majors how are the upper division classes?

Neither is better than the other. Any college in the country, including these two, offers the lower-division science and math tested on the MCAT. Whether you work work for good grades, get to know some profs so you get strong recs, take part in appropriate ECs, and develop compelling essays is up to you. Both of these schools are going to give you the large impersonal college academic experience, so no edge in the “personal touch” at one and not the other.

Learn what it takes to get into med school by reading thru the very informative https://www.rhodes.edu/sites/default/files/PreMed_Essentials.pdf. There is also a good handbook at https://www.amherst.edu/campuslife/careers/gradstudy/health/guide and no doubt many other websites, as well as books. Note that coming from a CC many med schools want to see you take additional classes in the prereq areas at a 4-year college.

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? Its almost a reflex action among HS kids, they think of a career in medicine and its “I’m pre-med!” I’m not saying it isn’t the right choice for you, but you can only know that after doing your homework. 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. Spend a few hours browsing on http://explorehealthcareers.org

Unless you’ve considered the alternatives and have spent time actually working in a health care setting (which is an unwritten requirement to get into med school and a listed requirement for many others such as PA schools) its better to think of yourself as interested in exploring a career as a doctor rather than someone who has already made the decision.

If you want to go to med school, I’m going to tell you a secret: The school that you go to doesn’t matter.

No, really. My older sister went to Humboldt for her undergrad (after transferring from a cc) and she got accepted to Harvard and BU for med school.

What will really help you is close relationship with your professors (Strong recs will save you), ECs, and a lot of related experience. Both of those are good, but it will take a lot more than going to a good school to get into med school.