<p>Hi everyone I am a frantic senior trying to make a decision.</p>
<p>I love UChicago, but here's the thing. I don't know much about the premed program, and I feel like I am walking into a dark alley. </p>
<p>I know that GPA is more deflated, but what is the average?</p>
<p>How is the medical advising compared to UPenn's? I know UPenn is very pre-professional. How does Chicago fare in comparison?</p>
<p>How is the level of medical research amongst the premed undergrads?</p>
<p>Does anyone personally know anyone, or know any statistics of people who have gotten into the top med schools such as Harvard, Johns Hopkins, Penn, etc.? </p>
<p>Is there anything else you can tell me that will sway my decision?</p>
<p>Generally, it looks like advising for pre-meds and exit outcomes is fairly good at UChicago. Average MCAT of 33.5 for current students was higher than Princeton’s. A smaller number of UChicago grads go to medical school, so this could cut both ways - maybe a tighter knit community, but also maybe a smaller general network.</p>
<p>Overall, though, current data seems to indicate that Penn and UChicago are pretty comparable for pre-med. UChicago also has most likely matched most peers in terms of grade inflation (save for a few schools that hyper-inflate, like Brown and Yale). Again, overall, it looks like choosing based on fit is your best course of action.</p>
<p>GPA deflation is over exaggerated. Over half graduate with honors which is a 3.25. Classes are hard, or rather rigorous, but I think students compensate for that and the A’s are not quite as rare as one may think them to be.</p>
<p>The pre-med advising is fantastic. I’ve spoken about it before but I guess I’ll say it again. There is a team of 4 people in the office (and a charming secretary!) who are truly dedicated to and passionate about helping pre-medical students really “explore” the medical field. When it comes to course selection, MCAT, etc., they’ve got it down. But the advising and exploration is what makes UCIHP stand out. UCIHP emphasizes all dimensions of healthcare, not just the standard physician route. They have additional tracks and opportunities for those who are interested in the doctor-patient relationship, those who are interested in health policy, those who are passionate about the social context of medicine, and many more. They also have dynamic relationships with the Bucksbaum Institute, which strive to improve and explore clinical relationships, and many, many, many employers and medical systems. </p>
<p>Another note about the advisers: they are there to help you be a successful candidate for medical schools. But more importantly, they make your pre-medical journey tailored to your interests. They help pull your passions out to learn how they may apply to healthcare. Also, they are just the nicest people I have ever met. Their office is like a shining paradise complete with bacteria plush dolls and an infinite bowl of candy.</p>
<p>Research is everywhere. Almost every 1st year premed I know is working in a lab. Professors and doctors (or rather physician-scientists as they like to be referred as) are very welcoming to engaged, curious undergraduates. UCIHP also organizes a special research program, the Katen Scholars, to support those who are interested in a summer research commitment.</p>
<p>Uchicago doesn’t publish the statistics of where everyone goes so I can’t comment on that.</p>
<p>If I sound like I’m too biased, it is because I know nothing of UPenn’s premed experience. I can only vouch for Uchicago.</p>
<p>You asked a very important question. As a pre-med here, I can say with confidence that this is the most important question you should answer when making the decision. Far more important than MCAT or GPA averages. In order to excel at UChicago, you have to really love the Core. “I am okay with the Core” won’t cut it. Ask yourself: which curriculum do I like more, Penn’s much more pre-professional curriculum, or UChicago’s Core? It really comes down to your personal preference and fit, and your answer to this question should guide you in making the final decision.</p>
<p>I personally prefer Chicago’s intellectualism to Penn’s professionalism, but since med school is the dream, I’m just worried that I might not be exposed to the same resources. Penn is reputable for sending its premeds to decent/prestigious med schools whereas UChicago doesn’t seem to release any of this information publicly.</p>
<p>It is a dilemna because I really do prefer Chicago as an academic institution but I also deeply care about my career path.</p>
<p>Although those statistics are released, I don’t think anyone would deny that Chicago is sending students to top medical schools. And I don’t think that Chicago’s “intellectualism” necessitates a lack of “pre-professionalism”. Chicago, nowadays at least, fosters a strong pre-professional environment within the grander umbrella of “intellectualism”.</p>
<p>From all the info released by UChicago, it appears that its students do very well with med school applications. Of note, students have great opportunities for research, there is no grade deflation, and they tend to extremely well on the MCAT. </p>
<p>For all these reasons, it appears that UChicago and UPenn are pretty comparable in terms of med school success for its undergraduate population.</p>
<p>Not sure how informed the other posters are about deflation here. It definitely exists, especially in the honors-level courses, many of which have worse grade distributions than do regular classes, which becomes even worse when accounting for how much smarter the kids in those honors classes are. That being said, if your goal is to get a high GPA, it can definitely be done by shying away from those classes. Deflation here is avoidable, but it certainly exists.</p>
<p>Empirical: That’s certainly true, but anyone thinking about taking an honors level class at the University of Chicago - a class that goes well beyond the basal requirements for med school - shouldn’t also expect an environment of significant grade inflation or ease. Each pre med student needs to tailor his/her schedule to his/her goals and aspirations.</p>
<p>I’ve been desperately trying to find statistics on UChicago students that have gotten into the top med schools (Harvard, Hopkins, Stanford, etc) but have come up empty handed. If any current students can share with me some people they know that have had success in med school placement I’ll be sold.</p>
<p>@empirical do you know any current/past premed students that have gotten into top tier med schools…? Could you give me some examples? I hate to be prying like this but decision day is coming up and med school is the dream.
How tough is it to get above a 3.7? I know it’s hard to judge but I have 4.0 in high school, A/A+ in all AP/honors science classes, 800s in physics, chemistry, math II, u.s. history, 2360 SAT, etc. thanks</p>
<p>^what scares me is thats like everyone at chicago (pretty much the same as me except i took the bio SAT II instead of physics) and the average is still around a 3.3…</p>
<p>However, I chose Chicago because, while I want to be a doctor, I also like the breadth of knowledge you get from the core. If that’s your thing, then you should join me. If not, then maybe you should go to Penn. But I don’t think Penn’s grade inflation is much higher than Chicago’s</p>
<p>As that portion of the doc demonstrates: 8 UChicago graduates are at Hopkins Med; 10 UPenn graduates are at Hopkins Med; 9 Dartmouth graduates are at Hopkins Med; and 9 Brown graduates are at Hopkins Med.</p>
<p>Seems like all of these numbers indicate that these schools are peers when it comes to med school placement. UChicago seems to do just fine, and I again doubt current rumors of grade deflation. Be savvy about your course selection, if you’re really that worried about it.</p>
<p>UChicago: 10 students represented
Brown: 6 students represented
UPenn: 16 students represented
Dartmouth: 9 students represented</p>
<p>Again - everything looks roughly equal. If you like UChicago, you should go there (unless you get into one of the super-elites like Harvard or Yale. Then, perhaps, the analysis could change).</p>
<p>THANK YOU SO MUCH. this makes my decision sooo much easier. I absolutely love Chicago but med school was the dream. AHHHHH you have helped me so much!!!</p>
<p>Extremelyfat: Great! Work hard and be strategic with your course selection (if med school is your dream), and you should be extremely well positioned down the road. Enjoy your time in Hyde Park!</p>
<p>Don’t worry. A 3.7 is definitely doable, but you’ll have to pick classes well for sure. As a first-year student with comparatively lower stats (2300/35/3.9 in highschool), I’ve gotten a ~3.8-3.9 through two quarters here. That being said, I’ve only begun taking major classes (econ), and I’m in the honors sequence right now. Students are incredibly smart and I’m a standard deviation below the mean for problem sets. According to the professor, only 1 or 2/50 kids get As outright (90%+), but he usually brings the A threshold to the low 80s range. Regardless, that’s extremely difficult to achieve. In my non-honors calc class, though, I probably averaged somewhere in the low 70s and still got an A. If you’re as smart as your highschool stats indicate, you shouldn’t have too much of a problem doing well in non-honors courses, and you could possibly add in a couple difficult honors courses and still meet your 3.7 goal.</p>
<p>If you like UChicago more, I say go for it. I absolutely love it here, and would pick it over Penn’s CAS in a heartbeat. If you weren’t as smart as your highschool stats indicate, though, I’d advise you to go elsewhere (only if you feel like you’d have a real desire to take the harder courses here). Given that you are smart as you are, I think UChicago’s definitely best. In terms of pre-med students, I’ve definitely heard of a lot of them achieving great success and getting into top med schools. I’ve also heard that our pre-med advising is top notch, so I wouldn’t worry on that front.</p>