<p>Hey guys and girls,
I'd like to first start by saying that my brother got into both of these schools with the intention of going into premed, and he is having a difficult time in choosing which one to attend. He points out that UIC students have a better chance of getting into UIC's medical school, but the only problem is that he has a small chance of getting into the upper end medical schools (i.e. Stanford, Northwestern, UPenn...he has high ambitions and will do his best to get in). The only problem with UIC is that it is, according to him, a tier three school and lacks the "prestige" that can give him the edge when it comes down to medical schools. He argues that UIUC has better science programs and has much more prestige, but they are not exactly known for premed, and that is why he is struggling in choosing which school to attend. As a side note, can he even get into such medical schools (Northwestern, University of Chicago, etc) if he does choose UIUC over UIC, as in do premed students at UIUC have a good shot at such schools?</p>
<p>UIUC and UIC share the same medical school, University of Illinois College of Medicine which has sites on both campuses. UIUC is the U of I’s flagship campus. Unless your brother got into the GPPA program at UIC, which guarantees acceptance into the U of I Medical School if he completes the undergrad program, he’d be better off doing his undergrad at UIUC and majoring in MCB, or Bioengineering. You will get pre-med advising at both campuses. The key to undergrad is getting outstanding grades, and obtaining a degree whose coursework best fulfills the prerequisites of most medical schools, and, more important, best prepares him to do well on the MCAT. His grades must be outstanding, as must his MCAT scores, in order to have a reasonable shot at obtaining an offer to med school. The competition is fierce with the U of I getting upwards of 8,000 applications for just 300 spots, making it the largest public medical school in the country. ExtraCurriculars are very important too. He would fare much better with a hook or two that make him stand out from the other 7,700 applicants who, while very good students, are rejected each year.</p>
<p>Here’s a link discussing pre-med at UIUC:</p>
<p><a href=“http://blog.admissions.illinois.edu/?p=776”>http://blog.admissions.illinois.edu/?p=776</a></p>
<p>The medical school at UIUC is completely administered by UIC. If accepted into the Urbana track, you will be considered to be a UIC student. UIC is a bigger research school than University of Chicago. In terms of residency, STEP scores and recommendations are a big issue. Most medical schools are pass/fail.</p>