I understand that but with COVID lots of programs aren’t running like hospitals aren’t taking volunteers and you can’t go in person to volunteer in the community.
I’m a sophomore with a 3.4gpa which I know isn’t competitive. But, I have time to take more classes to continue to improve it. I have very good extra circulars it’s just that I’m going through a lot at my college and I’m just seeing what my options are in regards to transferring.
At my LAC I’m aware of what is offered and that’s why I want to leave. It’s very hard to be a non science major pre med. My advisor told me not to do it so that’s why I have to do bio( I couldn’t even major in psych).
To piggyback on Blossom’s excellent post, there are no “bad” med schools in the US. The admissions process is very competitive at all Med Schools in the US. Blossom is right, the MCAT and Med school admissions process has changed. Behavioral and social science is now part of the MCAT and considered in admissions because we were graduating doctors who had no skills when it came to interacting with patients.
Some people have different trajectories to med school. There are many med school students who are taking breaks to do other things before applying/attending med school.
I currently work with a science teacher who is attending med school in the fall after having taught 8th/9th-grade science for four years.
One of my nieces is attending med school this year after doing a Post bac at Columbia (in addition to getting an MS in bioethics) and working at a non-profit working with women who are ELLs with Hormonal Disorders, and Women’s Health. Both will be attending what you perceive to be “top” schools.
One of the things in NYS there are 5 public med schools: SUNY Upstate, SUNY Downstate, UB, Stony Brook, and CUNY).
The opportunity to get free med school tuition is a good thing. Remember, when it comes to Med school admissions, while the pool may not be wide, the talent is deep.
Boo- I would hate ecological bio also, so I am truly sympathetic. I’ve tried to point out though that you could major in psych, take chem, bio and math (which you’ve already done) and create your own Neuro program. There is nothing magical about the neuro title- it’s a discipline that studies the brain and it falls under a lot of different labels. I know an applied math major who never took a single neuro related course in college who is now working in the neuro area at a drug company.
I’m not trying to discourage you from transferring- your college doesn’t sound like a good fit. I AM trying to encourage you to use the resources available to you right now- your advisor, the pre-med counseling office, your current professors- to make sure you are well situated where you land. That means NOT just transferring… but also knowing exactly what you need to do inside and outside of the classroom to be a successful med school applicant, understanding the kind of academic support you might need down the road, etc. Don’t think that just because you’re in Florida or you’re on a campus with many more POC’s your experience is going to be magic and unicorns… I’m trying to help you NOT make mistake number 2.
And a premed advisor who doesn’t get kids into Stanford Med, but gets lots of kids into U Conn, BU, SUNY Downstate, etc. is someone I’d be paying close attention to…
That’s really true like med school isn’t all about gpa anymore too. Like ofc u need to do well in your classes but they’re applicants with 4.0 gpas that can’t get into med school( my advisor told me this) that’s why LACs have grown in popularity for med school, but as someone who currently attends one it’s not what many may think in MY opinion.
Bc of my terrible experiences at my LAC I’m involved in many activities serving underserved communities and the students of color on my campus. But, a person can only take so much…that’s why I want to leave to focus on building my gpa and building upon my advocacy work. I just don’t feel the support at my current institution.
Being a pre-med at a top LAC can be brutal due to just the grade deflation alone. Add to that the dysfunction in your school’s science dept. Add to that the discrimination and isolation you have had to face due to your race. The whole thing sounds very demoralizing, and it makes sense you are planning to transfer. This is not something you have arrived at lightly. I am not familiar with schools on the East Coast, so can’t help you at all with suggestions similar to the Florida school you mention. The school that does come to my mind is nothing like east coast public universities, instead it is Xavier University of Louisiana. I have no idea, however, if you are at all interested in HBCUs. But they do have an incredible atmosphere, and an outstanding medical school placement rate. And for a private university, they are affordable. Whatever you decide I am wishing you the best of luck. Fit really does matter, and your current school is not helping you shine.
I’m trying to explain that it’s sounds like a Neuro major but it’s actually not. They don’t have the reasources to teach actual Neuro and to run Neuro labs. So it’s just extremely hard exams without teaching you the foundations of Neuro. I’m not going to set myself up to fail and make my gpa even worse.
Yes, I understood that. My comment was purely technical. A neuroscience major exists, by name, at your school. Threads can become sloppy if people post under different sets of assumptions.
Has spring semester started for you already? I am trying to clarify whether you are looking to transfer now, or transfer for fall term, or maybe whether you are taking a gap semester. In any case, wishing you all the best.
Maybe others will disagree but THIS is not true. My father was a physician and full professor at an Ivy medical school and he often mentioned how non-science applicants did very well in med school admissions. Once the pre-requisites are completed you’re free to major in any subject.
Something to keep in mind regardless of where you end up going to college.
Did you take standardized tests as a high school student? These can be useful for matching yourself to a college at which you might place at, say, the ~75th percentile by this statistic.
I meant at my school. This whole thread is about my current college, which has its issues that doesn’t apply to all colleges. Once I became aware of that I realized I need to transfer.
My hs gpa was a 4.2 and my act was good I forgot the score but it was very competitive to get me into my current school. Plus I did well on subject exams 790 on Sat math 2. I just didn’t understand the college application systems and what to really look for in a school for pre med😭
I agree I’m not trying to bash my school bc everyone has diff experiences. But I don’t think it’s a good fit for a lower income student of color like myself. It’s very isolating and not supportive for students like me. But u can do pre med anywhere like someone said above u will do well at a school you feel happy/ comfortable in. But this is a lesson learned and just apart of my journey to medicine
Here are the top 10 universities/colleges for sending AA students to med school:
Howard University
University of Florida, Gainesville
Georgia State, Atlanta
Xavier University of Louisiana
University of Central Florida
University of Texas, Austin
University of Maryland, College Park
Rutgers University
Spelman College
University of Georgia
USF is around #15-16 on the list and had 69 AA applicants for med school last year. (For comparison, XULA had 108).
I recommend you take a close look at Xavier University of Louisiana.
Xavier University of Louisiana (XULA) has a excellent STEM program and is a major pipeline for sending AA students to med school. XULA also has a neuroscience major.