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I know getting into medical school is very competitive; generally is it better to go to a "lesser" undergraduate school and excel or is is better to go to a prestigious school and wind up in the middle of the pack?
It's a difficult decision to make, especially when you factor in cost, and scholarship availability in the more competitive schools. I have been going back and forth about trying to get into a more prestigious school for my undergraduate degree, realizing that I'll also have continuing costs through medical school, versus going to, for example, a smaller state school which might offer a handsome scholarship now. #medicine #medicine-school #medicine-education
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Yasemin’s Answer
Hi Delaney, to be honest if you are a hardworking student with good credentials, you can get into medical school. Yes medical school is very competitive and many students, myself included, reapply however your application goes beyond what college you go to. State schools are cheaper, and it is really dependent on the student and their success; you need to maintain good grades and a good GPA- 3.7+, along with a stellar MCAT score-508+. There can be variations such as a high GPA can compensate for a lower MCAT score and vice versa. In addition you want to be a well-rounded applicant and therefore you need to shadow a physician, take part in volunteering both clinically such as in a local hospital or clinic, and non-clinically like in your community. There are great volunteering opportunities on campus and it's important to find what fits you and what you like to do, it is not about checking off boxes but showing ambition and growth from these experiences- so definitely quality not quantity. The clinical opportunities and shadowing a physician allows you to work with patients and get a glimpse of the reality of what it means to be a doctor! In addition I would recommend to keep up with your premed adviser and check out AAMC.org, they give great information for students pursuing the medical field. Just keep working hard and be ambitious and one day you will be a doctor!
Best of luck!
Take part in volunteering
Check out AAMC.org
Speak with premed adviser
Ace the MCAT and have a good gpa
Best of luck!
Yasemin recommends the following next steps:
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Rachel’s Answer
I agree with the above answer. GPA must be as high as possible. That being said, you must going to a school that is reasonably well-respected with a good history of getting students accepted into med school. I went to UT in Austin. It provided a great balance of making it possible to get an A but also having an excellent record of graduating students becoming doctors.
Benjamin Larsen
Physician at Seeking Next Opportunity--New Career Position
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Benjamin’s Answer
What school would provide the best environment to excel? Go there.
All medical schools look for academic and extracurricular excellence.
All medical schools look for academic and extracurricular excellence.
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Estelle’s Answer
In my opinion it is better to have a high GPA at whatever college you choose. You also want to go to a college to prepare you to do well on the MCAT. When choosing your university, you should pick a college that has a good acceptance rate into medical school. Good luck!