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What college did you go to? Did it prepare you for medical school?

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Alyssaā€™s Answer

Hi there! I went to a small liberal arts college in CA and graduated with a degree in biochemistry. I am attending medical school this fall, so I can't comment on how well it has prepared me for the medical school curriculum. However, I can comment on how my undergrad helped me have a successful medical school application!

I highly enjoyed attending a smaller school (around 5,000 undergrad students) because I was able to form relationships with my professors. Due to this, I was able to obtain strong letters of recommendation, which you need for medical school applications. There was also less competition for extracurriculars (research, volunteering) compared to a larger school. I chose my school over a UC because I highly valued smaller class sizes and I just felt more comfortable at a smaller college. However, I believe that you can reach medical school from any college as long as you work hard and seek out opportunities. I would suggest doing some self reflection and figuring out what is important to you in a college education. Your happiness is also the most important thing, so go somewhere that you will enjoy for the next four years! Make sure to enjoy college in addition to working hard studying! Good luck!
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Yaseminā€™s Answer

Hi Henry! I went to a state university, to be honest any four year degree granting college/university will help you prepare for medical school. I think being independent in college and staying on top of your coursework makes you prepared for the vigorous curriculum of medical school.It is important to take the prerequisites needed, and do well in your classes (3.7+ GPA), achieve a victorious MCAT score such as 508+, commit to extracurriculars like clinical/nonclinical volunteering and shadowing and just keep working hard! Make sure to meet up with your premed adviser and stay on top of requirements. I liked my university because it definitely had the classes I needed and the campus was comfortable, I also had the opportunity to do research and be involved with a club and have some leadership experience in addition to working as a tutor. I don't think there are specific universities that prepare you solely for medical school, however there can be certain aspects that can be helpful such as research, science and math based curriculums, activities, etc.It is important to definitely get information about colleges you are considering, however if you really stay on track to what medical school is looking for and keep working hard and show that you are ambitious any college will be a success for you in obtaining that acceptance!

Best of luck!
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Angela D.ā€™s Answer

Great question! My son went to the University of California, Davis and received dual degrees in Biology and Genetics. He felt very prepared for medical school at the University of Virginia and is currently finishing up his residency in Denver. One of the reasons he chose UCDavis was because it had a medical school and, as an undergraduate, he was able to join medically related campus-based organizations, research, activities, open presentations, etc. He also chose UCDavis because the degrees he wanted to pursue were applied vs. more theoretical. You have to balance the pros and cons of any college/university. Opportunities will vary as do majors, costs, size, location, academic quality, on/off campus housing availability, etc. Wishing you the best in your endeavors, Dr. B
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Estelleā€™s Answer

I went to a large public university with an undergrad student body of 25,000. It prepared me to medical school in that it was a competitive environment, and I had to really focus and teach myself good study skills. Other than that, nothing can prepare you for the challenges of medical school because the volume of information is so much. Just remember that everyone faces the same fears and challenges.
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Richardā€™s Answer

I went to a state university. It prepared me for the difficulty of the first two years of medical school. It helped me develop good study habits and I was prepared for the large classes and impersonal lectures.

I don't think there is anything that can prepare a student for the clinical years of medical school. The quantity of information and learning patient care is just something that has to be experienced.
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Estelleā€™s Answer

I went to the University of Texas in Austin and earned a degree in biochemistry. College prepared me by teaching me how to study and focus. Medical school is so much harder than college that it can only prepare you so far for the educational journey. My biochem degree helped for the first week of biochemistry in medical school because undergrad biochemistry was geared toward the laboratory, and medical school biochemistry is all about physiological applications. My point is that you should enjoy your college career and work really hard. Let your college set the groundwork for higher education in general.
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