Jimena
What are some good schools to become a doctor?
#doctor #college #technology #medicine
4 answers
Chris Violet
Chris’s Answer
There are many excellent schools in the U.S. that you can attend to become an M.D. If you are looking at rankings based on Medical Schools I would recommend reviewing US News, they often rank Colleges, here is the link:
https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-medical-schools/research-rankings
The question that I would be asking though first is what are majoring in for your BA / BS and where are you attending school? I would recommend looking for a school that has an undergraduate major that interests you and then see if they offer a Med School. I would not recommend majoring in Pre-Med as this does not offer you a fall back plan and you fall in with everyone else that only majors in Pre-Med. Med School is very competitive and you may not be accepted into your first choice but completing yoru Pre-Med requisites and completing a different major allows you more options and makes you a better candidate. I would recommend speaking with a college advisor or counselor to determine what options the specific school offers as some schools may have a BS - MD program. If you are familiar with the campus, it can help your transition from Undergrad to MD much easier. Additionally, some schools will give preference to students that completed their Undergrad with them and are applying to their med school as well. Again, you are familiar with the campus and you are familiar with the pace of the school.
I worked in the medical industry for 17 years. There are many high profile medical schools here in the US but so many are very competitive. I feel one of the key approaches is to find a school offers pre med courses. Some of the smaller profile schools are less competitive and once you are in the medical school, you can do internships at more prestigious sights. the key is to get into medical school where ever you can and get advisement on path to enter into more high profile environments. I agree with the above statements around undergrad to medical schools.
Clay Downing
Dan Swart
Dan’s Answer
To add to Chris's response, There are great Med Schools in every state! But I don't know that it is really critical that you attend the same school for undergrad as well as Med School. In my experience, med schools like to have a diverse class. When I applied, I found the schools were interested in recruiting people with varying undergrad degrees from a variety of schools. As Chris said, you may be better off with a degree outside of "Pre-Med" or Zoology/Biology. If you go with a Pre-Med / zoology degree that puts you in a category with probably 80% of the people who apply. So your resume may not stand out, even if your grades and MCAT scores are good.
It is very important that you do research on the Med schools that interest you, and prepare accordingly for those schools. My personal advise for your undergrad decision isn't just the school, but to carefully select the degree as well. If you go into a STEM field other than biology, like engineering, math, physics or chemistry, you may stand out in the field of applicants. But be sure to look at the MCAT exam sections and minimum requirements for application to be sure you are preparing for them as you move forward with your undergraduate degree and experience.
Here is a good article from Georgetown on classes needed to move forward with a medical degree. https://www.georgetowncollege.edu/four-year-plan-medical-school
And another from Berkeley: https://career.berkeley.edu/Medical/PrepPrereq
Note that, while these schools tell you the base classes you need, you should be able to substitute different levels of those classes if they achieve the same end. As an example, Chemistry and Physics classes for Engineering may be taught at a higher level than those required for a Biology degree. They should also qualify you for moving forward and may help you stand out in the application process.
Most importantly, do your research and talk to people who have experience and can help guide you as you move forward!
u should get a good school so you can be a gooooooood doctor!
Mauricio
Judy Flanagan
Judy’s Answer
Hi Jimena,
It depends on what specialty you think you might be interested in. General Practice, Dentist, Internist, Cardiologist, Podiatrist, etc. etc. etc. I live in Atlanta, GA and Emory University is one of the best in the country. And, the CDC (Center for Disease Control) is here and they hire doctors. Johns Hopkins University is another good one. My uncle was a brain surgeon.
Judy recommends the following next steps:
jimena u are a good person so u can go to college any one u want
Jose
Richard A.
Richard’s Answer
In the US, to apply to medical school, you need a bachelor's degree. Any 4-year university should suffice.
Pick a major that interests you so you don't mind devoting a majority of your hours to studying. You will need to get good grades in college in order to apply for medical school. At the medical school I attended, the average GPA is reported to be 3.85, so even one or two B's can hurt your chances of acceptance.
Any medical school to which you are accepted will give you the education you need to become a great physician.
I chose state universities for both college and medical school to save money.
If you want to do research and pursue a career in academic medicine, you might consider an elite private university such as Harvard, John Hopkins or Stanford.