Jelou
Do you have to get accepted to a famous university to get into medical school?
I will be applying to universities this year, and I plan to go to medical school. #college #medicine
3 answers
William Cox, M.D.
William’s Answer
No. What Medical Schools look at is your overall performance both academically and in growth as a person. Today they are more interested in the breadth of your education rather than you took 80 plus hours in science out of 124 credit hours. They are looking at a well educated and rounded person. You can acquire that at Harvard, The Ohio State University or Juniata College. Because you went to an Ivy League School does not mean you are going to be a excellent medical student nor a great physician. It does however have a great deal to do with your development as a human being both academically and personally.
Richard A.
Richard’s Answer
There are plenty of good colleges and medical schools. In general if you are interested in research, you may want to look at the more elite private institutions, but if you are interested in clinical practice, a state university may offer the best value.
The most important factors in predicting acceptance to medical schol are grades and MCAT scores
Joe LaFerriere
Joe’s Answer
The easy answer is "It Depends".
Your undergraduate program and the emphasis on the requirements for Medical School are important. I managed a Medical School scholarship program and while the school was a factor, the overall curriculum was just as important. While in pre-med programs you need to position yourself through internships and clerkship's geared towards the schools you are interested in. Also realize that applying to MD versus DO schools will make a difference.
Highly recommend you do some volunteer work at charitable organizations or hospitals and learn from the physicians on staff. Learning from their experience can help you avoid the "mistakes" they may have made.