Does the first university or college you attend matter when you are going to attend more than one?

Hi, Nada: we certainly need more talented doctors given the challenges our healthcare system faces these days, so I encourage you to pursue your goal. As for your question about colleges, I would encourage you not only to apply to one of the many good colleges/universities in California, but to look all across the country. To enter any medical school you will have to do very well in college, so you probably should go to the best college you can get into and that might mean going out of state. I worked at several different schools (Harvard, Duke, and Williams) and each has very good financial aid programs and equally good records of helping their graduates enter med school. In other words, don't let the cost of college prevent you from looking nationally at different schools. In other words, yes, I think it does matter where you go to college before going on to graduate school. You'll be spending four years as an undergraduate and that, in and of itself, is an experience, not just something you have to get through in order to move to the next step. Med school admissions panels are interested in candidates who are well rounded and have a variety of interests in addition to becoming a doctor. So, I would suggest you look for a college with a good health professions advising system. Small, liberal arts colleges often have very good advising, but so do some larger universities. Take a look at this page as a good example of an advising program: https://dornsife.usc.edu/pre-health/ Go to college fairs and ask about their financial aid programs and about their health professions advising. Ask your own doctor about what it takes to become a doctor and how he or she managed that career transition. The more you learn about the life you'll be leading beforehand, the better. I think you'll find that the more people you talk to the more confidence you'll have in the decision you make about college and life in general.

Hi Nada,

Congratulations on your decision to become a doctor! I worked as a medical assistant when I was attending college and the field of OB/GYN was my favorite. Getting into medical school is a competitive process and it involved many factors. Some of the big name schools like UCLA and USC may put importance on where you completed your undergraduate education, however they will also look at other factors including your grades and your experience. I would suggest attending the best college which is a comfortable fit with your budget. I would also suggest that you really apply yourself with regards to your courses and grades. You will need to have some additional experience when applying to medical school which well help you stand out from the competition. I would suggest that if you are able to work either part-time or full-time while completing your undergraduate degree that you focus on positions which are medically related, even if it is an administrative position in a hospital or doctor's office. If you are not able to work and/or have some volunteer time available I would suggest that you volunteer for local medically related events in your area such as heart fairs and health screenings. When you apply for medical school your experience in the medical field will help you stand out from the competition.

Best of luck.

I agree with Ken that if you are financing yourself then community college for the first year or two is a good way to go. They key is to make sure that if you do go down that path, you stay motivated, engaged, and at the top of your class. When colleges look at transfer students, one of the most important things they'll evaluate are your recommendation letters, so make sure you start thinking about which teachers you want to write them ASAP. If you take a pre-health course your first semester as an elective, then stay in touch with that professor so that they know you're interested in the field. And when you do transfer, look at the labs and graduate programming available at that college. While some small liberal arts colleges may be a better fit, advising-wise, if they don't have a graduate program in a pre-health/health/medical, they likely won't have the labs, programming, or faculty to get you good recommendations/experience for your medical school applications. (You can supplement for this loss, but you need to be somewhere you can get an internship/work experience like Michelle said.

What is most important is your grades. A lot of people go to a community college for the first two years, then transferring to a 4 year college to graduate with a bachelor's degree. Then they move on to another university for post-graduate degrees.

Many people place weight on which colleges are attended. An anatomy class as university a is the same as one at university b. There are quite a few university "snobs" out there, but when applying to medical school, they are going to look for the best candidate academically. There are few spaces in med school and they want people who they feel will succeed.