aaron313
Headphoneus Supremus
- Joined
- Mar 14, 2008
- Posts
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Quote:
Grades = very nice, biggest component of app. Your ACT score leaves something to be desired, if you truly want to have your choice of any school. If you are trying to apply to undergrad in California, then your scores need to be superior to the instate stats. Yes, UCLA and UCSD have great med programs, but you are soooooo far from that right now. Many people want to go to med school, but they pick the wrong undergrad school, and the wrong major. First, for med school, you need VERY good grades. You could go to a top school, pick the easiest major, and take the requisite premed courses. You'll need math, chem, o-chem, physics, bio. Yes, that is a large number of classes. But if you think you are med school material, then you can handle those classes in addition to, say, a communications degree. Anything to keep the GPA comfortably above 3.5, I'd say. Now, if you go to an "easier" school, then perhaps you could try a typical premed major, like MCB. If you roll through all the AP classes with general ease, and can score high on the SAT, then perhaps you could pick a tough major at a top school. But on the road to med school, you need to maximize the A's, and minimize everything else, yet nail down all the MCAT stuff. I have seen some awfully smart, hardworking students have their med school dreams get crushed after the first chem midterm...
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| Originally Posted by arnoldsoccer4 /img/forum/go_quote.gif So headfi I have been gone for a while but come seeking advice. I am going into next year a senior in high school. I have had straight a's in honors and ap courses, and am pretty high up in class rank (top 5% don't know specifics). I got a 32 on my act. From what I have been told I can go pretty much wherever I want. (Can anyone verify this?) I am looking to become an Emergency Room doctor or anesthesiologist (if you have any other recommendations, please say so). I am currently in Illinois and am looking for colleges. I am looking to go somewhere warm hopefully. I lived in San Diego for 2 years and loved it, and apparently UCLA and UCSD have great medical programs. So the question really is where should I go and how should I do things. Should I go to a college around UCLA for premed, and then go into UCLA at in-state tuition? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. |
Grades = very nice, biggest component of app. Your ACT score leaves something to be desired, if you truly want to have your choice of any school. If you are trying to apply to undergrad in California, then your scores need to be superior to the instate stats. Yes, UCLA and UCSD have great med programs, but you are soooooo far from that right now. Many people want to go to med school, but they pick the wrong undergrad school, and the wrong major. First, for med school, you need VERY good grades. You could go to a top school, pick the easiest major, and take the requisite premed courses. You'll need math, chem, o-chem, physics, bio. Yes, that is a large number of classes. But if you think you are med school material, then you can handle those classes in addition to, say, a communications degree. Anything to keep the GPA comfortably above 3.5, I'd say. Now, if you go to an "easier" school, then perhaps you could try a typical premed major, like MCB. If you roll through all the AP classes with general ease, and can score high on the SAT, then perhaps you could pick a tough major at a top school. But on the road to med school, you need to maximize the A's, and minimize everything else, yet nail down all the MCAT stuff. I have seen some awfully smart, hardworking students have their med school dreams get crushed after the first chem midterm...
