Just thought I’d say, “Hello” to let you guys know I’m in the this circus too. It’s interesting to see all the different arenas that we’ve all been in and to see where we want to go.
After 7 years out of College, I’m going to go back to get my prereqs for medical school. It’s interesting to see how childhood dreams seem to fade but new ones come to play.
But I did have several questions that I didn’t see answered here on the boards.
Are certain medical schools better than others? Particularly in GA…the big three are Mercer, Emory, MCG.
Does volunteer service have to be in the clinical/medical field?
Are medical schools truly “that” hard to get into?
Do medical schools require you to be on campus or can you commute?
I’m sure I’ll have more questions later, and I’m sure I will be cataloging this journey with you guys as well. But I am excited, nervous, broke, determined, and absolutely motivated beyond measure to better myself and my family.
First I want to say “hi!” Welcome to the circus, as you so lovingly called it. Smile. I can not answer the majority of your questions, but I do know that medical school is competitive, and no admissions process is cookie cutter: admissions are highly personal. Also, you can commute to medical school. I’d venture to say a good amount of med school students live off-campus.
1. Though it's a most pervasive cliche, the best med school is the one you get into. Totally agree!
2. It should be. Adcoms want to see that you know what you're getting into, what patient care is like, etc...
3. Yes. Allopathic medical schools are extremely difficult to get into. Yeah, they are not too forgiving about past academic mistakes. With osteopathic schools, you can replace a bad grade with a better grade, upping your GPA...all your grades are still noted on your AACOMAS application, but not factored into your GPA...YEAH!
1. Are certain medical schools better than others? Particularly in GA...the big three are Mercer, Emory, MCG.
Agree with the comment above this one - the best med school is the one you get into. You can get some idea of "stats" - average GPA and MCAT of matriculants - by reading the Medical Schools Admissions Requirements book published by AMCAS. (should be available at a college library)
In reply to:
2. Does volunteer service have to be in the clinical/medical field?
NO. Volunteer service shows your dedication to service. Medicine is a service field. Many people DO volunteer service in a medicine-related field because they can "kill two birds with one stone." Service is one "bird," and "knowing what medicine is all about" is the second "bird."
In reply to:
3. Are medical schools truly "that" hard to get into?
About 1/3 of applicants get into medical school. When you look at stats for an individual school, you'll find that hard to believe. At GWU, they received 10,000 applications and matriculated about 150 people. The thing is, most of us applied to way more than one school. So while no school has a great acceptance percentage, the fact that the average med school applicant applies to 15-20 schools is what yields the 1/3 statistic.
In reply to:
4. Do medical schools require you to be on campus or can you commute?
I am not aware of a single medical school that requires you to live on campus. Some will have guidelines about how far away you can live, with an eye toward how long it will take you to get to your clinical assignments.
The “better”-ness of different schools also depends on what you are looking for. For example, you mentioned the commuting aspect. At some schools, all lectures are posted on line as .wmv files that you can watch like you were there, though when it is convenient for you. I had classmates who never went to class the first two years. For some, this may be an important aspect, for others, they may be looking for a strong international program, or a dual degree MD/MPH…the priorities that different applicants have is varied.
I appreciate the responses guys. Just filled out the Fafsa and am trying to get into school for the fall, but that doesn’t seem likely right now. The deadline is the first of July, but I’ll keep you guys posted.