I’ve only posted once before but I’ve been checking the forum fairly regularly for about a year. Let me just say that I’m very thankful that OPM exists. I attended last year’s conference and I am planning on attending this year’s. So it’s time for me to finally ask for some advice.
I’m 31 years old, married and have two beautiful children. I’m planning on applying in 2009 for the fall of 2010. I have been working as an electrician for over 10 years and started taking classes at night part time in 2003. I’m on the verge of graduating but I have a slight dilemma.
I recently transferred to a school with a better reputation but I probably will not be able to stay. I’ve been doing very well academically but this university does not really cater to people who have to work full time. I’ve had to return to work midway through my second semester and I don’t want to be in this position again. My previous school had very flexible schedules and is really ideal for someone in my situation. Also after attending both schools I really don’t think where I’m at now is necessarily better. In fact the university I previously attended is a smaller school where the professors spend more time actually teaching and in general are more willing to help you out. So will transferring to another university and then back look bad? I wish I would have just stayed put, but I have to admit part of me wondered if I was missing out on something, now I know I was not. So would it be better to put off graduating so I can graduate from a university with a better reputation in some people’s eyes? Or should I just graduate and apply to medical school? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Welcome
I have read over and over the Universities Rep matters to ADCOM
What I have found through my own research is that this is not the case unless it is an IVY League school.
Grades and MCAT matter way more then what university
Also in this thinking some say a perceived reputation of a University being hard or difficult matters, nope not at all from what I have seen. Many times these perceptions are from the premeds themselves not academics.
A 3.0 is a 3.0 and a 3.8 is a 3.8 from what ever accredited University in the USA ( may be a very few cases that are different but understand this is very very few). The MCAT is seen as the equalizer in this case since a 3.8 is expected to do better then 30 on the MCAT.
You need Volunteering, Patient Contact and shadowing hours also.
It’s good to go to a university rather than a community college. That’s pretty solidly established. It’s also good to go to a fancy school rather than a less fancy school, ALL THINGS BEING EQUAL, but all things are NOT equal in your case. Go to the school where you can get through the semester and keep your job, do very very very well, and go to med school.
I can echo what Denise has just said.
Cheers,
Judy