# Med School: Undergraduate Degree from Big vs. Small University?



## SilverScorpio17 (Nov 13, 2009)

*Undergraduate Degree: Big vs. Small University?*

I figured it would be nice to ask everyone here too, since I already asked everyone I could offline. 

If you're planning on going to medical school, is it better to go to a top tier university instead of a "normal" university? I've heard most people say that you just need to keep up your grades, get a high score on the MCAT, and volunteer a lot. 

I was looking into Southwestern Univ (liberal arts), University of Houston (normal), or Texas A&M (top tier). At UH, I'll be in the Honors College to sort of show that I'm more serious about college. If I want to be either an anesthesiologist or psychiatrist, would it be better to go to UH or A&M (not factoring in costs and location)? I think I'd get a lot higher grades at UH, but I want to be fully prepared for med school.

Any input is appreciated. =]


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## Solace (Jan 12, 2010)

I'm not a doctor but I've had several friends go through various programs at various schools.

However, you don't seem quite certain about what it is you want to do. An anesthesiologist and psychiatrist can take you down very different paths career-wise so it might be best for you to go to the best school you can to allow yourself the option later to decide once you've finalized your opinion.

Also, any medical school that you later go to after getting your bachelor's is going to want to see how you went above and beyond the basic pre-med courses you took during your first four years. A generic liberal arts major is not going to cut it if you want to attend an even remotely prestigious medical school. I would suggest loading up on as many science courses as you can (probably two courses per semester after your Freshman year) and proving your aptitude that way. Biology, biochem, organic chemistry, and lots of generic chemistry should be your focus until you graduate. As well, calculus will be a necessity for even the most basic chemistry courses, so if you can get a head start on calculus (or calc II) now, that would put you ahead of the curve.

Good luck in school.


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## SilverScorpio17 (Nov 13, 2009)

Spades said:


> I'm not a doctor but I've had several friends go through various programs at various schools.
> 
> However, you don't seem quite certain about what it is you want to do. An anesthesiologist and psychiatrist can take you down very different paths career-wise so it might be best for you to go to the best school you can to allow yourself the option later to decide once you've finalized your opinion.
> 
> ...


Well, both of them require medical school. So I already know I want to go to medical school. I guess it would be good to go to a better college in case I don't get accepted anywhere. I'm either double majoring in Biology and Psychology or minoring in Psych. I'm pretty sure about anesthesiology, but I don't want to totally kick out the option of psychiatry until I've been through a year or two in college.

I already got AP credit for Calculus I, and I'm taking AP Calculus BC right now (taking the exam this May). Most of the science courses you listed are required for Pre-med. Anyway, taking as many honors science courses I can is probably a good idea. 

Thanks.


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## lalalalalalalala (Apr 4, 2010)

SilverScorpio17 said:


> I figured it would be nice to ask everyone here too, since I already asked everyone I could offline.
> 
> If you're planning on going to medical school, is it better to go to a top tier university instead of a "normal" university? I've heard most people say that you just need to keep up your grades, get a high score on the MCAT, and volunteer a lot.
> 
> ...


Depends on where you want to go for med school. Just do your best, get top grades wherever you go. Psychiatry is much easier to get into. And, get high MCAT score. You need to stand out. It's pretty hard to get in. My dad got into med school, but he had a PhD in organic chemistry before he went, so yeah. It wasn't really hard. Get great recommendations, and stand out in your interviews. Be polite blah. As for undergraduate, Texas A&M, though if you want to go Ivy League or Hopkins for medical school, then you have to go to Ivy League or another top (Stanford, Berkley etc.)

Good luck!


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