Medical Students and Professors...?

Question

If a person missed only one honors' class in highschool, which was freshman biology, would that affect their chances of getting accepted to a prestigious medical school, like Yale or Harvard? Let's just say that they had excellent grades and an almost perfect SAT score. Best answer gets an easy 10 points.

Answer 1

I doubt very much that your high school record account for a lot in this arena. The MCAT's trump SAT results completely, and your gpa in your first four years prior to medical school need to be at least a 3.5 to 3.8 for "prestigious schools". That's almost straight A's in very competitive classes. And you must do well on MCAT's. Why the fixation of a prestigious school? Nobody's going to look at your diploma during a doctor visit, and if they do, who cares? You're an MD. Volunteer in field of your choice (ER, internal medicine, radiology, etc.) and get a feel for what it is like to run an office and do what they do. Good luck. It's a good ambition.

Answer 2

Ridder is right; ultimately when you are in practice, people look at how well you treat them and help with their problems, not where you graduated. The only time I think it matters really is if you want to be a big-shot researcher in a prestigious medical center - then names count.

But if you are dead set on a top med school, you college records are much more important. I think when I applied to med school, they did not even ask for hs records; it's essentially inconsequential. Work on getting research/volunteer experience, getting a good GPA, good recommendations, and definitely good MCAT scores.

Answer 3

It depends on whether that medical school counts it towards their entry requirements. i.e. for the University of Melbourne, Australia, the pre-requisites are English, Chemistry and one of Math Methods, Specialist Math, or Physics. Now if you missed Biology then it will not matter to them, unless you are just around the fringe of getting in, and competing against a few hundred other people, then they would take a look at other subjects that you have taken to see whether or not you show the initiative for medicine. However, if you have taken senior biology, you should be fine.

Answer 4

In the USA, not one medical school admissions board looks at your high school record. Not a singlle one. They may say they do in thier literature, but the writers of the same literature are not those looking at your application or interviewing you. The only time it is brought up during your interview is to throw curve-balls. The best thng you can possibly do is call (do not e-mail) the admissions office of the school you are interested in directly.

BTW-your MCAT and the last 2 years of undergrad are what is scrutinized.

Answer 5

No, If you Did well thought out high School, and did that well on your SATs you should not have a problem, beyond paying for yale or Harvard. I think they are like 40,000+ a Semester

Answer 6

No - I was told I wouldn't even get into a good school without 4 years of foreign language and the 4th year of English. High GPA and SAT scores proved them incorrect. Don't worry.

Answer 7

what ever you did HS will not matter when you apply to med school. They are only interested in your MCAT score, college GPA and extracuricular work....and interview is very important also

Answer 8

Your overall highschool info will be on the med school application (meaning dates, school, and GPA). That's it. individual grades/classes have absolutely 0 bearing on med school

Answer 9

I doubt it. Medical schools are MUCH more concerned about what you do in college, not high school.

Answer 10

Stop worrying about it. If you are meant to go there you will go, don't try so hard.