Will graduating from a UC or a State College yield a better chance of getting into Med School?

Question

I'm a senior in high school, and I have applied to a few state universities. My cousin, who is a graduate of UC Berkeley, says that going to a JC then transferring to a UC will yield a better chance of getting into Med School. Does anyone know if it really makes a difference, since it will be a transfer? I would really rather just go to a State than transferring to a UC.

Also, I want to get a BS in Nursing as an undergraduate. In order to get into Med School, will I be at a better advantage if I got a BS in Biology-Physiology, or a BS in Biology-Microbiology instead of Nursing?


Btw, my gpa right now is a 3.4, but that's because of some personal issues that happened in junior year. I'm pretty sure that I can earn around a 4.0 in college.

If I do go to a community college, I would like to go for two years, then transfer out to UC Davis. My top two choices for State is Sac State a

Answer 1

I'm a UC Berkeley grad. Lemme tell you what I would have done differently...

Going to a JC for those pre-med prerequisite classes is a GOOD IDEA. At Cal Berkeley, those classes are 600-700 students per class. It's hard to fight for an A and the profs don't pay much attention to you. I dyed my hair GREEN to get my bio prof to notice me (and it worked).

A UC degree has a lot more clout and cachet than a Cal State degree. YES, med schools favor UC over CSU. UC system has a much better matriculation rate into med school. the UC system expects to churn out pre-meds (and med students), and they have the counselors to coach you through the process. Pre-med is less prevalent in the CSU system, and it can be a hard and lonely trek through the apps process because they just don't send that many people to med school.

Do NOT major in nursing if you are pre-med. You will be forced to retake bio, chem, and physics. The versions of those subjects are different between nursing and pre-med.

Avoid bio majors in general. Competition is STIFF. All med schools care about (curriculum-wise) is that you completed the pre-reqs. A lot of pre-meds are bio majors, and they will fight you tooth and nail for the A. Your grades will suffer.

Instead, major in the humanities. Then focus your real brain power on the pre-reqs. This makes you look well-rounded to the admissions comms. It also cuts a lot of stress from the competition.

ADDENDUM FOR BLONDIE: yes, the MCAT must be taken prior to applying to medical school. Usually, people take it April of their 3rd year.

Answer 2

My advice: just go to the state school. I'm not a huge fan of the idea of transferring, because you get all settled in at one school, you make friends and all, and then you leave it. I think it's nicer just to find a school you're happy with right away. State schools are good, and chances are they'll be cheaper too. And I'm not a med school admissions officer or anything, but i have heard that it doesn't really matter what school you go to. they look at your gpa and your MCAT scores (you DO take the MCATS before med school, right? i know you take the LSATS before law school, but im not sure about med.) Obviously, if you went to harvard versus some really bad school, it would make a difference, but a UC versus a state school probably won't make that much of a difference, because they're only a little bit different in quality or difficulty of acceptane. You'd probably be happier at the state school, it'd be easier, and it won't hurt you in the long run. so go for that.

hope I helped. by the way, i'm sorry but I can't help you about your question about the BS. i don't think you need to worry about it now though - just ask your guidance counselor or a professor in college when it comes time to declare your major.

Answer 3

My friend started in CC, then a decent school and now he's cardiologist. Though going to those schools will improve your chances drastically. But it is possible without them. As long as you have the vision and drive you'll be OK. Get in a good school just to be safe. Good luck