What is are some quality Medical Schools?

Question

I am planning on becoming a Neonatologist or Neonatal nurse. I will attend UCCS (University of Colorado at Colorado Springs) for my first four years as an undergraduate. I live in Colorado Springs, and am wondering what are some quality Medical Schools. They don't necessarily have to be around my area, but that would help!

Answer 1

All medical schools in the US are top notch, but getting into them can be tough. Since you are going into undergrad, make sure you take the RIGHT coursework. Nursing curriculum and pre-med requirements are often different. For example, you'd have to take different versions of chemistry and biology to fulfill each track. Talking to a pre-med advisor at your college can clarify these requirements for you.

If you want to find a good school, the first things you should consider are pass rates for the USMLE (steps 1 through 3) and placement in residencies. If the school's pass rates are low and the students don't get their pick of residencies, then those are signs of bad schools.

As with picking any school, you need to consider a few things: budget and environment. How much are you willing to take out in loans? Private medical schools can leave you upwards of $200k in debt. Public schools are far cheaper. Do you like big cities? Quiet places? Do you like a more conservative or religious environment? Or something more secular or progressive?

The Princeton Review puts out a book every year reviewing med schools across America. It is worth a read. They tell you about the average MCAT score of matriculants, tuition prices, and so forth. Very useful.

Lastly, a nursing degree may be handicap for you. Not only because of the class repetition aspect, but because many med schools are interested in alleviating the nursing shortage. They will question your motives for getting a degree in nursing (i.e., "Why did you train to be a nurse if you really wanted to be a doctor?"), or at least try to keep you in the profession by not admitting you.

At the very least, the instant money that can be made in nursing is a strong distraction from the mounds and mounds of debt you rack up in med school. You can graduate with a BSN and hit the ground running with salaries of $70k starting plus signing bonuses. Or you can devote ten to fifteen years of your life to studying medicine, and come out $200k in debt.

Answer 2

I don't know about your area, but Dartmouth is a great medical school. It's in New Hampshire though. Good Luck

Answer 3

University of Michigan has a good med school and they have a very good research hospital on campus.