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December 1st, 2008 
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Your years of college have prepared you for a career in medicine. Now it’s time to find the right medical school. The choosing of a medical school can be one of the most important decisions you make for your future. It may determine the path of your entire medical career. Here are a few things to consider when choosing a medical school.
Obviously you want a school that has a great reputation, one that scores high on rankings of medical schools and is known to produce quality doctors. But there is much more to a school than just reputation. Know what kind of medicine you want to practice and find out if the schools you are considering have a reputation for quality education in that kind of medicine. Are you more interested in medical research or direct care of patients? You need a school that has a similar philosophy. If you are not happy at a school or it is not providing you what you need, it will be very difficult for you to complete the program in a reasonable amount of time, if at all. If this happens, you could be wasting valuable years that you will need to become a doctor. Even if you are in the greatest program in the country, your reputation will not benefit if you fail to finish.
You also want to be realistic about where you are likely to be accepted. Time is of the essence, and you don’t want to waste time researching and applying to schools that are unlikely to take you on. Any listing of top medical schools will show you the MCAT scores and GPAs required for acceptance, and the average scores of accepted students. Take these statistics into consideration when deciding where you will apply.
Consider the physical location of the school. You will spend many years in your pursuit of a medical career, and you want to be sure you spend those years in a tolerable location. Medical school can be taxing and challenging, and your physical environment must be one that is pleasant to you if you are going to give yourself the maximum chance to succeed.
Consider the cost of the school. Medical school can be a financial drain as well as an emotional one. Be sure you can afford whatever schools you are considering attending. Be sure you will be able to get the loan you need to pay for that school, if necessary. If you will be in residence near the school and away from your home, consider the cost of living expenses as well.
Most of us know some medical professionals, whether they are friends, relatives, or the family doctor. Consult with them as to the best path to take in regards to medical school. They are sure to have some helpful suggestions and may think of things to ask yourself when you are deciding that you had not even considered.
Your medical school choice will decide your future for many years to come. Don’t leave this decision to chance. Use the tips above to make the most informed choice possible and give yourself the best opportunity for a prosperous medical career.
Watch the video related to medical schools
“Superhighway of Tasty Sugary Treats to Energetic Feats, Phase 1″ Medical School can be boring… Music keeps us sane. This is a friggin’ funny video of a song about Glycolysis! And some stuff about Michael Jackson. And the sun. And uhh… like pirates or something…
Help answer the question about medical schools
About Author
Review more industry related articles by Craig Berger at CareersandEducation.com. Craig Berger is a feature writer and often covers topics related to Campus degree programs and Career Advice.
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how many caribbeans are there?
hahaha so my favorite part was at 0:57 where you see the guys playing frisbee and one is hopping around all happy…then it cuts to your face and you look sooooo saaaaaadddd haha
hahah.
i am in university of west indies trinidad final yr med school on a break.. i totaally enjoyed that movie clip..
wow that was cool
no buddy! I did it…. Just get your G.E. courses out of the way and then transfer 2 a University. U can declare your major at a 2year college and then go on 2 the college that best fits you. If your Pre-med like I was then tell the counselor that you want to be and he or she will give u the courses you need 2 take and tell u the GPA u must have 2 transfer and how many unit course hrs u need 2 transfer 2 a university. I did it and Im in the army and got a wife and 2 year old. You’ll be fine.
Mo baby, come on! Look at the top 20 medical schools many are public institutions. Also, your question really varies with what kind of physician or surgeon you want to become. For example, if you wish to be a neurosurgeon at Harvard and then do research at the Howard Hugh Medical Center at NIH -yes it helps to be the best of the best. However, if you wish to be a family practice physician in eastern Montana then there are tonnes of underserved communities awaiting you and your skills.
The experience I had was the lesser students often went to the private medical schools. Ironically they then became disporportionately sub specialists to pay off their larger loans. The better applicants took the spots at the public med schools (IT WAS CHEAPER).
Most of the applicants just want to get into a medical school, but for those with multiple acceptances price became a secondary item of notice.
Just remember my friend its often what you get out of yourself and not what others put into you that yields the better doctor. Also, you know what they call the guy who graduates last from medical school….doctor.
Somehow this relieves my doubts about going to medical school.
Thanks.
It depends on what you mean by 'too old' – obviously there are people having kids when they are much older (though personally I think having kids at 60 is not really thinking of your children). Think about your reasons why before you plan this.
I had my son midway through my degree program (unplanned pregnancy – hubby and I planned to wait until I had finished my degree), and I managed but it was extremely hard work and I was exhausted and overworked for two years of my life. I can't imagine life without my son – he was such a wonderful surprise! I do think that it made it all so much harder though.
Think really hard about it before planning this – could you perhaps defer your degree for a year and have a child before you begin your medical degree? Could you plan to take a year off and defer for a year midway through? HOw old is too old and what are your reasons for deciding that it's better to have a baby at age 35 vs. 37 or 32vs.35 or whatever it is in your situation.
And this may sound a little strange/judgemental/unasked for, but it's not intended that way at all. Make sure you really want both. Lots of women feel they have to have kids, lots feel like they have to have a career because they can and because they are smart and able enough to do it, but I personally feel like too many of us are pushed into doing both and feeling torn between them for the rest of our lives. I changed my life plan from Avian Vederinary Medicine to being a music teacher because my family is important to me and I wanted a job that would fit with my priorities. Just make sure before you plan this that you really do want to have a child AND that you really do want to be a doctor – make sure they are both important enough for the sacrifices that will inevitably come.
Good luck with whatever you decide!!
Hey this is in San Antonio, i am from there, but doing medical school in the caribbeans, haha awesome video.
An MD is considered to be the same level as a PhD, but they differ widely in what is involved.
The MD is a professional degree, like the JD in law, which allows you to fulfill requirements to become a doctor. The PhD is a research oriented degree that requires the authorship of a dissertation of original research, and to contribute new knowledge to your field.
Fun is the disease, and we… are the cure. Brilliant! Can’t wait to get into medical school. I will fight and won’t stop until I am satisfied.
wow, I don't think I have ever seen worse responses than the ones I see here. That's why I do this… because when I was applying there was a lot of misinformation. So I like to set records straight.
Major in what you want. It would be easier to major in a science because your med school requirements (one year of inorganic chem, one year of organic chem, one year of physics, and one year of biology) are usually wrapped up with the degree (ie no extra classes to take for med school). The problem is that unless you love science and love being in labs, then you will hate your major. Going to med school and being a doctor doesn't mean that all you are is a science bookworm. Med schools are looking for well rounded applicants. So if you love history, then major in it. If you love physiology, then major in it. And if for some reason you love biochemistry and you just can't get enough about molecules, then major in it.
All you need is a four year degree (you don't need an ivy league… go to a state school), do well in you classes (especially your required classes), do well on your MCAT, try to have some idea about why you want to be a doc.
I decided on human physiology as a major, because I thought it was interesting. I had to take some extra courses, but it served me well. But there were a number of people in my med school class who were theater, history, business, etc majors. The choices are endless. Just do well in your core.
PS And don't go to foreign med schools, if you can avoid it.