UC's ranked based on pre med competitiveness

[El Nino]

Does anyone know how competitive each UC is for a pre medical student? I know UCLA and Berkeley have very shady pre med students, but what about the others?

If I do stay in state, I plan to take the two year CC route then transferring to a UC.

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[Vicviper]

There are always lots of these threads, and I think they all come to the final conclusion that most of them have a very similar competitiveness for pre-health. Just go to the school you like the most, and that you think best fits you, and everything will fall into place.

As far as the transfer route, I can definitely attest that it works great - I think going to a CC was one of the best things I could have done, even though I probably could have gotten into a UC if I applied (from a big pro-CC family). UC's like UC Irvine (which has awesome research oppurtunities, and easier to get into research than many other schools) has a guaranteed transfer program called TAG, where all you need to do is get B's in your year of Gchem at the CC to get accepted into the Bio program. I think UCLA and UCSD might have a similar program.

Whichever school you choose you'll end up just fine either way - the "competitiveness" of the school is much more about what you put into it than anything from the school's part. I'm 100% certain people have been accepted to Ivy League med schools from CSU's as well - so it's not all about the name or the image of the school.

 

[penguin24]

UCSD is making a name for itself as a premier undergrad (although not quite the status of UCLA/UC Berkeley. On the plus, UCSD has a great med school & I'm sure they send a lot of kids to med school. Of course, u could get into med school from a Cal-state, but you would really be putting the odds against you, go to a UC if at all possible.

 

[Appless]

I go to UCI and id say its not too overly competitive, not compared to UCB and UCLA. Its really all subjective and about what you put into your classes but UCI is pretty relaxed and there are a enough slakcers in every class ive taken so that the curves are niiiiicceeeee lol

 

[Vicviper]

Of course, u could get into med school from a Cal-state, but you would really be putting the odds against you, go to a UC if at all possible.

That wasn't quite my point, I was more saying that as long as you put the effort in, it won't really matter what UC you go to, so go to one you like.

 

[JJMrK]

Of course, u could get into med school from a Cal-state, but you would really be putting the odds against you

I know plenty of people who have done this. It isn't stacking the odds against yourself. If you get good grades, do well on the MCAT, and do the required ECs, you will get in.

 

[mathlegend]

Huh, so prestige of the school doesn't matter, as long as all other factors (gpa, mcat, recommendations, volunteer hours, etc) are the same/similar? So like compare an Ivy with a UC with a State with a CC...well I guess at a CC, less options, but pretty much the same at the rest? And really random, but how do med schools feel about one taking most of the science prereqs at a CC?

 

[El Nino]

I was told just (if you're going the CC route) take general chem and bio. Physics and organic chem should be taken at a higher level institute (not CC) because they tend to be the "weed out" courses.

 

[mathlegend]

Hm, I think I'll ask the specific schools about that. Since I would have taken bio, general chem, organic chem, and a whole assortment of biology and math classes at my community college by the time I graduate from high school. I'm then planning to to a UC for one year to take physics, biochem, english, and liberal arts electives, then onto pod school.

 

[JJMrK]

Huh, so prestige of the school doesn't matter, as long as all other factors (gpa, mcat, recommendations, volunteer hours, etc) are the same/similar? So like compare an Ivy with a UC with a State with a CC...well I guess at a CC, less options, but pretty much the same at the rest? And really random, but how do med schools feel about one taking most of the science prereqs at a CC?

I'd imagine, everything being equal, the student from the school with a bigger name would have an advantage. But things are never equal.

 

[Vicviper]

I took Calc, Stats, Physics, Bio, Gchem, and Ochem at my CC, and although I don't think it actually hurt me significantly, one of my interviews said they looked down on it a little that I took so many pre-reqs at the CC (which was really ironic becuase just 5 minutes earlier we had a conversation about how wonderful the CA CC system is and the benifits of going to a CC over a UC off the bat). Though it didn't even come up at all at my Columbia interview, and they're just about as big name as they come, so if they don't care about CC... I think you get my drift.

Either way, if you can, take Physics at your Uni, all the other classes you can argue that students at the 4 year would have been taking them the same time you took them at the CC, whereas Physics for Bio Majors atleast is normally taken in the 3rd year.

 

[mathlegend]

I took Calc, Stats, Physics, Bio, Gchem, and Ochem at my CC, and although I don't think it actually hurt me significantly, one of my interviews said they looked down on it a little that I took so many pre-reqs at the CC (which was really ironic becuase just 5 minutes earlier we had a conversation about how wonderful the CA CC system is and the benifits of going to a CC over a UC off the bat).

Heh guess they couldnt make up their mind

 

[El Nino]

Could anyone give me more information on UCLA pre med?

I plan to attend a CC then transfer and major in physio. I have heard the physio major is composed entirely of pre med students who sabotage one another, and the pre medical advisor is not that good.

 

[xnfs93hy]

I took Calc, Stats, Physics, Bio, Gchem, and Ochem at my CC, and although I don't think it actually hurt me significantly, one of my interviews said they looked down on it a little that I took so many pre-reqs at the CC (which was really ironic becuase just 5 minutes earlier we had a conversation about how wonderful the CA CC system is and the benifits of going to a CC over a UC off the bat). Though it didn't even come up at all at my Columbia interview, and they're just about as big name as they come, so if they don't care about CC... I think you get my drift.

Either way, if you can, take Physics at your Uni, all the other classes you can argue that students at the 4 year would have been taking them the same time you took them at the CC, whereas Physics for Bio Majors atleast is normally taken in the 3rd year.

That's funny.

 

[Vicviper]

Yeah, I was really kind of shocked when she said it so seriously, I thought she was joking for a moment and sat there stunned for a sec when she said it. I had the split second thought of arguing it... but hell, it was an interview.

 

[coffeeeandtea]

I know UCLA and Berkeley have very shady pre med students, but what about the others?

i can't say anything for certain about UCLA since i didn't go there, but i would hardly deem Berkeley pre-meds as "shady." while there might be a few students who are extremely desperate enough to sabotage others' grades, in my 4 years of experience as a pre-med at Berkeley, i can say that i've never seen it happen. for the most part, people are either helpful (i.e. they'll form study groups to help each other review for exams, answer questions on online class forums, etc.), or just more concerned with their own grades (i.e. they won't be as helpful, but they won't go out of their way to step on you), although this isn't to say that there aren't any "grade grubbers" .. aka the people who fight/argue with the TAs over getting marked down 1/4th of a point.

 

[penguin24]

I know plenty of people who have done this. It isn't stacking the odds against yourself. If you get good grades, do well on the MCAT, and do the required ECs, you will get in.

Of course there are many ppl who get into med school from CalState, and I agree basically w/ what u say about having mcat/grades/etc. I only disagree in that if one has the grades in HS to get into CalState or UC, you will put yourself in a disadvantage by going the CalState route (aka the underdog route). If you have your heart set on being an MD, why would you do that to yourself (just to save some money?). Everybody loves the story of the underdog who beat the odds to become successful. I had the choice of UC or CalState back in the day, and I'm just giving my 2cents.

 

[Vicviper]

I agree in that it couldn't hurt to go with the UC off the bat, but I don't see student from the Cal State as having significantly much less of a chance if the same stats, EC's and test scores.

 

[penguin24]

I'll make this one last post, then I'll quit. The major difference btwn UC and Calstate is that UC's are research-based universities (some moreso than others), where somebody can move onto graduate studies at a UC and get a PhD, and some UC's also have profesional schools. Thus, u can see how UC's are more grad-school oriented.

On the other hand, CalState's are not-research oriented. Yeah I know you can do research, but they don't have graduate programs leading to a PhD, also, there's no such thing as CalState LA Medical school, or CalStateLB Law school. So although both UC and CalState are both 'universities', you can see what I mean, they are called different names for a reason. Medical school is tough, if you're scared about the competition at UCLA/UC Berkeley, then what makes you think you can handle med school?

If you don't have good grades in HS, but still want to be an MD, then by all means, go to a CalState, kick-butt, and get into med school. Just don't go to a CalState over a UC.

 

[Vicviper]

I'll make this one last post, then I'll quit. The major difference btwn UC and Calstate is that UC's are research-based universities (some moreso than others), where somebody can move onto graduate studies at a UC and get a PhD, and some UC's also have profesional schools. Thus, u can see how UC's are more grad-school oriented.

Correct, and that's why I included the caveat of same stats and ec's and such. I completely agree that the UC has many more opportunities for higher learning and research. You went a bit above my point, which was that the name along doesn't make a difference in the long run - especially seeing how the undergraduate material is essentially the same, and it has the great equalizer of the MCAT/DAT/PCAT/Etc.

 

[Terpskins99]

This was way back. But when I was in high school (early '90s), I heard it was very easy to transfer from one UC school (e.g. UC Davis, UC Santa Barbara) into another stronger one (e.g. UCLA, UC Berkeley)... as long as you did well at that first school.

Does this still hold true?

 

[Vicviper]

I know it's possible, I had a friend who went from UCR (Hated it) to UCI - but it's more difficult to transfer from one UC to another than say to go to a CC and transfer to a UC.