So you're thinking you want to go to Medical School?

 

According to the Wooster College website, applicants with majors outside the biological sciences are accepted to medical school at a higher rate than those within the biological sciences.   Can this be true?  According to the Association of American Medical Colleges, in 2012 51% of the students accepted into Medical School were in pre-med programs.   The other 49% were not in pre-med programs.  Clearly, there is more than one path to Medical School!   If this is what you want, look for schools that have strong science programs AND a high rate of getting their students accepted into Medical Schools.   Every school has this info - just ask for it!

 

Additionally, state-supported medical, dental, and veterinary schools are usually required by law to give preference to applicants who are in-state residents.  Here's the chart that supports that statement!  Private schools give no preference at all to locals.  

 

With that being said, here are some statistics that are somewhat difficult to uncover, but may help you to consider some of the smaller liberal arts colleges if your ultimate goal is medical school!

 

Please note that the National Average Acceptance Rate into Medical School is normally quoted at 47%.  And while many of the schools in California that have pre-med programs are considered highly selective, the following schools are decidedly not selective, nor do they necessarily offer a pre-med program.  Does that matter?  Apparently not.

 

• only 51 percent of students who enrolled in medical school in 2012 majored in biological sciences.

• Students accepted into Med School with a major in biological sciences had a mean MCAT of 31 and GPA of 3.69.

• Students accepted into Med School with a major in humanities had a mean MCAT of 31.8 and GPA of 3.66. The numbers for math and statistics, physical sciences, social sciences and specialized health sciences majors were similar.    As the Medical Schools continuously tell us, they are NOT looking for kids that were in a pre-med program.   They are looking at MCAT scores and GPAs, and schools with strong science programs can help students achieve these scores.  Look at some the stats below!

  • Note that some universities limit their recommendations for medical school, which can affect their college admission rates.   If you're really interested in law and medical schools, make sure you check all the facts!

 

• Kenyon College - 100% acceptance rate into Medical School for students with 3.5 GPA and "solid" MCAT scores according to their catalog

• Wooster College - 100% acceptance rate into Medical School

• Juniata College - 97% of Juniata students who applied to medical, podiatry, dental, occupational therapy, physical therapy and chiropractic schools were granted admission. (100% got into Law School)

• Ohio Wesleyan - 90% of students (some sites say 95%) are accepted into medical school.

• Ursinus College:  An acceptance rate into medical, law, and business schools exceeding 90%.

• Guilford College:    75% admission rate to medical school

• Hendrix College:  acceptance rate at law school is over 87% and the acceptance rate to medical schools is 89%

• Wabash:  (men's college) Wabash boasts a medical school and a law school acceptance rates of 80%+.

• St. Mary's College of California:  80% who apply to medical school are accepted. 75% who apply to law school are accepted.

• Carleton College:  over 75% of Carleton graduates who apply to medical schools are accepted. Mayo Medical School, the University of Chicago, and the University of Michigan are a few of the schools in which Carleton students have been accepted.  Approximately 90 percent of Carleton graduates who apply to law school are accepted.

 

The interesting thing about these colleges and others, is that they are NOT selective, but they continue to produce outstanding scholars.  

 

What about schools that we all think of as the primary colleges feeding into Medical School?

• UCLA:   52% acceptance rate into medical school (in 2013)

• USC:  55% acceptance rate into medical school (not easily ascertained - this is from an info session)

• Harvard:  students with a 3.50 GPA or higher had a 93 percent acceptance rate to medical schools in 2012.

 

What's the point?  There is more than one road to Medical School, so if this is what you are thinking about, make sure you research all of your options!

 

Want help in coming up with a list of schools that will match your child's strengths and interests?   We recommend Mercer Educational Consulting.