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I am a junior in High School and want to be a neurosurgeon ...What college out there offer pre-med programs?

By Haon (Haon) on Thursday, September 25, 2003 - 02:05 pm: Edit

Williams, Amherst, Yale, Harvard, Princeton all have the best med-school placements.

By Sydney (Sydney) on Thursday, September 25, 2003 - 04:59 pm: Edit

Aren't we a bit eastern biased? You should also check out Wash. U. in St. Louis, U. of Chicago, Northwestern, and Johns Hopkins.

By Haon (Haon) on Thursday, September 25, 2003 - 07:36 pm: Edit

my fault...

Johns Hopkins and UChicago should definitely be included. Possibly Carleton, Pomona and Oberlin as well.

Personally I think Wash U and Northwestern have overrated pre-med programs...

By Sydney (Sydney) on Thursday, September 25, 2003 - 09:15 pm: Edit

Well, I graduated from Wash. U. So it isn't overrated. But that's just my take.

By Nealp (Nealp) on Saturday, September 27, 2003 - 12:14 pm: Edit

the best cardiac surgeons in my city graduated from wash u

By Haon (Haon) on Saturday, September 27, 2003 - 01:56 pm: Edit

I didn't say it wasn't a good school. I said that IMO it was overrated for UNDERGRAD.

For med school it's excellent. Sydney--the fact that you graduated from WashU has no bearing over whether it's underrated or overrated or anything.

I just don't think that you get AS good of an undergrad pre-med education at WashU as most people think you do--a good grad school doesn't guarantee good undergraduate education in that area.

By Sydney (Sydney) on Saturday, September 27, 2003 - 05:57 pm: Edit

Haon,
Well, it kind of sounds like you haven't even been to college yet. I have been through it all. And, no, just because I went to Wash. U. doesn't make it more or less underrated. But I am telling you that I got a really good pre-medical training. And most people who went there and were pre-meds or bio majors say the same. I didn't end up applying to med school because I realized medicine is not what I want to do with my life, but I know lots of people who did and who were VERY prepared for the MCATS, and, most importantly, med school.

You are correct to say that just because a school has a good grad program in one particlar area doesn't mean that the same program at the undergraduate level is as good. But I am telling you it is at Wash. U. It's top notch, not over-rated. Haon, have you even visited Wash. U., or are you just spouting off what you've heard? Have you talked to current and past students about the program or are you blindly biased against the school?

By Haan (Haan) on Saturday, September 27, 2003 - 08:25 pm: Edit

What about Dartmouth?

By Haon (Haon) on Monday, September 29, 2003 - 12:54 am: Edit

Sydney--I'm in college currently.

First, I'm sure that you did like WashU...people almost ALWAYS like the school they go to. Most grads from state schools will tell you that they got a great education from their state school...does this mean the school is necessarily good? No!

Secondly, you seem to interpret my comments on WashU as an attack...I'm not saying it doesn't have a good premed program. I think it has a very good premed program. What I was saying is that the general public's view of WashU as a premed program is a more positive view than it deserves.

I looked into WashU a good bit (due partially to the fact that I got huge packets of information from them every third day). One of my best friends almost went to WashU. One of my dad's MD colleagues went to WashU. I have an uncle who went to WashU.

From all of my research into WashU, I felt like it was a very good school. I don't feel like it deserves it's current spot of 9 in USNWR but it definitely should be ranked well. I know, at least in my part of the country, many people consider WashU's premed program to be one of the best in the country. I feel like while their PreMed program may be excellent and one of their best offered, there are better places to receive pre-med educations in this country.
WSJ's grad school placement study confirms my belief--WashU didn't rank in the top 20 (I don't remember exactly but I'm thinking they were in the upper 30s) for grad school placements (med/business/law).

By Nyugrad (Nyugrad) on Monday, September 29, 2003 - 10:47 am: Edit

Columbia,Cornell(esp if you do well in physics there), NYU,Hopkins.

By Ariesathena (Ariesathena) on Tuesday, September 30, 2003 - 05:56 pm: Edit

Tufts, JHU.

By Berkcogsci (Berkcogsci) on Tuesday, September 30, 2003 - 08:34 pm: Edit

Berkeley is a huge national feeder to medical programs. Highest percentage of students to go on to M.D. or PhD. In the nation. (for several years)

By Obh100 (Obh100) on Friday, October 03, 2003 - 04:00 am: Edit

hey Haon, where do you go to school, cause I'm gonna have to hear how your school X has a better pre-med program than Northwestern? Its still an advantage to go to NU for Med School then many other places. And I don't think you can really knack Wash U either, I think Rice/NU/Cornell/Wash U are tops for pre-meds...

By Driver (Driver) on Friday, October 03, 2003 - 09:37 am: Edit

Some of the small LACs really do have great placement records (and this is NOT to knock any other school, it's just one option). Williams College is unusual in having an undergraduate neuroscience program, in case that fits into the premed plans of a future neurosurgeon.

By Haon (Haon) on Friday, October 03, 2003 - 02:05 pm: Edit

Obh100--I go to Williams College.

By Ricanitalian69 (Ricanitalian69) on Wednesday, November 05, 2003 - 02:13 pm: Edit

Great Pre-Med programs include Columbia, NYU, Johns Hopkins, and Cornell. Those are the top that come to mind. My friend just graduated from Pace University Pre-Med program and is now attending New York University School of Medicine Masters Program. Good luck!

By Gene (Gene) on Thursday, December 25, 2003 - 11:08 pm: Edit

All of you should understand that where you go for undergrad makes very little difference. As long as you study hard and do well on your GPA and test score, as well as show your ambition (volunteering and such) you'll do fine regardless of the school. Ivy's have such good reputations about pre-professional studies and acceptance rates for their undergrads going into professional schools (med, law, and business) not because of the university but because the students were already highly motivated when they started and remained so until they graduated. You guys should talk almost any doctor about their undergrad education and they'll tell you the same thing. By the way it's not a bad idea to save some money if you do not get a scholarship or financial aid to these top-notch universities, you'll thank me later. I want to go to med school and this is the advice my family physician gave me. I'm currently going to UCLA for a fraction of the tuition of the private schools and I highly doubt it's going to hinder my chances in any way.