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Would Duke or MIT be better for a premed? MIT has more prestige for the sciences. Which would provide more opportunities if I decided to apply to med school? Duke has the med center. Also, what about the life at each?

thanks

By Sid_Mathur (Sid_Mathur) on Saturday, April 03, 2004 - 11:16 pm: Edit

Duke, Duke, and Duke.

By Excusememixed (Excusememixed) on Saturday, April 03, 2004 - 11:29 pm: Edit

Duke

By Par72 (Par72) on Sunday, April 04, 2004 - 11:56 pm: Edit

Duke

By Kimboleek (Kimboleek) on Monday, April 05, 2004 - 12:23 am: Edit

I've heard a lot that MIT's premed is not worth it...definitely Duke

By Mitwannabe (Mitwannabe) on Monday, April 05, 2004 - 12:42 am: Edit

even tho mit is better than duke for virtually all sciences, i just checked some recently today and duke isnt even listed while mit takes 2nd place, but whatever, still go to duke, it's got a solid program

By Foundnemo (Foundnemo) on Monday, April 05, 2004 - 12:44 am: Edit

Is MIT really that bad for premed? I plan on applying to MIT for it.

By Mitwannabe (Mitwannabe) on Monday, April 05, 2004 - 01:28 am: Edit

no, mit has the largest biotech lab or something like that in the world and is ranked number 2 for best biological sciences in the nation, not a bad pick at all.

By Icansmile4u (Icansmile4u) on Monday, April 05, 2004 - 02:51 am: Edit

Duke.

Actually, my opinion has nothing to do with the quality of the pre-med program but to do with grade inflation tendency. Let's say you target 3.3 GPA for 4 years then you will have a hell-like time at MIT to maintain that grade while you might get it easily at Duke. (word correction, not easily. but relatively easily)
While MIT claims that over 70% of it's pre-med students get into decent medical schools, it doesn't take the fact that it has the nation's best student pool in Bio & Chem into consideration: competition is that fierce in the foremost concentration field for medical school entrance. Duke is definitely the easy way.

By Mitwannabe (Mitwannabe) on Monday, April 05, 2004 - 03:58 am: Edit

well said, that's what i was trying to convey but couldn, lol, what icansmile4u wrote above

By Brownalum (Brownalum) on Monday, April 05, 2004 - 04:39 am: Edit

FWIW, Gourman's premed ranking, based on the % of applicants who get into the top med schools, is:

1. Caltech, 2. MIT, 3. Yale, 4.Harvard, 5. JHU, 6. Amherst, 7. Princeton, 8. Swarthmore, 9. Columbia, 10. Stanford.... sorry, no Duke (although looking at the entering class makeups at some of the top med schools, Duke is obviously not that bad for premed)

By Whzup44412 (Whzup44412) on Monday, April 05, 2004 - 09:16 am: Edit

Sorry, just had to comment. You can't go by those numbers provided from those schools. Most of them have screening processes where the pre-med advising offices decide whether they will recommend a candidate for medical school (I know JHU does).

By Ribbit (Ribbit) on Monday, April 05, 2004 - 07:31 pm: Edit

geez, why are so many people favoring duke for premed? Grades are hard at MIT, but you will get the best science education. Won't that make you smarter and better prepared for med school?

Wouldn't having more premeds at Duke make it more cutthroat? Also, isn't the reputation of MIT much better, in that it is thought more highly of?

Aren't there enough med centers in Boston to get med experience in, while going to MIT?

confused

By Tri_N (Tri_N) on Monday, April 05, 2004 - 09:40 pm: Edit

MIT education will be intense but there're many places in the country that will give you a great education.

In term of academic, MIT is top notched but you need to consider other factors like happiness and your life. Once you enter MIT, it will linger for four years of your life. If you can't handle the stress of MIT, it will break you. MIT has one of the highest suicide rates in the nation-a very alarming number. In my opinion, MIT is better for graduated school than for undergraduated school.

By Sprite (Sprite) on Monday, April 05, 2004 - 11:46 pm: Edit

duke

By Wwoloszyn (Wwoloszyn) on Tuesday, April 06, 2004 - 01:33 am: Edit

MIT is actually quite a social place that focuses quite a bit on the unity and cohesiveness of students to carry each other through the year. Heck yeah it'll be hard, but the 1st year is pass-fail to ease the stress and get everyone acclimated, and the family feel that I got from there was amazing. I think MIT has a terrible geek stereotype that really doesn't apply anymore. Not to bash anyone, but MIT's reputation, especially for pre-med is sterling and just as valuable when applying for graduate school anywhere. Ribbit, you're pretty lucky and talented to get in, and in all honesty, should get your money's worth. :-)

By Sid_Mathur (Sid_Mathur) on Thursday, April 08, 2004 - 02:50 pm: Edit

Duke is the 2nd best school for biomedical engineering in the nation...while MIT is only 3rd