Did you know that in 2020, over 22,000 students entered medical school in the United States? If you are pursuing a medical career, you need to learn how to choose a medical school that will help you in the long run when you’re out in the workforce.
Read on to learn the ins and outs of deciding between the many options for medical school.
Table of Contents
Academic Focus
Depending on the medical field you want to enter, it is important to evaluate what the school’s medical programs emphasize on most. There are medical programs that focus on specialty medicine, some on research, and others on primary care.
Depending on what you want to become once you’re done with school, look at their mission and courses to see if they align with your wants.
Student-Life
Something else that you want to look at during your search is what student life is like. This is a place you will spend almost half a decade at. So, take into consideration how the area is, how the other students are, and the activities the school offers beyond your formal education.
If possible, talk to other students while you visit and tour the campus. This will give you a better insight if they are happy there or not.
Living Situation
For those that will be living on campus, you want to make sure that you feel comfortable with the living headquarters offered. If you are new to the area, do you like the new culture and the climate?
For those that are moving far away from friends and family, will this be something you can handle? Also, ask how far the clinical facilities are from the housing and school.
School Pressure
Every school has its own level of pressure that students feel. You can either opt for a cut-throat and competitive school or a calm and relaxing one. Take a look at schools such as ultimatemedical.edu to see if the pressure they give to their students is aligned with how you thrive in your education.
How Many Students Graduate
Something else you want to take into consideration is how many students follow through and graduate from the school. If you are looking at a school that has low graduation percentages, then you want to investigate further. This can be a sign that students are not finding the program fulfilling or maybe too difficult.
In the end, successfully graduating is more important than getting into medical school.
Percentage of Students that Pass the USMLE?
As an applicant you want to look into how well student’s perform on the United States Medical Licensing Exams. This is a major sign if students are learning the required material to be successful in the real world.
It is also a sign of how well the school is preparing its students to take this exam. You can take the time to compare the school’s average score with the national average to get an idea of how well students are ranking when they take the exam.
How Many Students Are Matched Into a Residency Program?
You also want to ask how many students are securing residency. A crucial part of becoming a doctor or a professional in the medical world, is to secure a residency to practice what you’ve learned.
Knowing the number of students that are matched into a residency program will give you a good idea of whether the school provides high quality education or not. The goal is to choose a medical school where most of the students secure a postgraduate position.
Admission Requirements
Just because you tour the school it doesn’t mean that you are accepted, you want to ask how strict is the application and admissions process. Reputable institutions will take the time to share the minimum number of credits that they require for each of their programs (English, chemistry, biology, etc.).
Most schools also have certain math expectations in order to be accepted. Take the time to see if you meet all the school’s requirements before you go through the extensive job of filling out a medical school application only to find out you don’t have the minimum courses they require.
Also, check if there is a certain GPA needed to attend a potential school on your list. Although, most schools do not have a specific cutoff for GPA and MCAT scores, you want to double-check.
How Much Is the Program?
If you have to take out loans to fund your education, you need to make sure that the program is financially feasible for your pockets after you graduate. Even though your education is an investment for your future, you have to be realistic and think about how you will pay for school.
Look into options that don’t require you to have to pay back such as veteran benefits if you served in the military. Also, see if you’re eligible for any medical school scholarships or awards that can cover some of your tuition costs.
Look at your finances and see what you can personally contribute towards your education as well.
Ready to Choose a Medical School?
Now that you know how to choose a medical school, you can start applying everything above right away. Once you make your personal list of the schools you want to attend, take the time to rank them from most to least favorite.
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