Category: Application Process

Shemmassian Consulting has published their take on how pre-med program prestige tips (or does not) the scales when it comes to medical school admission success. Their findings are in line with our previous posting on the topic.

There is absolutely no intent in discourage students attending state schools from applying to medical school. However, there is a reality to deal with. The question of prestige at the undergraduate level will be raised when the competition is so intense. Medical schools show no signs of making it any easier to get in. Additionally, the proportion of undergraduates at elite colleges who are pre-med is higher than in public colleges. Distilling it to the simplest terms, attending an elite school can improve the chances (even a little) in this admissions race on steroids.

Among the different kinds of graduate schools, medical school has the lowest admission rate by far, so much as that it is commonplace to see acceptance rates for public medical schools approach that of private ones (e.g. UNC Chapel Hill’s 4.2% vs. Duke’s 2.9%). While the prestige of the undergraduate college might tip the scales of admission slightly, an applicant’s choice of coursework and GPA are the most important factors. That said, elite colleges can boast of success rates of graduates gaining admission into medical school that are significantly higher than the national average of 43%. For example: