<p>I wouldn’t say Swarthmore has less research opportunities than HC. I think it has different research opportunities. HC’s bio is purely bio med/ molecular bio while Swat’s bio department is general and its faculty do research in a variety of areas from birds/fish to plants to a little molecular bio/bio med. Depending on your son’s area of interest, Swat’s bio program may be better. HC’s programs in bio-physics and biochemistry are fairly advanced and not sure how they are at Swarthmore… you can e-mail the Swat chemistry chair (HC alum) and ask! HC also is developing a curriculum in public health too. [Public</a> Health at Haverford: A Growing Field of Study and Service - Haverford College News](<a href=“http://www.haverford.edu/news/stories/47421/13]Public”>http://www.haverford.edu/news/stories/47421/13)</p>
<p>There are incremental differences in the opportunities (such as HC having the only human stem cell research lab in a LAC; 2 NIH funded labs which is totally unique for a purely undergrad institution; faculty with an MD/PhD, a DVM and an MD visiting professor) but I know you don’t need such big guns to teach undergrad bio and be a successful pre-med. Your son will have a pick of med schools if he does well at either college.</p>
<p>Random fun facts</p>
<p>Dr. Tom Farley ‘77
NYC Commissioner of Health
[Dr</a>. Thomas A. Farley, New York?s Health Commissioner - NYTimes.com](<a href=“Dr. Thomas A. Farley, New York’s Health Commissioner - The New York Times”>Dr. Thomas A. Farley, New York’s Health Commissioner - The New York Times)</p>
<p>alumni include the 1st director of the Institutes of Medicine, the 1st director of the Harvard Framingham Heart Study (1st large prospective public health study conducted), the doctor who developed the test for Tay Sachs disease, the doctor who figured out Legionnaire’s disease, the Penn surgeon who developed intravenous nutrition back in the 1950’s, the doctor who started Harvard’s Department of Community Medicine…
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/11369439-post6.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/11369439-post6.html</a></p>
<p>“Per capita, the college is tied with Harvard and Stanford for the number of M.D.-Ph.D. and D.V.M.-PhD students it trains- the highest ratio in the country.” This was based on a finding in a book, “The Vanishing Physician Scientist?” </p>
<p>Alumnus William Harris MD '49, former head of orthopedics at Mass General, authored a paper in 1969 that based on a citation review is the the #1 cited paper in the field of orthopedics. The 100 classic papers of orthopaedic surgery: A BIBLIOMETRIC ANALYSIS – Kelly et al. 92-B (10): 1338 – Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery - British Volume<br>
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/12287674-post31.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/12287674-post31.html</a></p>