<p>I am almost certain I want to go to medical school, and since I’m starting college next year, I’m looking around at schools that look appealing so I know what pre-reqs I have to have done, what’s recommended, etc.</p>
<p>Aside from all the Texas schools (since I’m a Texas resident and they’re so cheap, I’ll definitely apply to all of them), what schools out there are good for someone who just wants to be a doctor, and isn’t really looking to do research. If I decide I want to do research, I’ll go with the MD/PhD route, but my number one goal is just to be a practitioner. Right now it’s orthopedics, but as well as know it’ll probably change.</p>
<p>So what schools are good but want to produce practitioners and not so much researchers, especially ones that seem to prefer Native Americans (I am one).</p>
<p>Any help would be greatly appreciated. I know it’s a long road and it very well may change, but I need some schools to check out so I can make sure I can fulfill the pre reqs for a wide variety of schools.</p>
<p>If your number one goal is to practice, MD/PHD programs are probably not worth considering. You can still do research part/full-time with just an MD. Many MD/PhD folk focus purely on research. It isn’t even wildly uncommon for them to not do a residency.</p>
<p>Stop worrying about where to go. Figure that out when you have a better view of your application in your junior year or post-MCAT. The pre-reqs are extremely similar so just do the following:</p>
<p>A year of gen chem, o-chem, gen bio, and gen physics all with lab (no AP for greatest effect)
A year of english or writing intensive courses
A year of calc (overkill, is usually enough combined with stats or another math class)
A half year of stats</p>
<p>Recommended courses that are very rarely required are:
Biochem (half year could potentially fill a req, full year if you have time)
Genetics
Cell Biology/Microbiology
Animal Phys.
Try to get a lab in at least one of these.
Bioethics/History of Medicine</p>
<p>I’d be shocked if anything else wasn’t covered by your general university requirements. Even if it wasn’t, remember that you have until matriculation to complete them. So if it was absolutely necessary to pick up a class for one of the schools you applied to, you could do it during your senior year or in the summer. However, here is some MSAR data for you (though it sounds like you might have one).</p>
<p>Just about any college will offer the medical school requirements. To the extent that your interest in medicine should influence where you do undergrad, you should be looking for a well developed premed advising program, thus, a reasonable number of people who go to medical school every year- so the advisors know the drill. There should be good opportunities for research, some sort of experience with clinical medicine, current premeds should report getting to know faculty well enough to get good letters of recommendation.</p>
<p>If you think “that could describe 1,000 colleges, maybe more”, you are right.</p>
<p>Beyond these, limited, medical-specific requirements, choose colleges just like everyone else: do they have the majors that interest you, extracurriculars, location, cost…</p>
<p>For medical school, when you get that far, any medical school will prepare you for clinical practice. The medical curriculum is so standardized that no one would be permitted to change it that much. Everyone learns biochemistry, anatomy, physiology, etc. Everyone gets clinical experience in a variety of areas. Everyone takes the same national tests. Coming from a more highly prestigious medical school definitely will help getting residencies in competitive fields- like orthopedics. Other than that, it does not matter where you do medical school if you plan to do non academic clinical practice.</p>