UPenn Vagelos MLS vs. UC Berkeley

anonymouse5
Wed, 20 Apr 2011 21:36:59 +0000

My opinion is obviously biased since I’m doing Vagelos MLS. :)

Penn has so many research opportunities to offer. I applied for a paid undergrad internship a month ago (as an incoming freshman) and got it, so it’s clearly not hard at all to find a lab at Penn. Berkeley’s undergrad population is much larger, so I’m not sure if it’s harder to find research opportunities there, especially during frosh/soph years.

Both are amazing schools, but I think the MLS program really makes Penn the better choice. An MS with a BA will give you an edge over most MD/PhD applicants, since it shows that you have a lot of research experience due to the thesis and summer internships, and that you can handle graduate-level coursework.

Feel free to message me and I’ll see you in September if you choose Penn! :)