My son has been accepted to the premed programs at UVA, UNC, and Emory. He is deciding which school offers the best program for admission to a top medical school. Please provide your input
Tuition fees:
- UVA: $15,000
- UNC: $40,000
- Emory: $33,000
all are great. pre-med can be done anywhere. I don’t see any reason to turn down the savings you would have at UVA, but if you did then it would be for Emory with all its medical stuff going right on the same campus.
that said, the Emory vibe is very different from UVA and UNC with their D1 sports scenes and bigger size. you want your kid to be happy, that’s the #1 priority.
So I would lean towards UVA, and maybe Emory depending on your kid’s personality. UNC makes little sense for more $.
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My daughter was premed at UNC. There is no premed program or major in premed. Do you mean he has premed intentions? What is his possible major?
UVA seems like the obvious choice here, at least to me. Medical school is very expensive.
All 3 of these schools offer the prerequisites that are required for medical school. What can you afford and have you visited?
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Pre med is not a major as others have said. And you can do pre med classes anywhere - just look at the doctors in the office you go to!!
So the question becomes - what can you afford - and I don’t mean the above - but for 8 years - because after college, there’s at least another $400K likely for med school.
You don’t want debt. Doctors hate debt but so many have it and struggle with it.
So if one is truly going to be a doctor, short of getting into a fully endowed program like NYU, there’s going to be big expense.
The only question is - how is that expense paid.
Given the amounts you posted above, I’m assuming but don’t know 100% for sure that you qualify for need aid.
Given that, I’d think you couldn’t fund med school - so in that case, I’d go UVA.
But if you can fund both undergrad and med, well it’s your money, and then I’d choose the school I preferred most.
Good luck.
Thanks for your input. More information on his interests,
He is planning to major in neuroscience or chemistry for all 3 schools. He also has a strong research interest and already has done plenty of research work. From your daughter’s experience, how are the research opportunities at UNC?
I have also heard that UNC students are in competition with Duke students for opportunities in the area. Is this true?
I am not too worried about the cost and I am aiming to provide my son with the best chance to succeed in college and make a top medical school.
I will not go into detail about costs other than to let you know that medical school is expensive and is typically funded with loans. If your son goes to UVA would you have “extra” funding for medical school…to reduce the loans? If you can fund everything with no problem, please ignore.
My daughter participated in research starting in late fall of her freshman year…for all 4 years. She stayed on campus during summers and had another research position at a research hospital off campus (not in NC) for 1 summer. She did not have any problems getting research, and she told me that anybody who wants to do it, can.
My daughter worked with refugees in the Chapel Hill area for 2 years. She also worked at the hospital (volunteer) as a bilingual navigator and had several on-campus positions. There was no competition with Duke students. None. I never heard that before and it’s not a “thing.” Both schools have enough opportunities on their own.
She shadowed at home during breaks at a teaching hospital near our home and with her pediatrician. She taught in a title 1 school after graduation, and also had a research position after graduation where they trained her to be a phlebotomist (hated this part of the job). She had a lot of patient facing experience as well as work in underserved communities…and did a lot of this once she graduated (very common).
All 3 of these schools will provide your son with everything he needs to become a successful applicant. It is up to him to take advantage. He does not need to attend UNC (your most expensive option) to succeed as a premed student. He can go almost anywhere.
For now, I would take premed out of the picture (all are excellent) and choose an affordable school where he will be happy. Premed is truly a journey, with lots of twists and turns along the way. Also keep in mind that he may change his path as other interests develop (common).
I hope I answered your questions about UNC. It’s a great school, but there are many, many great schools. If you have more questions please ask. She was a biology major, chemistry and Spanish minors.
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These interests align especially well with Emory’s strengths. However, your son, as a premed student, will be studying broadly across the sciences and other disciplines, and would likely benefit from considering the general attributes of his choices along with their particular academic strengths. If, hypothetically, your son likes, say, U.Va. for its overall campus atmosphere, then he could feel comfortable in choosing it for his goals.
Your son has been accepted to three very good universities. Any of them would be very good for a premed student.
Premed classes can be very challenging. Neither daughter was premed (one thought about it for a short while) but both had majors that overlapped a great deal with premed classes, and both have multiple friends who were premed. I have heard multiple stories about how tough some of these classes are, and how they tend to be full of very strong students.
If you can afford $40,000/year tuition plus other costs with no loans, I would be inclined to go with UVA and put the extra $25,000 per year into a fund to be used for medical school. UVA is a very good university.
Many premed students end up doing something else, either because they are not able to maintain “medical school worthy” grades, or because they decide they want to do something else, or for other reasons. One daughter for example had to take multiple lab classes and discovered that she loved lab work and was good at it. “Studying broadly across the sciences” does often allow a student to discover a science that they love. In some cases “something else” might involve a master’s degree (which is typically not fully funded) or some other “not funded” graduate degree. In some cases “something else” might include a PhD, which typically is fully funded, but some students may first get a master’s before applying or at least before getting accepted to PhD programs. If you put the extra $25,000/year into a fund and your son does not end up in medical school, then there is still a possibility of using it for a master’s degree or some other graduate program, or for a younger sibling (if there is one).
I think that your son is looking at three very good acceptances. Congratulations!
Emory looks great if 18X4 = 72 k more is not going to be an issue … The full sticker price of Emory is much more and this looks like a bargain for 33k , the class size is very small and less weed out classes
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I vote for Emory , since you mentioned not too concerned about finances. Emory is much smaller, yet still has a med school affiliated and research on campus. Smaller classes, more attention, and not significantly more intense or less intense h th an the others. Outstanding premed advising and academic preparation for mcats.
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I would take the idea of a “top” medical school and put it away for now. Your son is in HS.
When the time comes, and if your son still wants to be a doctor, he will decide where to apply. Right now that is a long way off.
Another thing about UNC that is probably at other schools as well: you can be paired with a current medical student and meet on a monthly basis to discuss the process. You can also attend events.
In the meantime he has 3 excellent options. Congrats!
It’s fine, of course, if this is what OP wants - but I’m assuming based on the costs they published, that they are getting need aid. So if it’s another $72K, for example, for Emory, that will then carry over into med school loans (if it could be saved today), then I don’t know how OP couldn’t be concerned with finances - because that is many hundreds of dollars additional each month for many many years…on top of the thousands they’ll already be paying to borrow for medical school.
Again, I’m assuming they are on need aid.
A doctor is a doctor - by this I mean, and I look at my practices I go to - some go to Lipscomb, a Southern Missouri State (a 100% acceptance rate school) - yes we have Vandy and Haverford.
They all go to medical school. They all become doctors.
I’m not sure, as OP noted, top medical school necessarily exists. Medicine is an art and science and often today dictated by the insurance companies or the corporations these doctors now work for.
If I have need based aid for undergrad, me personally, I’d be making the cost very important in my decision making set - and I don’t think going to any of these three - or necessarily any specific college - is giving a leg up. Kids get into medical school from many many many schools. Yes, like law, more come from top school, but that’s because they have more top students to begin with.
I just worry when people say - I’ll pay whatever - but are not facing the consequences that come later.
But again, I’m assuming based on the prices shown that this is a need aid recipient family.
I pulled this from an article on bankrate - and OP would potentially be adding to this amount…
So yes, I get it, OP says they’re ok - but I think they need to look deeper and ensure they know what they’re getting into. And if med school doesn’t work out, given the majors, there’s likely grad school - because those majors don’t have great outcomes - and that’s another, a different, but another expense.
“The average medical school debt is over $200,000, a hefty amount of debt to carry at the start of your career. The expected payoff schedule is over 20 years, and during that time, you’ll be paying the equivalent of an extra mortgage payment to make progress on the loan.”
Your son needs to go to an undergrad where he will be happy (happy students do better than unhappy ones). All of his acceptances are nice ones.
He might get to a medical school from any of these colleges.
I would suggest you take premed out if the equation and pick one of these schools. He needs to have a college where he can have a solid plan B in case medical school doesn’t work out.
Re “top medical school”…the medical school where your son gets accepted will be his top medical school. If you are looking for prestige names, really…that’s not necessary.
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I agree.
I was a chem major at UVA back in the day and am now a practicing physician.
A good question to ask the schools is the percentage of graduating premed students who gain admission to medical school. UVA definitely graded on a curve for the premed requirements (chem, orgo, etc) - weeding out many who start on that path. I don’t know if the other schools do that as well, but I assume they do to some degree.
Developing other interests and skills during the college years is super important for personal growth. I was an arts minor at UVA and spent weekends hiking, enjoying the music scene, etc. What does your child like to do during free time? More inner city exploring activities (Emory) or more small town stuff?
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A big difference in vibe between UVA and Emory. Has he visited?
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Also a difference in vibe between UNC and UVA even though they are similar types of schools.
To the OP: all of these choices are very good. Choose one that is affordable and where he would be happy.
What does this mean? As others have said, there is no “premed major”. Can you clarify please?
The student plans to major in neuroscience or chemistry. The plan, at least right now, is to apply to medical school (that is how I understand it). Hopefully the OP will return.
3 people can make 3 different decisions, and all would still be attending excellent schools….imo. I think medical school should be removed from the picture and the OP should decide which works for him, taking affordability into consideration.
The OP asked about research. This can be achieved at all 3 schools.
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