By Hugo Elliot
Are you about to embark on a new journey towards becoming a doctor? When weighing your options, it can be confusing and nerve-wracking to choose among the best medical schools!
Here are a few helpful tips to get started in the decision-making process.
- Graduates Matching to a Residency Program
It will be tough to become a practicing physician without a medical residency. Check every school’s rate of students who have been matched into a residency program successfully. This will help you see which school provides high-quality education.
Besides this, search for the passing rates on licensing exams. Check the average scores on the exam results, which shows how well students prepare for exams and how well they are taught with necessary skills and materials. You can ask the admissions departments about how their students perform and see if they have a competitive school.
- The Admission Requirements
Before you even begin studying, you have to know how to get into medical school. The first step is learning about the admission requirements and how strict they are.
Each school may have different requirements compared to others, and some don’t only expect the basics. Top medical schools would have a minimum number of credits for certain subjects. Furthermore, there may be a cutoff for acceptable MCAT and GPA scores, so be sure to see if your grades are suitable for your chosen institutions.
- School Accreditation
Many won’t think about the accreditation when selecting a medical school, as all medical schools in the US and Canada need to meet this criterion. But if you are attending school in another country, you have to look carefully and see if the school is accredited, especially for those who plan to practice in the US.
- The Learning Environment
We all have different ideas of what a good learning environment is. Even if that’s the case, what matters most is whether you are confident about your education setting in a particular school based on individual factors.
Check if the program provides support services for their students and if you have an opportunity to develop your personal interests. Think of the goals you want to achieve and the ideal learning setting you’d like for optimum growth. Then, look for schools that offer both and provide you options to pursue what you want.
- The Overall Cost
Studying in medical school should be seen as an investment rather than a simple purchase. You shouldn’t ignore the costs, but you have to avoid getting into unnecessary debt.
Consider the tuition and what you can afford, then consider the ways you can finance your education. Check different schools to see if they offer financial assistance and scholarships you may be eligible to apply to. Some schools have veterans’ benefits and scholarships, while others have school-specific ones that pay for the partial or full cost of tuition, and more.
Choosing a medical school will take a lot of time and effort, but it will be all worth it in the long run. Keep these important factors in mind to help narrow down your options. Good luck!
