action with faculty and fellow students, or for
a larger university, with its wider curricu-
lar and extracurricular opportunities. Factors
such as cost should also be carefully con-
sidered. Take into account also the size of the
library, the student-faculty ratio, the local
environment, and the academic pressures. In
addition, evaluate each college keeping in
mind the following points:
1. Does the college offer the premedical courses
that are prerequisites for admis-
sion to medical school? Examine the school's
catalog to determine this.
2. Does the college have dynamic and modern
science departments and adequate
laboratory facilities?
3. Does the list of faculty members in the
catalog indicate a competent staff?
(Note, for example, the number of faculty with
doctorate degrees.)
4. When you visit the school, do students speak
well of the science and mathemat-
ics departments?
5. Does the school have good library
facilities? A visit to the library will give you
an insight into its quality.
6. Does the college have a high academic
reputation? Examination of the freshman
class profile, which should be available from
high school counselors, will shed
light on this point.
7. Does the college consistently send a
significant portion of its premedical gradu-
ates to medical school? This information is
very helpful in assessing the
school's reputation and the quality of its
premedical students. Discuss this ques-
tion with the college's seniors, its premedical
advisor, and its science professors.
8. Does the college have a premedical advisory
program? A knowledgeable and
dedicated premedical advisor will help ensure
academic guidance, current infor-
mation, and assistance at the time the student
is planning to apply to medical
and/or dental school.
A comparative evaluation of these and other
issues involves reading the schools'
catalogs and visiting each of the campuses
under consideration. A visit offers the oppor-
tunity of meeting students, admissions and
guidance personnel, and professors, and of
discussing the aspects of the schools with
those who are most familiar with them.
It is very important to give careful
consideration to the college you select, for it will
undoubtedly have a major impact upon your
career. The undergraduate school at which
you matriculate can affect your performance. In
addition, it is one of the factors in the
selection of medical students. Because of this,
it is very desirable to secure a quality
education at a well-established or prestigious
college or university. A private school may
give you an edge. To secure admission to a
college that will improve your career poten-
tial requires competitive grades, attractive
SAT I or ACT scores, impressive recommen-
dations, and personal
achievement(s).
Bottom Line
Guidelines for selecting a college, can be
summarized as follows:
· If you have not chosen a major, then
check to make sure you have an adequate
choice of offerings along with good-quality
courses.
· If you have chosen a major, determine
if you will be offered adequate choices in
your area of concentration and how good the
quality of teaching is.
· If you elect to attend a community
college, be certain that your upper-level courses
are taken at a four-year college to provide
evidence of your ability to handle the
demands of medical school.
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