If you want to be a doctor, you need to plan ahead. Medical schools have a lot of specific requirements and expectations for admission, and if you want to meet them all before your undergraduate graduation, you need to start from (nearly) day one.
Many colleges offer a pre-med degree, but we prefer the pre-med curricular tracks at top-tier colleges — which by and large don’t offer pre-med as a major. If you go somewhere without a track or curriculum, you’ll have to keep track of what’s required by your preferred medical schools on your own, which can be wildly overwhelming.
Instead, we recommend attending the absolute best and most prestigious college you can and following their pre-med guidance to the letter. Read on for our top ten picks.
If you see Dr. in your future, send us an email. We help students chart a course towards success.
Harvard University — Cambridge, Massachusetts
Harvard doesn’t have a pre-med concentration, so you can major in nearly anything and fulfill the requirements for applying to a top medical school. This gives you the opportunity to try things out, take your time, and even change your mind. The Office of Career Services is there to guide you each step of the way.
Columbia University — New York, New York
The Premed curriculum at Columbia is designed to set you up for success, and the Charles Drew Premedical Society, established in 1873, offers support for students, especially minorities, in pursuing pre-med studies through mentorship, study sessions, and events.
Yale University — New Haven, Connecticut
Yale also doesn’t offer a pre-med major (a trend, you will notice), but students are guided in completing the requirements for application by the team in the Health Professions Advising Program. In addition to making sure you’re taking the right courses, they guide students towards extracurriculars that will help them stand out on paper, like clinical volunteering experiences.
Duke University — Durham, North Carolina
The Pre-Health wing of the Office of Health Professions at Duke offers support and guidance that will “help you tailor your undergraduate academics to best meet the qualifications of medical schools, dental schools, veterinary schools, and more.” Students are encouraged to prepare and explore before applying, and the program meets the qualifications of medical, dental, and veterinary schools.
University of Pennsylvania — Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
82% of Penn students who apply to medical school are admitted, compared to 43% nationally. Many accomplish this through the premed focus in the bioengineering major, which makes a lot of sense if you’re a hard sciences kind of person. If that isn’t how you want to spend your undergrad (but you still want to be a medical doctor) the Office of Career Services can help you figure out who you are as an applicant, and set you on your own unique journey.
Johns Hopkins University — Baltimore, Maryland
The Pre-Health Advising program and office of student affairs at Johns Hopkins offers one-on-one counseling services, job and internship search help, talk and panels, and even visits by a therapy dog. It’s no surprise to us that 98% of Johns Hopkins students with at least one research or internship experience are accepted to medical school as a result.
Georgetown University — Washington, DC
Pre-health at Georgetown is not a major, but it is a curricular track that can be accomplished parallel to nearly any major. The curriculum is a collaboration between the Chemistry Department and the Biochemistry Department, and it works for pre-med, pre-dental, and pre-vet. Students can also join the Pre-Med Society and Pre-Dental Society to access additional support from their peers.
University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill — Chapel Hill, North Carolina
UNC-Chapel hill is one of the country’s top producers of pre-med students, and they take this role seriously. The office of Health Professions Advising is a powerhouse that guides students towards their own MCAT success story. Medical schools prioritize volunteer services, so UNC helps aspiring doctors access opportunities and do them ethically through the Global Ambassadors for Patient Safety.
University of Washington — Seattle, Washington
The University of Washington is great at helping students narrow down their interests to build strong applications, and they offer planning guides for pre-med, pre-dental, pre-pharmacy, pre-physician assistant, and pre-physical therapy. Extensive volunteer opportunities are also available.
Boston University — Boston, Massachusetts
The pre-health curriculum at Boston University is not “one size fits all” and they offer a variety of curricular pathways instead of a major. Students receive guidance from pre-health advisors, who also support pre-med students in studying abroad. The Modular Medical/Dental Integrated Curriculum “provides early acceptance to the School of Medicine or School of Dental Medicine”
If you want to be a doctor, you need to plan ahead. The best way to get into a top medical school is to have your eyes set on the prize from the very beginning. That way, you’ll still have time to explore and have fun in college while also pursuing your dreams.
If you’re itching to be a doctor, send us an email. We help students like you find, and get into, their perfect college.