
Are you looking to pursue medicine and are considering different options for college? With so many options available worldwide, it can often be difficult to choose which colleges to apply to. This post is here to give you a list of the best colleges for medicine so you can plan your research and applications accordingly.
Harvard University
Johns Hopkins University
University of Pennsylvania (Perelman)
Stanford University
University of California, San Francisco (UCSF)
Columbia University (Vagelos)
Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine
Washington University in St. Louis
Cornell University (Weill)
University of California, Los Angeles (Geffen)
University of Chicago (Pritzker)
Duke University
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Northwestern University (Feinberg)
Vanderbilt University
University of Toronto
McGill University
University of British Columbia
McMaster University
University of Alberta
University of Oxford
University of Cambridge
Imperial College London
University College London (UCL)
King's College London
University of Edinburgh
University of Glasgow
University of Manchester
Karolinska Institute (Sweden)
ETH Zurich (Switzerland)
LMU Munich (Germany)
KU Leuven (Belgium)
University of Copenhagen (Denmark)
Sorbonne University (France)
Heidelberg University (Germany)
University of Amsterdam (Netherlands)
Erasmus University Rotterdam (Netherlands)
University of Zurich (Switzerland)
Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin (Germany)
Trinity College Dublin (Ireland)
University of Barcelona (Spain)
University of Melbourne
University of Sydney
Monash University
University of Queensland
Australian National University
Academic reputation: Choose a med school based on the exact program you want to study. When choosing a college, you should look more at the rigour/ranking of a particular program rather than the college's overall ranking. You should also ensure that this med school is accredited by the local/federal government in the region you want to work in eventually.
Cost: You should consider the cost of medical school before applying, as different institutions can vary greatly in price. If you are moving away from home or out of your country, you should budget for additional costs such as rent, flights, etc.
Financial aid: You should consider the financial aid packages that colleges offer you as med school can get quite expensive. That being said, financial aid is not the only factor that should determine which college you attend and should be viewed holistically in addition to the other factors above.
Career opportunities: Research the job opportunities that this college will provide you - do they help you get any job shadowing/internships, etc? This will be especially important as it can give you valuable experience in the field of medicine before you graduate.
Curriculum and specialization: Check whether the schools you are applying to teach using traditional lectures, in-field exposure, or a mix of both. Check how early they allow you to conduct clinical work rather than simply studying theory. Look for opportunities that allow you to conduct research with faculty. Check whether the curriculum allows you to take courses in medical areas you are interested in such as surgery, oncology, paediatrics, etc.
We hope this guide has helped you identify some med schools you might be interested in applying to. Good luck with your college applications!