Sharon Shaw asked 4 years ago
Hi! I’ve recently been accepted to both UCLA and UMich and am having an extremely difficult time choosing which of the two to go to. I know both have amazing pre-med programs, but is there anything you find unique about pre-med opportunities at Michigan? I have researched a bit and found the pre-med path at Michigan a bit intimidating and I’m afraid that it would be extremely difficult to find (for example) volunteer opportunities or even enroll in pre-med classes due to high demand from many pre-med students. I do hope to go to Michigan, but I just need more information and essentially “convincing” to choose it over UCLA.
Lindsay Ma answered 4 years ago
Hello Sharon,
We are very sorry for the late response. We hope what we have to say will help you in your decision.
The pre-med track at UMich is not easy, but neither is pre-med at other reputable 4-year institutions. I didn’t go to UCLA for undergraduate, so I can’t say too much about what it’s like to be pre-med there; however, I feel like I have had a fulfilling time at UMich. Opportunities and resources are readily available at UMich even though finding a volunteer position, research, and/or student organization might take some experimenting and asking around. There are times when pre-med classes fill up here, but I think such happenings help you grow persistence and flexibility that would make you an even better doctor (you could even write about these small hurdles in your medical school application’s personal statement section). Resources like our website, out advising hours, Newnan Pre-Heath Advising, and the Career Center are great places you could check out now to see if you like their listing of resources. Each has a website you can find if you google their names with the word “UMICH.”
Taking a moment to step away from the “pre-med” reasons swaying your decision to choose UCLA or UMICH, I would urge you to do some introspection about what other aspects of your college experience are important to you. Things like weather, proximity from home, size of school, and presence of student organizations you might be interested in doing are things I think could help you more clearly decide on which school to attend. Pre-med shouldn’t be your whole college experience, in my humble opinion. At Pre-Med Hub, we strongly encourage care of your mental and emotional health as these things ultimately play large roles in your ability to excel in classes, make quality friends, and use your college experience to further understand why you might want to purse medicine.
In a way, I think the opportunities you have to be a successful and growing pre-med are the same here, at UMich, as it will be anywhere you go for your undergraduate education. What you put into finding a volunteering position that fits your interests (for example) will very much so determine what quality of an experience you get out of it.
I hope you found this answer helpful 🙂
Sincerely,
Lindsay Ma (Co-Pres)