It is safe to conclude that college application season is a magical and anxious time for senior students in high school. This is the time most students do a lot of research trying to find out which schools they can apply to and which schools they have a good chance of getting into based on their grades and other factors like distance and of course tuition. Well, if you are a resident in the beautiful state of Virginia and aspire to pursue a medical degree, then your browser history made be filled with pages of the best colleges that offer premed programs in the state. Let us know Best Premed Schools in Virginia.
Another concern you may have is whether Virginia has the necessary resources to properly train its students. Well, in the United States of America, the state of Virginia comes up as the seventh most educated state in the country. Also, it might interest you to know that the University of Virginia is in the 30th position when compared to other medical schools in the United States of America. This means that your choice to pursue your degree in the state of Virginia will not make you any less equipped or less qualified than students of other states. But of course, the University of Virginia is not the only college that offers premed programs in the state. This article is going to be centered on the best schools where you can pursue your pre-medical degree at.
What is a Premed Program?
Before this article is discussed, it may prove more useful to you to have a very brief summary of why the pre-medical program is and why it is important. First off, in the United States of America, it is very necessary to have a premed program to be able to fully pursue a medical degree. Just like the name suggests, a premed program consists of mostly science-based courses that you must take and of course pass to be able to be prepared for medical school. In the United States, this program lasts for about four to 5 years and can be very daunting as less than 40% of premed students get accepted into medical school. So, you must take it very seriously. Considering that in the United States of America, the acceptance rate of students into medical school is at 43% which is relatively low, choosing to get in through the preparatory medical track may be the best step to take.
Top Public Premed Schools in Virginia
There are very good schools that can stand toe to toe with other universities in the United States of America. So, do not worry about the quality of education you will be receiving. So, if you are a resident of Virginia that has been contemplating between remaining or moving to another state, you may not need to. Virginia has the resources to properly cater to your education. As you have seen earlier getting on the pre-med track is one of the surest ways to solidify your acceptance into medical school. Getting on this track prepares for what is to come. Here are the top three colleges which are considered the best in Virginia. In any of these schools, you can pursue a quality premed program.
University of Virginia
It may be safe to say that the University of Virginia being the top on this list is a no-brainer. Founded by Thomas Jefferson in the year 1819, the institution has built a well-standing history and a very good reputation in the state and the country as a whole and is a public university that is centered on research. The University of Virginia is located in Charlottesville, Virginia in the United States of America and although the school is a public school, it is tied for the 25th position among all national universities in the United States of America and comes up at the fourth position when rated among other public universities in the state. The academic structure and quality of education are so good that the school is often referred to as a public ivy.
Now bringing it back to a premed degree, you may be wondering if pursuing your premed program at the University of Virginia is a good choice. Well, asides from that the school has a very high number of graduates being accepted into medical school, it is well known for having one of the best resources and structures that extensively prepare premed students for what they will be facing in medical school proper. This at the end of the day not only makes sure that students excel academically, but also become excellent medical personnel. So, this might be a very good choice for you.
The acceptance rate into medical school
This should of course be a very important factor that determines whether or not you will be following through with the application process to the University of Virginia. On average, the institution has an acceptance rate of 55% for allopathic medical students into medical school and 44% for osteopathic medical students.
The tuition fee
Of course, to be able to pursue a degree, you need to have the money for it. Well, in the University of Virginia, the fee to even start the application process to the premed program is 80 dollars and like most universities in the United States, the residents of the state are mandated to pay a cheaper tuition fee than the non-resident students but to be very honest, the tuition fee is a little pricey. If you are a resident of Virginia, to be able to become a pre-med student at the University, then you will need to be able to pay a tuition fee of about 45,500 dollars and for a non-resident, then you are looking at about 56,000 dollars per annum.
College of William and Mary
This school is a public research university that is located in Williamsburg in t Virginia. The school is the oldest university in the state as it was established in 1693. This school is ranked the 9th best public college in the United States of America. One very important factor that makes the William and Mary premed program so interesting is that the institution helps its students to plan out their careers and make important decisions even before getting an acceptance into medical school. Also, the school’s premed curriculum is known to highlight the resources available through the school’s Cohen Career Center which assists students in finding the best career path.
The acceptance rate into medical school
About 61 to 70 percent of premed graduates from William and Mary are successfully accepted into medical schools in the United States of America.
The tuition fee
For residents of Virginia, you should expect to pay about 18,000 dollars per annum while for students that are from other states, it could be way pricier. You guys are looking at more than 40,000 dollars just for tuition.
Virginia Commonwealth University
This institution is also a public research university that is located in beautiful Richmond of Virginia. The medical college of this school was established in 1854. The premed academic structure is sure to give a solid foundation and rigorously prepare you for medical school.
Top Private Premed Schools in Virginia
If you are aspiring to pursue your premed degree in a private university instead of a public institution in the state of Virginia, then you will also be needing the necessary information about the top universities that offer the premed program in the state. Here are the top three private universities in Virginia that offer the premed program to aspiring medical students.
Washington and Lee University
Being one of the best private universities in the state of Virginia, the United States of America, this institution is located in Lexington and is a liberal arts university that was founded in 1749 and is one of the oldest universities not only in Virginia but in the entire country. The school is currently the 11th best liberal college in the United States of America.
For aspiring medical students looking to hop on the premed track in a private university in Virginia, considering applying to Washington and Lee University may not be a bad idea. The reason for this is because the school’s academic structure is built in such a way that you have an access to other post-graduate opportunities asides from medical school. This is best if you are not a hundred percent sure you want to take the road down to medical school. You might develop an interest in another course during your study here. Graduating as a pre-med student from the Washington and Lee University is sure to give a very safe stepping stone to chasing a postgraduate degree in your desired field.
However, if you are aspiring to continue into medical school, W&L university also offers courses like ethics, poverty, and human capabilities. This is of course asides from the basic science-related courses that are offered. This has made the school well known to produce the most empathetic and caring doctors in the country.
The acceptance percentage of medical school
The rate of acceptance of premed graduates who apply to medical school is very high with a rate of 91%. The reason for this may be because the school is a private school with more than enough resources to properly train the students.
The tuition fee
The tuition fee at Washington and Lee university is very expensive. To be able to study here, you are looking at tuition of about 59,000 dollars per annum.
University of Richmond
Also being one of the top schools in Virginia that has a premed program, the school is similar to Washington and Lee university due to the fact it is a liberal arts university that has been in existence since 1830. The school is the 25th best school in the country in the area of having the best values for its students. The University of Richmond is well equipped to handle the quality of education that a premed student would need.
The acceptance rate into medical school
Although there are different acceptance rates for different medical fields, the acceptance rate of premed students that graduated from the University of Richmond into medical school is on average, 89%. This is high and just proves why this school is on the list.
The tuition fee
To be able to study here, you should be prepared to cough out about 59,000 dollars which is, to be honest, very expensive. This much is to be expected considering the quality of education you will be receiving.
Liberty University
This university is located in Lynchburg in Virginia and it is an evangelical or Christian university. Although being a religious private school, this institution is known for its strong academic structure and quality education in its premed program. So, if you are a devout Christian, then it may not be a bad idea to consider applying to this institution. It is best to log onto the school’s website if you wish to find out more about the admission requirements and other factors that may affect your decision.
Conclusion
In conclusion, there are some excellent institutions in Virginia where you can pursue a premed degree that will give you an edge when trying to get accepted into any of the medical schools that are scattered in the United States of America. Taking the pre-medical route into medical school is considered the wisest choice as it not only prepares you for medical school but it also makes your application more golden. The reason for this is that, at the national level, the average acceptance rate into medical school is 43%. This means that getting into medical school is very difficult and very competitive. In the course of this article, the top 3 private and public universities that have premed programs were discussed.
FAQs
- Which School is the Oldest in Virginia?
The oldest university in Virginia is the College of William and Mary. It was established in 1693 by royals.
- What is the best School in Virginia?
The best school in Virginia is the University of Virginia.
