The decision to become a doctor can seem both exciting and daunting.
When students get on a seemingly endless internet search of different colleges, they can often feel completely overwhelmed with their future. Many students have figured out that they love science and helping others, but what is the right path to get there?
Pre-med is not a major but rather an advising track for students who intend to go onto medical school. Pre-Med is often the path that students go down to pursue a medical or health specialty career successfully.
Deciding to go pre-med will not only help a student be prepared for the MCAT(Medical College Admission Test) but will tell a prospective medical school that the student is prepared to take on the rigors of their program. Many high-quality schools in Massachusetts offer students Pre-Med Programs to ensure their success in medical school.
So, how do you pick the right Pre-Med Program?
Before you start endless scrolling through internet websites and college admissions applications, take the time to read our researched list of The Best Pre-Med Schools In Massachusetts.
Ranked by the total number of applicants each school supplies to medical school as measured by the AAMC.
10. Wellesley College (Wellesley, MA)
Wellesley College was founded as a women’s liberal arts college back in 1870 and quickly expanded its fields of study to the sciences. Over the next 50 years, before Women’s Suffrage, Wellesley College employed more female scientists than any other college in the US.
Students pursuing a pre-med track at Wellesley will be signing up for a top-notch and rigorous course load in the sciences. Even though students interested in pre-med can choose any major they wish, they are encouraged to take a vast array of upper-level science courses to prepare them for the difficulty of medical school.
Wellesley’s dedicated Health Professions Advising office works with students to ensure that they are progressing toward creating a notable medical school application to enter into the student’s medical school of choice.
By choosing to prepare for medical school at Wellesley College, a student is starting a track to become one of the highest-level candidates for any medical school program in the country. In fact, due to the rigor of Wellesley programs, medical school admissions committees frequently accept lower GPAs from candidates that graduated from Wellesley College.
Although very competitive, Wellesley College prides itself on offering financial assistance to most of its students. The US News & World Report ranked Wellesley the best women’s college in the country and 13th for the best value.
9. Amherst College (Amherst, MA)
Amherst College began as a private liberal arts college in 1821 and is the 3rd oldest higher education institution in Massachusetts. Throughout the years, Amherst College has been ranked as the best liberal arts college in the US by the US News & World Report 10 times.
Committing to a pre-med curriculum at Amherst College means spending time getting to know the field that students will one day work in.
Through the Loeb Center for Career Exploration and Planning, Amherst College students are provided opportunities to partner with a professional, often a former Amherst graduate, to learn about their career, and gain leadership and professional skills in their chosen path.
With this combination of professional expertise and internship opportunities, Amherst College students find themselves with advocates and professional relationships in the medical field before entering medical school.
Students going into pre-med at Amherst College not only come out with early practical experience, but the rigors of the academic course load have prepared students well for the MCAT. With around an 80% acceptance rate into medical school on the first round and 90% after reapplying.
8. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Cambridge, MA)
MIT has made considerable contributions to nearly every field of science and technology in our world today. It is also known as the best technology institute for higher education in the world. With its long list of award-winning alumni, MIT has had 98 Nobel Prize laureates, 58 National Medal of Science recipients, and 41 astronauts walk through its doors.
Not only is the Massachusetts Institute of Technology a leading research institution, but it is also a school that prepares its students well for a career in the medical field. It may seem strange that MIT, a prestigious technical school, offers a pre-med track, but it is actually quite common and highly reputable.
Since MIT has built up quite a reputation, the network of partnerships available to students enrolled in pre-med is quite extensive. Students can spend their summers working among leaders in the medical industry on cutting-edge treatment practices.
One example is The 2022 Experiential Internship through AbbVie, which provides students a paid experience working with leading researchers in Precision Medicine.
MIT pre-med students can choose a major from a variety of scientific disciplines and take courses in a predetermined sequence better to prepare them for their transition into medical school.
MIT students created a comprehensive guide to ensure that their pre-med peers are prepared for the rigors of an MIT schedule.
7. Brandeis University (Waltham, MA)
Located in Waltham, Massachusetts, Brandeis is a private research university named after Louis Brandeis, the first Jewish Supreme Court Justice. Brandeis has a high proportion of international students and a long list of notable alumni, including Eleanor Roosevelt, the former first lady and humanitarian.
Pre-Med students at Brandeis have a choice to major in one of the sciences offered at the school or to major in the Health: Science, Society, and Policy Program (HSSP).
HSSP is a unique major that fulfills all of the requirements for pre-med students and prepares students for a career in a health-related field.
Even though pre-med students have majored in nearly every major the school has to offer, choosing HSSP can set students up with a support network that helps students gain community connections and first-hand experience in their chosen health field, all while following a structured pre-med course plan.
Brandeis University is highly recognized for offering high-quality science programs. The neuroscience and neurobiology programs at Brandeis were ranked number 2 in the nation by the National Research Council, which tied with both Yale and Johns Hopkins Universities.
6. Tufts University (Medford, MA)
Tufts University is one of the top research universities in the world and offers its students over 200 different degree programs at ten campuses located throughout the greater Boston area. The School of Medicine is located on the Boston campus adjacent to the Tufts Medical Center near Chinatown.
Since Tufts has both a Medical School and a Medical Center on campus, many pre-med students are in their undergraduate programs.
Students at Tufts may decide to apply to the Bachelor’s/MD Early-Assurance Program, where, if accepted, they are admitted into the Tufts Medical School without having to take the MCAT.
This assurance allows students more time to participate in areas of interest and internship opportunities with currently practicing medical professionals.
5. University of Massachusetts, Amherst (Amherst, MA)
The University of Massachusetts in Amherst has the largest university campus in Massachusetts and the second-largest student body.
UMass Amherst is a public research university that offers over 100 undergraduate degrees and over 70 master’s degrees.
Located on the beautiful UMass Amherst campus is a specific office that advises students who have chosen to go pre-med or pre-health.
No matter which health field a student is interested in pursuing, there is an established pre-med student group that will help build connections and answer questions while navigating the world of pre-med.
Because of the volume of pre-med students attending UMass Amherst, the school is well-suited for helping students build their medical school applications starting freshman year. The pre-med advising team and student support groups organize an abundance of medical training and volunteer activities.
The Summer Health Professions Education Program allows students to build powerful and professional relationships with leading medical experts in the field. The program places students in an immersive summer experience at one of several locations across the US.
4. Boston College (Newton, MA)
The campus of Boston College, located in Chestnut Hill, MA, is recognized as a US historic district and contains some of the earliest examples of gothic architecture in the US.
BC’s campus of 120 buildings is over 175 acres sitting on a hill that overlooks Chestnut Hill Reservoir. With old-growth trees and gothic-style buildings, students will feel like walking through time on the Boston College campus.
The Pre-Health Program at Boston College is one of the best to help prepare students for medical school.
With a designated office to provide support for students going into the medical field, the school offers resources for gaining health-related experience, extra-curricular activities, and support resources to prepare for the MCAT.
BC students will participate in internships, mock interviews, workshops, and research that prepares them specifically for what medical school admissions want to see.
They also have the opportunity to work with student groups and partnering organizations to maximize their experience out of the classroom.
Participating in the BC Student Global Health Group means having the opportunity to bring the skills students learn in the classroom to underserved populations.
In partnership with Timmy Global Health, students travel to Guatemala during the summer to work with local doctors and patients at a participating health clinic.
3. Northeastern University (Boston, MA)
Located in the heart of Boston, Northeastern University is a top private research university. Northeastern offers its students to be a part of its cooperative education program, which partners students with thousands of industry leaders.
These partners are located worldwide and help students learn professional skills through first-hand experience in their field.
Northeastern University has made it its goal to be among the best pre-med programs in the country.
To achieve this, Northeastern create a tailored program for each student by combining their interests with their chosen field of study. Designated advisors help students every step of the way by ensuring that all boxes for medical school are checked from the day they enter campus.
Students to participate with community partners in a diverse range of health fields through their City and Community Engagement Program. Students gain powerful insight into their chosen career path and feel inspired by hands-on learning.
It is no wonder that graduates from Northeastern have a 73% acceptance rate into medical school on their first application.
2. Harvard University (Cambridge, MA)
Harvard is the oldest university in the United States and a world-renowned research institution.
This private, Ivy League school has had more Nobel Prize and Fields Medal winners graduate from it than any other higher education institution.
Being a pre-med student at Harvard means becoming a member of a long list of prestigious alumni to graduate from its specific Premedical Program.
Students enrolled in Harvard Pre-Med have access to specific advising and internships. Additionally, pupils have monthly meetings with an in-field professional through the Sponsorship Program.
1. Boston University (Boston, MA)
One of the largest employers in the Boston area, Boston University has over 4,000 faculty members and is a leading research institution.
A pre-med student at Boston University has the opportunity to study in a bachelor’s degree path they choose, but with the aid of a designated pre-med advisor to help students take advantage of all BU has to offer potential medical students.
Students in the pre-med track at Boston University can choose to enter BU’s Early Assurance Program, which grants provisional admission into the Boston University School of Medicine. Another option is the Liberal Arts/Medical Education Program, in which students receive a Bachelor’s Degree in Arts and Sciences as well as a Doctor of Medicine in just seven years.
The Boston University Medical School is consistently ranked as one of the top medical schools.