How does Millsaps prepare students for med school compared to the giant state schools? 🏥

[Martin]

I'm pre-med, and everyone keeps pushing Ole Miss or MSU. "Better resources," they say. "More connections," they say.

But I did some digging into Millsaps, and the numbers tell a different story.

Their med school acceptance rate is around 85%. That's not a typo. Eighty-five percent.

When I visited, I asked how that's possible with a smaller budget. The pre-med advisor didn't even hesitate: "We have no teaching assistants. Every single lab, every single research opportunity, is with a PhD professor who knows your name."

I sat in on an organic chemistry class. There were fourteen students. Fourteen.

The professor was walking around, answering questions, calling people out by name. He even knew one guy was applying to UMC and asked about his application in front of everyone. Not in a weird way. In a "I'm invested in your future" way.

So here's my question: does prestige matter more than actually getting into med school?

Because if Millsaps is quietly sending 85% of their kids to become doctors, why is everyone fighting to be a number in a 300-person lecture hall?

I'm genuinely trying to understand.

 

[Amelia]

The "prestige" argument is backwards for med school.

Med schools don't care about your university's football team. They care about: GPA, MCAT, research, clinical experience, letters of recommendation.

At a giant school, you're competing with 500 other pre-meds for research spots. At Millsaps, you're competing with 15.

Which school gives you better odds of getting that research position? Which school's professor can write a personal letter vs. a generic one?

The math is simple. Smaller is better for med school. Prestige is for finance bros.