Choosing a great college for undergrad studies can make a big difference when it comes to being a pre-med. But because there’s so much choice, and a lot of factors hanging in the balance, it’s difficult to know what schools are best.
Johns Hopkins has an excellent reputation in terms of academics, but does it stack up for pre-med? Here’s what we know about Johns Hopkins’ strength and reputation at the undergrad level.
Is Johns Hopkins Good For Pre-Med in 2022?
In most online polls, Johns Hopkins is ranked as one of the best schools for pre-med in the country. Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine is one of the best medical schools in the country, so pre-med students at JHU benefit from world-class resources and opportunities.
Does Johns Hopkins Offer Pre-Med?
Johns Hopkins does not offer a pre-med major, but they do offer a pre-health track. Any major can be on the pre-health track, but the majority come from the sciences. Pre-Professional Programs and Advising is a robust presence, with published guides, small group and individual meetings, and requirement tracking for pre-health students.
Johns Hopkins Pre-Med Requirements
Here are the JH requirements for medical school applicants:
- 2 courses (with lab) each of chemistry, organic chemistry, biology
- 1 course each of biochemistry and statistics
- 2 courses each of physics and calculus
- 2 courses each of English/writing and social sciences/humanities
What’s Good About Johns Hopkins Pre-Med
Being a competitive university and having a competitive medical school, JHU attracts many pre-med types, so you will be surrounded by bright people who want to share ideas and experiences.
JHU also offers access to many clinical, volunteer, and research opportunities that other schools simply don’t have.
Clinical Experience
Pre-Professional Advising is there to help you set up two kinds of clinical experience: direct patient interaction and job shadowing. They can also help you with international clinical experiences. JHU is close to Johns Hopkins Hospital and Johns Hopkins Medical Center, both of which are world-class medical facilities.
Research Experience
JHU offers myriad research opportunities (and funding) both on campus and through the university medical institutions. All majors and all pre-health track students are encouraged to follow their interests in “the vast world” of opportunities offered here.
Civic Engagement
Just like with research opportunities, JHU, with its proximity to large hospitals and a large city, offers a multitude of medical and non-medical volunteer opportunities. There are also many campus opportunities for involvement and leadership, including pre-med organizations like MAPS, The Women’s Pre-Health Leadership Society, and the Medical Ethics Discussion Panel.
What’s Bad About Johns Hopkins Pre-Med
All those pre-meds mentioned above that JHU attracts? That can feel exhausting and overwhelming at times, and that can give you a misplaced sense of over-competition and stress.
JHU Pre-health classes are likely to be large and rigorous, and there are “few regulations on how professors teach and grade,” leading to grade deflation. One insider says the difficulty of your courses depends on the compatibility between the professor’s teaching style and your learning style.
Thi competitive nature of Johns Hopkins is also something that’s led to a “toxic” label among some students. This is highlighted in greater detail in the video below…
One of the main criticisms here is that the competitive culture can be damaging mentally if not balanced well by individual students.
Are You At An Advantage Getting Into Johns Hopkins Medical School?
JHU School of Medicine is one of the most competitive in the country, accepting only 7% of applications, so any advantage you had applying from JHU is likely to be whittled away by fellow JHU grads also applying.
Johns Hopkins’ Pre-Med Acceptance Rate
80% of JHU students are accepted into medical school, better than the national average. JHU’s reputation and educational experience ensure a strong acceptance rate every year.
What Johns Hopkins majors are best for pre-meds?
Molecular and Cell Biology is always a favorite and is probably one of the best for preparing you for the MCATs.
Biomedical Engineering and Chemical/Biological Engineering are two of the hardest majors at Hopkins, but they are well worth the effort in terms of “limitless opportunities” in the job market even if you decide not to go to medical school.
Public Health also prepares you well for medical school and is considered one of the “easiest” of the pre-health majors.
Is Johns Hopkins good for Biology?
The Biology Department at JHU is very strong and a popular choice. Neuroscience is another good pre-health major renowned for its popular courses and professors.
Is Johns Hopkins good for pre-med? Reddit’s / Internet Opinion
Internet opinion: It’s obviously a really great school for pre-med, but there might be some downsides:
Simply going to JHU carries a lot of weight and our school has one of the best pre-med tracks in the country. Medical schools know this. Don’t worry!
45% of JHU students come in with interest in applying to med school. Only 20% apply, which means there is a huge attrition rate.
Anonymous on Quora
Another good watch to get more info on what a “day in the life” of a student at the college might look like, is in the video below. This can help you form more of your own conclusions (with a surface look) as to the pros and cons of John Hopkins…
Conclusion: Is Johns Hopkins good for pre-med?
Johns Hopkins is one of your best bets for a reputable, challenging, and engaging pre-med experience. They have world-class resources to go with the world-class education. Get in here, set yourself on a pre-med track and study hard!
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Born and raised in the UK, Will went into medicine late (31) after a career in journalism. He’s into football (soccer), learned Spanish after 5 years in Spain, and has had his work published all over the web. Read more.