Expert: JM Starkman, MD - 9/23/2009

Question
Hi, i am a high school student and i'm stuck on what colleges to attend. There is a comunity college in my area that could give me the first 4 years i need to be an anesthesiologist. but i'm not sure where i want to attend after that for my med school. I want to attend somewhere in TN not far from Dyersburg, if possible. if you could just suggests some good colleges to attend med school that would be great! thanks for your time!

Answer
Your first challenge will be to attend and successfully complete college--either a large or small one.  It is not at all necessary to complete medical school at the same college or university where you attended as an undergraduate.  In fact, most med students are attending medical school at a different place from where they attended college.

There are plenty of great colleges large and small in TN!  Every last one of them has more to teach you than you could possibly learn in four years--so pick one based on important things like affordability, location, size, etc.  

All med schools in the US are about the same with the rarest of exceptions:  i.e. today's Assistant Professor of Anatomy at Ohio State will be tomorrow's Full Professor at SUNY Downstate--will be next year's Dean at Miami, etc, etc.  They use the same texts and teach to the same board exam.  So the syllabus, the books and the personnel are identical!  Make sure your undergrad college can meet their matriculation requirements.