Expert: Bruce - 11/17/2008

Question
I am a junior in high school and I would like to become a reproductive endocrinologist and go to Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland but I live in Virginia. I was wondering would it cost less and be more benifiting if I went to a college closer to home in Virginia.

Answer
Cleo,

If you are thinking about a medical career then I assume you are a good student. This being so, you may be eligible for academic scholarships that can make a variety of good schools affordable for you. It is true, though, that you may find the best deals in your home state - for two reasons.

1) state aid for which you may be eligible (and may not be able to take to other states)

2) your in-state public colleges will have lower tuition rates

As far as getting into JH med school, you'll need very good grades and MCAT scores, so go to a college that is strong in the sciences and also can describe to you how their pre-med/pre-health academic advising works.

I hope this helps.  Best wishes to you.

Bruce