This question was originally posted on Quora.com, and below is one of the best answers: Answered by Robert Pakter, MD from Johns Hopkins University I had spent two years at JHU undergrad during one of the most intense pre-med competitive periods...nearly 2/3 of students wanted to go to med school as I recall. As such, it was a pressure cooker. On the first day of Organic Chem, the prof said "I know we have a lot of pre-meds in this class. Look to your left, look to your right. They are your competition. The cream will rise to the top." It was horrible. I was labeled a "nerd" by my freshman dorm mates because I studied Friday nights. Then, at the end of sophomore year I got into the Human Biology program, also known as the "2-5" at the time. That meant you were admitted to the med school but had a year to do whatever you wanted academically. I decompressed and took stuff I never would have otherwise...history; writing; research etc. Then med school started. To my amazement, it was a different world. You weren't told your grades or class standing. A lot was expected of you but you weren't compared to anyone else. It was a mature fantastic learning experience. I love Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. In my senior year, my best friend and I decided to take a cross country trip for about two months in his Toyota subcompact. Not only did the Dean OK it, he paid for us to stop at Universities in the South and West that were underrepresented in the student body so we could talk to pre-med groups about Hopkins. Senior year I got to do two sub-internships (Pulmonary and Cardiac Surgery) where I was basically working as an intern. Not only did I get to work with incredible senior physicians, but I was far better prepared for my internship that had I not had this opportunity. There are lots of great med schools but Hopkins is really special. Source
