Having trouble deciding whether to attend law school or medical school? The McGill Tribune provides some "guidance" in an article detailing the pros and cons of both professional schools. Surprisingly, the article is somewhat accurate--and perhaps painfully blunt.For example, it notes that law school admissions are:
[v]ery competitive. Applicants must supply high LSAT scores, good grades, recommendations, and be able to write and argue well. However, provided you meet these requirements, there's flexibility in the undergraduate curriculum, so you can major in almost anything.
This is not like medical admissions, which are:
[e]xtremely competitive, with many schools admitting students at single-digit rates. If you've ever been in an introductory science course, you know that the majority of students have their hopes set on medical school. While many forego their dreams for research careers (or transfer to Arts), the pool of applicants has, and always will be, through the roof. So start studying for those MCATs, do some research, and make sure your professors write glowing recommendations.
The article goes on to state what you can do with both degrees. With regard to law school, it reasons that "Richard Nixon proved that you can get average grades in law school and run the most powerful country in the world. That would certainly make your parents proud. Lawyers can go into private practice, politics, business, and even health." Hmm. . . .
Based on these and other categories of comparison, it then picks a winner:
Law School. If your primary motivation to pursue graduate school is linked to your parent's wishes, you're better off at law school. While a dispassionate student can probably gain entry into medical school, the intensity of study will be too much for someone who is just good at science. Law school produces students who are verbally articulate and strong writers - skills that are applicable to nearly every professional field. (emphasis added)
Prospective (and confused) students ought to take a glance at the article. I am not sure I agree with the conclusions drawn from each level of comparison, so I invite you to chime in with your own opinions.
yet another ill-informed journalist (this time in Canada) steering too many students to law school. Perhaps they would suggest we open another 30 law schools to accommodate all the kids who want to make their daddies and mommies proud.
ReplyDeleteI chuckled. good post. BTW clicking on "comment as" is annoying.
ReplyDeleteThink what you will of his other pursuits, but Richard Nixon was significantly better than average law student; he graduated #2 in his class from Duke.
ReplyDeleteA huge difference in the prep for the two fields is that law students never have to take a college math or science course, and most don't bother. That shows up in the fact that almost all our lawyers of POTUS, SCOTUS and COTUS are ignorant of science and math and cannot think like a scientist. Breyer is one of the very few exceptions.
ReplyDeletePre-med students are about as bad, but they do take Baby Math and Baby Science in college and, of course, many go on to excel in biology and chemistry.