Located in Hanover, New Hampshire, Dartmouth Medical College ranks 34th among the country's graduate-level medical institutions. It's a selective school with a great faculty-student ratio of 2.6. Founded in 1797, Dartmouth is the nation's fourth oldest medical school. The school receives over 5,000 applications for the 90 spots that Dartmouth has available at the beginning of each year. New Hampshire is a very small state and 96 percent of the school's students come from other states and countries.
Dartmouth has the same basic requirements as most other medical schools, but meeting the basic needs won't be enough to gain acceptance into Dartmouth. While a 3.0 grade point average is the minimum GPA, the average GPA of those accepted is 3.8. Dartmouth also requires MCAT scores. If you are accepted, however, Dartmouth provides a healthy amount of financial aid. Eighty-four percent of students are provided some type of financial aid and 50 percent receive scholarships.
Whether you attend school in New Hampshire or not, your residency is the most important part of your education because you finally take everything you've learned and begin applying it in the field. Several schools have residency and internship programs set up in New Hampshire hospitals. The NH Dartmouth Family Medicine Residency through Concord Hospital is very welcoming of new doctors and as well as the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Residency and Fellowship program. So, no matter where you attended medical school, you can still complete your training in New Hampshire.
Like Coke and Pepsi, Dartmouth is a name brand. While other schools may have a higher rank or a better program, a name goes a long way. Also, Dartmouth has prestigious fraternities and groups and the connections you make will become very important in your career.