Prestige vs. Peace of Mind

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sareal

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Hi all,
I'm currently a high school senior and I'm facing a dilemna as to whether I should choose an ivy league school or an accelerated medicine program.
I've been accepted to Columbia, UPenn, and Dartmouth (all of which I love - I can't seem to decide between them either) and Saint Louis University's medical scholars program. I've been told that I can complete SLU's medical program in 7 years, recieving a guaranteed acceptance to the medical school if I keep a 3.5 gpa and pass the interview. SLU's program does not need MCAT's, and is basically guaranteed (I still need to pass a subjective interview, but it is not difficult to pass if I have a 3.5+ GPA).

Couple of things to consider:
I'm a canadian citizen - I've heard that it is very hard for internationals to get accepted to US medical schools. Should this be a factor for consideration?
I'm not planning on going into academia - thus I dont need the big name medical school, though I would like to keep the possiblity of competitive speciaties open (ENT, emergency med).
Money is not a factor - I have a reasonable scholarship for SLU, and financial aid (mostly grants) for my three ivy's.

Any opinions or comments as to which school I should choose is greatly appreciated!
 
go with the ivy league college. I would suggest Dartmouth, but they're all good.

p.s. EM isn't too competitive, and should never be mentioned in the same vein as ENT or other really competitive fields.
 
Go to Penn! I did and I loved it! I can't say enough good things about my time at the school.

Actually, though, my advice and I'm sure others will disagree, is complete your undergrad then apply. I know a ton of kids who started out pre-med and found out that they had other interests along the way that they liked better than medicine. Most people change a great deal during their four years of school. Granted, applying to med school absolutely sucks! But you aren't really saving too much time by skipping a year and you will be sacrificing a lot by giving up going to a great undergradate school. And should you decide to pursue law or business or any other industry really (aside from medicine) where you go to undergrad becomes more important.

Congrats, though, on your great accomplishments!
 
Honestly if you are 100% absolutely positive you want to be a doctor, it is ten times easier to go to the accelerated program. No Mcats, No dropping thousands of dollars on applications for med school alone, less traveling to interviews in cities you don't know where you don't know anyone and no cocky interviewers trying to freak you out and lastly A LOT LESS stress.

Ivy legua is great and all but it's not the school you go to that ultimately will determine how competitive you will be for residencies, it's how hard you work and you sound like you got that down pat. If the name is really that important to you go for the ivy legue, but with all the stresses of college and med school, you might thank yourself for taking the accelerated program. I wish I had.

Good luck,
 
sareal said:
Hi all,
I'm currently a high school senior and I'm facing a dilemna as to whether I should choose an ivy league school or an accelerated medicine program.
I've been accepted to Columbia, UPenn, and Dartmouth (all of which I love - I can't seem to decide between them either) and Saint Louis University's medical scholars program. I've been told that I can complete SLU's medical program in 7 years, recieving a guaranteed acceptance to the medical school if I keep a 3.5 gpa and pass the interview. SLU's program does not need MCAT's, and is basically guaranteed (I still need to pass a subjective interview, but it is not difficult to pass if I have a 3.5+ GPA).

Couple of things to consider:
I'm a canadian citizen - I've heard that it is very hard for internationals to get accepted to US medical schools. Should this be a factor for consideration?
I'm not planning on going into academia - thus I dont need the big name medical school, though I would like to keep the possiblity of competitive speciaties open (ENT, emergency med).
Money is not a factor - I have a reasonable scholarship for SLU, and financial aid (mostly grants) for my three ivy's.

Any opinions or comments as to which school I should choose is greatly appreciated!
Click to expand...

Dartmoth or SLU will be good. Pick your choice. Penn or Columbia should be your last choice.
 
Can you expand on why I should pick Dartmouth (or SLU) and avoid Penn/Columbia? Thanks 🙂
 
If I were you, I wouldn't be in such a rush to get to the next phase of life. Of course, that's probably because I've had a wonderful non-traditional experience.

I went to Brown where I wasn't a pre-med and where I had a phenomenal undergrad experience. I then went out into the "real word" for six years and am headed to medical school next year. It's always been more important to me to be happy where I am than so worried about the next step, so I would recommend going to the undergraduate school where you think you will be happiest, whichever one that is. There is no one on this board who will be able to determine that for you.

Maybe, like many of my pre-med friends did, you will realize you want to do something completely different, like be an opera singer, or a lawyer, or an artist.
 
there's nothing wrong with upenn or colombia and they're extremely good schools to start with. Columbia in in NYC so you have a lot of city life. Dartmouth is in New Hampshire, and well it's just kinda isolated when i visited it. If you're 100 percent sure you want to go into medicine, go with the SLU program.

What are your reasons for going into medicine. If its for money a lone, i'd suggest going into the ivy school, and still consider your choices. If you become a doctor you do realize that a doctor's life is very stressful, and the average net income has been steadily decreasing over the years. Nevertheless they work on average about 52 hours a week, and subsequently pretty stressed.

I'd say go with the program because it will make your life a lot easier, and you won't be worried about the mcats, volunteer work, research, etc. You'll be pleased that you need to maintain a 3.5 which should be pretty doable by you, and the time that you have free instead of on boosting your app is definitely nice.

Prestige is overrated, people are going to judge you for the doctor you are, not the degree that's hanging on your wall.
 
i agree with caesarsgirl - if you are 100% sure - just go for the SLU med program. if there is any doubt in your mind, i would choose a traditional undergrad experience. you can do your prereqs there but you'll have to take the mcat, and drop a lot of cash on your application process and subsequently on med school tuition. any of those ivy schools will give you a FABULOUS undergrad experience. i know people who went to all of them and each has it's strong points. all of your options are great. good luck!
 
You have already concluded that it's prestige vs peace of mind. So you know where you are going, right? Prestige may not even worth $$$ , not to mention additional non monetary surcharge. It is not essential for any life. What if you had said it was quality of education vs peace of mind? Well, I'd still say that you are going to the same place because mind is always a terrible thing to waste. Since when have you learned to ask such an easy question like this anyway?
Good luck.
 
Does the SLU program lock you in?
Can you apply elsewhere for med school without losing your spot at SLU?
Does the accelerated program at SLU mean that you don't get a bachelors degree?
Do you HAVE to do the SLU program in 7 years?

If the answer to any of the above is "yes," then I would recomment NOT taking the SLU offer.

I speak from experience...I am in the BS/MD program at the University of Rochester, where I am now a graduating senior. When in high school I was convinced that I wanted to go to medical school, and I was (and continue to be) extremely impressed by UR's med school. It seemed like the perfect medical school to me (and I still feel that way) and the undergrad was my second choice overall of where I applied. Plus I liked the idea of no MCATs, not having to worry about GPA, the program not being accelerated, etc. And since the UR program did not lock me in and I still had the option of going anywhere else for med school without giving up my spot at UR, I felt like it was the perfect option.

Well...it was, especially because of that last feature I mentioned.. Cause, guess what...during college I fell in love with research and decided that an MD/PhD program was better for me than a straight MD program. So, I applied this year to MD/PhD programs without fear of losing my UR MD spot (pretty nice backup plan) and had the full support of the administration here; I had the assurance of the spot at UR until I accepted an offer from another program. Long story short, I have given up my spot at UR and pulled out of the BS/MD program and will be attending UPenn's MD/PhD program next year.

BS/MD programs are great in that they allow you to not worry about the application process and enjoy college to the fullest extent. During my first two years before I started thinking about applying for MD/PhD programs I trully feel that I had a much better undergrad experience than I would if I had been a typical pre-med being anal about grades and preparing for the MCAT. However, in addition to this freedom, you also need the freedom to drop out without repercussions or to apply elsewhere if you goals change while in college...you never know what will happen over the next four years.

So, my advice to you:
If you answered yes to any of my initial questions, don't consider SLU's program any more; go to one of the other 3 schools (I recommend UPenn, but I'm biased now 😉).
If you answered no to all of my initial questions, and you like SLU's undergrad, and you REALLY like their med school and don't see yourself wanting to be at any other medical school down the line, take the SLU spot.
 
doc05 said:
go with the ivy league college. I would suggest Dartmouth, but they're all good.

p.s. EM isn't too competitive, and should never be mentioned in the same vein as ENT or other really competitive fields.
Click to expand...

I would also suggest Dartmouth. Go Big Green!

I promise promise promise you, you won't regret it!
 
I faced a very similar decision (Harvard vs. U Wisconsin medical scholars) back in 1985 as a high school senior. I chose Harvard, which was almost certainly a bad choice for me, as I really struggled at Harvard in ways that I probably would not have at Wisconsin. And here I am now entering medical school at age 37.

But then again, who knows. I don't regret the decision, because there's really no way to know how it would have turned out the other way. For you, SLU would be the easy way, and possibly a way for you to really shine as a bigger fish in a smaller pond. Ivy League (and other highly competitive) schools can be pretty intense places. Some people thrive on that, but at 18 I didn't. Just be sure that wherever you go is a good match for your personality.

Best wishes.
 
javert said:
Does the SLU program lock you in?
Can you apply elsewhere for med school without losing your spot at SLU?
Does the accelerated program at SLU mean that you don't get a bachelors degree?
Do you HAVE to do the SLU program in 7 years?

If the answer to any of the above is "yes," then I would recomment NOT taking the SLU offer.

I speak from experience...I am in the BS/MD program at the University of Rochester, where I am now a graduating senior. When in high school I was convinced that I wanted to go to medical school, and I was (and continue to be) extremely impressed by UR's med school. It seemed like the perfect medical school to me (and I still feel that way) and the undergrad was my second choice overall of where I applied. Plus I liked the idea of no MCATs, not having to worry about GPA, the program not being accelerated, etc. And since the UR program did not lock me in and I still had the option of going anywhere else for med school without giving up my spot at UR, I felt like it was the perfect option.

Well...it was, especially because of that last feature I mentioned.. Cause, guess what...during college I fell in love with research and decided that an MD/PhD program was better for me than a straight MD program. So, I applied this year to MD/PhD programs without fear of losing my UR MD spot (pretty nice backup plan) and had the full support of the administration here; I had the assurance of the spot at UR until I accepted an offer from another program. Long story short, I have given up my spot at UR and pulled out of the BS/MD program and will be attending UPenn's MD/PhD program next year.

BS/MD programs are great in that they allow you to not worry about the application process and enjoy college to the fullest extent. During my first two years before I started thinking about applying for MD/PhD programs I trully feel that I had a much better undergrad experience than I would if I had been a typical pre-med being anal about grades and preparing for the MCAT. However, in addition to this freedom, you also need the freedom to drop out without repercussions or to apply elsewhere if you goals change while in college...you never know what will happen over the next four years.

So, my advice to you:
If you answered yes to any of my initial questions, don't consider SLU's program any more; go to one of the other 3 schools (I recommend UPenn, but I'm biased now 😉).
If you answered no to all of my initial questions, and you like SLU's undergrad, and you REALLY like their med school and don't see yourself wanting to be at any other medical school down the line, take the SLU spot.
Click to expand...

I'll echo Javert's sentiments. Any of the Ivys would be a good choice.
 
Go to Dartmouth. You'll receive a superb undergrad education and find an appreciation for life and things other than grades and school work. Since it is a liberal arts college, you have to take a wide variety of classes to meet graduation requirements...This is a good thing. You may find that medicine isn't your calling...Maybe anthropology or chemistry is your interest. Or maybe dentistry. 😉 My point is, deciding what you want to do with the rest of your life is not a decision I was equipped to make at age 18. Having a worthwhile undergrad experience will shape you in to a better person and eventually a better physician, if that's what you chose to do at the end of the day. No need to rush it...You have 60 more years to live.
 
Go to one of the ivies. I went to a state school and an ivy, and there is a difference between the two. I went to Penn and would definitely recommend it because of it's location in Philly and it's proximity to the hospital and med school (which are right on campus). It will give you a lot of exposure to medicine if you want it. Since the hospital is right here, getting clinical research experience is easy (as is lab experience but it doesn't sound like that's your interest). Plus, being in a big city, there are tons of opportunities to work out in the city neighborhoods doing public health initiatives and other projects. Penn has many classes which are community-service based. THere's also some really interesting majors for pre-meds that can get you out of the typical bio monotony.
If you want any more info, PM me with questions. I can also let you know how to get a research position (I may even be able to get you one myself if you're interested). By the way, I'm probably going into EM myself--good choice.
 
DO NOT LISTEN TO THE ADVICE OF THOSE ABOVE SAYING "GO TO AN IVY."

IF you know you want to be a doctor then go to SLU. Do not risk running into extremely competitive undergrads, getting marginal grades, getting crappy MCATs, having to keep up with extracurricular activities, and all the other BS that comes with applying to medical school while in college. If you are guaranteed an acceptance to SLU then go ahead and do it. You will have less pressure on you and you can easily get a 3.5, which is on the low side of competitive for those applying while in undergrad. If a 3.5 is all you need and you dont have to go through the horrible MCATs then go to SLU, YOU WOULD BE CRAZY NOT TO.
 
upenn, i'm an alumni, you'll love it there.

but slu med program is good too
 
go to an ivy. you will not regret it even if you still decide to pursue medicine and have to apply the traditional way.

peace of mind = laziness. i'm not saying you are not motivated, but as the others have said, having a guaranteed acceptance will ease your mind from the "worries" of ecs, volunteering, grades, mcat, etc. in this state, would you take on that extra volunteer opportunity or try to learn more of the material if you only need a 3.5? for most, if something comes easily, there is less desire to work harder.

imho, going to an ivy will motivate you, which will make you a stronger person/med school candidate/physician. besides that, the opportunities you will experience and can take advantage of as well as the people you will interact with at an ivy are second to none. the ivy league will open doors for you...i promise.

when deciding which ivy, consider location. a bustling city seems more appealing to me than an isolated small town (where there isn't much to do but join a frat, play beer pong, and smoke up). having a top tier med school associated with the undergrad may also be an important consideration. think of research experiences and lors. other than that they are pretty much the same, so go by what "feels right."

congrats and good luck!
 
kgm4 said:
go to an ivy. you will not regret it even if you still decide to pursue medicine and have to apply the traditional way.

peace of mind = laziness. i'm not saying you are not motivated, but as the others have said, having a guaranteed acceptance will ease your mind from the "worries" of ecs, volunteering, grades, mcat, etc. in this state, would you take on that extra volunteer opportunity or try to learn more of the material if you only need a 3.5? for most, if something comes easily, there is less desire to work harder.

imho, going to an ivy will motivate you, which will make you a stronger person/med school candidate/physician. besides that, the opportunities you will experience and can take advantage of as well as the people you will interact with at an ivy are second to none. the ivy league will open doors for you...i promise.

when deciding which ivy, consider location. a bustling city seems more appealing to me than an isolated small town (where there isn't much to do but join a frat, play beer pong, and smoke up). having a top tier med school associated with the undergrad may also be an important consideration. think of research experiences and lors. other than that they are pretty much the same, so go by what "feels right."

congrats and good luck!
Click to expand...

if you are absolutely sure you want to be an MD, do the scholars program-- peace of mind is not laziness, it is not feeling like you are going to get rejected or thrown off your career path for every wrong move, a wrong interaction (which leads to a slightly worse recommendation), etc.

If you have a great desire to study non-medical things, then you won't get that chance at the 7-year program. then you should go to an ivy - in my opinion.

fyi, Premeds at columbia don't like it there, in my experience. non-premeds love it, however.

all great choices, but if you're sure about the doctor thing, then you will never regret going through the scholars program. it's a rare opportunity.
 
It doesn't seem like many of the posters have taken your Canadian citizenship into consideration. I don't know the exact numbers, but I have heard anecdotally that it is much more difficult to get into medical school as a Canadian. There is something to be said for going with the security of a guaranteed acceptance if you have slim chances down the road.

You ought to check out how other Canadians fared in the process by searching these threads and looking at MDapplicants.com . This will help you evaluate how big a factor your citizenshp will play.

Good luck and congratualtions!!
Laurie
 
Penn
 
I went to Columbia, I was a pre-med there, and I LOVED it and would recommend going there any day. especially over dartmouth and upenn, and not just because of their locations. at the risk of rambling on and on and waxing nostalgic about my alma mater, i'll just say that it's a GREAT school and if you think you'd be happy in nyc then definitely go there. to the OP - please feel free to pm me if you have any specific questions about the school.
oh, also, as a general response, i seriously think that college is 4 years to be enjoyed, and (though I don't know much about the 7-yr program) I think you'll miss out on a lot by going straight into med school.
 
TAKING YOUR CANADIAN STATUS INTO ACCOUNT THIS MEANS THAT YOU SHOULD DEFINITELY GO TO THE SLU PROGRAM. The odds of you getting into a med school in the US are stacked against you coming from Canada, why not be assured of a spot.
 
Are you living in canada right now? Or are you living in the US ?

If you are living in Canada, why not consider McGill, Queen's, etc. Even with the financial aid from these ivies, you'll still save yourself a bunch of money. And if you want to leave the option open to go to med school in canada, you'd be better off with a canadian degree. Also, American professional schools know the quality of schools like queen's and mcgill. You'd have an equal chance of getting into a US medical school with a degree from a respected canadian school. I'm 113% Canadian, went to Queen's, now go to Harvard for dental medicine 🙂 .

I'd like to know why people think it's flat-out harder for canadians to get accepted to US meds. I think people like W222 don't really know what they're talking a boot. Certainly I understand for state schools - since they have obligations to serve their communities. But for private schools, I think it's pretty even. From what I know, it sounds like it's actually easier for a canadian citizen to get accepted to a US school than a Canadian one. I personally know 3 people who couldn't get into a canadian med school, yet when they applied to the US two got into columbia, the other got into Duke. Apparently, these are good med schools. Is St. Louis a good school?

But if you are living in America, my advice would be to not do the accelerated MD program. UPenn/Dratmouth 😉 /Columbia are all great schools, and you probably wouldn't go wrong with any of them. However, someone told me the other day that dartmouth was very conservative (is this true?).
I'm canadian, so i'm ignorant on issues like this.
 
I would go with the G-Med program. It is probably the best thing I have ever done.
 
i personally know many canadian citizens who went to an ivy undergrad and had no problem getting into us med schools, including hms. if you do well you will be fine.
 
Well, let's set things straight. Going to an Ivy is not really about prestige. You'll find this out when you decide to go to one. As a student at a school of that caliber, you will get the opportunities to learn so much more than just pre-med sciences and medicine. The style of learning at schools like that is more based on critical thinking, not memorization. For example taking organic chemistry, or history for that matter, will be about learning the facts in order to put the puzzle together, rather than just memorizing reactions or names and dates.

You will get so much more from an ivy league school than prestige. They will teach you how to think critically, to consider problems from a vast number of viewpoints, and how to meet challanges in creative ways.

As a doctor, you will be glad to have this background. If you don't love learning, though, forget it. My father's a doctor and went to undergrad only as a stepping stone for med school. If that's your only interest, don't go to an ivy, it will waste your time, money, and effort. But if you want to really learn, to dabble in intellectualism, and explore so much more than just medicine. Your patients will appreciate your well roundedness and your superiors will be impressed with your range of interests and critical thinking skills.

That said, I'm a Penn alum. I went to penn over columbia and princeton because it seemed like a place where the students were both intellectuals and normal people. No Penn student will ever, ever act like they are better than you because they believe they are smarter. It is all the best parts of the ivy league without the arrogance. However, be prepared for some people thinking you're going to penn state.

Now, I'm certain that someone will probably respond to this message saying that I'm some kind of arrogant prick-- and this may come off that way. But I'm not saying a lot of schools that are not ivies won't give you the same opportunities, that intellectuals only go to ivies. Weighing your options-- a straight into medicine track vs. ivy league, if you want more from education --from your life--that medical sciences-- Penn would be an excellent place for you.
 
go to columbia. you'll have more fun than at scummy penn. And dartmouth's for frat boys and future lawyers.
 
fishdoggg said:
No Penn student will ever, ever act like they are better than you because they believe they are smarter. It is all the best parts of the ivy league without the arrogance....
....Now, I'm certain that someone will probably respond to this message saying that I'm some kind of arrogant prick-- and this may come off that way.
Click to expand...

Go to Penn -- they can teach you real logic... like how to contradict yourself in almost the same sentence! 😀

And no, Dartmouth's not just for future lawyers and frat boys (myself, case in point)... go to Dartmouth if you love breathing fresh air, and skinny dipping in the Connecticut River, and camping in the White Mountains, and living among beautiful leaves and snowfalls, and lounging out on the green on a hot spring day, and skiing (whether downhill, xc or telemark... or even boarding), or just attending class in one of the last remaining vestiges of old New England... a perfect undergraduate utopian bubble... 😍
 
Columbia is a pretty ****ty place to be a premed. It's a good school, and I loved it here, but there are places where you can be premed and enjoy life a lot more. It's a very tough environment, especialyl with the obnoxious postbacs here. Given that, a lot of people do very well here, but a lot of my friends either dropped the premed thing or stuck with it and had a miserable 4 years.

New York is awesome though. I'd suggest coming to Columbia just for the city.
 
I vote for SLU because you are an INTERNATIONAL student. It will be VERY HARD to get into US med school for you. I personally know a couple of internationals with great resume not getting into anywhere or going back to Canada. If you want to stay in US, choose SLU. Good luck.
 
Mithridates said:
I'd like to know why people think it's flat-out harder for canadians to get accepted to US meds. I think people like W222 don't really know what they're talking a boot. Certainly I understand for state schools - since they have obligations to serve their communities. But for private schools, I think it's pretty even. From what I know, it sounds like it's actually easier for a canadian citizen to get accepted to a US school than a Canadian one. I personally know 3 people who couldn't get into a canadian med school, yet when they applied to the US two got into columbia, the other got into Duke. Apparently, these are good med schools. Is St. Louis a good school?
Click to expand...

You are wrong on this. Even private schools do not accept many internatioal students. State schools hardly accept any. Ask your premed advisor. Unless you are US citizen or have a greed card, it will be tough.
 
sareal said:
Hi all,
I'm currently a high school senior and I'm facing a dilemna as to whether I should choose an ivy league school or an accelerated medicine program.
I've been accepted to Columbia, UPenn, and Dartmouth (all of which I love - I can't seem to decide between them either) and Saint Louis University's medical scholars program. I've been told that I can complete SLU's medical program in 7 years, recieving a guaranteed acceptance to the medical school if I keep a 3.5 gpa and pass the interview. SLU's program does not need MCAT's, and is basically guaranteed (I still need to pass a subjective interview, but it is not difficult to pass if I have a 3.5+ GPA).

Couple of things to consider:
I'm a canadian citizen - I've heard that it is very hard for internationals to get accepted to US medical schools. Should this be a factor for consideration?
I'm not planning on going into academia - thus I dont need the big name medical school, though I would like to keep the possiblity of competitive speciaties open (ENT, emergency med).
Money is not a factor - I have a reasonable scholarship for SLU, and financial aid (mostly grants) for my three ivy's.

Any opinions or comments as to which school I should choose is greatly appreciated!
Click to expand...


If I was in your position I would go with the 7 year program. If you are 100% sure that you want to be a doctor why spend four years working toward your undergrad in a competitive environment, worrying about your MCAT and trying to get into medical school, when you already know you have a sure spot. Not only are you cutting a year off, but you have the luxury of not competting with the applicants out there...I wanted to apply to a BS/MD program when I was applying to college, but most of the programs I saw you had to be a particular state resident.
There is no reason why you can't get the undergradaute experience it seems like you are looking and go with the BS/MD program. I definately think you should sit down and think this one over...If you are 100% sure there is nothing wrong with having piece of mind. I honestly don't see the big deal with big name schools anyway. I mean my friend goes to a top notch school and I go to a small liberal arts school in Florida, but to date I have more research, volunteer and leadership experience. College is what you make of it, not necessarily what the school can offer! So don't make your decision on the prestige of the school; but try to focus on which one will get you to where you want to be!
Best of luck in your decision!!! :luck:
 
Personally, I would not throw the dice. Go to SLU.

You can have all the great ugrad experences at SLU that those at the ivys have without the worry of facing the application process. *It will allow you to enjoy your ugard experence more.* You can still persue other interests while taking general science classes. If after three years you conclude medicine is not for you, apply to grad school later.
 
10minutes said:
You are wrong on this. Even private schools do not accept many internatioal students. State schools hardly accept any. Ask your premed advisor. Unless you are US citizen or have a greed card, it will be tough.
Click to expand...

Well, i guess we could each throw around examples of canadians getting accepted/not getting accepted. And it would prove nothing.

I've acknowledged that canadians and state schools don't mix. But as for private schools: please tell me why you would need to be a US citizen or have a green card to go through medical school. You pay tuition, and you're not being reimbursed. I could understand difficulties in this area when it comes to residency programs, but that's not the discussion here.

I'd also like to make the distinction between an International Student, and a Canadian International Student. If you went to a school outside of canada and the us, there can be a lot of difficulty evaluating that person's abilities. Say, if you went to some random school in eastern europe or south america that nobody's ever heard of. However, most canadian applicants prob. went to school in the US or Canada. And canadian schools are of pretty much equal quality to american ones, and the grading and philosophy is very similar.

If you look at any particular us medical school class, you might not find that many canadians. But that doesn't mean it's because it's more difficult for them to get accepted. Probably not that many apply. These students know that it's tough to get back into canada with a medical degree from even a top school. In effect, it can be a sentence to living in the US. Also, us med schools cost a ton of money (especially with the weak canadian dollar in the past). Also, don't forget the population of canada is like 1/12th that of the US.

What's the justification for a private-school (which don't receive state funding) saying: "well, these two candidates are pretty much equal in every sense, but this guys canadian, so we'll go with the american." I just don't think that happens.

To the OP: you shouldn't take your canadian citizenship into consideration with this decision. It's just not an issue - after all, you did get accepted to LSU's program. What's up with that then?! It likely wasn't a random fluke - you were a good applicant. Period (american or not). I'd like to know with what authority some of these people speak. I suspect it's mere opinion and patriotism (which is fine). Good luck.
 
Perhaps you should talk to other individuals who have gone through similar 7-year programs. I know BU has a 7 year program, so does Brown, Penn State/Jefferson, and others here can suggest other places. Contact students from these programs who are finishing year 7 (because hindsight is always 20/20) and ask them if they regret taking the path they took, if they wish they'd done a standard 4-year undergraduate education, and why.

Everything else is just speculation on your part and on everyone else's part (everyone on SDN has an opinion). Unfortunately, none of us can really predict the future, all we can do is take our best guess based on what we know now.

And to add my own opinion to things: I have Canadian friends who had no problems getting into med school, and not just any med school, but top 25 med schools. I'm tossing in my vote for Penn (I've heard that Columbia's student community is a little tougher for freshmen since the students scatter into the city on the weekend). However, I think the first decision point for these schools should be - do you want rural area (Dartmouth) or urban (Columbia and Penn)? Then take it from there.
 
Since there seems to be some disagreement on how Canadian students fare, you ought to call the premed advisors at each of the schools you are checking out and see how their Canadian students have done in the past. This will also be a good test to see how helpful/responsive the premed offices will be.

Laurie
 
One of the main concerns for international applicants has been the large amount of deposit (about $200,000 for the estimated total cost) before matriculation. Without permanent residence status or citizenship, everyone of them is subjected to this most expensive form of payment because s/he is not eligible for any financial aid program here. I don't know of any exemption from this, anyone?
 
Have you visited these schools yet or are you trying to decide between them by looking at brochures/advice alone? My first instinct would be to go to SLU's program -- hey, you can't beat a guaranteed admission to med school without having to take the MCATs -- but I just want to warn you that the area around the university isn't the greatest in the world. I don't now about the med campus, but SLU's undergrad campus is in an area known in St. Louis for being dangerous. I've had several friends get their cars stolen or broken into in that area (apts near SLU are cheaper than those near WashU). My senior year of undergrad alone, 6 of my friends got mugged or held at gun/knife point. Now I know that every city is dangerous to some extent but this definitely made me wary about certain areas of St. Louis. But if you're smart and use caution, then you should be fine.

Your undergraduate years are more than just studying for that next test and doing well in classes. You learn a lot about yourself and how to interact with others. You're living on your own for the first time in your life and have the freedom to finally grow upu. Go visit the schools and talk with the students, walk around the campus by yourself, see if you could be happy there for the next 4+ years of your life. Each school has their good and bad and you really don't know until you visit the school. Good luck with your decision!
 
🙂 I strongly believe that you should go to SLU. The campus is beautiful (though it is in an iffy part of town) and the people are great. All you have to do is keep a 3.5, do some extra curric's and prove that you are not a crazy person, take the MCAT (heck they don't even require a specific score, just that you "do your best") and YOU ARE IN MED SCHOOL! SLU SOM has great residency matches as well. 98% of Med Scholars marticulate into med school. The head of the programs told me it was 98% b/c some pppl were not emotionally ready or had communication problems/mental health problems. I would be going to SLU Med Scholars but I was accepted to another BA/MD prog. GOOD LUCK!! And remember in the end, the decision is up to you and you only 🙂
 
go to penn

what if you dont get a 3.5 at SLU? then you're stuck with a bachelors from an average school and no med school acceptance. get at 3.4 at penn and do well on your MCAT and you're golden.
 
exmike said:
go to penn

what if you dont get a 3.5 at SLU? then you're stuck with a bachelors from an average school and no med school acceptance. get at 3.4 at penn and do well on your MCAT and you're golden.
Click to expand...


I agree with this sentiment.

While I see the point of others in telling you to do the accelerated program, I have a firm belief that if you are good enough to do it the accelerated way then you will be good enough in 3 years with more experience and maturity to apply the regular way. By applying the regular way, you'll have the chance of knowing that there are other options other then the school you are accepted to via the accelerated program. I have heard great things about all the other 3 schools you got accepted to, so I would look at it long and hard and decide what it is you want to do. Don't close in on your options, because in a few years you may regret taking the easy way out.
 
exmike said:
go to penn

what if you dont get a 3.5 at SLU? then you're stuck with a bachelors from an average school and no med school acceptance. get at 3.4 at penn and do well on your MCAT and you're golden.
Click to expand...
I have to completely disagree with this statement. I know a significant number of ivy grads that have well above a 3.4 and mid 30's or better on their MCATs and have been rejected by all the schools they applied too. Grades are very important, but they are only a part of the equation that an adcom looks at. I think you are faced with a difficult decision to make. All I can do is offer you some advice based on what I have done. I am currently a first year at BU and I entered the medical school through an early acceptance program (not one you apply for out of high school, but one I applied to after 3 semesters of college). I choose to take the early acceptance to BUSM and not apply elsewhere for two main reasons. One, I visited the medical school several times and talked with a number of current students and based on what I saw I really knew I would enjoy going to med school at BU. The second reason is that I decided to take the early acceptance is that BU would have been one of my top choices had I waited and applied 1.5 years later via the normal application route. Now that I have been at BUSM for almost 1 year I can tell you that I am very happy with my decision to take the path I took. So, I think you should ask yourself two questions before you make your decision.
1) Will I be happy at SLU for both undergrad and med school?
2) Would SLU be one of your top choices for medical school?
If you answer no to either of the above questions I would tell you to consider the other options, but if the answer is yes to both I would definitely say go to SLU.

Best of luck with you decision.
 
Brainman said:
So, I think you should ask yourself two questions before you make your decision.
1) Will I be happy at SLU for both undergrad and med school?
2) Would SLU be one of your top choices for medical school?
If you answer no to either of the above questions I would definitely say don't go to SLU, but if the answer is yes to both I would go to SLU.

Best of luck with you decision.
Click to expand...

Very good advice.
 
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