Doing undergread in 2 years??

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
P

phd89

Full Member
10+ Year Member
5+ Year Member
15+ Year Member
Joined
May 26, 2007
Messages
148
Reaction score
1
Members don't see this ad.
Hi I'm new here so i don't really know if this is the right place to post this.

I wanted to know if it was possible of doing undergrad in 2 years then applying to a medical school. Exactly how hard would that be im willing to work extremely tough

Also what about 3 years is that possible of doing 3 years undergrad and then applying to medical school.
 
phd89 said:
Hi I'm new here so i don't really know if this is the right place to post this.

I wanted to know if it was possible of doing undergrad in 2 years then applying to a medical school. Exactly how hard would that be im willing to work extremely tough

Also what about 3 years is that possible of doing 3 years undergrad and then applying to medical school.
Click to expand...


3 years is like the average time an undergraduate applies to med school. The other third applies in their 4th (senior) year.
 
I think most schools require you to have at least 3 years of undergrad. I'm sure 3 years is fine and many people have done it, but I don't know about 2. You would be cramming all bio, gen chem, ochem and physics into 2 years plus your other classes. And you'd be rushing through college, your last years before med school, but that's just my opinion.
 
first off, you should try to enjoy your college years as much as possible, cus once you graduate, life, as you know it, ends. just out of curiosity, why are you in such a rush to start medschool? compared to most applicants, you're going to have a harder time buildling your app up, since you have less time. my advice is, take your time and stay the whole 4 years. ENJOY college life!!!! there's more than enough time if you decide to go on to meeschool, after 4 years. 1 or 2 years isn't going to make that much of a difference.

another slight disadvantage you might have is, some adcomms may view you as not being "mature enough", since most people are 19 or 20 come end of sophomore year. they might question your maturity so keep that in mind.

chilll out and enjoy the ride!
 
There are several reasons why this can't happen.

1) Pre-reqs can't be done realistically in such a short period of time. Too many labs.

2) You'd need to be interviewing in the 2nd year of your 2/3-year plan. Interviews chew up a lot of time and money. Cramming classes won't help.

3) I'm pretty sure any adcom would see this as inappropriate and borderline immature. Most people barely handle a full load (15 hours), what makes you think you can do much more?

4) Where would you have time to study for your MCAT?


There are plenty of things wrong with this idea. I'm sure that most people would agree that you need to take time to ENJOY college, not rush off to med school as soon as you can. There are reasons why the US system doesn't just pluck high school graduates, make them take pre-med courses, then they are off to med school, all in a time frame of 6-7 years.
 
2 years is preety much impossible, 3 years at the minimum.
 
I'd say 2 years would be hard just because of time conflicts of classes. Upper levels at my school aren't offered in the summer and usually only have 1 time slot during the normal semesters.

3 Years is pretty doable with APs and summer school.
 
i pretty much agree with everyone else, dont rush too much. if u want try for finishing in 3 just know that typically students study for and take the mcat spring of yr 3 so if your taking a big load of classes this will be difficult. good luck
 
Its possible to finish classes in two years. You can take 18-20 credits a semester, participate in summer/winter sessions and take CLEP exams. Most classes are offered in a condensed format online as well, so this could put you graduating at right about 2 years. But you wouldn't have any time to really prepare for the MCAT unless you were an outright genius. Also there would be no time for extracurriculars, which are almost a requirement by most schools. Lastly, you would hate your life.

What would be the point? You have your whole life ahead of you, take it slow. I had the same thoughts you did a few years ago and you learn to enjoy college life as much as possible. You only get to do it once. 🙄
 
sendwich said:
first off, you should try to enjoy your college years as much as possible, cus once you graduate, life, as you know it, ends. just out of curiosity, why are you in such a rush to start medschool? compared to most applicants, you're going to have a harder time buildling your app up, since you have less time. my advice is, take your time and stay the whole 4 years. ENJOY college life!!!! there's more than enough time if you decide to go on to meeschool, after 4 years. 1 or 2 years isn't going to make that much of a difference.

another slight disadvantage you might have is, some adcomms may view you as not being "mature enough", since most people are 19 or 20 come end of sophomore year. they might question your maturity so keep that in mind.

chilll out and enjoy the ride!
Click to expand...

Agree with this. The goal shouldn't be to rush through college. Enjoy it -- learn about life, figure out what you really want to do for the next 45 years. The goal shouldn't be to get to med school as fast as possible -- the goal should be to mature as a person and student and only then enter med school. You will never have less responsibillity, better hours, better access to social life, and more ability to try your hand at different things than you will in college. Many people consider those 4 years the best 4 of their lives. By contrast, med school will involve a ton of hours and committment and you really do yourself a favor if you don't start until you are really ready. So spend the 4 years and enjoy college. This is not a race and the only prize is actually to enjoy your teens and early 20s before you start, not sacrifice them in your rush to get there.
 
You guys did not understand the question. OP was talking about undergread, which must be some special program. I was just curious what this undergread was.
 
ok i don't want to rush things but if 2-3 years is doable i wish to do it I don't want to remain in school another year of my life i know 1-2 years don't make that much of a difference but it is for personal reasons furthermore im doing undergrad at Rutgers Newark Honors college I have taken 7 AP classes and received credit I think In Almost all. Furthermore I just wish to fill med school requirements and also study MCAT's on my spare time. Yes it does sound like a lot but im ambitious to succeed. So maybe 2 years is a little hard but what about 3 years how does that sound and do you think I have any chance at the top medical school like Harvard, Yale , UPenn and other top schools if i gety like 36+ on MCATs coming from Rutgers. I was also admitted to Brown University but decided to go to Rutgers for undergrad was that a good move. I believe that i can retian a 4.0 at Rutgers over Brown and do balance out with EC's and research.

So how does that sound is it possible????
 
phd89 said:
ok i don't want to rush things but if 2-3 years is doable i wish to do it I don't want to remain in school another year of my life i know 1-2 years don't make that much of a difference but it is for personal reasons furthermore im doing undergrad at Rutgers Newark Honors college I have taken 7 AP classes and received credit I think In Almost all. Furthermore I just wish to fill med school requirements and also study MCAT's on my spare time. Yes it does sound like a lot but im ambitious to succeed. So maybe 2 years is a little hard but what about 3 years how does that sound and do you think I have any chance at the top medical school like Harvard, Yale , UPenn and other top schools if i gety like 36+ on MCATs coming from Rutgers. I was also admitted to Brown University but decided to go to Rutgers for undergrad was that a good move. I believe that i can retian a 4.0 at Rutgers over Brown and do balance out with EC's and research.

So how does that sound is it possible????
Click to expand...

a 36 on MCATs from Rutgers sounds a little risky, you should plan on getting a 37.
 
I think your looking at the grades a lot (which is a good thing) but your forgetting the logistics of the process--you can't get into medical school unless you apply.

That being said, if you are planning on finishing in three, as an earlier post said, you must apply at the end of your 2nd year, and start interviewing in the 3rd.

THIS means that by June (after the end of your 2nd, sophomore year), you must have:
a) All of your pre-reqs + labs completed.
b) Keep a good BCPM GPA in those classes, if you are confident in that 4.0, even better.
c) Have taken the MCAT and scored well (in your case 33+), for the best APP results you want to have your MCAT scores by end of june latest. This is debatable depending on the over all stats.
d) YOu need to start volunteering or shadowing (some sort of medically related experience) asap, maybe even right before you enter college so you can take advantage of that free summer.
e) You need to get something clinical under your belt, and make sure you are involved in a couple of activities.
f) I dont even know how if you can fit this, but it is always nice to do a little research in a lab.

So that is pretty much your check list. The time you have is..
Summer (right before frosh year), Fall sem, spring sem. Then summer. Fall/Spring, summer.

Thats it. You need to utilize it really well. If you split it well, and work through it, you can get into a good medschool, I don't know about the very top, but definitely into a very reputable place.

I think your biggest problem will be time management if you go this route...but if you are a disciplined person, i dont see the issue.

PS dont forget the $$ required to apply/interview. If you have to work to get that money, then you better start saving now.
 
phd89 said:
ok i don't want to rush things but if 2-3 years is doable i wish to do it I don't want to remain in school another year of my life i know 1-2 years don't make that much of a difference but it is for personal reasons furthermore im doing undergrad at Rutgers Newark Honors college I have taken 7 AP classes and received credit I think In Almost all. Furthermore I just wish to fill med school requirements and also study MCAT's on my spare time. Yes it does sound like a lot but im ambitious to succeed. So maybe 2 years is a little hard but what about 3 years how does that sound and do you think I have any chance at the top medical school like Harvard, Yale , UPenn and other top schools if i gety like 36+ on MCATs coming from Rutgers. I was also admitted to Brown University but decided to go to Rutgers for undergrad was that a good move. I believe that i can retian a 4.0 at Rutgers over Brown and do balance out with EC's and research.

So how does that sound is it possible????
Click to expand...

don't take this the wrong way, but you sound quite naive about this process and the college experience in general. First of all, in no way is a 4.0 going to be required for med school, and furthermore, this isn't HS either. plenty of students who had perfect academic records fall on their faces during their first years of (insert science subject here). Assuming that Rutgers is going to be easier is also quite naive. It all depends on the individual professors you get.

Also, don't ever assume that you can easily get a 36+ on the MCAT either... this is not the ACT... the bell curve is set MUCH higher... many, if not a majority of students who scored 99th percentile on the HS standardized tests will struggle to break 30...

my honest, non sarcastic advice... go to a kegger your first week of school. Realize that there's more to undergrad than just your academics.
 
A kid in my med school class did college in 2 years, so it is possible. Granted he also did high school in 2 years and matriculated as a 17 year old MS1. I think he's glad he did it, but I really really wouldn't rush anything. Enjoy college- it only happens once.
 
guys I understand your concern but im not naive or something look Im still a senior in High school probably going to graduate in a week or two and then im free for college . I just want input from some educated people like u folks. I know maintaining a 4.0 and a 36+ on the MCAT's is extremely tough nevertheless less I ask is it doable. And if so I know its hard so can You guys just give me some input as to what else I can do or should do
 
phd89 said:
ok i don't want to rush things but if 2-3 years is doable i wish to do it I don't want to remain in school another year of my life i know 1-2 years don't make that much of a difference but it is for personal reasons furthermore im doing undergrad at Rutgers Newark Honors college I have taken 7 AP classes and received credit I think In Almost all. Furthermore I just wish to fill med school requirements and also study MCAT's on my spare time. Yes it does sound like a lot but im ambitious to succeed. So maybe 2 years is a little hard but what about 3 years how does that sound and do you think I have any chance at the top medical school like Harvard, Yale , UPenn and other top schools if i gety like 36+ on MCATs coming from Rutgers. I was also admitted to Brown University but decided to go to Rutgers for undergrad was that a good move. I believe that i can retian a 4.0 at Rutgers over Brown and do balance out with EC's and research.

So how does that sound is it possible????
Click to expand...


Don't be such a tool. Get laid. Enjoy college.
 
phd89 said:
guys I understand your concern but im not naive or something look Im still a senior in High school probably going to graduate in a week or two and then im free for college . I just want input from some educated people like u folks. I know maintaining a 4.0 and a 36+ on the MCAT's is extremely tough nevertheless less I ask is it doable. And if so I know its hard so can You guys just give me some input as to what else I can do or should do
Click to expand...

What else you can or should do? Perhaps you could/should go to college for 4 years... that seems to be what everyone is saying. Is there any particular reason you want to do it in 2 years? College is fun, there's no reason to rush it. In addition, med schools like well-rounded applicants, and if you're spending all your time cramming your pre-reqs into 2 years, you're not going to have much "well-roundedness" going on. In addition, I'm going to guess that you won't be able to complete a degree in 2 years, regardless of whether or not you take all the required pre-reqs (unless you take an insane amount of credits and do summer school). Some med schools don't require that you hold a degree to matriculate, but if you don't get in, you're going to be degree-less, and that's not a position you want to be in.
 
phd89 said:
guys I understand your concern but im not naive or something look Im still a senior in High school probably going to graduate in a week or two and then im free for college . I just want input from some educated people like u folks. I know maintaining a 4.0 and a 36+ on the MCAT's is extremely tough nevertheless less I ask is it doable. And if so I know its hard so can You guys just give me some input as to what else I can do or should do
Click to expand...

the problem though is that our advice is simply that rushing through is a bad idea... you're going to have a much better education by taking at least 3 years if not more... I could have skipped my last semester and been done in 3.5, but in the end I found that it really wasn't worth it. You've never even lived away from home (assumption), so it's hard to really see things from our perspective... but trust the people on this board, the people who've been there and done that. What's on the other side of "more school" will make you wish you were back at Rutgers living the good life.

First of all, tell me why you want a 4.0... something that is ultimately unnecessary on a med school application.
 
phd89 said:
guys I understand your concern but im not naive or something look Im still a senior in High school probably going to graduate in a week or two and then im free for college . I just want input from some educated people like u folks. I know maintaining a 4.0 and a 36+ on the MCAT's is extremely tough nevertheless less I ask is it doable. And if so I know its hard so can You guys just give me some input as to what else I can do or should do
Click to expand...

I think they have a problem with you being a high school senior, who is not even in college yet, and already making all these assumptions about what you can do. Despite what USNEWs wants you to believe, going to a school ranked 15 is not going to be easier than a school ranked 60. Those are still two really good schools. In addition, you haven't even taken a practice MCAT yet and your already throwing numbers around. If anything, your ambitions do show a lack of understanding and maturity. Someone could do all that if they wanted to and really put there head to it, but why would you want to? Did you really expand your interests and understanding enough in high school so that your sure you want to go to medical school? If you did, then your HS was exponentially better than mine. Mine was piss-poor.
 
Without sounding rude, a person who has never been in college can not speak of his predicted college performance. You have nothing to base your claims on. College is not like high school. College is not like an AP test. College is much more difficult that you are making it out to be.

I can understand your ambitions to want to get out of college early and get into med school ASAP, but realize that numbers are not everything. Also, attaining the level of success you are dreaming of in such a short period of time (and it really is short if you haven't realized) is very difficult.

As someone who'se applying to med school at a somewhat younger age (special circumstances), I'd say that you need to test the waters before diving into this stuff. It is NOT simple. Don't belittle it. Treat college as the challenge it is and with some respect.

Also, I hope you use your college experience to further grow as a person. Med schools (rather, all professions) seek well-rounded applicants. There are some things you just won't learn in a book. Experience is the best teacher for some things in life.
 
phd89 said:
guys I understand your concern but im not naive or something look Im still a senior in High school probably going to graduate in a week or two and then im free for college . I just want input from some educated people like u folks. I know maintaining a 4.0 and a 36+ on the MCAT's is extremely tough nevertheless less I ask is it doable. And if so I know its hard so can You guys just give me some input as to what else I can do or should do
Click to expand...

I think most people on this thread have told you that 3 years is doable but perhaps not wise, 2 years is pushing it, and that the bulk of us recommend 4 years. The vast vast majority of people who show up to college will change their mind about being premed -- some by choice and some by default. You do yourself a big disservice not to show up to school with an open mind and a willingness to try a lot of things, talk to a lot of people and just take your time to learn and figure things out. And first and foremost, to enjoy yourself and your time in college. You only get to do that once and I promise you your life will be more demanding and you will have less time to have "fun" once you get into med school and beyond. Not to be harsh but your posts actually do suggest you are perhaps a bit naive, and could benefit from from additional seasoning in college.
 
Go into your first year as if you are going into a 4-year program - i.e. normal courseload (whatever it is at your school, 15-18 credits?), don't take 5 pre-reqs a semester, etc. The "overzealous premed" story has been heard many times. Usually the same type of individual ends up on SDN with a post along the lines of:
"Guys, I was young and stupid and really rushing into things, and I took all my pre-reqs together in my first year, and then I got a 1.8 GPA. Now I have an academic probation on my record and my cumulative is 3.3 and my science is 2.9. What do I do?"

(not referring to anyone specifically, just a composite from things like that I've read on SDN and other premed forums over the years)

Do you really want to be that guy/girl?

Based on how your first year goes, you can make a healthy decision based on your actual experience as opposed to wild assumptions about college life. If you feel like you could handle not having the summer off from schoolwork, you can take some summer courses. If you feel like you have the time for a heavier courseload, go ahead and add a course in your sophomore year. No need to do it now and set yourself up for failure, and then have to beat yourself up for your own stupidity 5 years later.
 
BTW, most people don't do too hot in their first year even with a regular courseload. I'm one of them - I was lucky in that my first year was not a complete disaster (3.1), but it is still a black mark on my academic record today, 5 years later. Other people nearly flunk out after their freshman year because the adjustment is so tough. And most of these people are not ******s who can't handle college coursework - if they couldn't, they wouldn't have been admitted.

Also, speaking from personal experience - getting on campus with a huge head thinking "I'm so smart, I'll totally ace everything even if I don't go to class," (or even "I'm so smart, I'll totally ace everything if I do the readings and come to class") is not going to do you any good. I thought that with 95 percentiles on my SATs and As on the APs, as well as coming from a selective private HS, college would be a breeze. Until I realized people around me had the same academic background, and our professors were going to challenge us adequately.
 
Med schools are going out of their way to avoid the stereotypical asocial, nerdy type who has no life experience outside of the classroom.

Rushing to do a two year BA will not enhance your application; it will send up red flags to some/many schools that you are exactly the sort of applicant they should avoid.
 
Assuming the default pre-med major (biology), it's about 85-90 credits at Rutgers-New Brunswick; I will assume the same for Newark. The most you will be able to AP out of will be General Bio, but that's only 8 credits. So you'll still have to do about 80 credits worth of work (each class is 3-4 credits; labs are usually 1) in two years to graduate. That's gonna be pretty much impossible because, as someone else mentioned, a lot of the upper level classes are only offered at one time instead of multiple sections at different times. There are also some classes that are only offered in one semester, not in both spring and fall semesters. Other classes are not offered during the spring or winter, so you'd have to take them at community college. BUT that's a whole other problem because you'd have to make sure that Rutgers will accept them (and RU is known to not be very friendly about transferring credits) and then explain to med school interviewers why you took them at a lesser community college instead of your respected university. On the other hand, if you pursue something like a psychology major, which is closer to 40 credits (I think), you will have an easier time getting your classes done in two years. However, this only accounts for your major requirements. You still have lots of general education requirements to take care of. You are aware that you need a full college education with a degree in order to go to medical school, right? You can't just complete the required courses and get out of there. So logistically, 2 years won't be possible.

Aside from logistics, med schools will ask you why you rushed to get through your undergrad work. You better think of a good answer. They will see on your transcript that you are taking 20 credits per semester plus summer and winter classes (which they usually don't like to see). Graduating in 2 years won't make you seem like a mega-genius to them; it will make you seem peculiar. So think of a good reason why you're doing this. The undergraduate years are a prime time for you to discover yourself and why you want to pursue a medical career. In only two years, you will have a difficult time getting practical experience in the medical field or any research experience, especially with the academic schedule you seem to be leaning towards. This is a bad idea.

3 years is definitely possible, though. Not a stretch at all, but again, don't just do it because you want to hurry up and get into med school. It's difficult to believe that as a high school senior, anybody can be this 100% sure about a career field without being exposed to many other things -- unless of course your parents are making you do medicine.

BUT if you're an RU-Newark student, you should look into the combined degree BA/MD programs they have with NJMS. In one of the programs, you apply after your second year of college; if you get in, they allow you to finish undergrad in 3 years by waiving some of your classes and letting your med school classes count for those (presumably only if you're a biology major -- if you're majoring in something else, there will be much less overlap between your coursework and the med school curriculum).

Hope this helped.

EDIT: Of course, if you're THIS pumped to go to med school, you can always apply to medical colleges in England or the Caribbean. I don't think you even need college degrees to go to school there. A friend of mine did two years of undergrad here in the US, then applied to a med school in England without even finishing her degree, then transferred to St. George's in the Caribbean. Not really the best path, but it's quick. I wouldn't advise it.

And yes, what someone else mentioned is dead on. I knew a ton of people who were very gung-ho about being pre-meds when they first got to college. After freshman year, a lot of them changed their minds and pursued other things. College will do that to you, so take your time. You have yet to discover lovely issues like clinical medicine vs. research, MD vs. DO, and other career paths like that. That's what college is all about.
 
thank you for the responses I definitely doubt ill do it in 2 years but im still leaving the 3 year option open. The thing is that I along with trying to speed things up a bit if possible would like to get into a top medical school being ex, Harvard, Yale Upenn Duke and etc.can someone pelase post a link So i can see where Rutger Pre-Med students go to med school at. Also do you guys think that being a Rutgers undergrad will allow me to get into Harvard or yale med.

Can someone give me a sites listing to see what the undergrad and med school matches are

Also can u guys also post your undergrad school and med school matriculations

thank You
 
phd89 said:
Hi I'm new here so i don't really know if this is the right place to post this.

I wanted to know if it was possible of doing undergrad in 2 years then applying to a medical school. Exactly how hard would that be im willing to work extremely tough

Also what about 3 years is that possible of doing 3 years undergrad and then applying to medical school.
Click to expand...


Yes it is possible, and some med schools will admit you with only 3 years...but...
I go to college with a kid who did two years of college through a post secondary program (so two years of college while *instead* of junior and senior year of high school) and then two years of "college". He never developed the interpersonal communication skills and lacked maturity found in most "traditional" college grads. Needless to say he "chose" grad school over medical school. Some med schools are hesitant to admit "younger" applicants d/t this lack of experience/maturity.
 
Wow...OP, please take a giant deep breath, take a step back from your computer and books, and go do something a little less intense. Why the unhealthy focus when you haven't even officially graduated from high school yet? Please enjoy your youth...med school is going to suck out enough of it from you. I also agree with the above posters...college is a great time of your life. I also had the option to graduate at 3.5 years, but I chose to study abroad instead and I am happy I did the 4 year thing.

You will NEVER get this time back again in your entire life...please enjoy being your age, and rather than worrying about all the stats...if you want to go to Rutgers, go to Rutgers. If you don't, then go somewhere else. When you get wherever the heck you are going, do the best you can there. If that's a 3.8, then so be it! Or a 3.5! It's not going to kill you. Then take the next steps to do the best you can on the MCAT. No one's stats that they post are going to be indicative of what you are going to perform...Usually the stats people post on this site are only helpful when people with similar stats (that they already earned) are trying to get an idea of what med schools they should apply to. That's why sites like mdapps exist. For people who have already traveled college's path.

You haven't. Seriously, take a deep breath. So you want to go to med school and you are sure. That's great! (Seriously). But all you have to do is just do the best you can. Your best will take you where you want to go. Make that your goal.

*Gets off my mid-to-late twenties platform of preaching*
 
I don't have any information about that specifically, but much of where you go to school depends on you as an applicant. Unless you go to some small unknown school for undergrad, I can't imagine it would make that much of a difference.

Little story: My cousin went to Rutgers. The valedictorian of his high school class went to Duke. They both ended up at the same medical school.

Moral of the little story: Your college shouldn't be to blame for admissions, especially in your case. Rutgers is a big, respected state school with lots of cutting edge research going on. If you're up to snuff as an applicant, you'll do well in your admissions. Some say that the Ivies like to accept students from other Ivies; I don't know if that's true or not. Regardless, there are lots of good non-Ivy med schools like Johns Hopkins, U. Florida, etc. Plus, at this point, I don't think there's anything you can do. Enrollment deadlines have already passed. You could try transferring out, but the Ivies are not particularly receptive to tranfer students. True sign of an NJ student, always downplaying Rutgers 🙂
 
phd89 said:
thank you for the responses I definitely doubt ill do it in 2 years but im still leaving the 3 year option open. The thing is that I along with trying to speed things up a bit if possible would like to get into a top medical school being ex, Harvard, Yale Upenn Duke and etc.can someone pelase post a link So i can see where Rutger Pre-Med students go to med school at. Also do you guys think that being a Rutgers undergrad will allow me to get into Harvard or yale med.

Can someone give me a sites listing to see what the undergrad and med school matches are

Also can u guys also post your undergrad school and med school matriculations

thank You
Click to expand...

Top schools (other than numbers-only schools like WashU and UCSF) generally want maturity in their candidates. This does not mean 'must be >20'. It means that they think you are mature. You need to do volunteer work research and shadowing in addition to your classes. The prose in your posts is not exactly filling me with confidence.

If you want to get into a top medical school, you need to spend the 3 years before taking your MCAT strengthening your application. I'm doing 5 yrs(applied 4 years in).

There are exceptions, but one should not plan on being an exception. One guy I know did graduate with 3 with a Bio major then got accepted to UCSF. >36 MCAT, 4.0 GPA. The most single-dimensional guy I've met. Ever. Don't be this guy.

Addition: Go to a school with a hospital/med school attached. Brown would be my choice.
 
Wow, this is a bad idea.

(1) You (OP) haven't a clue what college is like, so you haven't a clue how you will perform in a 2, 3, 4, or 5-year program.

(2) You (OP) haven't taken the pre-req weed-out courses yet, so you haven't a clue what kinds of hurdles you are facing. You haven't hit the polarizing (i.e., "Love it or hate it") classes like orgo or physics yet.

(3) You (OP) haven't taken the Beast yet, and can't simply fiat numbers - it's a relative scale, so you can't judge your performance on a test that's also based on the performance of the 30,000+ people who will also take the test in the same year as you.

(4) You (OP) haven't a clue what will interest you by the time you are considering applying. College is meant to provide you with a breadth of courses and knowledge, and, Jebus forbid, you just might find yourself drawn to other interests/fields.

(5) You (OP) haven't a clue who you are going to be in your 20's/30's, and where your interests will lie. Jebus help you if you charge through undergraduate and medical school, only to find yourself $200,000+ in debt and hating your job.

So, bottom line: don't think that your "passion" for medicine is genuine at this point (e.g., how much clinical time have you logged? How many patients have you met and worked with?), and don't try to grow up too fast. Enjoy college, take advantage of the opportunities it will afford you, and slow down to make sure that this is what you really want to do. I've met, mentored, and counseled more than my fair share of students who were gung-ho about medicine, only to hit a wall in college and decide that something else is better for them. So, you know, chill dude.
 
Start by learning how to properly punctuate, capitalize, spell, and all the other things you've neglected in your posts. Though they seem superfluous, they are really critical in all your discourse--so you don't look like an idiot to professors, colleagues, etc. Also, ANY mistake on your PS will cost you dearly when going before an ADCOM. People brush off the internet all the time, but most of us on SDN at least know how to form sentences without fragments or run-ons......

I also agree with everyone else. Take some valium😉 and realize that you'll never get these years back, so you don't want to spend every afternoon in the lab. You will also have a better shot with ADCOMs if you spend some time developing interests OTHER than science, medicine, and research.
 
dude... i have some guesses:
1) troll
2) esl
3) can't write in complete sentences
 
If you are compromising a social life, time for extracurriculars, MCAT study time, etc, go for all 4 years. If not and if you can/want to then you can graduate in 3 years, nothing wrong with it. 2 is a bit much.

I am starting med school this fall at Miami and just graduated after 3 years of college. In my case, however, I came in with a lot of AP/IB credit and took some summer school. Therefore, my course load was never great and the max number of credits I took one or two semesters was 16 credits. Plus, they were mostly psychology courses (my major), pre-reqs, and a few science electives. I had time to be with my girlfriend and didnt feel like I was rushing it.

In my case, it made sense. However, I would NOT try for med school after 3 years of college if it meant throwing away my social life as the college life is great. Hope this helps!
 
I was in your EXACT shoes when I was a HS Sr. I took a lot more AP tests (double) than you, recieved credit for all of them and entered college as a 2nd semester soph. Later that semester, after having gotten through a stacked course load, I realized that pushing myself through 3 years would not be worth it. I would have been taking the MCAT after being in college for less than 2 years, and then interviewing the beginning of my Jr. year WHILE I still would have been plugging away at classes in order to finish in 3 years. I am staying for 4 years.

Moreover, I think that pushing yourself through in 3 years puts you at a large disadvantage for the more competive schools.

he thing is that I along with trying to speed things up a bit if possible would like to get into a top medical school being ex, Harvard, Yale Upenn Duke and etc.
Click to expand...

Those don't belong in the same sentence. Sounds like if you want into a top, you should spend 4 years. Period. Think: You will be going against many applicants who have been OUT of a 4 yr college for a few years and are mature, people filled with research, volunteering, clinical experience, and all will have great grades and MCAT scores higher than 36. It doesn't sound like you can do all that in three years. If you want to get done in three years go for it, but you will be heart broken if you are set on an top med school. Moreover, if you are less than exceptional and are not the sharpest knife in the bunch, you will have trouble getting into ANY medical school in 3 years.

Since you recieved credit for "almost all" of your AP courses, it sounds like you have taken only a semester out of the way. Most importantly, I am betting that most of those AP classes probably were not pre-med classes.

Take a reality check and stay for 4.
 
phd89 said:
thank you for the responses I definitely doubt ill do it in 2 years but im still leaving the 3 year option open. The thing is that I along with trying to speed things up a bit if possible would like to get into a top medical school being ex, Harvard, Yale Upenn Duke and etc.can someone pelase post a link So i can see where Rutger Pre-Med students go to med school at. Also do you guys think that being a Rutgers undergrad will allow me to get into Harvard or yale med.

Can someone give me a sites listing to see what the undergrad and med school matches are

Also can u guys also post your undergrad school and med school matriculations

thank You
Click to expand...

again though speeding things up will actually make it MORE difficult to get into top schools... not that it matters... soon you'll figure out that it's a major accomplishment just to get into RWJ or the other state schools...

as for me, I came from a ****ty school that's barely in the USNews top 100 LAC list, and still had interviews at top 20 schools. You can go anywhere you want from Rutgers assuming your MCAT is high enough... hell you see kids from Redneck State at top 5/Ivy schools pretty frequently... MCAT is the great equalizer.

Again though, college is NOT high school... I was not even in the top quarter of my HS class and now I'm the only one going to med school from a class of 200 from a pretty well respected private school. We have a kid going to Harvard Law who barely had a 3.0 in HS. Meanwhile lots of kids in the top 10 have dropped their science majors because it was too hard or have awful GPAs...
 
I could have finished my chemistry degree in 3 years without much difficulty. The problem is this would have necessitated me taking a year off in order to apply, and I had no idea what I would do with that year.

Cramming a degree in three years is possible. Cramming it into 3 years, studying for the MCAT, and taking time to go to interviews is nearly impossible with any sort of real major. Basically I was absent for a large portion of the Fall and Spring of my 4th year interviewing, this would not have been possible taking a full load of important courses and simultaneously doing well in them.
 
Undergrad in 2 years? Sure, very impressive. But the guys and gals who really impress me are the ones that do 4 years of med school and three years of residency in 2 years. Those folks are the real superstars, the real role models for the rest of us.
 
orrghead16 said:
Those don't belong in the same sentence. Sounds like if you want into a top, you should spend 4 years. Period.
Click to expand...

Strongly agree with this. If you are shooting for the top schools, you really need to take the time to cross the t's and dot the i's. That means getting plenty of clinical and research experience, to go along with a slate of A's and a high MCAT you will need. For that you really need to take courses at a manageable pace so you have time to do solid ECs on top. So 4 years is a smarter bet.

It's somewhat humerous that someone who hasn't started college yet thinks they belong at a top school, and that they belong there in 2-3 years no less. (such delusions of grandeur seem trollish, but I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt). Take the 4 years, prove yourself and even then you will be running for luck. Med schools get as many as 10,000 applications for 150 spots. So you really have to have accomplished something besides the academics to distinguish yourself. And that will take time.
 
phd89 said:
thank you for the responses I definitely doubt ill do it in 2 years but im still leaving the 3 year option open. The thing is that I along with trying to speed things up a bit if possible would like to get into a top medical school being ex, Harvard, Yale Upenn Duke and etc.can someone pelase post a link So i can see where Rutger Pre-Med students go to med school at. Also do you guys think that being a Rutgers undergrad will allow me to get into Harvard or yale med.

Can someone give me a sites listing to see what the undergrad and med school matches are

Also can u guys also post your undergrad school and med school matriculations

thank You
Click to expand...

On top of wanting a 4.0 from a good school and a 36+ on the MCAT, you want to get into an Ivy league medical school too? But people with those stats aren't guaranteed placement in those schools. The truth is, it is not all about stats or how quickly you finish. You seem to have this notion that finishing more quickly makes you smarter than everybody else that took 4 years, and therefore, that makes you a qualified candidate. I am sorry to be harsh in my posts but you need a reality check. You are practically drowning in your illusions of grandeur and your not listening to what everybody has said. What makes you stand out is not just how smart you are. Hell, I can guarantee you that there will be a bunch of other people smarter than you applying to medical school, especially in applying to the ivy leagues. Med school applicants are all smart, so differentiating yourself from them doesn't mean proving your smarter. It means showing that you would make a positive contribution to the medical field and that you are aware of and ready for the challenges that it entails. Even a perfect GPA and MCAT say nothing towards that.

And only Harvard, Yale, Upenn, or Duke, huh? What's wrong with the one-hundred-twenty-some-odd other allopathic schools? And the twenty-three osteopathic schools? Going to a better medical college doesn't make you better. You have the same misconception about Rutgers and Brown. You make it sound like Rutgers is going to be easy just because it's ranked lower. You are not automatically the smartest one there just because you got accepted to Brown. I can guarantee you that you will find little difference in how challenging it is between the two schools. The same goes for medical school. You choose the school you want to go to because you find it is good for you, not because of the rankings or the prestige.
 
SketchLazy said:
You have the same misconception about Rutgers and Brown. You make it sound like Rutgers is going to be easy just because it's ranked lower. You are not automatically the smartest one there just because you got accepted to Brown. I can guarantee you that you will find little difference in how challenging it is between the two schools. The same goes for medical school. You choose the school you want to go to because you find it is good for you, not because of the rankings or the prestige.
Click to expand...

Actually Brown used to have the reputation of being one of the easier schools to do well at because of the ability to drop and retake any class you were doing poorly at, without repurcussion. (Not sure if this is still true or if it still has that rep). That's partly the reason so many Kennedy's and other US "royalty" have gone there. I suspect they will do more to make you "earn" your A's at Rutgers.
 
durfen said:
Top schools (other than numbers-only schools like WashU and UCSF) generally want maturity in their candidates.
Click to expand...
UCSF interviewed me, who is high in maturity and marginal in stats. UCSF is decidely not a numbers only school. They're one of the more non-trad friendly top schools I know of.
 
kanelope said:
Yes it is possible, and some med schools will admit you with only 3 years...but...
I go to college with a kid who did two years of college through a post secondary program (so two years of college while *instead* of junior and senior year of high school) and then two years of "college". He never developed the interpersonal communication skills and lacked maturity found in most "traditional" college grads. Needless to say he "chose" grad school over medical school. Some med schools are hesitant to admit "younger" applicants d/t this lack of experience/maturity.
Click to expand...

Hm.. sounds familiar. Is he from Texas?
 
phd89 said:
ok i don't want to rush things but if 2-3 years is doable i wish to do it I don't want to remain in school another year of my life i know 1-2 years don't make that much of a difference but it is for personal reasons furthermore im doing undergrad at Rutgers Newark Honors college I have taken 7 AP classes and received credit I think In Almost all. Furthermore I just wish to fill med school requirements and also study MCAT's on my spare time. Yes it does sound like a lot but im ambitious to succeed. So maybe 2 years is a little hard but what about 3 years how does that sound and do you think I have any chance at the top medical school like Harvard, Yale , UPenn and other top schools if i gety like 36+ on MCATs coming from Rutgers. I was also admitted to Brown University but decided to go to Rutgers for undergrad was that a good move. I believe that i can retian a 4.0 at Rutgers over Brown and do balance out with EC's and research.

So how does that sound is it possible????
Click to expand...


OP, I know this is an online forum, but you should really work on your grammar. I don't see what the rush is. Med school is going to take 4 years no matter what, so you should really learn to enjoy school while you can.
 
I'm usually not so blunt on this forum, but OP, I honestly think you are crazy. I haven't read through all the posts so I'm not sure if I'm repeating what was said before, I'm sure that I am. Regardless of this, I think you should take the advice of the other posters and be very careful about your ambitions. I think its great that you set your sights so high, but I don't think you REALLY realize what comes along with this. From a med student that has just finished MS1, this year was the hardest academically that I have ever faced, hands down. College was so easy compared to this, I'm mad I didnt come out with a 4.0 and a 36+ MCAT...those were the good ol' days, and MS1 is probably the easiest year!

The other posters are warning you about this because the amount of studying you have to do at this level is nothing to rush into. While all your friends are out earning money, partying every weekend, enjoying every nice day that comes by and taking trips everywhere, you need to be studying 8hrs a day or more, weekends included. Does that sound like something fun to see? I'm not regretting going to med school, I signed up for it and enjoy it, but I'm just giving you the real. I think you are making a big mistake by not heeding prior words here.

I dont think anyone in my class got in after only 3 years. I know one girl in the dental school who took only 3 years, but she REALLY had her **** together from day 1. Two years is pretty much impossible because then you'll end up taking the MCAT during your first year, and interviewing your second. Then you enter med school, if any adcom was crazy enough to accept a 20 yr old with no real life experience. The process for 3 years was previously explained. Honestly, med school is much more than what grades and scores you have, and theres more than Duke, UPenn and Harvard. Although they are amazing schools, you will still get all the opportunities you could want at other schools outside of the "Top 10" as well.

I couldnt imagine not taking 4 years to get through this process. Honestly, the best year of college for me was freshman year, having one whole year to get knocked around by rigorous courses and one summer to not worry about researching or clinics was so crucial in making the most of preparing me for med school admissions, and also just to have fun. Ambition is fine, but you have tunnel vision and its going to hurt you. I learned some valuable lessons that have helped me immensly for med school and in life in general that I would not have gotten if I didnt spend that time in college. Have you ever thought about how youll pay the bills? What about when something breaks down? Loan management? Time management? Will you know how to deal with landlords? What about when you have to deal with a significant other, will you know how to manage your studies and he/she? Time with your family? Friends? I could talk forever on what you need to figure out before med school, because honestly, life still happens while youre studying. College is for figuring all that out!

If you really want to rush through college, do so at your own risk. Even doing it in 3 years is rushing in my opinion. If i could do it all over again, I would probably get my MPH first, then go to med school. Rutgers will do you fine getting into any school, so long as you do well. I went to UMD-College Park and I'm glad I went there compared to the Ivy's I got into, profs gave less of a **** whether you failed or got an A, so it made me worked harder than I may have at other schools. Dont only focus on the top schools, the stats say even if you get a 4.0 and a 36+, youll likely be disappointed if you only focus on the top 10 med programs. They can fill classes with students that have those numbers if they wanted.
 
can someone please post a list of where the Rutgers graduate went to med school over the past years or the schools matriculated from for top medical school such as Harvard, Yale and etc...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

D
Reapp Advice: 1 or 2 gap years?
Replies
4
Views
731
LindaAccepted
LindaAccepted
P
Extracurricular hours in the context of gap years
Replies
2
Views
245
LunaOri
LunaOri
FutureDOCTORR123456789
Do most people take gap years?
Replies
11
Views
1K
eigen
eigen
Imaginarydoc
How to list my Master program that I am doing in my gap year
Replies
1
Views
253
Mr.Smile12
Mr.Smile12
pilot214
  • Question Question
Online 4-Year or CC In-Person Bio 1 and 2
Replies
2
Views
458
AJS59
AJS59
Top