6/7/8 year medical programs

[deleted316655]

Hey everyone. This is a question mainly for people who have been accepted by a 6/7/8 year medical program, but anyone who has information can answer as well. So I was thinking about applying to a 6 or 7 year med program and I was wondering what kind of grades and extracurricular activities you had. What did you get on your SATs and can you please tell me what school(s) you applied/got in to? Also, what type of questions were asked when you were interested? Were they hard and did you have to prepare or more genral knowledge/about your application? Thank you.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[EddieL]

Hey everyone. This is a question mainly for people who have been accepted by a 6/7/8 year medical program, but anyone who has information can answer as well. So I was thinking about applying to a 6 or 7 year med program and I was wondering what kind of grades and extracurricular activities you had. What did you get on your SATs and can you please tell me what school(s) you applied/got in to? Also, what type of questions were asked when you were interested? Were they hard and did you have to prepare or more genral knowledge/about your application? Thank you.

Hi there,

First off, you may want to look at your status; being a fellow means that you graduated from a medical program, completed a residency, and now are completing a fellowship to sub-specialize.

As for BS/MD/DO programs, they are highly competitive. Most kids who apply to these programs stand a chance of getting into ivy-league schools (Harvard, Yale, etc), so that is honestly who you will be competing with for a seat. That being said, you have to really work hard to get in.

GPA and SAT I/II are probably the most important factor. It's going to be very tough to expect to realistically get into one of these programs without decent stats. Aim for a 3.5+ GPA, at least 600+ on the SATII's, and a high SAT I score. You'll likely have to interview at the school if invited.

Volunteering and medical experience is probably the next big step. Try to find someone in your family who does something in the medical field. See if you can shadow your doctor. Search hospital websites for shadowing programs. The options to get experience are endless.

There are not too many seats for these programs. I did mention BS/DO before, and a few colleges do a program like this where you spend a few years getting your BS then get a DO. These are less competitive than BS/MD programs, but are by no means easy to get into.

Of course, I will warn you about BS/MD programs. The work is intense. The regulations are crazy. Some colleges want you to take the MCAT, score a 30+ on it, and have a 3.5+ GPA after taking a mere two years of classes at the maximum credit limit possible. Brown is probably the best one, as it allows for much flexibility. A lot of people drop. The curriculum for most programs is pre-determined and with many you will not be able to take the classes you like. I know for instance I want to study French and Spanish in college, and many BS/MD programs will not allow you space to take electives. Your friends outside of the program who are just taking the general pre-med requirements are going to have a lot less work.

The choice is ultimately up to you, but these are important things to consider. Good luck with your decision

 

[deleted316655]

Yea. I don't know why it says fellow. I know what it means and never put it there so I don't know how that happened. I'll see if I can change it. Thanks for the information. I know its crazy hard, but I still believe it is worth the effort in the long run. I really hope it all works out because that would be amazing.

 

[EddieL]

Yea. I don't know why it says fellow. I know what it means and never put it there so I don't know how that happened. I'll see if I can change it. Thanks for the information. I know its crazy hard, but I still believe it is worth the effort in the long run. I really hope it all works out because that would be amazing.

Yeah, they are pretty helpful when it comes to cutting down the time. What ones are you interested in? And we could help you out a little more if you posted your stats (SAT, ACT, GPA, SATII, etc).

 

[deleted316655]

I was thinking about some ones in New Jersey. I know that UMDNJ is affiliated with Rutgers, The College of New Jersey, NJIT, and Montclair so I was looking at those programs. I also know that Drexel has a seven year med program which I am interested in as well. The thing is I am only a freshman so I haven't taken my SATs. I plan on taking the SAT IIs in biology and maybe literature this year, and I will definitely be taking some other ones in future years. I don't know my GPA because my school gives it at the end of the year. I should have a good GPA overall though.

 

[FutureCTDoc]

Hi, I'm in the 8 year BS/DO at NSU-COM, just finishing up my first year. If you want to be competitive aim for at least a 1300/1600 CR+M. Preferably a balanced one. I had a 3.2 unweighted from a top tier private prep school, leadership positions in Model UN (Attended NAIMUN X 4, YMUN X 3 and HMUN X 4 and was on SAs for 4 years). I wrestled varsity for 3 years, golfed for 2 years, participated in numerous clubs. I went to UCONN for summer session and received great grades, AP Scholar with Distinction, 1340/1600 SAT, SAT subject scores in the 700s albeit not in the sciences. I had over 150 hours of shadowing and scrubbed in on cases. The trick is to apply broadly, I applied to WVU, Shepherd, Nova Southeastern, Drexel, Utica, St. Bonaventure's and UCONN. I was only interviewed and accepted by Nova, despite the fact I was accepted to all of the other schools with scholarships. It is hyper-competitive and there will be students with 2400s and 4.0s who will be rejected, it all depends on the program you are aiming for. Choose one that suits you well academically and somewhere you'd like to be for a few years.

 

[ztaw15]

So I came across this and I feel compelled to offer my viewpoint. You say that "in the long run" it will be worth it, but I think if you really look at the long run it would probably be more beneficial for you to actually experience college.

Obviously this is your decision, and I'm sure things will turn out fine either way. But seriously, out of your whole life you are talking about saving two years, and really it isn't going to do you much good. We have an 18 year old in our class (I am an MS2) and she is nice, but it really isn't impressive or anything that she skipped high-school.

And medicine is all about being well-rounded. I am sure you can do that on your own time, but honestly why kill yourself. I really don't see any benefit you will gain from it. Medicine really isn't that difficult; it's a lot of work but that's about it. The thing most people end up lacking is the ability to relate to their patients, to make small talk or crack a good joke, to read situations and people. You can learn some of that in college, or life in general, but you won't learn it in medical school.

I am sure this sounds like another medicine-is-about-more-than-science rant, and it is. But a good thing to keep in mind is something a resident once told me "Medical school won't make you anything more than what you already are. It will teach you medicine, and that's it."

 

[MilkmanAl]

Well said.

 

[deleted316655]

That's really intense, and I know it is, but my opinion remains the same. I understand that a college experience would be good for me, but there are certain reasons I would rather skip it. I wouldn't be able to do a lot of things people do in college because of my religion so I would be basically going to college just to learn, which is something I could do in a 7 year med program. I also have been to college numerous times with people I know. While it is fun and would give me a lot of insight as to the way people behave and act, I still believe that it would be better for me to go to such a program if I were fortunate enough to get in to one. Otherwise I would go to medical school the traditional way and I'm sure I would have fun. I'm just keeping my options open because you never know where life might lead you.

 

[pinkanml]

I'm graduating this year from GW's 7 year BA/MD program and agree with both arguments and think you really have to know yourself and what you expect to get out of college. I was not your typical undergrad student, I commuted over an hour from home, had a job, and did not care to party or go clubbing (even if I had the time), so it really made no difference to be in an accelerated program other than to get out of college a year faster. Sure it was tough work to cram a degree into 3 years (I wanted to get my BS separately rather than a combined degree), but to me it was worth it in the end.

I had some family issues that caused me to take time off during med school and join the next class, so that "extra" time I bought by doing a shorter track in undergrad helped make sure I was still an MD in 8 years. I see no reason prolonging the agonizing process of going from leaving high school to getting in to a residency any longer than absolutely necessary, provided that you know what you are getting into.

And no, I'm not some weirdo with Asperger's or other awkward social issues from not "living it up" because that was just never my "thing." I'm more of a dinner-and-movie with the SO or close girlfriend type of girl. Just knew what I wanted and therefore saw no reason to not take a shortcut.

Although this advice is coming from someone who eloped at age 19 after dating a guy only 7 months....but hey, we're still married!

 

[deleted316655]

I'm graduating this year from GW's 7 year BA/MD program and agree with both arguments and think you really have to know yourself and what you expect to get out of college. I was not your typical undergrad student, I commuted over an hour from home, had a job, and did not care to party or go clubbing (even if I had the time), so it really made no difference to be in an accelerated program other than to get out of college a year faster. Sure it was tough work to cram a degree into 3 years (I wanted to get my BS separately rather than a combined degree), but to me it was worth it in the end.

I had some family issues that caused me to take time off during med school and join the next class, so that "extra" time I bought by doing a shorter track in undergrad helped make sure I was still an MD in 8 years. I see no reason prolonging the agonizing process of going from leaving high school to getting in to a residency any longer than absolutely necessary, provided that you know what you are getting into.

And no, I'm not some weirdo with Asperger's or other awkward social issues from not "living it up" because that was just never my "thing." I'm more of a dinner-and-movie with the SO or close girlfriend type of girl. Just knew what I wanted and therefore saw no reason to not take a shortcut.

Although this advice is coming from someone who eloped at age 19 after dating a guy only 7 months....but hey, we're still married!

This is exactly what I mean. It isn't that I'm antisocial or anything, I just don't see the reason behind what certain people believe is fun. I think that I should be spending the time that I have learning something that will hopefully benefit me in the end.

 

[MilkmanAl]

It's possible to do both, you know. You don't have to choose between only fun and only work, especially in college. What (I think) most people are trying to communicate is that the shortened programs make that balance tip quite heavily in favor of doing more work. You're going to learn a lot either way.