a little off topic but......

[vegangirl]

Hello everyone,

I have a younger sister who wants to major in chemistry and then go to med school. only problem is she doesnt know where. So I would love your advice on where she she go. Her are her stats.

GPA: Solid 4.00 (with 4 AP classes this year, shes a jr.)
SAT: 1340 (but she probably is going to retake since she was sick
and didnt do as well as she hoped
ECs: cross country, track and field, michigan latin club treasure, church choir, and girl scout


Thanks for all your input!!!!!!

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[Rendar5]

anywhere she's happy. She shouldn't have a problem getting in someplace good. Just don't judge a school on it's pre-med curriculum. that's my only real advice.

 

[Brickhouse]

Where she should go to college or where she should go to med school?

 

[Epsilon]

This doesn't answer your question, but... yay, a fellow vegan!

 

[Supadupafly]

If she KNOWS she wants to be a doctor, she should apply to a BS/MD program. It will save a couple of years of undergrad work and the anxiety of being an overly competative premed student. Generally these programs are tough to get into though, and have interesting selectivity. If it suits her, it's a good idea to get some health care volunteering experience, take advanced high school biology, and REALLY explore medicine.

 

[TheFlash]

I agree with Rendar. Your sister should have no problem getting into a Tier 1 school. Of those, she should go where she feels like she's happy so she can grow academically, mentally, and socially over the next four years. Excellence is assured in her happiness.

tf

 

[UDbiochem]

I second the BS/MD thing....

if not BS/MD... where is she applying? is she a junior, senior....

I would apply to a bunch of schools that she likes, then pick the one with the better chemistry program. Then she can change her mind on med school if she wants. i know i changed my mind between high school and now.



(plug for my school: University of Delaware is known for it's chemistry/chemengineering...in top 20 in the country, good undergrad research program, pm me if you'd like)

 

[Cerberus]

Captain Obvious says "UMICH"

 

[Amy B]

Originally posted by vegangirl
Hello everyone,

I have a younger sister who wants to major in chemistry and then go to med school. only problem is she doesnt know where. So I would love your advice on where she she go. Her are her stats.

GPA: Solid 4.00 (with 4 AP classes this year, shes a jr.)
SAT: 1340 (but she probably is going to retake since she was sick
and didnt do as well as she hoped
ECs: cross country, track and field, michigan latin club treasure, church choir, and girl scout


Thanks for all your input!!!!!!

VCU/MCV has a guaranteed admit program (4 years undergrad and 4 years med school), where you come in as a freshman and have a guaranteed spot at the medical school in 4 years. You have to maintain a 3.50 and take all the classes laid out in the program. You have to take the MCAT but it is only for statistical purposes.

http://www.vcu.edu/ugrad/academics/guaranteed_admit/about.html

I was satisfied with my undergrad education at VCU. I learned a lot. I have friends who went through as chem majors and they are happy with their education also.

I can only assume other schools have similar programs, so I would suggest she check them out. I wish her well!

 

[elias514]

Don't recommend that she take the BS/MD route. People need to experience the tremendous personal growth that attends four years of college. Part of this growth is a process of self-discovery, including career aspirations. It is HIGHLY unlikely that she will remain committed to a career in medicine once she's in college. There are so many different career paths out there that she has yet to even consider. She needs to fully explore a wide variety of options.

One other thing: my college years were some of the very best in my life. Why would anyone want to accelerate their progress toward the "real world"? I wouldn't trade my 4 years of college for the world. Do the wise thing: advise your sister to attend an excellent university for 4 years and, more importantly, to maintain an open mind during her college years. The perfect career for her temperament and gifts may not even be on her "job radar" yet.

 

[thewebthsp]

I second that....

College is more important for the personal and social development than for the "goal" of getting a degree. Taking classes which energize you counts as "personal development." Classes you take to achieve a goal (an A, a good rec) are not.

 

[BananaSplit]

I may be a bit biased, but if your sister is a California resident and wants to major in chem, Berkeley is hard to beat. It has one of the best, if not THE BEST, chem departments in the country.

Regarding the BS/MD route. If your sister is mature and knows what being a doctor entails (usually through shadowing a doctor, volunteering at a hospital, etc.), then she may be an ideal candidate for BS/MD. I think UCLA has a BS/MD as well.

 

[ek6]

All the BS/MD's I know are so successful and happy with what they are doing. In my mind, people who go through this program are bad-ass (think of the schools that sponsor these - Duke, Brown, Northwestern - all awesome institutions). If she is mature enough and knows she wants to do this, then go for these programs! With those numbers, she's at least a competitive candidate. If there's ANY doubt or hesitance though, she should just wait to decide in college.

Btw, I know Mt. Sinia also has a "humanities in medicine" program that is awesome. If she is into her AP English or literature courses, this is something to look into. You basically major in a philosophy or humanities subject and take the bare minimum pre-med courses after applying for this during or even before your frosh year in college. You are then linked to Mt. Sinai's med school. I also know a few people who have done this and feel great about their experience. Regarding college itself, she should just go where she wants.