Accepted to Med School as a sophomore.. what should I do?

Discover Your Odds of Getting into Medical School
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kritikopoula

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Unless you're really unhappy with the school or you think you don't fit, I think you should keep it. If you do well in med school (good STEP scores and good clinical grades) you will most likely do well in the residency match regardless of where you go to med school. You don't have to go to an Ivy League to be successful.

Also, just having the grades and some good ECs in no way guarantees you get into an Ivy. Having gone through the application cycle, if I could have saved myself the year of stress and interviews, I would have.
 
kritikopoula said:
Okay so I just finished my sophomore year, and I was accepted to an early acceptance med school program at the state university I am currently attending. It is a highly competitive program, they accept 12 students each year. I am concerned I am settling for a less than prestigious medical school when I could get into Ivy League schools. I have a 3.98 GPA, just got my first A- ever this semester in Orgo 2. I have done both basic science research and clinical research, I have a publication, and I am the vice president of a large volunteer organization at the local university-affiliated hospital. I have over 200 hours of volunteering, and am sure my resume/extra curriculars would be sufficient/impressive for higher-ranked medical schools. I am not entirely sure what to do as of now. If I take the program, I have my junior year that is mainly seminars, and finishing my pre-reqs. After that, my senior year would be my first year of medical school. I wouldn't have to take the MCAT, and I would save a year of schooling. Thoughts? I don't want to sell myself short..
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No chance of that :rolleyes:.
 
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Even with good stats, there's no guarantee you'll get into top schools, it's a crap shoot and you never know how the MCAT will go. I think you'd be stupid not go with an acceptance because you never know and an MD is an MD no matter where it's from.
 
lol....you sound pretty bummed out for just having gotten into medical school + saved a year of UG tuition and gotten a year of earning potential in exchange. assuming you maintain a 3.9+ GPA and get a high MCAT (35+) I figure you would stand a pretty good shot at an elite school because the fact that you already got into this program shows that you have the essays, interviewing, LOR's, intangibles, etc. already.

best case scenerio: you decline this program and get a good MCAT and get into an elite med school. worse case scenerio you decline and get a mediocre/poor MCAT and don't get in anywhere....it's really your call.
 
Definitely take the deal. You would be crazy not to.
 
flatearth22 said:
best case scenerio: you decline this program and get a good MCAT and get into an elite med school. worse case scenerio you decline and get a mediocre/poor MCAT and don't get in anywhere....it's really your call.
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This


Right now, the hole in your plan is that you haven't taken the MCAT yet.
 
Take a practice MCAT before deciding. Like legitimately sit down and act as if it were a real MCAT. You can then evaluate whether the questions you missed were mainly due to lack of knowledge (just need to memorize more) or whether it's testing strategy/skills (verbal section, trick questions). It'll help you gauge how well you think you can do / whether you want to go through that hell.

Also, a high MCAT and high GPA + research + volunteering does not guarantee an acceptance to a top ten med school. If you're coming from a non-Ivy, it's a bit difficult to break into that circle.
 
OP, are they going to give you any sort of scholarship as well?

Because if so, it is absolutely worth it. Just take the deal and be happy you're already in.
 
I think you need to take a long look at yourself. It seems like you're really only in this for the prestige. If you wanted to be a doctor, and nothing else, you'd take the deal that is currently being offered. To turn down one school for the chance of being admitted into a better one a year later denotes someone who isn't really sure about their motivations.

Why did you apply for the program anyway, if you weren't sure you wanted to do it? Your spot could have been given to someone who actually wanted to be there.
 
kritikopoula;

Please don't do this to yourself. If you have a guaranteed acceptance, don't throw it away. Like yourself, I had an acceptance to a medical school waiting for me right out of high school. I chose otherwise. I wanted to attend an Ivy League undergrad and a top 10 medical school. I got half the equation right.

If you haven't taken the MCAT yet, you cannot judge your application. I slipped up on the MCAT and it cost me. I don't have any acceptances this year and I'm going to have to reapply. I had close to a 4.0 at an Ivy, incredible ECs, and excellent letters from faculty at a top 10 undergrad who are mostly renowned in each of their fields. With a lower MCAT score, this wasn't enough to redeem a spot in medical school. Hindsight is 20/20, and the best I can do now is warn people like yourself to do the right thing :)
 
Take the acceptance. It will save you a lot of stress down the road. If you turn down the acceptance, you present yourself with the risk of not getting in anywhere (worst-case scenario).

Congrats on getting into the program. :) I have a feeling we might go to the same state school based on the description of it, actually.
 
Gyropath is right - I applied in two cycles (the first time for MD/PhD and second time for MD). I was accepted to two MD/phd programs, but decided I didn't want the phd. I could've gone to their MD programs instead but was cocky and scrapped everything and applied again. Now the only acceptance I hold is to a school that is lower ranked than one of the MD/PhD schools I was accepted to. And believe me, it was a very common question during my interview.

The one school where I was previously accepted didn't even offer me an interview for MD. So you can probably assume that if you turn this offer down, you're probably not going to be offered it again by the same institution; it's like dating - no one wants to know they're the second choice.
 
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If your goal is to get accepted to medical school (and therefore, with 99% chance, become a physician), you have achieved your goal.
 
OP, in my experience, a lot of things can happen in the next two years. You sound like a top applicant, the type that average applicants like me are afraid of. I would bet that you will score any spot you want but do you really want to take that risk? You are in your first two years of college right now and you have achieved truly great things that people don't even achieve by the time they finish undergrad. However, after your first two years, that ambition starts to fade and you begin to get tired. You can probably already see this with that A- in Ochem. This fatigue increases exponentially and pretty soon, you may become a very burned out senior trying to study for his MCAT while going through the grueling application preparation process. The chance that your credentials will show a downward curve is a very real one. Don't take this risk. You won your prize, now take it and run and save yourself from a very VERY stressful year.

Also, what are medical schools going to say when they see that you already turned down an acceptance? They won't be happy.
 
I know you're probably not concerned with money now as a sophomore, but just so you know even people who do get accepted into top elite medical schools often choose thier own state school because its cheaper. I'm just saying, its quite possible that you apply regular your junior year and get into a top 10-20 school and get no financial aid and realize that your own state school would save you 200K in the long run (after interest). Just a thought...
 
kritikopoula said:
I wouldn't have to take the MCAT, and I would save a year of schooling.
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You just answered your own question. If you don't have to deal with that hurdle, it sounds like a winner in my book.
 
Take the offer. Don't even hesitate. I know your inclination is to reach for the stars here and try to matriculate into HMS, but which medical school you went to won't matter much when you match for residencies, as long as your medical school grades and USMLE scores are good. I really think turning this down would be an enormous mistake.
 
Congrats!

I'm applying to a similar program this summer and I hope I get in. I wouldn't have to stress about the MCAT or the crazy application process. I say go for it and forget the "I-need-to-attend-a-top-med-school" pre-med dogma.
 
OP... I think you are underestimating how awesome it is that you will be finishing medical school a year early. You will probably have much less debt, and get a nice start compared to everyone else who will most likely be much older than you. Nothing is worth more than time in my opinion. Take the acceptance.
 
I think I know about the program in question and I hope to apply in a year's time. The representative school is quite good and if I were lucky enough to earn an acceptance to this program, I 'd have no trepidation in regards to attending.

I PM'ed you and, if you are so inclined, contact me. I'd like to pick your brain.
 
OP it would be foolish for you to walk away from one saved academic year, NO MCAT, guaranteed admission with an extra year of physician pay (150k+).
 
kritikopoula said:
Okay so I just finished my sophomore year, and I was accepted to an early acceptance med school program at the state university I am currently attending. It is a highly competitive program, they accept 12 students each year. I am concerned I am settling for a less than prestigious medical school when I could get into Ivy League schools. I have a 3.98 GPA, just got my first A- ever this semester in Orgo 2. I have done both basic science research and clinical research, I have a publication, and I am the vice president of a large volunteer organization at the local university-affiliated hospital. I have over 200 hours of volunteering, and am sure my resume/extra curriculars would be sufficient/impressive for higher-ranked medical schools. I am not entirely sure what to do as of now. If I take the program, I have my junior year that is mainly seminars, and finishing my pre-reqs. After that, my senior year would be my first year of medical school. I wouldn't have to take the MCAT, and I would save a year of schooling. Thoughts? I don't want to sell myself short..
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Don't be too greedy right now. I would take this acceptance and RUN with it. Not having to take the MCAT is enough of a reason. But you get in-state tuition as well.

Good luck making your decision.
 
I'll add to everyone saying take the deal. If prestige is that important to you, your actual residency placement is going to influence your ultimate career opportunities as much, if not more than med school. From a US allo med school you can go anywhere with good scores and grades. But then again, If having that Harvard diploma on your wall is that important then I guess go ahead and pass. I'm sure there is a score of pre-meds out there who would come into your bedroom and kill you in your sleep for that spot.
 
Keep in mind that an application season can cost $5000+, once you account for primary fees, secondary fees, and interview travel (flights, rental cars, hotels, meals on the road, misc). Cost of taking the MCAT = $200, and cost of MCAT prep can be anywhere from a couple hundred if you go it alone up to $2000 if you take a course. Not to mention a year of UG tuition! Financially, take the deal. You'll be glad when you're older.
 
Take it. And don't look back with anything but a smile.
 
gyropath said:
I think you need to take a long look at yourself. It seems like you're really only in this for the prestige. If you wanted to be a doctor, and nothing else, you'd take the deal that is currently being offered. To turn down one school for the chance of being admitted into a better one a year later denotes someone who isn't really sure about their motivations.
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:thumbup:

Think of all the people that applied multiple times and got no fruit, and then there's YOU who got his fruit in a basket, complete with wrapping and a ribbon.
 
kritikopoula said:
Okay so I just finished my sophomore year, and I was accepted to an early acceptance med school program at the state university I am currently attending. It is a highly competitive program, they accept 12 students each year. I am concerned I am settling for a less than prestigious medical school when I could get into Ivy League schools. I have a 3.98 GPA, just got my first A- ever this semester in Orgo 2. I have done both basic science research and clinical research, I have a publication, and I am the vice president of a large volunteer organization at the local university-affiliated hospital. I have over 200 hours of volunteering, and am sure my resume/extra curriculars would be sufficient/impressive for higher-ranked medical schools. I am not entirely sure what to do as of now. If I take the program, I have my junior year that is mainly seminars, and finishing my pre-reqs. After that, my senior year would be my first year of medical school. I wouldn't have to take the MCAT, and I would save a year of schooling. Thoughts? I don't want to sell myself short..
Click to expand...

Sell yourself short? I know this is going to be difficult to accept, but the applicant pool to the top tier medical schools is brimming with people whose records are interchangeable with yours. Mom may tell you you're special, but you aren't.

Just stay in the program and kick ass. There will be plenty of time to climb the prestige ladder later on. Cream always rises.

And if you turn out to be less than cream, what chance did you have at a top-tier school?
 
I agree that the choice seems obvious. However, if you are going to be miserable and wish you were at a different school maybe staying isn't the best choice for you. If you are going to annoy everyone around you by talking about how you could've gone to a good school (implying that your current school is bad) then just wait. You can always apply to your UG in the traditional pathway while applying to the other schools you would prefer. You have to decide if your goal is to be a physician or to have a nice pedigree.
 
take that acceptance....period....seriously why would you consider putting yourself at risk...you have no idea what could happen in the next two years and it would really suck if you did not take that acceptance and you ended up not getting into whatever school you wanted.
 
kritikopoula said:
Okay so I just finished my sophomore year, and I was accepted to an early acceptance med school program at the state university I am currently attending. It is a highly competitive program, they accept 12 students each year. I am concerned I am settling for a less than prestigious medical school when I could get into Ivy League schools. I have a 3.98 GPA, just got my first A- ever this semester in Orgo 2. I have done both basic science research and clinical research, I have a publication, and I am the vice president of a large volunteer organization at the local university-affiliated hospital. I have over 200 hours of volunteering, and am sure my resume/extra curriculars would be sufficient/impressive for higher-ranked medical schools. I am not entirely sure what to do as of now. If I take the program, I have my junior year that is mainly seminars, and finishing my pre-reqs. After that, my senior year would be my first year of medical school. I wouldn't have to take the MCAT, and I would save a year of schooling. Thoughts? I don't want to sell myself short..
Click to expand...

My thoughts are you're very lucky and shouldn't turn down such an amazing opportunity. No MCAT? That saves months of your life. I'll be drowning in prep-books while you're basking in the summer sun. You don't need to go to an ivy med school, and as others have said: it's a crap shoot even for the most perfect applicant.
 
Unless you can't stand the school or it is throwing up major red flags, take the acceptance.

One less year of tuition + one more year of salary as an attending + less close to your inevitable death on beginning your career = gold
 
OP please come back so I can add my bit to the growing mountain of disapproval.

Sent from my HTC Sensation Z710e using Tapatalk
 
dude you have NOOOOOOOOOOO idea how lucky you are. Go to the thread "what was your most hated part of the application process?", read through that. Then go to the MCAT discussion, and read how people are practically killing themselves with worry/studying before that test. please, just accept this offer. go for me. just do it.
 
Take the deal and run with it. You never know how you'll do in the MCAT and on the second half of your undergraduate career. I wouldn't want to risk it. Congrats on your acceptance!
 
TAKE IT AND RUN! It's hard to realize how good of an opportunity this is until you're actually in the app process later down the road. I know several people who had 4.0's through the first 3 years of college and could never make above 30 on the MCAT, and some have yet to make it into MD. Not saying this would be you, but there are lots of added stressors to your last few years of school and you can never count on acing the MCAT in my opinion.
 
Take it and run. Replacing a year of tuition with a year of doctor income is a 300K gain. Replacing a year of premed lifestyle with a year of attending lifestyle is a huge gain from the point of view of happieness. The opportunity to have a stress free year of college, and to skip the misery of the MCAT and interview process, is just incredible. Finally the name of your med school doesn't matter nearly as much as you think it would, the main thing that residencies are going to care about are your grades, your research, and your Step 1 score.
 
Just to add to the near-unanimous sentiment, you'd be crazy not to take the acceptance. This cycle has been horrible, stressful, expensive, and it's not over for me yet because I'm still trying to get off waitlists. You seriously have a med school acceptance in hand without having to take the MCAT? What a dream come true. If you give up this acceptance you will almost certainly regret it.
 
Gut Shot said:
Sell yourself short? I know this is going to be difficult to accept, but the applicant pool to the top tier medical schools is brimming with people whose records are interchangeable with yours. Mom may tell you you're special, but you aren't.

Just stay in the program and kick ass. There will be plenty of time to climb the prestige ladder later on. Cream always rises.

And if you turn out to be less than cream, what chance did you have at a top-tier school?
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^ this. everyone that applies to an elite medical school has those statistics you have (if not even better) and have hooks such as legacy, etc.

your better off just going to what they offered you on the count its cheaper, doesn't require a MCAT, and a place where you can kick ass and be the top of the top. do well and you'll go where you need.
 
Yes turn down the offer, and only apply to Ivy league schools. Anything else just isn't good enough for you. I'm sure it'll work out.
 
kritikopoula said:
Okay so I just finished my sophomore year, and I was accepted to an early acceptance med school program at the state university I am currently attending. It is a highly competitive program, they accept 12 students each year. I am concerned I am settling for a less than prestigious medical school when I could get into Ivy League schools. I have a 3.98 GPA, just got my first A- ever this semester in Orgo 2. I have done both basic science research and clinical research, I have a publication, and I am the vice president of a large volunteer organization at the local university-affiliated hospital. I have over 200 hours of volunteering, and am sure my resume/extra curriculars would be sufficient/impressive for higher-ranked medical schools. I am not entirely sure what to do as of now. If I take the program, I have my junior year that is mainly seminars, and finishing my pre-reqs. After that, my senior year would be my first year of medical school. I wouldn't have to take the MCAT, and I would save a year of schooling. Thoughts? I don't want to sell myself short..
Click to expand...

Sort of like winning a $1,000,000 lottery and having the option to give it away for another chance at possibly winning the same ticket. . .really doesn't make any sense at all if you actually think about it. Remember, ivy leagues don't produce more competent doctors than state institutions, so just take the winning ticket and consider yourself a lucky winner.
 
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=911025


Read this thread and you will see exactly why you should take your acceptance and run with it. Not only for the reasons listed above, but even people with great numbers (which you don't even have yet because you haven't taken the MCAT) have trouble getting the acceptance they were hoping for. Hard working, smart medical students can get into any residency they want, from any school. I think turning down this acceptance would be the same as getting accepted, and reapplying the following year. Not to mention, the school you are attending will likely not accept you when you apply later. Good Luck
 
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