Accepted to State School but could do better . . .

[AccioMD]

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Hello all!

I am in a tight situation. I have two options and I need to decide between them quickly. Here are my stats: 32R MCAT, 4.0 GPA, great LORs, not too great clinical experience.

I have been accepted to a state school, but I applied very late in the application cycle (as in the night before the deadline). I was able to complete a Biology major in three years, but now I have the option to go back and complete an entire English major (in one year!). I love English; however, my aspirations, career-wise, lie in medicine. Here are the two options I have:

1) Go to the state medical school
-or-
2) Go back to undergrad for a year and get an English major, re-apply and re-take the MCATs.

Could you list pros and cons to what you think I should do? I really appreciate any input!

 

[aspiringdoc09]

Hello all!

I am in a tight situation. I have two options and I need to decide between them quickly. Here are my stats: 32R MCAT, 4.0 GPA, great LORs, not too great clinical experience.

I have been accepted to a state school, but I applied very late in the application cycle (as in the night before the deadline). I was able to complete a Biology major in three years, but now I have the option to go back and complete an entire English major (in one year!). I love English; however, my aspirations, career-wise, lie in medicine. Here are the two options I have:

1) Go to the state medical school
-or-
2) Go back to undergrad for a year and get an English major, re-apply and re-take the MCATs.

Could you list pros and cons to what you think I should do? I really appreciate any input!

I'm still premed so you can take my advice with a grain of salt. What I have understood is that if you are accepted and choose not to attend then you may never get another opportunity. There was a thread with a guy who had been accepted to his state school and withdrew in hopes to get into a Top 10. It was a recent thread so look for it or you can check my posts history (3rd application cycle...). He had a 39 MCAT and good stats as well. He is trying to apply for a third time but he seemed to come off as arrogant so that may have been his issue too. Be careful!

If you are interested in medicine then what does the english degree have to do with anything? You got an acceptance so run with it. Also, why don't you want to attend your state school? Why apply if you didn't want to really go there? I think it will be a risky move and you may never end up with an acceptance if you turn down the one you have. There are nothing but cons with the 2nd choice. You need to do the best you can in your state school by nailing your boards then you can go and do whatever you want after med school. Good luck!

P.S.: I found the thread for you. http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=911025

 

[Cinclus]

You would be shooting yourself in the foot for all future application cycles by not attending the school that accepted you. You can attempt to defer for a year with that school in order to pursue the additional degree, but don't give up that acceptance to reapply. Just....please don't.

 

[ruiner]

You would be shooting yourself in the foot for all future application cycles by not attending the school that accepted you. You can attempt to defer for a year with that school in order to pursue the additional degree, but don't give up that acceptance to reapply. Just....please don't.

this. if you really want that the degree defer, do not reapply though.

 

[AccioMD]

this. if you really want that the degree defer, do not reapply though.

Will they allow me to defer? Also, would I still be able to apply to other schools?

 

[AccioMD]

I'm still premed so you can take my advice with a grain of salt. What I have understood is that if you are accepted and choose not to attend then you may never get another opportunity. There was a thread with a guy who had been accepted to his state school and withdrew in hopes to get into a Top 10. It was a recent thread so look for it or you can check my posts history (3rd application cycle...). He had a 39 MCAT and good stats as well. He is trying to apply for a third time but he seemed to come off as arrogant so that may have been his issue too. Be careful!

If you are interested in medicine then what does the english degree have to do with anything? You got an acceptance so run with it. Also, why don't you want to attend your state school? Why apply if you didn't want to really go there? I think it will be a risky move and you may never end up with an acceptance if you turn down the one you have. There are nothing but cons with the 2nd choice. You need to do the best you can in your state school by nailing your boards then you can go and do whatever you want after med school. Good luck!

P.S.: I found the thread for you. http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=911025

.
I appreciate your reply. There are financial benefits to waiting another year. I could have more time to look for scholarships and programs that would allow me to graduate without massive amounts of loans. However, nothing is definite . . . I am afraid to make the wrong decision.

 

[hopeful22213]

If your motivation is reapplying to get into a more prestigious school, take the acceptance and run. Turning down an acceptance, even if you were to retake and destroy the mcat, is unlikely to do you much good.

Financially, it is extremely unlikely any scholarship you could 'seek out' would be > than an additional year of salary as a practicing physician.

I suggest you go off to the state school and do it with a smile on your face.

 

[AccioMD]

If your motivation is reapplying to get into a more prestigious school, take the acceptance and run. Turning down an acceptance, even if you were to retake and destroy the mcat, is unlikely to do you much good.

Financially, it is extremely unlikely any scholarship you could 'seek out' would be > than an additional year of salary as a practicing physician.

I suggest you go off to the state school and do it with a smile on your face.

That is what I was leaning towards . . . Thank you for your help! 🙂

 

[Buzz Me]

Why did you apply to that state school if you didn't intend on potentially matriculating? 😕

 

[notbobtrustme]

Your plan makes no sense. An English BA is worthless by itself. Compared to an MD, it's less than worthless, it's detrimental because it's sucking a year of big earnings away for nothing.

Take the admission and don't look back.

 

[Roguelyn]

Unless you'll be a miserable bastard, appreciate the acceptance you got and go.

 

[centraldogma]

If you reapply schools will see that you've been accepted in a previous cycle. This isn't going to look good on your part.

If you're having reservations about starting, perhaps ask your school if they'll let you defer. But yeah, OP, sounds like you're playing with fire :/

 

[ruiner]

Will they allow me to defer? Also, would I still be able to apply to other schools?

i'm sure you could defer to get the degree if for some reason you really wanted it, it depends on the school and i dont know what what school you want to go to. as i said, i already said though, I would not reapply

 

[DoctorLacrosse]

I know that there are thousands of pre-meds around who would give virtually anything to be in the position that you are in, myself included. I am begging you, do NOT give up this acceptance for anything. Go to your state school, become a doctor. You will more than likely regret it if you don't. Good luck OP! Make the smart choice!

 

[dancerdoc89]

Take that acceptance and run.

 

[Prncssbuttercup]

Is this really a question? Take your acceptance and be thankful for it!

 

[AccioMD]

I know that there are thousands of pre-meds around who would give virtually anything to be in the position that you are in, myself included. I am begging you, do NOT give up this acceptance for anything. Go to your state school, become a doctor. You will more than likely regret it if you don't. Good luck OP! Make the smart choice!

😱 Ok, ok. Got it. Go to med school. I applied to state schools because I was very late in the application cycle and could not make it for other schools. Also, to all: If you had a choice between USF and FAU, which would you choose and why?

Thank you to all who have responded! I appreciate your input. 🙂

 

[dragonfly99]

Don't be a dufus. Take the acceptance. You may likely not get in ANYWHERE if you apply again next year...much less somewhere "better". Med school is not really like undergrad. The supposed Top 10 schools don't necessarily provide a better level of education versus other schools...particularly if you want to practice clinical medicine and not but a super sub sub specialist or a lab researcher with an MD. I know because I went to one of those famous/Top 5 schools that costs a lot and sounds really cool on your interview day. I basically got the same teaching, or worse, than most state schools, and some faculty who really didn't like taking care of patients. And a big student loan...LOL. Also, schools can see if you got accepted last year and they will wonder why the hell you didn't take the acceptance. I say if you really want to get the English degree for the joy of it, and your're very interested and it won't cost you too much money, ask your med school to let you defer for a year. You're only going to be 22 once, after all. But I would NOT give up the acceptance in hopes of getting in some famous place like Harvard, Duke, etc. Trust me, I'm about to be an attending doc in 2 months, and it really doesn't matter that much. If you want to go to that kind of place you might be able to do so for residency, when it actually might matter...or you might not care at that point...

 

[ruiner]

😱 Ok, ok. Got it. Go to med school. I applied to state schools because I was very late in the application cycle and could not make it for other schools. Also, to all: If you had a choice between USF and FAU, which would you choose and why?

Thank you to all who have responded! I appreciate your input. 🙂

This is coming from someone not from FL, who didn't apply to any schools in FL, but I would take USF. There is something to be said about being the only school in town, plus it is more established, though FAU did practice for awhile with U of Miami I think. Finally from visits I just liked Tampa better then Miami

 

[flodhi1]

You would be shooting yourself in the foot for all future application cycles by not attending the school that accepted you. You can attempt to defer for a year with that school in order to pursue the additional degree, but don't give up that acceptance to reapply. Just....please don't.

+1!!!! OP don't do this to yourself. With little to no clinical experience you're lucky you got accepted. I have a friend who had a higher MCAT score than you that withdrew well this is his 3rd cycle now, trust me it's not worth it!