Backing out of Expensive BS/MD program to apply ED to state school

[preMED2.0]

---

Members don't see this ad.

Hi, I am in my third year in a extremely expensive 8 year BS/MD program affiliated with a medical school that is not a top 20/25 but still ranked. Currently, I am looking at the costs and it seems that the medical school offers very little financial aid, only in terms of small amounts merit aid to regular applicants and that the combined CoA would be close to 90k/yr. However, back home, I am considered instate for Massachusetts and would only need to pay around 65k/yr for CoA with potential need based aid for UMass. I do have a good GPA with all my premed prereqs done (3.85+), a summer REU research internship completed with poster presented, and two years of research at my home institution (no pubs). The only thing I am lacking is volunteering and clinical hours, which I have around 100 hours of clinical volunteering, 50 hours of shadowing, and 100 nonclinical jammed into one summer, and I do plan on getting more hours this coming summer in both clinical and nonclinical. Though I will not need to take the MCAT for my BS/MD program, I have just began studying for it this winter break and will continue to study for it throughout the semester. I am planning to take it next May and am shooting for 515+. However, I will have to commit to continuing onto the MD part of my BS/MD by the end of June or forfeit my spot and apply elsewhere.

Right now, I am wondering if it would be wise apply to UMass early decision this coming cycle and give up my BS/MD spot? Aside from tuition, I really like the mission and focus of UMass on rural medicine, primary care, and community/global health (which is what my REU project focused on). Also, as UMass is my state medical school, would I have a decent shot at getting in if I can get a decent MCAT in May (515~)? Also, would ED offer an advantage and be more low risk simply due to increased interest? I acknowledge that if you are rejected ED, you would be late for other medical school apps. Although it would be ideal to matriculate medical school after my fourth year, if don't get in ED, I don't mind not applying anywhere else and taking a gap year.

I do want to go into primary care, so cost is a big factor for me and although I acknowledge that a BS/MD spot is a golden ticket and I would be foolish to give it up a guaranteed MD seat, my parents cannot pay anything for 4 years of medical tuition and I do not want to switch out of primary care one day just because of loans. What would yall suggest?

 

[DocOrBust2019]

Stay where you are.

Presumably you're young. Even in primary care, you'll make plenty of money to pay back your loans. The CoA is ~$100,000 different. Your loss of a year's salary as a physician from a potential gap year will easily eclipse that difference.

Additionally: Saying you're going to get a ~515 MCAT is a lot easier said than done.

 

[KnightDoc]

Hi, I am in my third year in a extremely expensive 8 year BS/MD program affiliated with a medical school that is not a top 20/25 but still ranked. Currently, I am looking at the costs and it seems that the medical school offers very little financial aid, only in terms of small amounts merit aid to regular applicants and that the combined CoA would be close to 90k/yr. However, back home, I am considered instate for Massachusetts and would only need to pay around 65k/yr for CoA with potential need based aid for UMass. I do have a good GPA with all my premed prereqs done (3.85+), a summer REU research internship completed with poster presented, and two years of research at my home institution (no pubs). The only thing I am lacking is volunteering and clinical hours, which I have around 100 hours of clinical volunteering, 50 hours of shadowing, and 100 nonclinical jammed into one summer, and I do plan on getting more hours this coming summer in both clinical and nonclinical. Though I will not need to take the MCAT for my BS/MD program, I have just began studying for it this winter break and will continue to study for it throughout the semester. I am planning to take it next May and am shooting for 515+. However, I will have to commit to continuing onto the MD part of my BS/MD by the end of June or forfeit my spot and apply elsewhere.

Right now, I am wondering if it would be wise apply to UMass early decision this coming cycle and give up my BS/MD spot? Aside from tuition, I really like the mission and focus of UMass on rural medicine, primary care, and community/global health (which is what my REU project focused on). Also, as UMass is my state medical school, would I have a decent shot at getting in if I can get a decent MCAT in May (515~)? Also, would ED offer an advantage and be more low risk simply due to increased interest? I acknowledge that if you are rejected ED, you would be late for other medical school apps. Although it would be ideal to matriculate medical school after my fourth year, if don't get in ED, I don't mind not applying anywhere else and taking a gap year.

I do want to go into primary care, so cost is a big factor for me and although I acknowledge that a BS/MD spot is a golden ticket and I would be foolish to give it up a guaranteed MD seat, my parents cannot pay anything for 4 years of medical tuition and I do not want to switch out of primary care one day just because of loans. What would yall suggest?

Tough call. It sounds like it might be premature for you to be soliciting opinions without an MCAT score. You seem to know all about what you are giving up, and the limitations of ED, and your timing suggests you realize you need an MCAT score before making an informed decision about giving up your guarantee, so what's the value of what any of us have to say before you know whether or not you'd be a viable candidate?

Also, if you really don't want a gap year, is whatever advantage you receive from ED really worth not being viable anyplace else? Most applicants think not! Why not just take the MCAT in time to have your score back before the end of June, and then either stay where you are or go all in on applying out without limiting yourself to one school ED?

 

[Moko]

$100k is not worth this risk. If you're willing to moonlight as a generalist, you can easily make up this difference within a couple years

 

[preMED2.0]

@KnightDoc thank you and everyone else for your feedback, I am very leaning towards continuing with the BS/MD. I think I have very limited clinical/volunteering hours (~100 hrs), and do think that it would be too risky to apply broadly (If I get rejected with a weak app at many schools first cycle, that would be a bad impression on all my schools that I reapply for during second cycle and lower my chances overall?). Also, I think it would be better to just do ED at my state school as it is lower risk than RD overall and I am binding myself to a low cost school.

If I apply RD, I may get in somewhere else but many private/OOS public schools have prices comparable to my current BS/MD, and my chance at my state school would also be lowered. What would be the point if I get in somewhere comparable in price to my BS/MD? Still, I do acknowledge that 100k would probably be easily made up later by a physician salary, but it would not be 100k as with federal loans (6 - 7%/yr), that extra 100k would easily turn into an extra 150k or even 200k in 7 years by the time I come out of med school + residency.

In addition, during that potential gap year, I could perhaps do volunteering with AmeriCorps/PeaceCorps or go for a money earning job and save more money for med school (one of my premed friends got a good paying consulting job without connections as bio major out of my college). Again, the oppportunity cost would be above 100k with the extra experience and/or money earned. I am not trying to argue with anyone or say that anyone is wrong as I highly appreciate all feedback, but just wanted to give some detailed poinits. I acknolwedge that I should probably not make a decision without a MCAT, but by trying to take the MCAT as late as possible and having to make the BS/MD commitment decision later in June, I do not think I can submit regular apps early (I know early in June on the first day is ideal). Whereas with ED, I can submit by August and show interest and be compared to a completely different pool.

 

[KnightDoc]

@KnightDoc thank you and everyone else for your feedback, I am very leaning towards continuing with the BS/MD. I think I have very limited clinical/volunteering hours (~100 hrs), and do think that it would be too risky to apply broadly (If I get rejected with a weak app at many schools first cycle, that would be a bad impression on all my schools that I reapply for during second cycle and lower my chances overall?). Also, I think it would be better to just do ED at my state school as it is lower risk than RD overall and I am binding myself to a low cost school.

If I apply RD, I may get in somewhere else but many private/OOS public schools have prices comparable to my current BS/MD, and my chance at my state school would also be lowered. What would be the point if I get in somewhere comparable in price to my BS/MD? Still, I do acknowledge that 100k would probably be easily made up later by a physician salary, but it would not be 100k as with federal loans (6 - 7%/yr), that extra 100k would easily turn into an extra 150k or even 200k in 7 years by the time I come out of med school + residency.

In addition, during that potential gap year, I could perhaps do volunteering with AmeriCorps/PeaceCorps or go for a money earning job and save more money for med school (one of my premed friends got a good paying consulting job without connections as bio major out of my college). Again, the oppportunity cost would be above 100k with the extra experience and/or money earned. I am not trying to argue with anyone or say that anyone is wrong as I highly appreciate all feedback, but just wanted to give some detailed poinits. I acknolwedge that I should probably not make a decision without a MCAT, but by trying to take the MCAT as late as possible and having to make the BS/MD commitment decision later in June, I do not think I can submit regular apps early (I know early in June on the first day is ideal). Whereas with ED, I can submit by August and show interest and be compared to a completely different pool.

It's your call, and nobody here can, or should, make a decision for you. It sounds like it's UMass or bust for you. You have to decide, after seeing your MCAT score, whether the gamble is worth it. Getting in UMass ED would be a huge win for you; if you don't get in, you will be way worse off than you are now, because you'll then be in a gap year, without a guarantee, and adding to your opportunity cost however many years your medical school education is delayed.

Again, your call! If relative costs are so important, it's a shame you didn't consider them more carefully before putting yourself in this situation and already having 4 years of expenses sunk into it. Good luck!! 🙂

 

[preMED2.0]

@KnightDoc Thank you and everyone else for the feedback and help. I guess this is really my own choice and I will see what happens (whether I can pull through with the MCAT) while studying during the semester and if so, what decision I will make in June.

 

[DocOrBust2019]

@KnightDoc Thank you and everyone else for the feedback and help. I guess this is really my own choice and I will see what happens (whether I can pull through with the MCAT) while studying during the semester and if so, what decision I will make in June.

if you decide to take the MCAT, you need to be aware that you should put in at least 300-500 hours of study. You need to treat the MCAT like it is at least a 9 credit hour course. This means you likely need to reduce your course load in the semester you intend to test. That will likely increase your timeline for school.

As far as loan repayment goes: it all depends on how aggressive you are in paying down your loans. You should play around with an interest calculator to get a better idea, but the difference in interest isn't going to be more than an additional 30 or $40,000 over the first 10 years.

To me it sounds like you're adding unnecessary stress into your situation. You have an acceptance into medical school without taking the MCAT. MCAT causes lots of heartache among pre-meds.

$100,000 just isn't that much as a doctor. The second you're out of residency, you'll be able to pay off your loans within three years if you get aggressive. You're going to be making over $200,000/yr and you'll be used to living on a ~$50,000 salary as a resident. You can easily live like resident for two or three more years and pay your loans off entirely regardless of what program you went to.

 

[Goro]

Hi, I am in my third year in a extremely expensive 8 year BS/MD program affiliated with a medical school that is not a top 20/25 but still ranked. Currently, I am looking at the costs and it seems that the medical school offers very little financial aid, only in terms of small amounts merit aid to regular applicants and that the combined CoA would be close to 90k/yr. However, back home, I am considered instate for Massachusetts and would only need to pay around 65k/yr for CoA with potential need based aid for UMass. I do have a good GPA with all my premed prereqs done (3.85+), a summer REU research internship completed with poster presented, and two years of research at my home institution (no pubs). The only thing I am lacking is volunteering and clinical hours, which I have around 100 hours of clinical volunteering, 50 hours of shadowing, and 100 nonclinical jammed into one summer, and I do plan on getting more hours this coming summer in both clinical and nonclinical. Though I will not need to take the MCAT for my BS/MD program, I have just began studying for it this winter break and will continue to study for it throughout the semester. I am planning to take it next May and am shooting for 515+. However, I will have to commit to continuing onto the MD part of my BS/MD by the end of June or forfeit my spot and apply elsewhere.

Right now, I am wondering if it would be wise apply to UMass early decision this coming cycle and give up my BS/MD spot? Aside from tuition, I really like the mission and focus of UMass on rural medicine, primary care, and community/global health (which is what my REU project focused on). Also, as UMass is my state medical school, would I have a decent shot at getting in if I can get a decent MCAT in May (515~)? Also, would ED offer an advantage and be more low risk simply due to increased interest? I acknowledge that if you are rejected ED, you would be late for other medical school apps. Although it would be ideal to matriculate medical school after my fourth year, if don't get in ED, I don't mind not applying anywhere else and taking a gap year.

I do want to go into primary care, so cost is a big factor for me and although I acknowledge that a BS/MD spot is a golden ticket and I would be foolish to give it up a guaranteed MD seat, my parents cannot pay anything for 4 years of medical tuition and I do not want to switch out of primary care one day just because of loans. What would yall suggest?

Do NOT do this!

 

[hydrophobicmed]

UMass over Brown? Stay where you are. And I think you are completely underestimating the randomness of the process. For example, I got II's at most of t10's but my state school UConn ghosted me and Brown rejected me pre-ii. Don't gamble your future for the sake of 100k, think that 100k as a guarantee payment for doing what you would like to do. Don't be nearsighted. 100k spread out in 10 years will be manageable by your even primary care salary.

 

[preMED2.0]

@hydrophobicmed haha not Brown

 

[hydrophobicmed]

@hydrophobicmed haha not Brown

in any case, don't forfeit.