BSMD vs traditional path

[EdgeTrimmer]

With more and more traditional path students taking gap years and average matriculation age increasing how are those who got thru accelerated programs perform in medical school and with the match? Lot of these kids are entering medical school at 20 or 21 vs average age of 24 for traditional path.

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[DrFortiusNatando]

With more and more traditional path students taking gap years and average matriculation age increasing how are those who got thru accelerated programs perform in medical school and with the match? Lot of these kids are entering medical school at 20 or 21 vs average age of 24 for traditional path.

Most students at our school take at least 1-2 gap years and we have no accelerated programs. I can say that the very young students, IN GENERAL, have difficulty when they first go on the wards for their clinical year, compared to their older colleagues who often had a good bit of clinical experience or at least experience in the business world. However, those who have a lot of EQ and who go straight through from college can catch up pretty quickly and learn the implicit rules.

By the time of end of medical school/beginning of residency, everyone can be on relatively equal footing and the residency match does not usually correlate with number of gap years. The only caveat is that the few students who do really poorly in the match tend to be gunners who went straight through since undergrad, and have what appears to be very low EQ vs are just very young emotionally and psychologically. But it is not a surprise on match day, bc these are the students who get lukewarm, standard, or negative feedback on all of their rotations. Overall, I do recommend doing 1-2 gap years after college. There is so much that can be learned during this time about people, oneself, the working world, etc.

 

[plshelpvanxious]

I did BS/MD. Sometimes I really wish I could have taken some time off in between undergrad and med school. I feel very lucky to have the benefits of the bs/md program (less stress in undergrad), but I I think I'd be more disciplined if I had a chance to enjoy my 20s first. I probably wouldn't change anything if I could go back, but I do think it would have been good for me.

 

[Lucca]

BS/MD has always seemed like a very bad deal to me, and now that I've taken gap years and done the application cycle I increasingly believe that it is a bad deal.

bullet pts for main reasons:
1. Something is lost when UG is subordinated entirely to medical school and I don't think 17-18 yr olds are very good at appraising the value of that.
2. BS/MD may pidgeonhole people into medicine who would be better off in other careers or may have found better options if allowed to explore
3. People competitive for BS/MD will be competitive for the regular admissions process barring extraordinary circumstances.

 

[vaticrunner]

As someone who just jumped ship from a BSMD program, I will have to agree with the prior sentiments about pigeonholing yourself. I only learned about my interests in medicine and research after branching out of the program and taking on extracurriculars. In BSMD programs, there is no need to do any extracurricular activities and I think that's where the biggest sacrifice might be made. Additionally, I will say something that is really overlooked is the financial aspect. Often times, most schools that have BSMD programs are privates or schools with low scholarship money for the undergrad and you have probably 0 chance of getting any merit aid down the line for med school. If you are the type of student to get in out of high school, you can probably apply normally if you hit all the checkboxes and have a splendid cycle with the chance to actually get some scholarship money(both for undergrad and med school).

 

[965978]

BS/MD has always seemed like a very bad deal to me, and now that I've taken gap years and done the application cycle I increasingly believe that it is a bad deal.

bullet pts for main reasons:
1. Something is lost when UG is subordinated entirely to medical school and I don't think 17-18 yr olds are very good at appraising the value of that.
2. BS/MD may pidgeonhole people into medicine who would be better off in other careers or may have found better options if allowed to explore
3. People competitive for BS/MD will be competitive for the regular admissions process barring extraordinary circumstances.

As someone who just jumped ship from a BSMD program, I will have to agree with the prior sentiments about pigeonholing yourself. I only learned about my interests in medicine and research after branching out of the program and taking on extracurriculars. In BSMD programs, there is no need to do any extracurricular activities and I think that's where the biggest sacrifice might be made. Additionally, I will say something that is really overlooked is the financial aspect. Often times, most schools that have BSMD programs are privates or schools with low scholarship money for the undergrad and you have probably 0 chance of getting any merit aid down the line for med school. If you are the type of student to get in out of high school, you can probably apply normally if you hit all the checkboxes and have a splendid cycle with the chance to actually get some scholarship money(both for undergrad and med school).

I would imagine it’s very difficult to drop out of a BS/MD program because you’ve basically got a one-way ticket to getting your medical degree. So a lot of people who end up not wanting to become doctors do so anyway out of guilt or desperation. On top of that you accumulate more and more debt every single semester.

I can only imagine how many seats would open up for the regular admission process if so many of them weren’t taken up by BS/MDs that don’t want to do it anymore.

I have a very close family friend in his early 30s who recently finished his ophthalmology residency and went through Drexel's BS/MD program and he’s miserable about going into medicine. The fact of the matter is that that a 17 year old just doesn’t have much information about what medicine is like.

 

[cantankerous]

I know some people who did the BS/MD and matched into great specialties and/or great institutions/locations. I also know plenty of people who did not make it through the BS/MD program as well and ended up applying like a regular pre-med. Those in BS/MD programs are the best of the best among high school students, so I don't know why it would make much difference whether or not they do traditional or with gap years because these students, provided they maintain interest in medicine, would likely succeed in medical school regardless.

 

[Med Ed]

With more and more traditional path students taking gap years and average matriculation age increasing how are those who got thru accelerated programs perform in medical school and with the match? Lot of these kids are entering medical school at 20 or 21 vs average age of 24 for traditional path.

50% of the students in BS/MD programs want to go to medical school.
100% of the students in BS/MD programs have parents who want them to go to medical school.

Caveat emptor.

 

[Princeton Medical Student]

BS/MD has always seemed like a very bad deal to me, and now that I've taken gap years and done the application cycle I increasingly believe that it is a bad deal.

bullet pts for main reasons:
1. Something is lost when UG is subordinated entirely to medical school and I don't think 17-18 yr olds are very good at appraising the value of that.
2. BS/MD may pidgeonhole people into medicine who would be better off in other careers or may have found better options if allowed to explore
3. People competitive for BS/MD will be competitive for the regular admissions process barring extraordinary circumstances.

Tbh the absolute certainty and security of BS/MD makes the above drawbacks worth it.

 

[mercuryatlas]

Not all BSMD programs lock students into attending the medical school they were accepted to as high schoolers. If they encourage you to apply out, you still get the opportunity to explore interests and the push to being a competitive student. Mine allowed us to take a gap year and it was at an institution with plenty of undergrad scholarships. But we also get the security and additional mentoring from being in the program. Obviously the program had it own flaws, but they were very different from the typical complaints. Because there is such diversity in BSMD programs, it might make sense to weigh them individually.

 

[Lucca]

Tbh the absolute certainty and security of BS/MD makes the above drawbacks worth it.

Respectfully, nah.

 

[differentiating]

Not all BSMD programs lock students into attending the medical school they were accepted to as high schoolers. If they encourage you to apply out, you still get the opportunity to explore interests and the push to being a competitive student. Mine allowed us to take a gap year and it was at an institution with plenty of undergrad scholarships. But we also get the security and additional mentoring from being in the program. Obviously the program had it own flaws, but they were very different from the typical complaints. Because there is such diversity in BSMD programs, it might make sense to weigh them individually.

This. Mine allowed for us to apply out without risking your guaranteed seat, and it allowed me to save on stress and money during my application cycle. I didn’t stay with that school in the end, but I have absolutely 0 regrets about being part of a BS/MD program.

That being said, ours wasn’t accelerated, and had minimum GPA/MCAT/activities we had to complete to stay in. Programs that aren’t 4+4 and/or don’t allow students to apply out aren’t as ideal.

 

[EdgeTrimmer]

Tbh the absolute certainty and security of BS/MD makes the above drawbacks worth it.

disclosure: my son was admitted to two 7 year programs in 2017 but declined them to attend a T20 UG school with full tuition scholarship. This is a hot topic on other college admissions website and I want to see how SDN members feel about BSMD programs.

 

[HopeP]

This is very subjective and depends on ones interest and readiness for medicine at tender age 17, some may be well prepared because of in house healthcare environment, some may have passion but not sure if that is right thing to do, some don't know what is life all about (peer pressure and what my friends are doing). 2 years back, my son was very selective and wasn't ready to commit any available BS/MD program (for whatever reason) that he can find. He choose to apply mix bag, 4 BS/MD, 3 BME/BioE eng, rest UGs. Closest BS/MD he was post-interview rejection from UMKC. Let go top BME and BioE admissions. He is enjoying his freshman at NU Weinberg on pre-med track and so far 1st 2 quarters, had maintained solid GPA while doing dry lab volunteer research assistant and planning to do 2 months study/service abroad in African country during upcoming summer.

 

[Princeton Medical Student]

disclosure: my son was admitted to two 7 year programs in 2017 but declined them to attend a T20 UG school with full tuition scholarship. This is a hot topic on other college admissions website and I want to see how SDN members feel about BSMD programs.

I'd have done the BSMD, but I am not your son and am paying pretty much sticker for a T30 ug. Just the absolute certainty would make it be worth it for me, even if the program was 8 years. Even now 3 years into ugrad, I have no idea if I am going to med school or not, and it really sucks quite a bit.

 

[HopeP]

I'd have done the BSMD, but I am not your son and am paying pretty much sticker for a T30 ug. Just the absolute certainty would make it be worth it for me, even if the program was 8 years. Even now 3 years into ugrad, I have no idea if I am going to med school or not, and it really sucks quite a bit.

real question is are you happy with whatever you are doing?

 

[Princeton Medical Student]

real question is are you happy with whatever you are doing?

I mean, yeah, but I know I'd be happier without the doubt. I was not a competitive enough applicant for BS/MD though so I did not have much of a choice.

 

[gyngyn]

disclosure: my son was admitted to two 7 year programs in 2017 but declined them to attend a T20 UG school with full tuition scholarship. This is a hot topic on other college admissions website and I want to see how SDN members feel about BSMD programs.

Picking medical students/physicians from among high schoolers is not possible because they have done nothing but take tests.
These programs are designed to lure parents into enrolling kids into undergrad. If you like bulldozer parenting, this is an excellent way to reward it.

 

[HopeP]

I mean, yeah, but I know I'd be happier without the doubt. I was not a competitive enough applicant for BS/MD though so I did not have much of a choice.

Well you do, now you are competing for 95% spots then 5% spots of BS/MD programs.

 

[Dwight Snoot]

My senior year of college and gap year were the two best years of my life, for what its worth. I cannot imagine having gone straight through or doing a BS/MD. Your early 20's are a really critical part of your life and I think that you need some free time not stressing too much about school to enjoy it and grow as a person.

 

[differentiating]

On the other hand, I didn’t take a gap year and am very happy I didn’t. All I would have been doing is prolonging the process of getting where I wanted to be. I agree that one shouldn’t rush through college, but gap years certainly aren’t a necessity.

 

[EdgeTrimmer]

I don't think everyone needs a gap year.

 

[scrapy]

50% of the students in BS/MD programs want to go to medical school.
100% of the students in BS/MD programs have parents who want them to go to medical school.

Caveat emptor.

Where do you get the 50% number?

 

[scrapy]

This is a tough call now. On one hand, your early years 18-22 will be even more of a grind. On the other, med school admissions has gotten insanely competitive. I'm sure BS/MD won't be all bad in terms of rigor, and that you can still make time for fun, but I still don't think that most 18 year olds are able to handle it. Yes, that's how they do it in many other countries, but I don't know how well they fare, and many things about healthcare and general life are very different in America.

Another issue is if you do make it through, and you feel like you didn't have fun ages 18-22, you'll probably burn out. For various reasons, my 18-22 years weren't super great, but I still had a lot of fun experiences outside the classroom when I finally decided to make my social/personal life a priority. I will be matriculating to an MD program in July or August, and I did very well in undergrad.

I'd imagine these programs have had a 50% attrition rate all over the country. Honestly I think that's going to increase. My brother is in that age range, and from what I see in his social circle, social media, fortnite, soundcloud rap, binge drinking, etc has dumbed a lot of them down. I'm not trying to be on a moral high horse here, but I think that kids nowadays have taken in all these things in excess.

 

[scrapy]

On the other hand, I didn’t take a gap year and am very happy I didn’t. All I would have been doing is prolonging the process of getting where I wanted to be. I agree that one shouldn’t rush through college, but gap years certainly aren’t a necessity.

edit: anonymity

 

[787593]

With more and more traditional path students taking gap years and average matriculation age increasing how are those who got thru accelerated programs perform in medical school and with the match? Lot of these kids are entering medical school at 20 or 21 vs average age of 24 for traditional path.

BDSM > BSMD

I can’t be the only dyslexic mofo on here lmaooo

 

[Med Ed]

Where do you get the 50% number?

Deuteronomy.