Could use a little advice..

[huskerdye]

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I'm a high school senior in a small town in Nebraska. I'm planning on going into the medical profession and was recently accepted into a pretty hard program to get into called the Rural Health Opportunitys Program (RHOP). Now this program pays for all my schooling at a small state college in Nebraska called Chadron State College. This program will also GUARANTEE me a spot in medical school at the University of Nebraska Medical Center after my four years of undergrad (so long as i obtain a 3.5 gpa and what not, something I believe to be a somewhat easy task for me). The school has four kedavers(sp*) and has a pretty decent health program.

However, I have always wanted to attend the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and am kind of unsure on what would be better for me before med school.. I think it would be stupid to turn down a program like RHOP, UNMC has about 1000 applicants each year for medical school and only accepts about 150, but was kind of curious what current medical students or doctors thought??

Any advice would be much appreciated!!

 

[Depakote]

I'm a high school senior in a small town in Nebraska. I'm planning on going into the medical profession and was recently accepted into a pretty hard program to get into called the Rural Health Opportunitys Program (RHOP). Now this program pays for all my schooling at a small state college in Nebraska called Chadron State College. This program will also GUARANTEE me a spot in medical school at the University of Nebraska Medical Center after my four years of undergrad (so long as i obtain a 3.5 gpa and what not, something I believe to be a somewhat easy task for me). The school has four kedavers(sp*) and has a pretty decent health program.

However, I have always wanted to attend the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and am kind of unsure on what would be better for me before med school.. I think it would be stupid to turn down a program like RHOP, UNMC has about 1000 applicants each year for medical school and only accepts about 150, but was kind of curious what current medical students or doctors thought??

Any advice would be much appreciated!!

My personal opinion is that if you're able to get into a very selective program out of high school, you are probably driven enough to have what it takes to get into a 4 year program out of college. While the opportunity to have your undergrad paid for is excellent, you do need to go somewhere you'll be happy or it might be 4 very unpleasant years.

Personally, I would go to the school you've always wanted to go to and apply to traditional programs from there. No need to limit your options right out of the gate.

 

[xnfs93hy]

Go to the school that is giving you the money. Depakote makes a very important point but I think that the better option would be to go to the school where you are getting a free ride and an acceptance into their medical school.

 

[MilkmanAl]

Normally I'd be all about the money route, but I can't imagine that the University of Nebraska is terribly expensive for state residents. Also, I'm willing to bet (read: almost certain) that the rural health program thingy requires you to specialize in primary care and/or serve in an area the state deems underserved. That's a giant limitation to assume so early in the game. I strongly recommend against committing yourself to a narrow range of specialties before your 3rd year of medical school, let alone before you start college. Go be a Husker and be happy.

edit: I browsed the school's website a bit, and tuition and fees amount to $6684 per year for residents. In my opinion, the flexibility and freedom you'll gain from not participating in the rural health program you mentioned is well worth the ~$30k you'll incur during your time at the school of your choice.

 

[huskerdye]

Thanks for the advice guys, I'd like to add a little more information and see what you guys say from there.

Depakote, I agree with what your saying, however it's not a matter of what school I like more, I actually like them both almost equally and I can see now that from my original post it didn't seem that way. The thing I'm wondering is if it would be better for me to come from a bigger school with probably better professors, more research opportunities, etc... or if a smaller school where I can engage in more one on one learning, more kedavers, etc..

I will also be able to be involved in honors courses at the smaller school which will be even smaller classes.

Normally I'd be all about the money route, but I can't imagine that the University of Nebraska is terribly expensive for state residents. Also, I'm willing to bet (read: almost certain) that the rural health program thingy requires you to specialize in primary care and/or serve in an area the state deems underserved. That's a giant limitation to assume so early in the game. I strongly recommend against committing yourself to a narrow range of specialties before your 3rd year of medical school, let alone before you start college. Go be a Husker and be happy.

Milkman, your right it's really not that expensive to get money at University of Nebraska, with my gpa, extracurriculars, act score, etc.. I should be able to get if not a full ride scholarship, quite a bit of money..


Also I checked what you said about having to specialize in primary care, because based on my shadowing I didn't enjoy family practice so much.. I'm interested in Oncology/Hematology at the moment, but obviously with 8 years of schooling ahead of me, my speciality could easily change.. However, there is no necessary specialty you have to go into, you are expected to return to rural Nebraska to practice, but there is no obligation, although I will most likely return after there generous scholarship..

I just think it would be really awesome to know that a spot in med school is already there for you, and you dont have to worry about all that come third year in undergrad...

As I said though, I have visted the Chadron campus many times and have enjoyed it and I believe I will be happy there.. As I said though, I guess I'm concerned whether it will be more beneficial for my career to come from a smaller or larger school..

Thanks a lot guys and gals!

 

[MilkmanAl]

Going to a small, mostly unknown school will have a minimal impact, if any, on your chances to get into med school (which is what I assume you mean by "your career"). Going to Lincoln would probably give you access to more and better research opportunities, and it might have a slight effect on your chances of admission to regional schools if they have an unusually grueling pre-med program. Other than that, just pick where you'll be happiest. Guaranteed admission to med school is great and all, but it doesn't sound like you'll be terribly hard-pressed to get into Nebraska anyway. Going the traditional route will also let you try your hand at schools across the country, just in case you decide your state school isn't for you.

 

[ShaneK]

My personal opinion is that if you're able to get into a very selective program out of high school, you are probably driven enough to have what it takes to get into a 4 year program out of college. While the opportunity to have your undergrad paid for is excellent, you do need to go somewhere you'll be happy or it might be 4 very unpleasant years.

Personally, I would go to the school you've always wanted to go to and apply to traditional programs from there. No need to limit your options right out of the gate.

My point of view is the same as Depakote.

 

[Maygyver]

Go to the school that you feel you would fit in at best and enjoy the most. As a sidenote, Jefgreen is always thinking about money, so take it with a grain of salt. If you go to a free-ride school and you hate it, your grades will probably show it. Enjoy college!

 

[ToldYouSo]

go to the school that you feel you would fit in at best and enjoy the most. as a sidenote, jefgreen is always thinking about money, so take it with a grain of salt. If you go to a free-ride school and you hate it, your grades will probably show it. Enjoy college!

................................rofl!

 

[ACSurgeon]

Thanks for the advice guys, I'd like to add a little more information and see what you guys say from there.

Depakote, I agree with what your saying, however it's not a matter of what school I like more, I actually like them both almost equally and I can see now that from my original post it didn't seem that way. The thing I'm wondering is if it would be better for me to come from a bigger school with probably better professors, more research opportunities, etc... or if a smaller school where I can engage in more one on one learning, more kedavers, etc..

I will also be able to be involved in honors courses at the smaller school which will be even smaller classes.




Milkman, your right it's really not that expensive to get money at University of Nebraska, with my gpa, extracurriculars, act score, etc.. I should be able to get if not a full ride scholarship, quite a bit of money..


Also I checked what you said about having to specialize in primary care, because based on my shadowing I didn't enjoy family practice so much.. I'm interested in Oncology/Hematology at the moment, but obviously with 8 years of schooling ahead of me, my speciality could easily change.. However, there is no necessary specialty you have to go into, you are expected to return to rural Nebraska to practice, but there is no obligation, although I will most likely return after there generous scholarship..

I just think it would be really awesome to know that a spot in med school is already there for you, and you dont have to worry about all that come third year in undergrad...

As I said though, I have visted the Chadron campus many times and have enjoyed it and I believe I will be happy there.. As I said though, I guess I'm concerned whether it will be more beneficial for my career to come from a smaller or larger school..

Thanks a lot guys and gals!

You will have NO idea of how HUGE this point is until you're a junior that has to prep for the MCAT, prepare his/her application and potentially worry about your GPA because it's not as high as it should be.

If that matter is just "I've always wanted to go to school X, but I would still be happy at this FREE college that GUARANTEES a med school spot for me", then I say suck it up and go to the free and guaranteed route, otherwise you might regret it if you can't make it into med school.

However, if it is a "I think I'll be depressed and be one of those college kids that fails out of college because I didn't get to go to my preferred University" then I would say you should go down the traditional route and spare yourself the depression.

If it was me, I would go down the free and guaranteed route. Life is about how you perceive it. If you chose to go to the small college instead of the University of N, make sure you don't keep reminding yourself how much you wanted to go to U of N because that will be the start of the "I'm depressed and hate this school" path.

 

[GoodmanBrown]

If you're looking for one more opinion, I'd side with the folks who say take the scholarship.

1) You like both schools equally and think you could be happy at either one.
2) Smaller classes are almost always more enjoyable than bigger ones. More face-time with professors is nice too.
3) A guarantee of getting into a good medical school is pretty deal.
4) The money is really nice. Do you have to pay for med school? I guess that would be a deal changer for me as well. Med school is expensive.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[huskerdye]

If that matter is just "I've always wanted to go to school X, but I would still be happy at this FREE college that GUARANTEES a med school spot for me", then I say suck it up and go to the free and guaranteed route, otherwise you might regret it if you can't make it into med school.

However, if it is a "I think I'll be depressed and be one of those college kids that fails out of college because I didn't get to go to my preferred University" then I would say you should go down the traditional route and spare yourself the depression.

And that's the thing, I wont be dissapointed if I don't go to Lincoln, I think I'll enjoy each school just as much. I've visted several times and believe I will enjoy it very much

If you're looking for one more opinion, I'd side with the folks who say take the scholarship.

1) You like both schools equally and think you could be happy at either one.
2) Smaller classes are almost always more enjoyable than bigger ones. More face-time with professors is nice too.
3) A guarantee of getting into a good medical school is pretty deal.
4) The money is really nice. Do you have to pay for med school? I guess that would be a deal changer for me as well. Med school is expensive.

Just my 2 cents.

And no, unforteantly, it does not pay for med school, if it did there would be no question.

I guess the way I'm feeling right now is that I should commit to the program (deadline is coming up in February). I'm going to really feel like an idiot if I end up not getting accepted into medical school, and I honestly don't see myself being in any other profession besides medicine.. Also if I go into this program I will automatically surround myself with others who also have a dream of becoming a physician, because the program accepted three others along with two alternates, and they encourage everybody participating in the program to get to know eachother and become friends..

 

[xnfs93hy]

Go to the school that you feel you would fit in at best and enjoy the most. As a sidenote, Jefgreen is always thinking about money, so take it with a grain of salt. If you go to a free-ride school and you hate it, your grades will probably show it. Enjoy college!

🙄...*whatever*


That is money that you could put towards med school/grad school. I still say take the free ride, because, well, you are going to school for free and it makes things a lot easier on yourself/parents. If you choose to go to the school you want, fine, whatever. This is a pointless question that you can pretty much answer yourself. If I go here, it is free, but I'd rather go here, but I would have to pay full tuition but my grades MIGHT be a bit higher here as opposed to here because I am in a happy environment at a school I like. It is a trade off.

 

[huskerdye]

🙄...*whatever*


That is money that you could put towards med school/grad school. I still say take the free ride, because, well, you are going to school for free and it makes things a lot easier on yourself/parents. If you choose to go to the school you want, fine, whatever. This is a pointless question that you can pretty much answer yourself. If I go here, it is free, but I'd rather go here, but I would have to pay full tuition but my grades MIGHT be a bit higher here as opposed to here because I am in a happy environment at a school I like. It is a trade off.

I'm not really talking about where I'll be more happy at, I'm wondering how much of a difference, or if it will make a difference when I get to medical school. Obviously I want to be prepared when I get there, undergrad can only get me so far..

 

[smq123]

I'm a high school senior in a small town in Nebraska. I'm planning on going into the medical profession and was recently accepted into a pretty hard program to get into called the Rural Health Opportunitys Program (RHOP). Now this program pays for all my schooling at a small state college in Nebraska called Chadron State College. This program will also GUARANTEE me a spot in medical school at the University of Nebraska Medical Center after my four years of undergrad (so long as i obtain a 3.5 gpa and what not, something I believe to be a somewhat easy task for me). The school has four kedavers(sp*) and has a pretty decent health program.

I would agree with Depakote.

You are locking yourself in WAY too early.

As a high schooler who was "convinced" that I wanted to do medicine, I really regretted that when I started college.

There are a lot of other appealing careers out there, but the pre-med train can sometimes have so much momentum that it is nearly impossible to stop. A lot of people wail, "I can't see myself as anything besides a doctor!". That's not true - they just never DID see themselves as anything besides a doctor, and don't know how to start now.

Locking yourself in as an 18 year old is really risky. You may decide that you hate medicine, and want to do something else.

Also I checked what you said about having to specialize in primary care, because based on my shadowing I didn't enjoy family practice so much.. I'm interested in Oncology/Hematology at the moment, but obviously with 8 years of schooling ahead of me, my speciality could easily change.. However, there is no necessary specialty you have to go into, you are expected to return to rural Nebraska to practice, but there is no obligation, although I will most likely return after there generous scholarship..

I would REALLY ADVISE YOU to NOT take this scholarship. Mostly because, based on what you've written, you HAVE NOT looked into this scholarship carefully!!!!

If you read the brochure, it clearly states that people who are in the medicine track of this program must pursue Family Med, Internal Med, Peds, Psych, OB/gyn, or general surgery. What if you like emergency medicine? Tough luck. What if you fall in love with orthopedic surgery or neurology? Too bad - the state owns your decision now.

Furthermore, because the brochure says that, I am suspicious that, if you participate in this program, you will NOT BE ALLOWED to specialize in hematology/oncology. Heme/onc guys are almost exclusively found in big cities, where they have access to chemotherapy centers, radiation oncologists, and surgical oncologists. They RARELY, if EVER, practice in rural communities.

Your ignorance of the basic rules/regulations of this scholarship is extremely disconcerting. I know that's harsh, but when you don't know even one of the basic stipulations of this scholarship, that raises HUGE red flags in my head.

PLEASE - ASK THE PEOPLE GIVING OUT THIS SCHOLARSHIP MORE QUESTIONS BEFORE YOU ACCEPT THIS SCHOLARSHIP.

You will have NO idea of how HUGE this point is until you're a junior that has to prep for the MCAT, prepare his/her application and potentially worry about your GPA because it's not as high as it should be.

That may be true, but there are MANY other things to consider.

🙄...*whatever*

Dude, your patronizing and condescending response is quite hypocritical. YOU created this reputation for yourself of being the guy in hSDN who always posted post after post after post after post about money and salaries. Don't get snippy with people who just call things like they see them.

 

[smq123]

Actually, re-reading the brochure, I am almost certain that you will not be allowed to specialize in heme/onc. The brochure specifies GENERAL internal medicine, which basically means that you won't be allowed to specialize.

I hope that the scholarship packet had more info about the rules and regulations. There are things that you honestly need to know before getting yourself locked into this scholarship. How do THEY define "rural"? How do they pick where you are going to practice - do YOU get to pick from a pre-set list of "rural" communities, or are they going to randomly put you somewhere? And how long do you have to practice? How many hours per week do you have to practice? Do you have to see a specific # of patients per week? Do you have to complete your residency IN Nebraska, or can you go anywhere for residency (provided that you come back when you're an attending)?

They don't offer a lot of info. I don't know if that's because they assume that high school students don't understand/don't care about this kind of stuff (which is kind of an irritating assumption on their part 🙄), or they're anxious to hide it.

 

[BlondeDocteur]

I think you sound like a well-balanced person.

You're from a small rural Nebraskan town and have the option to attend a state college in a town of 5000 in the rural northwest of the state, or the flagship public university in one of its bigger cities (metro pop 300,000). I think, for many reasons, your experience in Lincoln would be better. From an educational standpoint, you would be at a major research university with the concomitant research opportunities, seminars, active professors, internships, campus events and the like. From a social perspective, you would learn how to live and operate in a diverse city, meet people from not just NW Nebraska and its surrounds but from literally all over the world, and of course enjoy some good football. 🙂

If you have the drive and dedication to be given a guaranteed med school spot at 17, you most likely will still have it down the line-- assuming you still want it. That is a big assumption, since the horizon-broadening opportunities I mentioned above might well steer you down different paths.

 

[huskerdye]

Actually, re-reading the brochure, I am almost certain that you will not be allowed to specialize in heme/onc. The brochure specifies GENERAL internal medicine, which basically means that you won't be allowed to specialize.

I hope that the scholarship packet had more info about the rules and regulations. There are things that you honestly need to know before getting yourself locked into this scholarship. How do THEY define "rural"? How do they pick where you are going to practice - do YOU get to pick from a pre-set list of "rural" communities, or are they going to randomly put you somewhere? And how long do you have to practice? How many hours per week do you have to practice? Do you have to see a specific # of patients per week? Do you have to complete your residency IN Nebraska, or can you go anywhere for residency (provided that you come back when you're an attending)?

They don't offer a lot of info. I don't know if that's because they assume that high school students don't understand/don't care about this kind of stuff (which is kind of an irritating assumption on their part 🙄), or they're anxious to hide it.

I appreciate your concern smq, but would like to say a few things..

For one, there is no written contract saying you MUST return back to rural Nebraska, it is greatly expected of you, but only about 70% of participants in this program return back to rural Nebraska.

RHOP is a cooperative program between Chadron State College and the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC). Students admitted into this program must be from rural Nebraska. The The purpose of the program is to recruit and educate students from rural Nebraska who will return to practice in the rural areas of the state. This program represents a commitment and dedication to the education of Nebraskans and quality health care for the citizens of the state. Upon selection into the program, students are automatically pre-admitted into their specific program at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Students are strongly encouraged and expected to return to the rural areas of Nebraska to practice.


-Taken directly from the program's homepage


Also, I consider myself to be pretty informed on the rules of this program, however I agree that I may have not asked enough questions about any specifiactions on what you must specialize in..

How can they stop you from specializing in whatever you want to after you graduate med school?? Your residency doesn't have anything to do with the state does it?

Also, just to say, our hospital does have two Oncologists, I have studied one of the two, that is really beside the point, but just wanted to clear that up..

Rural health in Nebraska means everywhere except Lincoln and Omaha.



I hope you don't think I'm trying to argue with you smq.. I really appreciate your help, I just want to make the right decision..

 

[smq123]

How can they stop you from specializing in whatever you want to after you graduate med school?? Your residency doesn't have anything to do with the state does it?

Oooohhh....they can.

I help out on the NHSC/PHS board farther down on the list of forums on SDN. I am an NHSC scholar, which is a scholarship that is awarded to med students who promise to serve in underserved (Rural or Urban) communities.

IF I specialize in something other than FM, IM, peds, psych, or OB/gyn, I will owe the government THREE TIMES what they paid me for tuition/living expenses. And I will have three years to pay them back! It's been a while since I read the fine print in my contract, but I think it mentioned something about unleashing the wrath and the fury of the Department of Justice on my delinquent butt if I don't pay.

AND IF I go for a fellowship after residency, I will also owe them three times what they paid me. And again, I will have three years to pay them back.

As for residency - since they're basically expecting you to serve in a rural community, it's not outside the realm of possibilities that they would require that you complete a residency that is also located in a rural community. Since they're also expecting you to come back to Nebraska, it doesn't seem THAT crazy to think that they would make you stay in Nebraska for residency. People tend to practice where they did residency...they may not want to risk losing you to another region of the country/another state.

Any scholarship program that offers you a lot of "perks" (i.e. tuition and a guaranteed spot in med school) also tend to demand a lot of things. Otherwise, they're gambling an awful lot on you. That's why I find it so incredibly difficult to believe that there aren't more stringent requirements to lock you in.

Read the fine print of your contract, if there is one. Ask a lot of questions - feel free to PM me if you want to know what kinds of questions you should be asking. But don't just go off the website. Yeah, guaranteed admission into med school is a pretty shiny thing that they're dangling to lure students in, but the chances aren't THAT slim that you'd be unable to get into med school on your own power anyhow.

 

[smq123]

Also, just to say, our hospital does have two Oncologists, I have studied one of the two, that is really beside the point, but just wanted to clear that up...

That's my fault - I wasn't clear.

Some primary care/rural scholarships require that you do a certain amount of time per week in the OUTPATIENT setting. Heme/onc is a predominantly inpatient specialty.

 

[ToldYouSo]

I appreciate your concern smq, but would like to say a few things..

For one, there is no written contract saying you MUST return back to rural Nebraska, it is greatly expected of you, but only about 70% of participants in this program return back to rural Nebraska.

RHOP is a cooperative program between Chadron State College and the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC). Students admitted into this program must be from rural Nebraska. The The purpose of the program is to recruit and educate students from rural Nebraska who will return to practice in the rural areas of the state. This program represents a commitment and dedication to the education of Nebraskans and quality health care for the citizens of the state. Upon selection into the program, students are automatically pre-admitted into their specific program at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Students are strongly encouraged and expected to return to the rural areas of Nebraska to practice.


-Taken directly from the program's homepage


Also, I consider myself to be pretty informed on the rules of this program, however I agree that I may have not asked enough questions about any specifiactions on what you must specialize in..

How can they stop you from specializing in whatever you want to after you graduate med school?? Your residency doesn't have anything to do with the state does it?

Also, just to say, our hospital does have two Oncologists, I have studied one of the two, that is really beside the point, but just wanted to clear that up..

Rural health in Nebraska means everywhere except Lincoln and Omaha.



I hope you don't think I'm trying to argue with you smq.. I really appreciate your help, I just want to make the right decision..

You sound bright and the fact that you got admitted to such a program means you can probably get into med school at a different time. If you can get a free ride without committing to the program then I would do that, especially if you would be forced to do family practice later on. Guaranteed admission to med school is HUGE, but I wouldn't do it if it meant I couldn't be sure I would be practicing in a specialty I absolutely love.

 

[ToldYouSo]

🙄...*whatever*


That is money that you could put towards med school/grad school. I still say take the free ride, because, well, you are going to school for free and it makes things a lot easier on yourself/parents. If you choose to go to the school you want, fine, whatever. This is a pointless question that you can pretty much answer yourself. If I go here, it is free, but I'd rather go here, but I would have to pay full tuition but my grades MIGHT be a bit higher here as opposed to here because I am in a happy environment at a school I like. It is a trade off.

Jeff how did you get that NCPA icon on your profile?!?! Im just curious, and btw you love $$$$$$$ Don't deny it XD

 

[xnfs93hy]

University of Nebraska-Lincoln is a very good school so if you are that concerned about med school, go there then, it isn't expensive and you would probably have a better time there than at that other place. It is probably the best uni in Nebraska. If you can afford it, fantastic, go there then.

All I'm saying is that you are being offered a free ride and an acceptance into a med school if you keep your grades up. Realize what you are turning down here.

I my intention was not to offend the OP. I think it is a little ridiculous that you guys are getting snippy at ME. I PERSONALLY, would not turn down a free ride, especially one with a medical school acceptance attached.

 

[MilkmanAl]

All I'm saying is that you are being offered a free ride and an acceptance into a med school if you keep your grades up. Realize what you are turning down here.

Jeff makes a good point but not in the way he'd intended. Like smq said, it's absolutely imperative that you understand the terms of this scholarship, and I second the sentiment that your ignorance of its primary care requirements is exceptionally unnerving. Again, I suggest against taking that scholarship. You'd close far too many doors for yourself by accepting it since it seems like you're cut out to get into med school with or without a guaranteed spot.

 

[xnfs93hy]

Wait. He would have to go into primary care? Ok ditch the free ride. I didn't read that part! I apologize. Al is right.

Sorry, I actually didn't understand what you meant in your original post.

Am I correct? He would have to go into primary care?

 

[smq123]

Am I correct? He would have to go into primary care?

That is the part that is very confusing, and unclear.

The brochure on the website (which I've attached) says, on page 4, that "Accepted medical fields are: family medicine, general internal medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics/gynecology, general surgery and psychiatry."

Now, what does that mean? The brochure doesn't say. It doesn't even say what (if anything) happens to you if you decide to specialize in urology or anesthesiology. It doesn't even say what happens if you decide, somewhere during college, that you don't want to be a doctor.

Maybe nothing happens to you. Maybe, if you don't go into one of those primary care specialties, the worst that happens is that they shake their heads disapprovingly at you. But I think that it is highly important that anyone participating in this program as a future physician know, exactly, what the rules and restrictions are.

 

[xnfs93hy]

That is the part that is very confusing, and unclear.

The brochure on the website (which I've attached) says, on page 4, that "Accepted medical fields are: family medicine, general internal medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics/gynecology, general surgery and psychiatry."

Now, what does that mean? The brochure doesn't say. It doesn't even say what (if anything) happens to you if you decide to specialize in urology or anesthesiology. It doesn't even say what happens if you decide, somewhere during college, that you don't want to be a doctor.

Maybe nothing happens to you. Maybe, if you don't go into one of those primary care specialties, the worst that happens is that they shake their heads disapprovingly at you. But I think that it is highly important that anyone participating in this program as a future physician know, exactly, what the rules and restrictions are.

Yeah, I'm confused. 😕

EDIT: I'd venture to say that nothing happens to you.

 

[smq123]

EDIT: I'd venture to say that nothing happens to you.

I would hope. But in something like this (your future career choices), "venturing" is not enough. You really need to know the ins and outs of what they're going to ask from you 8-10 years down the road.

I honestly don't know what the repercussions are. I just find it odd (to say the least) that a program is going to offer students that much (guaranteed admission AND a free ride through undergrad), and not expect anything in return. Programs that offer guaranteed admission don't offer anything else, and so they don't really expect much from you, except a promise that you'll tell them in a timely manner that you've decided not to pursue medicine or that you're going somewhere else. (It has to be a timely manner so they can fill that seat.) Programs that offer a free ride tend to expect some kind of service in return - the army scholarships are prime examples of this. There ARE merit-based full scholarships, but this doesn't seem like your typical example of one of those.

I don't know. 😕 But these are questions that anyone who participates in this program should know the answers to.

 

[xnfs93hy]

Agreed. I haven't searched around their website long enough to find anything that would say what the repercussions actually are. I guess the OP could shoot them an email if he wants to find out.

 

[Squiggy]

Take the offer. Even if you'll have to take a residency in primary care you can always tack on another residency.

 

[huskerdye]

After looking through my current contract it said nothing about speciality after med school.. I could call the dean of unmc but I'm not sure if they'll think that's a little suspicious

 

[smq123]

After looking through my current contract it said nothing about speciality after med school.. I could call the dean of unmc but I'm not sure if they'll think that's a little suspicious

Why is that suspicious? 😕 Would you buy a car without reading the contract first? And that's just a car. This is your future career.

And if the dean of the medical school doesn't want you asking vital questions like this, do you really want to attend that school??!!?

At the very least, have them resolve the contradiction between what they say on their website and what they say in their scholarship contract.

 

[smq123]

Take the offer. Even if you'll have to take a residency in primary care you can always tack on another residency.

😱

How can you suggest "tacking on another residency" like it's nothing?!

First off, if you have a service payback requirement, you would have to wait until your payback requirement is finished before applying for another residency.

Secondly, and you may not be aware of this - you have a limited amount of funding in your lifetime. All residency salaries, fundamentally, come from the ACGME and the government. They limit the number of years of salary that you can get. If you go back for another residency, you may be faced with the very real possibility that you will get paid less than poverty wages for your 2nd residency....maybe even nothing at all!

Finally, one residency is pretty tiring. A second one, when you're older? Ugh.

 

[Depakote]

Thanks smq,

I really didn't have the time last week to make the points I wanted to in this thread but you hit each and every one of them beautifully.

 

[ShaneK]

I could call the dean of unmc but I'm not sure if they'll think that's a little suspicious

This is a ridiculous statement. This decision has the potential to be life altering. You should definitely find out all you can be for accepting. If anything asking questions will show you have an interest in the program...

Either way Good Luck 🙂

 

[huskerdye]

This is a ridiculous statement. This decision has the potential to be life altering. You should definitely find out all you can be for accepting. If anything asking questions will show you have an interest in the program...

Either way Good Luck 🙂

Yeah, wow, can't believe that even came out of my mouth...


I called the Med Center and my "will be" advisor at the College and there is no requirement on what specialty you go into, however they encourage Primary Care... Isn't this true of basically any state medical school though?? Also there is no "contract-binding" requirement on whether or not I return to rural NE.. I knew there wasn't, but decided to ask again anyway..

Anything else I should check for sure??

 

[smq123]

I called the Med Center and my "will be" advisor at the College and there is no requirement on what specialty you go into, however they encourage Primary Care... Isn't this true of basically any state medical school though??

Not necessarily. Not all state schools encourage primary care - it depends where the state is located, what its affiliated hospital's strengths are, etc. (UC Berkeley and UCLA are technically "state schools"....but they definitely don't just focus on primary care! )

However, that would be great if there is no required specialty with this scholarship! 😀 😀 😀 That definitely takes some pressure away from accepting this scholarship, if you choose to take that route.

Also there is no "contract-binding" requirement on whether or not I return to rural NE.. I knew there wasn't, but decided to ask again anyway..

Anything else I should check for sure??

Any penalty if you decide not to pursue medical school? 4 years of college is a long time away, and you might change your mind - lots of people do.

What happens if you decide to attend medical school somewhere else? (For instance, if you got engaged/married while in college, and your SO ended up needing to move far away after graduation. Again, not an uncommon scenario.) Could you do that, or would it be nearly impossible to do so?

By the way, is there a minimum MCAT requirement with this program? Some guaranteed admission programs have those as well.

 

[huskerdye]

Not necessarily. Not all state schools encourage primary care - it depends where the state is located, what its affiliated hospital's strengths are, etc. (UC Berkeley and UCLA are technically "state schools"....but they definitely don't just focus on primary care! )

However, that would be great if there is no required specialty with this scholarship! 😀 😀 😀 That definitely takes some pressure away from accepting this scholarship, if you choose to take that route.



Any penalty if you decide not to pursue medical school? 4 years of college is a long time away, and you might change your mind - lots of people do.

What happens if you decide to attend medical school somewhere else? (For instance, if you got engaged/married while in college, and your SO ended up needing to move far away after graduation. Again, not an uncommon scenario.) Could you do that, or would it be nearly impossible to do so?

By the way, is there a minimum MCAT requirement with this program? Some guaranteed admission programs have those as well.

No penalty, there are 3 participants in the program and 3 alternates..

I would think that you would just drop out of the RHOP program and go to a different med school..

There is a mininum MCAT, it's a 24.. Which from what I've researched is a pretty reachable number.. You also have to mantain a 3.5 science gpa and 3.0 cum gpa..

 

[smq123]

I would think that you would just drop out of the RHOP program and go to a different med school..

There is a mininum MCAT, it's a 24.. Which from what I've researched is a pretty reachable number.. You also have to mantain a 3.5 science gpa and 3.0 cum gpa..

Hopefully. I was just asking because some guaranteed admission programs basically do not let you go to another med school unless you specifically petition for it. And they only allow it if you have a fairly compelling reason.

An MCAT of 24 is definitely an easily attainable score. The average score nowadays for US allopathic schools is 30 or 31. If you can achieve a 3.5 science GPA, you can get > 24 on the MCAT.