Graduating early?

[Pinkertinkle]

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Is it possible to finish medical school in 3 years? Someone tells me they did it, and I'm just trying to confirm whether its possible or not. Specifically Yale SOM.

Also, is there a cum laude summa cum laude system for medical school graduates, and what is the criteria for such. Or is it just AOA?

 

[Arista.MD]

Talk to your counseling service. They'll know if you can finish or not.

 

[mocheese]

Is it possible to finish medical school in 3 years? Someone tells me they did it, and I'm just trying to confirm whether its possible or not. Specifically Yale SOM.

Also, is there a cum laude summa cum laude system for medical school graduates, and what is the criteria for such. Or is it just AOA?

I know from experience that you CANNOT finish yale in 3 years. I know it totally sucks nards, but hang in there.

 

[Man In The Box]

In the past some schools experimented with 3 yr. and 5 yr. programs. I have no idea whether any schools still use the 3 yr. plan or not.

 

[doc05]

you can't finish med school in 3 years anymore. you may finish a few months early if you save up your vacation time.

what's the rush to finish early? there's barely enough time to choose a specialty in the time we do get.

 

[ddmo]

Maybe the graduated from Princeton's med school in 3 years.

 

[Blake]

Mcmaster's med school in Canada is only 3 years. I heard of a guy at my school who skipped 6 months of 2nd year because he was too brilliant and was way above the others.

He committed suicide last summer... 🙁

 

[erin682]

Some places allow exceptional students to do a combines BS and MD but the med school portion is still 4 years. The BS is the part thats shorter. I haven't heard of a US school that has a 3 year program. Honeslty I can't see how it would work well. You definately need 2 clinical years and while all of the first 2 years isn't super important to clinical years you do need it for the boards. I agree with what's been said before. Med school is harder than you realize. Just take it easy and enjoy the time as best you can.

 

[Pinkertinkle]

Haha, I'm not planning to graduate any earlier than usual. I only want to know if I'm being BSed or not about this Yale SOM student that's graduating in 3 years summa cum laude.

 

[erin682]

Haha, I'm not planning to graduate any earlier than usual. I only want to know if I'm being BSed or not about this Yale SOM student that's graduating in 3 years summa cum laude.

🙂 Sounds like it but no guarantees. I've never heard of med schools doing summa cum laude either. Maybe some do, mine doesn't. I think you have likely encountered a gunner or wanna be gunner whose purpose in life is to make everyone else feel like a dumba$$.

 

[doc05]

actually many med schools do summa cum laude, etc.

 

[tigershark]

My school gives summa cum laude ect based on an "honors project" that is similar to a masters thesis, they determine the different levels of honors by the quality of your research and the impact of the journals you publish in. Not many people in my class are aware it even exists.

 

[dankev]

I think my school (NYMC) still has a program that combines 4th year of med school with 1st year of internal med residency. It's not truly med school in 3 years, but it does cut a year off.

 

[fuzzyerin]

I think my school (NYMC) still has a program that combines 4th year of med school with 1st year of internal med residency. It's not truly med school in 3 years, but it does cut a year off.

Nope, that program at NYMC ended about 3 years ago.

 

[calcrew14]

Maybe the graduated from Princeton's med school in 3 years.

I beg to differ, dude, but I bet my castle on it that it takes everyone forever to graduate from Princeton School of Medicine. 😀

 

[carrigallen]

Nope, that program at NYMC ended about 3 years ago.

I agree. I remember interviewing there and someone asked about it. I think it was a 4+2 program for general internal medicine. The fourth year was intended to be like an internship.

 

[care bear]

i believe many if not most places you can finish in 3.5 years if you get some electives in early.

the reason most people don't do this, to my knowledge, is b/c it actually puts you at a disadvantage for the match. . .if you've already graduated from med school, you are considered 'lower' than current 4th year students.

what i plan to do is have all my coursework finished my december of my 4th year, and then take a 'leave of absence' (i.e. no medical stuff, don't pay tuition, etc) but actually graduate technically in may. i'd probably do research for pay or something along those lines for the months off.

 

[bl2seq]

Students who got a PhD before entering med school will be able to graduate in 3 years at Duke Med School, as they can skip the research year (3rd year). I know a couple people who did it.

 

[Fantasy Sports]

In addition to Duke, I hear at Penn and Baylor they have about 10 months off if they schedule it properly. So if you save all that time (and not kill yourself) and keep it as a lumpsum, its 2-3 months of work your 4th year. Then sleeping to your heart's content for the rest of the months. But you still have to graduate with your class.