Help! Low tier MD school versus Post Bacc Program?

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whitecoat1234

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I was accepted into a low tier MD program as an OOS applicant (after looking at their financial package, i'm looking at around 250k in debt) and was waitlisted in a middle tier MD program at home (looking at around 130k in debt).

I was recently told about a post-bacc program in the middle tier school that essentially guarantees an acceptance into their med school as long as you meet the requirements and pass the post bacc with a 3.7gpa. Am I crazy for considering the post bacc?? i'm worried that attending the low tier school will hurt my chances with residency (they have a pretty low first time match rate, graduation rate, and step 1 pass rate). Also, i'm drawn to the less debt/living at home situation, but worried that I'll be taking a risk by declining the acceptance.

Please please help!!
 
whitecoat1234 said:
I was accepted into a low tier MD program as an OOS applicant (after looking at their financial package, i'm looking at around 250k in debt) and was waitlisted in a middle tier MD program at home (looking at around 130k in debt).

I was recently told about a post-bacc program in the middle tier school that essentially guarantees an acceptance into their med school as long as you meet the requirements and pass the post bacc with a 3.7gpa. Am I crazy for considering the post bacc?? i'm worried that attending the low tier school will hurt my chances with residency (they have a pretty low first time match rate, graduation rate, and step 1 pass rate). Also, i'm drawn to the less debt/living at home situation, but worried that I'll be taking a risk by declining the acceptance.

Please please help!!
Click to expand...
Financially, it's probably somewhere between a poor decision to a neutral decision do the post bacc. You'll be an attending one year less (if two year post bacc, then definitely a mistake financially). As far as the low tier school, how low are those pass/match rates? Seems to be you'll have to bet on yourself either way: being good enough to secure a seat via post bacc (also, if "essentially guarantees" doesn't mean absolutely guaranteed if you pass the standards - don't do it) or good enough to pass step and secure a residency. Most residencies won't draw a huge line between mid tier and low tier, unless the low tier was really bad. I haven't heard of a school with legitimately low step pass rates, graduation rates, or match rates. So I'd advise to go to the OOS school you got an acceptance to, unless you show some truly terrible data about them.
 
have you asked the middle tier school 1) how they like reapplicants 2) how will they view you going into the postbacc if you already declined an MD acceptance?

The "guaranteed acceptance" seems good but you're assuming its with a clean slate (no reapplicant and no declined MD acceptance).
 
mw18 said:
Financially, it's probably somewhere between a poor decision to a neutral decision do the post bacc. You'll be an attending one year less (if two year post bacc, then definitely a mistake financially). As far as the low tier school, how low are those pass/match rates? Seems to be you'll have to bet on yourself either way: being good enough to secure a seat via post bacc (also, if "essentially guarantees" doesn't mean absolutely guaranteed if you pass the standards - don't do it) or good enough to pass step and secure a residency. Most residencies won't draw a huge line between mid tier and low tier, unless the low tier was really bad. I haven't heard of a school with legitimately low step pass rates, graduation rates, or match rates. So I'd advise to go to the OOS school you got an acceptance to, unless you show some truly terrible data about them.
Click to expand...


Thanks for your reply! i agree, i am betting on myself either way. and i would clarify and say "absolutely" guaranteed given i pass and meet their 3.7 gpa requirement. For some data, the other school has an 84% initial match rate (w/o soap) and 80% step-1 first attempt pass rate.
 
You won't get another acceptance if you turn down an MD acceptance. The schools next cycle will know you turned down an offer.

There is virtually zero benefit to going to a slightly "better" MD school, and the cost would be in excess of $400,000. That's one year of physician salary plus the total cost of the post-bacc.
 
whitecoat1234 said:
Thanks for your reply! i agree, i am betting on myself either way. and i would clarify and say "absolutely" guaranteed given i pass and meet their 3.7 gpa requirement. For some data, the other school has an 84% initial match rate (w/o soap) and 80% step-1 first attempt pass rate.
Click to expand...

There's a USMD school with an 84% match rate and 80% step 1 pass rate?
 
Is the 'low tier' school actually located in the lower 48? Is it new?
 
I know two people who declined their 1 MD acceptance one cycle and the next cycle got into another MD. However this is only an n =2 and is highly advised against. You should take your MD acceptance.
 
I don't know of any school that guarantees an acceptance to students who already took the pre-reqs who do well in the post-bac. What school is this? And you'd be extremely foolish to reject your acceptance to the school that actually wanted you, as you are.
 
DubbiDoctor said:
I don't know of any school that guarantees an acceptance to students who already took the pre-reqs who do well in the post-bac. What school is this? And you'd be extremely foolish to reject your acceptance to the school that actually wanted you, as you are.
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I think Ohio State has a post-bacc with guaranteed acceptance as long as you meet a certain gpa
 
Low-tiered DO admit versus another year for shot at mid-tier MD would be a reasonable bet in some contexts.

Rejecting a low-tiered MD admit for another shot is...not rational.
 
lordolah said:
I think Ohio State has a post-bacc with guaranteed acceptance as long as you meet a certain gpa
Click to expand...

I thought this was wrong, but it turned out to be right.

MEDPATH Program

But there's a catch:

"Be referred to the MEDPATH Program by the OSU College of Medicine Admissions Committee and complete the MEDPATH supplemental application provided via your status page by January 31."

So its not a traditional postbac.
 
whitecoat1234 said:
I was accepted into a low tier MD program as an OOS applicant (after looking at their financial package, i'm looking at around 250k in debt) and was waitlisted in a middle tier MD program at home (looking at around 130k in debt).

I was recently told about a post-bacc program in the middle tier school that essentially guarantees an acceptance into their med school as long as you meet the requirements and pass the post bacc with a 3.7gpa. Am I crazy for considering the post bacc?? i'm worried that attending the low tier school will hurt my chances with residency (they have a pretty low first time match rate, graduation rate, and step 1 pass rate). Also, i'm drawn to the less debt/living at home situation, but worried that I'll be taking a risk by declining the acceptance.

Please please help!!
Click to expand...
By all means...give up the seat to someone who really wants to be a doctor, because you don't.

What's is with these posts lately? Troll season?
 
whitecoat1234 said:
essentially guarantees an acceptance
Click to expand...

Why bro?

Is it a guarantee? Not 'essentially'. I mean an ironclad deal? No.

Move forward, your year of life is worth more than that.

Check out the FM attending in the DO forums netting $350k a year. If he takes a year out of his life he's lost 350k.

Only take years out of your life for the binary decisions, did I get in vs. was I rejected, can I do this specialty vs. do I have to give up my passion.
 
I have yet to find a school in the US that goes below a 90% pass rate on Step 1. OP are you sure it's a USMD? I am also curious to know which school that is.

Sent from my SM-G950U using SDN mobile
 
whitecoat1234 said:
Am I crazy for considering the post bacc?? i'm worried that attending the low tier school will hurt my chances with residency (they have a pretty low first time match rate, graduation rate, and step 1 pass rate).
Click to expand...
Click to expand...


BS. There aren’t any us med schools that have low first time match rates, grad rates and step 1 pass rates.

Name the school or it doesn’t exist.
 
You want to trade spots? Ill attend the Medical school for you and you can do my Post-Bacc..or Why don`t you move to Texas (Where med schools are more affordable), do the fresh-start program and re-do your whole Bachelors degree if you miss being a premed that much.

I hope you can sense my sarcasm here.

I do not understand why you would apply to the school if you do not wish to attend? You applied to the school for MD acceptance, you got accepted which was the purpose of applying to that school. So what is the problem? Why would you even give up an MD acceptance? Only apply to schools that you would actually attend!

Your going to be in debt no matter where you go unless you get scholarships or went somewhere more affordable. Most Medical schools cost money. What did you think? That it was going to be free?!
 
Do you want to be a physician? Then go on to the medical school that accepted you (given that it is a LCME accredited USMD school). Standards for LCME accred are high to ensure that you will have all the education and oppportunities you need to become a licensed US physician. Tiers are someone’s opinion, LCME accreditation is a fact. You have a bird in the hand which is worth way more than two in the bush.

If it were critical that you must be in your home location to go to med school and become a doctor then you would have applied only in your home location.
 
Gastrapathy said:
What USMD school has that low match and USMLE rates?

What percentage of the people who do the postbacc get a 3.7?
Click to expand...
I have a suspicion that any US MD school with such a poor match rate would get a visit from LCME in a heartbeat.

Form my own SMP's experience, I'd estimate that 10-20% of our class get 3.7+
 
Go with the "low tier MD school" and don't look back.
 
This brings up an interesting question. Obviously, OP is talking about a Caribbean school, so what would your advice be then? Drop a Caribbean and reapply, or take the Caribbean?
 
Anonymityismyname18 said:
This brings up an interesting question. Obviously, OP is talking about a Caribbean school, so what would your advice be then? Drop a Caribbean and reapply, or take the Caribbean?
Click to expand...
Drop the Caribbean and reapply depending on his stats and ECs. I believe one must have exhausted all his/her chances here in the US first before thinking about the Caribbean route.

Sent from my SM-G950U using SDN mobile
 
You can always get back into a Carib school. Only go Carib if you fail multiple times at getting into a US school and have good reason to think you'll be able to succeed.
 
lenspx said:
Drop the Caribbean and reapply depending on his stats and ECs. I believe one must have exhausted all his/her chances here in the US first before thinking about the Caribbean route.

Sent from my SM-G950U using SDN mobile
Click to expand...
How do we know for sure it's a carribean school? If it is they definitely should have specified ?
 
Skiiiiiing said:
I thought this was wrong, but it turned out to be right.

MEDPATH Program

But there's a catch:

"Be referred to the MEDPATH Program by the OSU College of Medicine Admissions Committee and complete the MEDPATH supplemental application provided via your status page by January 31."

So its not a traditional postbac.
Click to expand...
This is also meant for underrepresented minorities or for people that come from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds.
 
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