Meh I turned down bs/md at Albany 4 years ago and it turned out for the better. Currently sitting on a handful of acceptances at better programs and waiting for a few more. So maybe it's not clear cut when you've actually been in the position. The retention rate at that program is like 50%. I wonder why?
I don't really put much importance on where I live.
But you're not tied to it...that's the whole point. It's a 100% shot at med school plus pretty much the same chance you had before.
But...he's not tied. There are literally no consequences to them continuing to apply to medical school just like they would if they didn't do the BS/MD program. So it's: do undergrad in 3yrs with good financial aid, normal chances of getting into a great medical school, 100% chance of going to medical school, period.
Actually retention rate is closer to 80-90%. A majority of my cohorts did top residencies in their respective fields. At the end of the day just depends on the person, goals, interests. You can't go wrong - I respect everyone's path. I did residency with people who came from both backgrounds and I couldn't tell the difference from an academic standpoint or personal standpoint. Yes huge downsides to living in latitude 30 but advantages to being at the very least 1-2 years younger than co-residents. Also there are combined programs at much better locations than Albany so if you can get in then even better!
Who cares about 'tied to undergrad'? Everyone here is treating it like a stepping stone on the path to the MD education OP wants, and that seems reasonable. They'd be just as tied to Penn if they went there...the point is that all OP is really choosing between is undergrads, because he's not committed to Albany med school afterwards. He's just guaranteed a spot there if he wants it.
Was confused b/t Albany and Rochester...
Reality is that 17 is not that young. Pretty much everywhere else in the world that is the age when you choose a general field/career. Also the purpose of the combined program is that you don't have to do worry about premed classes and can take all kinds of fun non medical courses. For me the entire purpose was to study everything other than medicine while maintaining the ultimate career plan of medicine. It's funny to hear people say oh sucks to be in Albany but several of the traditional route students came from prestigious undergrads to Albany. I think it also depends which program and which traditional undergrad you're choosing between. If it's Harvard undergrad I wouldn't do a bs md program. If it's Dartmouth or cmu I really don't see value in those schools...
You're likely not much older than me. This is one of those places where people tend to misread my lack of attachment to homes or cities or towns or a set group of friends as an age thing, when really it's more of a "never lived in the same place for more than 4-5yrs in my entire life" thing. My parents never have and never will own a home, at least not one they intend to live in year-round themselves. I don't know that I won't end up deciding similarly; I know I don't intend to even consider settling in one place until at least one job past residency. For me, cities and states come and go, and really the biggest difference between any two of them is the weather (or, arguably, the traffic patterns). I make wonderful friends, but I always know I'll say goodbye eventually and have to start over.
