Looking for advice: Best route to medical school

[RKom]

Hello all, I'm yet another high school senior debating about the best way to approach my future (and get to med school). At the moment it's come down to 2 accelerated BA/MD programs and 3 undergrad schools for the pre-med route, and I'm getting conflicting advice from friends and family. I've been intensely thinking for a while and decided that I might as well get some help from here, because you guys have actually been through the process and hopefully have some insight from what you've experienced.

As for the accelerated medical programs, they are the 6/7 year Penn State & Jefferson Medical College program as well as the 7 year Lehigh/Drexel program. (I heavily lean towards the PSU program because I liked Jefferson Med more than Drexel COM.) And just to let you guys know, I don't really care for the "accelerated" part; I'm not trying to shave away as many years as possible like other kids in these programs, I just want the "guaranteed" acceptance and a more relaxed college experience. Also, both programs require a 3.5 GPA and a 9+ on each section of the MCAT or a 30 overall to matriculate. Hence, they're not so "guaranteed", but would still be much less stressful than the traditional approach without the need for ECs.

I was basically set on PSU/Jefferson until I was accepted to and visited Duke, where I listened to their premed session. When I heard the premed advisors talking about the premed route and clinical/research opportunities, all of a sudden I felt like experiencing the real 4 year undergrad route, and maturing and growing as I actually looked further into medicine. I realized with the guaranteed acceptance programs, I would probably coast through my two/three years of college maintaining a GPA and then I would be off into med school and then residency and so on until the real world. I'm not particularly set on Duke for an undergrad (I just like its premed program), because I also have acceptances into Northwestern (great Chicago location for a college student) and USC (with a full tuition scholarship). I'm just very worried about how tough it will be to succeed in such competitive schools and get the necessary GPA.

Now I keep envisioning a normal college life where I can mature and actually explore medicine before heading into it, and if I do well, hopefully even apply to other med schools better than Jefferson. But then I feel like I'm risking too much, overestimating msyelf and underestimating the rigors of premed life, and I'm worried how much regret I'll have if I end up suffering through college or not making it to med school. So if you guys have any input, whether you think a med program out of high school is too early to be an informed decision, or if these programs are good because they eliminate the uncertainty and stress as a premed, or if you have any opinions at all, PLEASE help me out. Thanks.

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[diosa428]

I didn't apply to any accelerated programs, so I'm not sure how hard they are to get into, but my general impression is that they're fairly selective, and if you're smart enough to get into them (as well as Duke, Northwestern, and recieve a full scholarship to USC), then you are going to be smart enough to maintain a good GPA and do well on the MCAT. I would encourage you to explore the other undergrad schools that you got accepted to - they are good schools and will certainly not hinder your application.

 

[Green Pirate]

I would personally go with USC since they gave you the free ride. The two combined programs you got into are not really that attractive, mostly because they force you to take the MCAT anyway, which is probably the most stressful part of the premed experience. Also, those programs don't really give you an option to apply out to other programs, so that's no good (especially if you end up being dissatisfied with the location and/or other things)

 

[NPEMTIV]

I would personally go with USC since they gave you the free ride.

Agreed. In the end with a 3.5+ and 30 MCAT you'll be ok to get into any med school you want even without the "guaranteed" portion. Save your money for med. school as you're going to need it, and lots of it.

 

[foofish]

I didn't apply to any accelerated programs, so I'm not sure how hard they are to get into, but my general impression is that they're fairly selective, and if you're smart enough to get into them (as well as Duke, Northwestern, and recieve a full scholarship to USC), then you are going to be smart enough to maintain a good GPA and do well on the MCAT. I would encourage you to explore the other undergrad schools that you got accepted to - they are good schools and will certainly not hinder your application.

I definitely agree....it sounds like you would certainly be fine at any of those schools, and the GPA and MCAT requirements of those "guaranteed" programs are about the average of *accepted* med school applicants anyway. While I don't mean to knock Drexel or Jefferson, with a solid app from Duke, Northwestern, or USC you probably would have a great chance at some amazing med schools.

Also, college is amazing. The people you meet, the social life, the extracurricular opportunities, the array of classes and subjects...and even for a premed, it's not all slavery and misery. So personally, I'd go for the regular 4 year undergrad.

 

[Steve203]

best way to go to med school...a 4.0 and a 45 on the MCAT

 

[Law2Doc]

overestimating msyelf and underestimating the rigors of premed life,

If you cannot handle "the rigors of premed life", you are in for a world of hurt in med school. Better to go the normal route -- taking lots of interesting courses and actually deciding if you even want to be a doctor. Many people come to the realization that they don't in college. But assuming you do, if you take the prereqs and do well, and then perform solidly on the MCAT, you will be fine. Spend less time trying to lock in a certain future and use the present to actually explore what it is you want to do.

 

[brianmartin]

Hence, they're not so "guaranteed", but would still be much less stressful than the traditional approach without the need for ECs.

ECs are not something to be avoided! It sounds like you are trying to construct some sort of "safe" route to med school in which all you have to do is study and never grow up. Don't take the admissions process so literally...and don't limit yourself to 1 or 2 schools just because you think you can get a "guaranteed acceptance" from them. Admission to med school is based far more on intangible factors than you might think - things like what you've done, how you present yourself, how much you want to practice medicine, what experiences you've had...and so on.

From what you've said, it sounds like you will have no problem getting good grades and a solid MCAT score. Thus, the only reason to be afraid of the admissions game is that you feel like you won't have a well-rounded application, because perhaps right now you aren't very well-rounded yet? Don't worry, you are young. 4 years in undergrad is a long time and you'll have tons of opportunities to do whatever you like.

Now I keep envisioning a normal college life where I can mature and actually explore medicine before heading into it, and if I do well, hopefully even apply to other med schools better than Jefferson. But then I feel like I'm risking too much, overestimating msyelf and underestimating the rigors of premed life, and I'm worried how much regret I'll have if I end up suffering through college or not making it to med school.

You may be surprised to learn that whether you "suffer through college" and "don't make it to med school" is largely up to you. Nobody is going to tell you exactly what to do and when, and I'm thinking that's why you are asking for help. The best advice I can give you is that you don't have to worry. The "rigors" of pre-med life are not as rigorous as you think. Yea, the hard science classes are tough but not impossible. Volunteering, shadowing, and gaining clinical experience all sound like big, scary things but once you get there it is actually pretty cool, especially when you realize that everyone else around you is in the same boat - and nobody is really "sure" about their chosen course.

Sometimes we get down on ourselves for not being "ambitious enough" but when it comes down to it, I would not trade away any of my "college experience" just for a guaranteed acceptance to med school. All that partying, socializing (and occasionally screwing up royally) has taught me my limits, and who I am as a person. As a consequence, I am going into the med school admissions process with virtually no anxiety. I have absolutely no fear of the interview, or any new experience, because I know myself and what I can do.

Something I've learned over the past 2 years is, every person takes a unique path to med school. If you go into one of the fast track programs, you may lose out on other opportunities. Since you'll probably have no trouble getting the grades and MCAT, why not jump in and play the admissions game? Wherever you go for undergrad, there will be lots of support. Go to your pre-med advisor every term and keep your plan together. Other than that, relax and have fun (that's an order).

 

[MaiPenRai]

Go to the school you liked the best. Seriously. It will make for the best experience...and college should be an experience you enjoy! Of these, I would choose Duke (but that's just because I visited and really liked the campus atmosphere, etc). You know where you fit in. As for med school: it's not going to be a guarantee with any of the "regular" undergraduate programs, but you will also have access to an array of med school opportunities instead of being locked into one. I agree with previous posters -- if you're smart enough to get into medical school right out of high school, you'll be smart enough to get in after college! Good luck with your decision!!!

 

[michiganblue08]

I'm gonna tell you a little bit about my pre-med career. I didn't apply straight out of HS into one of those fancy accelerated programs, but now that getting into med school is so iffy, God do I wish I did. I didn't want to be pre-med in high school so I didn't apply to any of those programs and I really think I could've gotten into one of them. The journey to become a doctor is long, greuling and can take a lot out of you, but of course totally worth it . Why not shave a little bit of anxiety out of your life and go with Penn State (not to mention, time). If you can excel at any of those other schools you mentioned, (USC, Duke) you will rock the house at Penn State and have a lot of time to do fun things other college kids do ! You won't be totally missing out on the college experience either because you'll be there over the summer too, but don't let that frighten you either. Not to mention, if you decide medicine is not for you (all the people who I know who dropped pre-med were really not that interested in the first place and this wasn't a large percentage of people btw), you can drop out of the program at any time. Have faith in yourself that you can get that score on the MCAT, I'm sure you will. If you don't meet those requirements, it will be hard to get into medical school the normal way anyways. Best of luck.

 

[Flopotomist]

I think the irony on here is this HS kid has posted one of the most mature, insightful posts on SDN. To the OP, if you are concerned that you will be missing out on the college experience by taking this accelerated path, you are right, and that is a great insight.

It sounds like you are not 100% sure of yoru pre-med status right now. Good... If you haven't even STARTED undergrad, it is a time to explore other areas of interest (ask any college counselor the # of freshman that declare pre-med and the # that graduate with the same). Allowing yourself the opportunity to sample a number or subjects and see what you really like is the best plan.

The BIGGEST secret in the application process is ANY MAJOR can get you into medical school. SO.. study what you want. Do your best. If at the end of 4 years of undergrad you want to go to medical school, you still can.

Good luck.

 

[AnEyeLikeMars]

I was accepted to the Penn State/Jeff program 4 years ago but turned it down. PM me if you want to know about how I made the decision and my feelings now.

 

[caffeineaholic]

Unless you feel extremely strongly drawn to another school, I would go to USC. The full tuition will provide you with financial freedom that you'll come to appreciate once the med school debt starts accumulating. It may not sound that important now, but having 4 less years of school to pay off (whether through loans or through parents) will be a tremendously freeing when you need to start working to pay off everything.

I feel like financial freedom during undergrad would allow you to have the richest undergrad experience as well. If you work during the summer or school year, your earnings could be put towards traveling to amazing place instead of towards tuition. Or, you wouldn't even need to work at all (since you won't need tuition money) and could pursue meaningful unpaid opportunities (interning for a non-profit, etc). And, with regards to major, you won't have to feel constrained to pick something 'practical' since you won't be shelling out thousands of dollars for tuition. You can get into med schools with any major, so that won't be an issue.