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anybody heard of earning an md in 3 years?
md in 3 years?!
- Thread starter TweetiePie
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There's a school in Canada, the University of Calgary that's a three year MD program. You don't get any summers off though... They used to take a bunch of Americans each year but I don't think they do anymore.
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Some schools, for instance at my undergrad, you can do a 6 year BA/MD option. You take your first year of med school during your junior and senior year of undergrad along with other undergrad courses.
K
kafshar
At Ohio State.... you can do the first 2 years in one year if you do the Independent Study Track and study your a$$ off and take all the necessary tests. I think 6 people out of about 1000 have done it (but obviously not all 1000 on the Independent Study Track have tried).
Also... I think at Duke.... you learn two years in the first year.... and then year 2 do research. I think Univ of North Carolina allows people who do not want to do the research to do their clinical years at their hospital and save a year.
I am 100% sure about the Ohio State but not 100% sure about the Duke/UNC.
Also... I think at Duke.... you learn two years in the first year.... and then year 2 do research. I think Univ of North Carolina allows people who do not want to do the research to do their clinical years at their hospital and save a year.
I am 100% sure about the Ohio State but not 100% sure about the Duke/UNC.
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I honestly don't see why anyone would want to rush through med school in 3 yrs. If anything, several opt for a 5 yr track so they can do significant research and/or pursue outside interests. Med school is outrageously accelerated already; and it will be insane to speed things up even more. BTW at Duke, despite finishing 2 yrs work in the 1st yr, it still takes at least 4 years to graduate. This is due to having 3rd year off to do independent research or get a 2nd degree.
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If you have phd in a related field (biochem, microbio, or even organic chem), you can graduate from Duke in three years because you can petition to get your 3rd year research counted by your phd thesis. But that would not apply to MOST of you out there.
MacMaster and U of Calgary in Canada have 3-year MD degree but, yes, you might just have 1 month off every year.
MacMaster and U of Calgary in Canada have 3-year MD degree but, yes, you might just have 1 month off every year.
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The Duke program takes 4 years. The 3rd year is reserved for independent study in which you have to present results. You either write a research report, get published or get a 2nd degree.
Basically it's an easy way to earn a dual degree in 4 years. You can't choose to skip that year and go straight into your 4th year. They don't let you get away that easily.
Basically it's an easy way to earn a dual degree in 4 years. You can't choose to skip that year and go straight into your 4th year. They don't let you get away that easily.
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Another med school in canada, McMaster, also offers a 3 yr MD. Their program is very unique though. There are no lectures and no exams. All learning and evaluation is done through problem based learning (PBL) of which I'm sure you've all heard of. The graduates out of there are supposedly useless in the wards for the first couple of months, but after that they're able to perform just as well as the graduates from other schools. Another thing unique about Mac, is that the class is 2/3 females <img border="0" title="" alt="[Eek!]" src="eek.gif" /> . Apparently, females fit the personality type Mac looks for in its students. Also, the minimum GPA at Mac is ridiculously low (3.0) compared to other med schools in Ontario (3.6+), so they use ec's in their evaluation a lot more than other schools. Hope this helps.
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•••quote:•••Originally posted by bad_hombre:
• Also, the minimum GPA at Mac is ridiculously low (3.0) compared to other med schools in Ontario (3.6+), so they use ec's in their evaluation a lot more than other schools. Hope this helps.•••••That's funny because 3.0 is their "official" GPA cutoff. The average GPA of those accepted is about 3.7 or higher. This is because your essay and GPA are each ranked on a percentile scale. The best 400 are chosen. Now, there are 3000-4000 people applying. If you have 3.0, you'll be in the 1st percentile for GPA. Even if you are in the 100th percentile for the essay, there's no way you're going to get an interveiw because you won't be among the best 400.
• Also, the minimum GPA at Mac is ridiculously low (3.0) compared to other med schools in Ontario (3.6+), so they use ec's in their evaluation a lot more than other schools. Hope this helps.•••••That's funny because 3.0 is their "official" GPA cutoff. The average GPA of those accepted is about 3.7 or higher. This is because your essay and GPA are each ranked on a percentile scale. The best 400 are chosen. Now, there are 3000-4000 people applying. If you have 3.0, you'll be in the 1st percentile for GPA. Even if you are in the 100th percentile for the essay, there's no way you're going to get an interveiw because you won't be among the best 400.
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What kind of crappy med school graduates MDs in 3 years? How do you break that down, 2 years basic science and 1 year clinical (dear god that sounds terrible). 1 year basic science and 2 years clinical might be OK, but it still seems quite rushed (esp since you wont be getting any research experience or what not).
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Word. 2 years undergrad and 4 years med.... but they do clinical rotations earlier on and lots of exposure.
crazy
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Under the UK system (Which I think Canada, India, and Australia follow), you don't need a Bachelor's to goto Med School. People enter med school right out of high school, and the degree is MBBS (Bachelor's of Medicine and Bachelor's of Surgery), a 6-year program.
Now remember that at least in the UK, you complete 13 years of school before University, versus in the US, it's 12 years for most people.
Now remember that at least in the UK, you complete 13 years of school before University, versus in the US, it's 12 years for most people.
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Duke's program (11mo basic sci year, 2 years in clinic, + 1yr research taken during year 3) can be compressed into 3 years for the MD degree iff you are holding an advanced (generally PhD) degree in a medically-related science (ie, one has a bio PhD and waives the 3rd year of research.) Even then, I don't think the school encourages this.
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Two thoughts:
Historically (before early 70's), there were some medical schools that had 3 year programs. They completed the entire curriculum of a 4 year school in 3 years. Sounds pretty difficult and that probably explains why it is no longer popular.
Also, if your objective is to spend less time in school, then some honors programs allow you to begin attending medical school earlier (as an undergrad) and therefore in effect your medical education is shorter than the typical four year approach.
Historically (before early 70's), there were some medical schools that had 3 year programs. They completed the entire curriculum of a 4 year school in 3 years. Sounds pretty difficult and that probably explains why it is no longer popular.
Also, if your objective is to spend less time in school, then some honors programs allow you to begin attending medical school earlier (as an undergrad) and therefore in effect your medical education is shorter than the typical four year approach.
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Virginia Commonwealth University has a Guaranteed med program that people get into straight out of high school. It takes 7 years to get your BA/MD. I know many of the GMEDs here at VCU and many of them end up taking 4 years at bachelors just cause they either 1) feel like it 2)didn't do well enough in there first 3 years.
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I'd hardly use the word "crappy" to describe Mac, especially considering the fact that Harvard's New Pathway program would not have developed without significant input from Mac.
It's very intensive, with few breaks, so the actual length of the program (in weeks) is about the same as anywhere else.
If you're lucky enough to get in, it works out very well for an Ontario student, especially if you get in after 3rd year. You save two years tuition and get on with your life 2 yrs earlier.
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McMaster has a great program, if you work well in a PBL environment. It's misleading to say 'its only 3 years' because McMaster students hardly get a summer, they pretty much work the full 3 years with hardly any breaks, so time wise its approximately 3 months shorter than other med school programs (if you factor into account the fact that they barely get vacations).
However, with all that said McMaster does not require the MCAT and accepts students from a wide variety of backgrounds, many non-trads too. It has the LOWEST board scores in Ontario among the other med schools, BUT does graduate good doctors.
I know a few people in the program, and they told me they are surprised to see so few people with 'solid' science backgrounds and that many struggle with the basic sciences.
Bottom line is although I applied for McMaster, it was NOT my first choice, actually I didn't want to go because I prefer the more traditional curriculum with exams and lectures. I think having exams and tests forces students who would not usually study independently to learn the material. In other words you CAN'T slack off, and the university can keep track of you and in my opinion this is MUCH more responsible than letting your students study completely independently and potentially NOT understand some important medical concept.
Overall, I don't like McMaster's curriculum and think they should incorporate at least some exams and 'formal' lectures. Don't get me wrong PBL is important BUT I think students should ALSO have lectures/exams.
However, they do graduate good doctors, but if you ask me would I rather have a doc from Univ of Toronto operating on me or one from McMaster, I would take the U of T doc in a heart beat.
Just my 2 cents
However, with all that said McMaster does not require the MCAT and accepts students from a wide variety of backgrounds, many non-trads too. It has the LOWEST board scores in Ontario among the other med schools, BUT does graduate good doctors.
I know a few people in the program, and they told me they are surprised to see so few people with 'solid' science backgrounds and that many struggle with the basic sciences.
Bottom line is although I applied for McMaster, it was NOT my first choice, actually I didn't want to go because I prefer the more traditional curriculum with exams and lectures. I think having exams and tests forces students who would not usually study independently to learn the material. In other words you CAN'T slack off, and the university can keep track of you and in my opinion this is MUCH more responsible than letting your students study completely independently and potentially NOT understand some important medical concept.
Overall, I don't like McMaster's curriculum and think they should incorporate at least some exams and 'formal' lectures. Don't get me wrong PBL is important BUT I think students should ALSO have lectures/exams.
However, they do graduate good doctors, but if you ask me would I rather have a doc from Univ of Toronto operating on me or one from McMaster, I would take the U of T doc in a heart beat.
Just my 2 cents
