Need help deciding

[FreeRadicals]

Hello,
I need help deciding between a biology major at Hofstra University, a biology major at Stony Brook University, and the 7 year b.s. / d.o. at NYIT. Which do you guys prefer? (Note: Hofstra and SBU both have same costs (20k a year), whereas the 7 year program at NYIT cost around 35k a year.) Thanks!

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[DKMA]

Will you be getting parental/financial help for SBU or Hofstra? $80K (plus living expenses I assume) for undergrad is cray. You will likely have at least $400K in debt after med school (which will be ~480K with interest and then $520-550K by the time residency is over).

 

[akuko2]

What is the financial situation? IMO I think you can get a great pre-medical education at any university worth their salt if you are a diligent student; additionally the internet provides a ton of pre-medical advising, so a stronger pre-med advising department is no reason to spend thousands more for an undergraduate degree.

 

[FreeRadicals]

The prices I listed in the beginning are final costs - including everything (I received great scholarships + I am a new york resident, so no out-of-state fee's). So, besides costs, do you guys have any recommendations on what I should choose?

 

[DKMA]

The prices I listed in the beginning are final costs - including everything (I received great scholarships + I am a new york resident, so no out-of-state fee's). So, besides costs, do you guys have any recommendations on what I should choose?

I wouldn't recommend NYIT because we really don't know how things will be after the residency merger. But the price of MD is gonna be cray.

I would choose Hofstra over SBU if they cost the same since SBU is more competitive (I'm a Long Islander- met many premeds who were crushed by SBU). Kick a$$ in order to get MD scholarships or into a cheap med school. Good luck!

 

[FreeRadicals]

I wouldn't recommend NYIT because we really don't know how things will be after the residency merger. But the price of MD is gonna be cray.

I would choose Hofstra over SBU if they cost the same since SBU is more competitive (I'm a Long Islander- met many premeds who were crushed by SBU). Kick a$$ in order to get MD scholarships or into a cheap med school. Good luck!

I am honestly not too worried about the financial situation - more worried about what will be better for me: committing to the 7 year program or going the traditional route and possibly applying to M.D. and D.O. schools - I might have many better options then, or might not. The M.D. field is already overcrowded and the D.O. field will be as well (maybe even moreso) in the upcoming years, which will make it harder for SBU and Hofstra graduates to gain admission to these schools.

 

[DKMA]

I am honestly not too worried about the financial situation - more worried about what will be better for me: committing to the 7 year program or going the traditional route and possibly applying to M.D. and D.O. schools - I might have many better options then, or might not. The M.D. field is already overcrowded and the D.O. field will be as well (maybe even moreso) in the upcoming years, which will make it harder for SBU and Hofstra graduates to gain admission to these schools.

I would head over to the DO forum and get advice there.

There are over 1500 new DO seats opening in just the next couple of years. By 2020 all DO and MD residency programs need to be merged. That means many DO residencies will be closed and the specialty DO residencies will likely start taking MD candidates while MD programs will largely retain their stigma against DO students. We are rapidly approaching the point where there will be more med school graduates than there are residency spots. Having an American MD will give you a boost over other applicants.

Depending on how things go, it may be very hard to match a competitve specialty as a DO.

I, personally, would rather risk not getting into a MD program than go to a DO program and risk not being able to match in my specialty of choice.

It is also good to give yourself the chance to explore other careers just in case you do end up changing your mind

 

[FreeRadicals]

I would head over to the DO forum and get advice there.

There are over 1500 new DO seats opening in just the next couple of years. By 2020 all DO and MD residency programs need to be merged. That means many DO residencies will be closed and the specialty DO residencies will likely start taking MD candidates while MD programs will largely retain their stigma against DO students. We are rapidly approaching the point where there will be more med school graduates than there are residency spots. Having an American MD will give you a boost over other applicants.

Depending on how things go, it may be very hard to match a competitve specialty as a DO.

I, personally, would rather risk not getting into a MD program than go to a DO program and risk not being able to match in my specialty of choice.

It is also good to give yourself the chance to explore other careers just in case you do end up changing your mind

Thank you very much for this useful information - I need to do a bit more research regarding this merger and look into the details.

 

[WedgeDawg]

Moving to hSDN

 

[randomguy123456]

Hello,
I need help deciding between a biology major at Hofstra University, a biology major at Stony Brook University, and the 7 year b.s. / d.o. at NYIT. Which do you guys prefer? (Note: Hofstra and SBU both have same costs (20k a year), whereas the 7 year program at NYIT cost around 35k a year.) Thanks!

SBU then MD school. Easy. Good Luck. Cheers.