Please Please Help - Not a GPA/MCAT Thread!!!!!!!-Really need some advice/perspective

[loca Dr. chica]

I would appreciate any advice anyone can give me about the following situation..sorry in advance for the long post...

School A called me today and offered me a position in their joint MD/MBA program. I am on School B's waitlist, but basically they had already told me that I will not hear anything about the alternate list until after June 15th: After this date in TX, if you already have a spot at a TX med school, you get automatically taken off all OTHER TX waitlists.

School A's MBA program starts this summer, after Memorial Day weekend. You take classes 2 summers and get your MD + MBA after 4 yrs. Although I have a business background, I really don't care all that much abt the MBA, although i know that it may give me more options in the future.

I should also mention that basically if i accept School A, then i lose any chance of getting into School B (which is nationally ranked in top 20 or so, and is rigorous, but good opportunity for residency since it's competitive, etc).

If i don't accept School A now, and just wait on School B (also it's in a big city, and I would prefer that to School A's small town), then I wait for School B and i heard from the admissions director himself that i have approx a 1/20 chance (after jun 15th).

oh at School A, i have to do the joint program because i'm not on the alternate list for the MD only program...personally i like School B better as a school itself, but dunno if it's worth the risk of having to reapply and spend all that money/time, etc.

So as shocked/happy? as I am that i'm actually in somewhere, i'm not looking forward to making this decision...cuz it really is a big gamble at this pt
Any advice would be GREATLY appreciated...

Do i take that chance and risk not getting in anywhere and having to reapply? or do i go w/ the safe choice and pick School A, cuz it's a guarantee?

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[gujuDoc]

If it were me, I would go with school A, unless they have ranked the waitlist and basically tell you that you are sooooo high on the list that you will get in as soon as movement starts. The reason why????

First off, there is no guarantee you will get off the waitlist unless you are at the top of it. Secondly, while a prestigous school is good, if you do well on the boards and do well in whatever med school you get into, you'll still get in a good residency. If you give up your chance though, and don't get off the waitlist, then you waste another year to reapply. So unless you really see yourself being unhappy at school A, I would go.

 

[runner1979]

a 1/20 chance is not something I would "let it ride" on. If you want to be a doctor, take your acceptance, make the best of it, and move forward.

 

[Crete]

Not to be a pessimist, but I don't think you have much of a choice. The good news is, you have to accept school A right now and have until June 15th to think about this. The bad news is, you have to decide whether you would go to school A or apply again, keeping in mind that unless you have substantial changes to your application (applying much earlier, letters, interviewing much better (assuming schools you apply to second time give interview), etc.), you may not have any better luck. All that said, you have to call the dean at school B and set up an appointment, explain the situation and YOUR UNDYING LOVE for that school and try to get some help. Good luck!

 

[EvoDevo]

a 1/20 chance is not something I would "let it ride" on. If you want to be a doctor, take your acceptance, make the best of it, and move forward.

Ditto.

To the OP: I'm very sorry that it's not the ideal situation for you. Perhaps you shouldn't have applied to the combined proggy in the first place. I know, I know, your mind may have changed since then. Such is life.

However, the crux of the matter is that you're IN. It may not have been the ideal situation but there you go. And I'm assuming that these are both TX schools......and you know how poorly TX waitlists move. Go with the sure thing.

Good luck.

 

[SteveUTexas]

If I was in your shoes I would choose Tech now over the possibilty of Southwestern later for several reasons. You mentioned that you would rather stay in Lubbock anyway. Also I doubt there is going to be much movement on Southwestern's wait list. When I matched there they said that they matched 329 people for a class of ~220, So that means that ~130 people would have had to decline UTSW's offer before anyone is going to come off of the waitlist. Your future is not worth this much of a gamble.

 

[2tall]

If I was in your shoes I would choose Tech now over the possibilty of Southwestern later for several reasons. You mentioned that you would rather stay in Lubbock anyway. Also I doubt there is going to be much movement on Southwestern's wait list. When I matched there they said that they matched 329 people for a class of ~220, So that means that ~130 people would have had to decline UTSW's offer before anyone is going to come off of the waitlist. Your future is not worth this much of a gamble.

lol...this was an A/B conversation.

 

[gujuDoc]

lol...this was an A/B conversation.

Yah but I'm sure that SteveUTexax probably knows that A and B are what they are being that he also has applied via the TDMAS.

Since UT Southwestern and Baylor are the only top 20 schools in Texas as it is, and Baylor is applied through via AMCAS not TDMAS, I'm willing to bet that school A and B are what he predicted them to be referring too.