Some advice, please.

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aa6590

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Hello all at StudentDoctor, I'm a new member of the forums here.

I am currently a high school student from Southern California and am approaching my deadline to approve the colllege I wish to go to. As a prospective physician, I see the difficult path to becoming a doctor and must plan accordingly.

I'm sure you are all familiar with medical programs for high school students guaranteeing admission to medical school after some level of undergraduate studies. Well, I have been accepted to the Union College/Albany Medical College LIM program and am in quite a pickle. I also received interview for the Northwestern HPME program but, sadly, did not gain acceptance.

So now, I'm left with a very difficult choice: accept my admissions at medical school or take the traditional path. My situation is very different from what you may be expecting in that I am absolutely positive in my desire to begin a medical career - the question lies in whether or not this program should be my ticket.

Here's a little background about me, straight from a similar thread I made at collegeconfidential:

*****

here are my college stats:

GPA: 4.0 unweighted, all honors/ap/ib classes available, all A's
4.97 on our scale but that cant really be translated well
senior year courses (straight A’s first semester) :
spanish lang AP
TOK IB
chemistry AP
Statistics AP
history of the americas IB
psychology AP
english lit AP/english IB HL

SAT I : 700M, 790W, 760CR
SAT II: 770 Biology, 800 math 2, chemistry in dec (lookin at 800)

ELC student (i made the top 4% thing and have guarantees to the lower ones)

AP IB tests:

biology 5
us history 4
eng lang 5

math studies SL 6
physics SL 3

more about me:
national merit scholar semifinalist (prospective finalist)
ROP hospital occupations program for 2 years (360 hours total, 120 in hospital, internship in OR/Radiology)
dental office job shadowing
science olympiad VP
STEP (Society To End Poverty) Founder/Project Manager (top pos)
Interact VP
12 year piano player (most advanced student)
basketball 2 years (MVP)
NHS, CSF member (seal bearer-with distinction)
IB Diploma candidate


school does not rank.
most challenging coursework available

End Stats

This is the list of colleges and stuff I got into:

Accepted
Northwestern (rejected HPME) - biomedical engineering
Union/albany-8 year bs/mba/md prog
UC Berkeley - molecular biology
UCLA - biochemistry (gunna try to change to BME) honors, REGENTS!
USC - biomedical engineering (biochemical), premed with presidential scholarship.
UCSD - bioengineering, premed with regents (nothing from med program, #1 choice)
UCD - biomedical engineering, premed with regents
UCI - biomedical engineering, premed
UCR - bioengineering, premed with regents
UOP (university of the pacific, NOT upenn haha) dental prog, 5-year, w/presidential scholarship

waitlisted
Johns hopkins - biomedical engineering

REJECTED
CalTech - biology and med program
Stanford - biology
Princeton - biology
Harvard – biology

so, as you can see I got a tough decision to make. I’ve been accepted into a medical program. I also have the opportunity to study BME at UCSD as a designated pre-med (though its not ABET certified, it does have less rigor because its designated for premeds.
At the same time, ive been accepted to cal and northwestern (though I was rejected from the HPME program, after an interview).

But right now, im leaning towards UCLA w/regents cuz I like it there and I think regents is a great opportunity.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I know mi turning down some big opportuntieis in the med program, dental program, northwestern, and cal.

Also, if I do get the UCSD medical program (which is almost NO chance), I will 100% go. Lets just assume I don’t?
smile.gif


thanks in advance.

****

So, my main options are: UCLA w/Regents scholarship, UC Berkeley, UCSD (unlikely admissions to UCSD med program), Union/Albany LIM program, and Northwestern undergrad.

My question is: what should I do? My background and past accomplishments lead me to believe that I can gain admissions to medical school later on. My main concern is that Albany is far away from home, low-ranked (at botht he undergrad and medical school level), and will make it difficult to me to get a competitive residency (let alone coming back to California).

Still, I look at it one way. In my junior year of high school, these "direct med" programs seemed a shot in the dark - I never imagined I would have a chance. Now, after my hard work, I've gotten into medical school straight out of high school, albeit not at the institution of my choice.

I really like the UCLA campus and hope that being a Regents Scholar will provide an excellent opportunity.

What is your advice?

Thanks guys, this is a tough decision for me and it would mean a lot if you guys could give me some valuable advice.
 
Take the option that's most desirable to you. From what you wrote, I think that's UCLA's regents program. You may not have the med school admission now, but I doubt it'll be a problem for you. Just take things one step at a time.
 
i'm just a bit afraid that i may work hard again in college and not get into medical school (or one that isnt any better than albany) and wasting a bunch of time
 
Where's the money at? All the undergrads to picked are excellent. You really don't want to have your undergrad dictate where you pick to go to medical school because your debt is sky high (i.e. if you really like harvard and what not).
 
I agree with the debt comment. My opinion is to go where you'll thrive and is cheapest.
 
I would not choose not to go to the accelerated med program

I think you said you liked UCLA--- as long as they are giving you some decent money, I would go there. Its a fine school, with plenty of opportunities
 
money isnt a problem. im covered.

and...sorry to be a guy with high hopes...is it possible to get into med schools like UCSF UCLA UCSD or harvard or JHU...wat kinda gpa/mcat do i need

also, i was thinkin of majoring bioengineering. would this be a detriment to my GPA?
 
money isnt a problem. im covered.

and...sorry to be a guy with high hopes...is it possible to get into med schools like UCSF UCLA UCSD or harvard or JHU...wat kinda gpa/mcat do i need

also, i was thinkin of majoring bioengineering. would this be a detriment to my GPA?

Of course its possible, although definitely competitive. You need a decent GPA and MCAT, but more importantly, especially at the top schools, you need to have unique experiences that separate you from the pack of applicants who probably all have 4.0's and 39's

If you like bioengineering, then major in it. I personally think its a pretty interesting field...
 
money isnt a problem. im covered.

and...sorry to be a guy with high hopes...is it possible to get into med schools like UCSF UCLA UCSD or harvard or JHU...wat kinda gpa/mcat do i need

also, i was thinkin of majoring bioengineering. would this be a detriment to my GPA?

You seem to be a good student and I have no doubt that you will do well even if you go through the traditional roots.

You would a good gpa > 3.7 and an MCAT > 36 and supplemented with good ECs and shadowing etc.

Good luck!
 
Looking at your numbers... you shouldn't have a problem getting a good MCAT score (especially with that critical reading score)
 
If you put the effort in you will likely get in somewhere. You might want to see if that Albany med program is binding and go from there.
 
wat do you mean by binding.

on entering albany, u do not have to take the MCATs, but if you apply out, u will forfeit your spot in the medical school
 
also, i was thinkin of majoring bioengineering. would this be a detriment to my GPA?

In all likelihood? Yes. I was a Bioengineering Major (Regents' Scholar at UCSD, like one of your choices) and those classes kicked my butt.

If you like bioengineering, then major in it. I personally think its a pretty interesting field...

It helped that I loved the field. But man were those classes hard! 😱
 
The economy is going to crap and med school applications are skyrocketing. From your GPA it looks like you will be fine in the hyper-competitive environment that awaits when you apply, although by being traditional you give up a sure thing.
 
DO NOT DO accelerated programs. And if applying to other schools makes you lose your acceptance to Albany, that does sound like a binding program--basically, if you're not psyched about Albany, there's no advantage to going to Union. Go to the place you really want to go (it sounds like it's NOT Union) and I'm sure you will get into a med school that is comparable to Albany or quite likely even better down the line. Of course, when I was faced with a similar decision, that's what I decided to do, so I'm a little biased 😀
 
I agree: UCLA. You'll figure it out why as you go through the process... Bioengineering is the hardest major in the life sciences.
 
You are YOUNG. Keep as many options open as you can. You have no idea what you're going to be like and what you're going to want 4 years from now. What happens if you meet the love of your life who has to move home to Northern Iowa to take care of a family member and you want to stay together? Don't commit to anything so soon. Relax. You'll get there one step at a time, like everyone else.
 
You look like most high school students that end up getting into medical school. If it were me, I would take the traditional route. You will have an opportunity to determine 100% that this is what you want to do, you will have the opportunity to possibly pick and choose the medical school you want to attend, and also you will have the opportunity to go through the stress of the MCAT and the application process, like 99% of all other premeds.
 
is it important to consider that the program at albany offers 2 bachelors degrees, an MBA, and the MD..
 
Hey
While I was not in the exact situation you are in, we do have similar backgrounds so I'll give you some advice in retrospect.
A LONG time ago, I was an over achieving high school student in sunny so cal as well. Fortunately for me, I was accepted and attended Northwestern HPME and never regretted it.

I'll confess that I don't know much about albany and am not sure where their school ranks. In any case, you really just have to take good look at yourself and figure out what kind of person you are. Ask yourself a few questions:

1) Are you a risk taker?
- For me, I am not a risk taker. I was fortunate enough to get into one of the top combine programs in the country, but I would have gone to any combined program that took me over the traditional tract. I didn't like the uncertainties that college may have thrown at me and jeaparidized my future medicine career. Maybe you're an overachiever gunner who has the confidence to take it by the balls and do it... it's a gamble that might pay off with a top tier med school, but it could also have you end up in a worse med school or not in one at all

2) Are you committed to medicine?
- Many of you nay sayers out there make the mistake of assuming that if you say yes to the combined, then you're locked in. NOT TRUE. I know of many people who have dropped out and done other things with their life cuz they realized that medicine was not for them... without consequences. A combined program isn't a cult or anything..they don't yank your scholarships or up your tuition for leaving. Quite frankly, if you dont' want to do medicine, the med school doesn't want you. Your sacrifice would be maybe choosing to go to an undergrad that you would not have otherwise chosen if you did something else.

Lastly
I would advise you to not go to Northwestern on the traditional tract. Although it's a good school, it does have a few minuses for pre med (mind you, my info is about 8 years old). 1) Pre med there is TOUGH. It's a very "weed out" atmosphere when it comes to classes. 2) it's f'in cold there!! i was born and raised in so cal and was miserable as far as the weather was concerned. It's a different culture too. it takes some getting used to 3) it's mad expensive. Unless you get an interest free "pay back with hugs and kisses" mommy and daddy loan, i would argue you get just as good an education from UC Berkeley and UCLA.

It's easy for people who didn't get in or chose not to do it to say "Don't do the combined program! Keep your options open!" but let's face it, there is some bias there. They never went through it so they can't really give advice based on their experience. All they can do is say "i knew someone who did it and ..."
btw: I'm finishing up Gen surg residency and starting plastic surgery residency in a few months so I guess I turned out ok even though i went to a combined program.
 
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