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 As 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. Ive 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 dont?
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.
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 As 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. Ive 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 dont?

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.