SUNY Upstate (BS/MD) vs. VCU (BS/MD) vs. T20 Undergrad

[dbsmd2027]

Hey guys, I am high school senior was recently admitted to many T20 undergrads and also 2 BS/MD Programs (SUNY Upstate and Virignia Commonwealth Med). I have made a list of all the programs I am considering and needed some advice. I am pretty set on BS/MD but will include regular undergrad options as well.

Adelphi University + SUNY Upstate- 7 year program
Pros:

- No MCAT
- 7 year program
- 1.5 hours from home
- Adelphi is a private school with seminar style classes
- Close to NYC
- Will have a pretty light premed experience since they accepted my dual enrollment credit for Gen Chem I & II, Gen Bio I & II, Gen Physics I & II

Cons:
- Fairly new program
- Not as highly ranked as VCU (I don't know if this matters).
- Cohort of BS/MD kids will be 2-3 students and I don't know if I will find people as driven as I am during undergrad.
- Syracuse is cold
- Will not be able to make connections at Upstate early on since it is in Syracuse, but Long Island Jewish Hospital and NYU Winthrop are close to Adelphi University.
- Not as great research at Adelphi.

Virginia Commonwealth University + VCU SOM- 8 year program

Pros:
- Established and reputed program
- 5 min from med school so ample opportunities to do research and get published while also making connections with faculty early on which might prove beneficial once in med school
- Loved the honors college and the comradery among BS/MD students.
- Great Med School
- Cohort of 15 driven students
- Great Dorms- single rooms for all honors college students with private bathrooms
- Honors college is well set up
- Better weather

Cons:
- 8 year program- but I can graduate in three years and then do something else for the 4th year
- 508 MCAT
- More required science courses
- 5 hours away from home

Undergrad Schools:
USC- Keck School of Medicine Global Health Undergrad Program
University of Michigan- Did research with the global leader in prostate cancer. Will do research here for all of undergrad if I go. Will graduate in three years since I can transfer 64 credits from dual enrollment.
University of NC Chapel Hill- Will graduate in three years since I can transfer 64 credits from dual enrollment.

Again, I am leading towards BS/MD program. I am very very confused since I loved both...needed some advice on how to go about things.

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[deleted859689]

I’m here in VA. VCU has a lot of opportunities available and is always expanding. Not my undergrad, but went for PhD chem. Even coming from a T20, admission isn’t a guarantee. You have it if you meet the pre-requisites of the BS/MD program. Based on your pros and cons I would have to go VCU since it’s more established and you like the lifestyle current students have. A 508 MCAT is very doable, just do yourself a favor and LEARN the material in class, not just for a grade. It will help for the MCAT. You should put up a poll. I vote VCU BS/MD

 

[dbsmd2027]

I’m here in VA. VCU has a lot of opportunities available and is always expanding. Not my undergrad, but went for PhD chem. Even coming from a T20, admission isn’t a guarantee. You have it if you meet the pre-requisites of the BS/MD program. Based on your pros and cons I would have to go VCU since it’s more established and you like the lifestyle current students have. A 508 MCAT is very doable, just do yourself a favor and LEARN the material in class, not just for a grade. It will help for the MCAT. You should put up a poll. I vote VCU BS/MD

Thanks for your response. Between Upstate and VCU which one would you say? Upstate is a 7 year while VCU is 8...

 

[deleted859689]

Thanks for your response. Between Upstate and VCU which one would you say? Upstate is a 7 year while VCU is 8...

Some might argue you lose 1 year of attending salary in the future because of the extra year. However since your just coming out of high school, live a little. With either program you are a physician by the end of it. If you can graduate in 3 years undergrad take the 4th year off and go travel, explore, do something fun before going into medical school.

Extra year isn't a problem imo and Richmond is still a relatively small city. If you are looking to live in NYC in the future then that could a reason to choose SUNY so it's easier to rotate at hospitals there. But I mean we're talking 8/7 years into the future...

 

[dbsmd2027]

Some might argue you lose 1 year of attending salary in the future because of the extra year. However since your just coming out of high school, live a little. With either program you are a physician by the end of it. If you can graduate in 3 years undergrad take the 4th year off and go travel, explore, do something fun before going into medical school.

Extra year isn't a problem imo and Richmond is still a relatively small city. If you are looking to live in NYC in the future then that could a reason to choose SUNY so it's easier to rotate at hospitals there. But I mean we're talking 8/7 years into the future...

Being that I have grown up in the NYC area I would like to come back here for residency or a job. How would going to upstate (in syracuse...3 hours from NYC) make it easier to rotate in nyc? Can't I apply to away rotations wherever I go to med school?

 

[detritus]

Are any of the BS/MD options binding? Not saying it should change your calculation if you would be happy at those med schools, but the opportunity to apply elsewhere if your priorities change is huge in my opinion.

 

[dbsmd2027]

Are any of the BS/MD options binding? Not saying it should change your calculation if you would be happy at those med schools, but the opportunity to apply elsewhere if your priorities change is huge in my opinion.

Upstate is binding. VCU is technically not binding, but after speaking with the medical school liaison I feel that they will be changing this policy for our class. Both programs let you apply out, but then that yields in loss of the current medical school seat.

 

[purpleguys99999]

It depends on what your career goals are. If you aren't super interested in being in the most competitive speciality or going into academic medicine, then either of your MD programs will get you there. If your programs are non-binding, then, by all means, create a safety net for you, but if they do end up binding know that you might be trading away your chances of getting into a medical school that better fits your career goals. My opinion is that I advice against binding BS MD programs because although they give you a sense of security, generally the students who they pick are highly capable and could have gotten into a far better program if they had applied via a regular cycle (this assumes that a highly capable high school student remains highly capable in college, which is often but not always the case)