Taking 6 Years for Undergrad on Purpose - Good Idea?

[muffeoniv]

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I'm taking my first two years online from an ivy league extension and then doing 4 years on campus. I think taking the extra couple years is great because 1) spend some time with family 2) more time to volunteer ect and strengthen app 3) work 4) add two years of youth to your life

like idc about becoming a neonatologist when I'm 34 instead of 32 if you catch wat I'm saying.. but getting an extra couple years at this age is golden... not only that but it will strengthen my app... and I'm doing this on the front-end of my undergrad, not back end.

 

[LuciusVorenus]

Two things to keep in mind:

1. Financial aid will only give you 5 years.

2. A course load THAT light (unless you're triple majoring) might raise a few eyebrows.

 

[MetabolismASE]

Remember the pre med journey is a marathon not a sprint.

 

[Richard Hammer]

Two things to keep in mind:

1. Financial aid will only give you 5 years.

2. A course load THAT light (unless you're triple majoring) might raise a few eyebrows.

It may not be that light depending on his school and how much AP credit. I'll be in school for 6.5 years and only graduate with two majors taking 16+ credit hours each semester (and 8+ each summer) only double majoring. It's hard to double major at some schools and a lot of the electives are very interesting.

 

[BushidoBrown]

The University of Phoenix is not an ivy league extension.

 

[kcin]

I'm taking my first two years online from an ivy league extension and then doing 4 years on campus. I think taking the extra couple years is great because 1) spend some time with family 2) more time to volunteer ect and strengthen app 3) work 4) add two years of youth to your life

like idc about becoming a neonatologist when I'm 34 instead of 32 if you catch wat I'm saying.. but getting an extra couple years at this age is golden... not only that but it will strengthen my app... and I'm doing this on the front-end of my undergrad, not back end.

Are those 2 years worth a few hundred thousand dollars?

 

[Richard Hammer]

Are those 2 years worth a few hundred thousand dollars?

😱 Two years anywhere shouldn't cost a few hundred thousand dollars. ****, medical school barely costs that.

 

[kcin]

😱 Two years anywhere shouldn't cost a few hundred thousand dollars. ****, medical school barely costs that.

................ I didn't really expect this to need an explanation. He could be an attending two years sooner if he stuck to a four year program. Two years pay is a few hundred thousand. Get it?

 

[Richard Hammer]

................ I didn't really expect this to need an explanation. He could be an attending two years sooner if he stuck to a four year program. Two years pay is a few hundred thousand. Get it?

Oh, you mean opportunity value not actual money. That could easily be restated as "Are those two years of partying during college worth two extra years of partying in a nursing home?"

 

[MedStudentWanna]

Keep in mind, med schools will ask you why you took six years and they expect a better explanation than "I wanted to strengthen my application and enjoy being young." You'll be competing with people who triple majored in four years and made straight A's.

 

[2sk0ol4c0ol]

I'm taking my first two years online from an ivy league extension and then doing 4 years on campus. I think taking the extra couple years is great because 1) spend some time with family 2) more time to volunteer ect and strengthen app 3) work 4) add two years of youth to your life

like idc about becoming a neonatologist when I'm 34 instead of 32 if you catch wat I'm saying.. but getting an extra couple years at this age is golden... not only that but it will strengthen my app... and I'm doing this on the front-end of my undergrad, not back end.

It's funny you mention this I was thinking about adding another year and semester to the 4 years of undergard, to work on ECs, get more research and clinical experience, take more classes that will be interesting. I had the same reasoning as yours well what is 32 to 34 anyway. I decided that for me it wasn't the very best option (though I'm still considering it).

1st Time is precious! You can't waist it what's 32 to 34 (hmmm..... time spent paying off debt, having a family, making friends or reconnecting with old ones, becoming familiar with my work and gaining experience as a physician, etc.)

2nd In that two years you have so much opportunity to do OTHER things. Say that you wanted to become a Fulbright, Marshall, Rhodes scholarship or you just decided to go abroad or just travel around the states. I'm sure this is better than kicking it at an undergrad which after a few years WILL get old! Now that's more years your adding what's 32 to 37 (a five year old son or daughter, a decent sum of debt payed off, an established private practice).

3rd What if you don't get into med school even after the 6 years of undergrad? Are you gonna pursue a master or SMP (which is more debt)? Are you gonna work and reapply? now what's 35 to 32 (assuming you get in at all). (A helluva lot of other things you could be doing)

All in all I think taking an additional year is fathomable (but still not preferable). 2 years is a LOT of time especially if your a quarter million in the hole.
IMO, just shoot for the regular for, If all else fails pick up a minor senior if you don't get accepted and there's your additional year.

 

[NickNaylor]

Unless you're going for free, it seems like a needlessly expensive venture to me.

 

[muffeoniv]

bump... online classes

 

[PanRoasted]

................ I didn't really expect this to need an explanation. He could be an attending two years sooner if he stuck to a four year program. Two years pay is a few hundred thousand. Get it?

Why would it not need an explanation, your other post was completely misleading.

 

[Pons Asinorum]

bump... online classes

There's a reason this thread got abandoned.

 

[NickNaylor]

bump... online classes

😕

 

[Astarael]

Why would it not need an explanation, your other post was completely misleading.

It typically doesn't need explanation because opportunity cost is a well-known concept, and it gets thrown around all the time here.

OP, if it ends up happening that you cannot do undergrad in less than six years, that's fine. However, I highly suggest that you don't artificially prolong it to that point. One of your reasons for wanting to do so was to strengthen your application, but you should consider that most successful applicants get everything done in four years. A few take five. I've yet to hear of anyone who needed six, unless they were doing an actual master's, and in that case, they got a master's out of it.