Thoughts on Tufts Maine Track Program??

[Doctor Pham]

Heyo Guys and Gals,

I am a brand new poster as well as a very recent lurker to SDN, and I decided that since I have become 'set' on a medical path, I might as well hang around with people who know their stuff!

So recently I visited Bates College up in Maine (since I am a High School Senior) and one of the students there was a Senior on a Pre-Med track who told me about this Maine Track Program with Tufts that I have never heard about. In shorthand after some more research, the program is for residents/students of Maine who are able to apply to this program, and if you get accepted, I guess you have a guaranteed spot in Med School with Tufts as well as you don't need to take the MCAT (which I thought was great since test-taking is not my forte).

So I just wanted you guys' opinion on this type of program. Is it good? Are there possibly some people on SDN who have taken or are currently in this track program now and what do you think of it? These might seem like simple questions but I am brand new to this and the whole process of Pre-Med/Med School stuff so I am open to all thoughts/advice!

Also, as an upcoming Freshman to college/university, would anyone like to shed some advice on tips on what I should prioritize or do right as I start my Freshman year?

Short bio of me:
Asian (6'1'' & 16 y/o (<-maybe that'll set me apart😉))
Triple Varsity Student Athlete in Soccer, Indoor Track & Outdoor Track (Plan to do one of these in college)
(Other ECs than sports too XD)
GPA: 3.83/4.0
(I go to a private school which is also very competitive)

Thanks for taking the time to read this post!

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[aegistitan]

I think Tufts might be the most expensive medical school in the country. A year's tuition for a preclinical year is around $85,000 and will probably rise by the time you get there. Not sure if Maine track has a different tuition, but I doubt it would be under 60k/year in Boston.

As far as going to bates goes only to apply to this program.. Bates costs around $50,000 a year? You might want to reconsider your finances unless you are wealthy... If you have to take out loans you may be taking out over $500,000 between undergrad at Bates and Med school at Tufts. There are several state schools with similar early assurance programs too, you may want to look at your home state school.

Moreover, you may want to read this thread. http://forums.studentdoctor.net/thr...school-my-firsthand-experience.1105853/page-6

I don't know anything about Bates other than it is one of those liberal arts schools. You may want to look into how much grade deflation is at Bates... but based on being a liberal arts school I would say there is some grade deflation.

 

[Doug Underhill]

Tufts is a good med school, but it is HUGELY expensive. Do you have a few hundred thousand extra dollars to spend vs. other med schools?

 

[ridethecliche]

You're an entering frosh? Concentrate on acing your pre-reqs instead of worrying which med school you want to go to.

 

[Porkloins]

Maine track is meant for people who go to schools in Maine (Bowdoin, Colby, Bates, and UMaine) and who intend to be practicing physicians in Maine after med school. It's essentially supposed to be a surrogate state medical school for Mainers. That means a lot of interest in the Mainer lifestyle and rural medicine are kind of unspoken requirements for the program.

The Maine liberal arts schools have great reputations and QoL though (if small schools in small towns are your thing), so even if you plan on applying to med schools across the country they are a great option.

 

[OBGYNgirl32]

I just graduated from the TUSM/Maine Track program, and while yes, TUSM is the most expensive med school in the country, Maine Track via Maine Medical Center gives you a scholarship for approximately half tuition (right now, they have funding for most of the 35 Maine Trackers per year, but not all). Honestly, any medical school you choose will be expensive and require loans, unless you are independently wealthy. TUSM is absolutely worth every penny. You get an incredible education, the faculty are amazing, and the students really are some of the absolute best.
The Maine Track is for applicants who have significant ties to Maine (having been born and raised in Maine, attended undergraduate school in Maine, family in Maine) or a very significant interest in rural medicine/primary care. This is because Maine does not have an allopathic medical school of its own, so the affiliation with TUSM and the scholarship help from Maine Med is an attempt of sorts to create a state allopathic school.
And your comments about being guaranteed a spot at TUSM applies to the Early Assurance Maine Track, not the general Maine Track. My year was the first year they had any early assurance applicants, and you are correct that they did not have to take the MCATS and were assured spots as sophomores/juniors in college as long as they maintained their grades.

 

[Axes]

Oh this is cool, I didn't even know about Maine track program. I'll be starting at Bowdoin in the fall.. Personally I probably won't look into this program. The MCAT doesn't seem that hard, it just requires effort, and 85k is steep for the 49th ranked med school in the nation. Plus it feels like selling yourself short in exchange for security-- that is if EA works like ED for college.

 

[leggo_my_ecmo]

Oh this is cool, I didn't even know about Maine track program. I'll be starting at Bowdoin in the fall.. Personally I probably won't look into this program. The MCAT doesn't seem that hard, it just requires effort, and 85k is steep for the 49th ranked med school in the nation. Plus it feels like selling yourself short in exchange for security-- that is if EA works like ED for college.

Well, if you're a Maine resident who goes to a Maine college and gets in EA, you're basically guaranteed a Maine Track scholarship ($25,000/yr). Subtract that from the tuition and you're looking at about the median in-state medical school tuition (maybe even a teeny bit lower). And don't focus so much on the US News Rankings, they don't matter.

 

[chiefroyal]

Looking into applying to TUSM this cycle and have a big interest in the Maine Track. Are those in the Maine Track able to still earn the 4-yr dual degrees (MD/MPH or MD/MBA)?