UTSA vs UT Austin

[Lucca]

Hey SDN,

It's pretty obvious from my other posts on here that I go to UT Austin (good luck finding me in the student population though, haha) but I'm not worried about disclosing my identity since it's such a large school.

So, a friend of mine (yes, this is actually a friend) was capped at UTSA and she's been there about a year now. She, along with the rest of her family, is a pre med as well. She's doing very well for herself at UTSA. She thought about staying at UtSA but decided to accept CAP to Austin since we have the major she wants here, "Medical Laboratory".

The main reason she wants this major is because it's what the rest of her family studied and she feels it will land her a job in case she doesn't get into medical school. The problem is that MLab is basically a 5 year major and it includes a work practicuum. To be completely honest, I don't think her decision is very sound at all, for the following reasons:

1. Her family is already unable to finance her undergraduate costs and adding more debt before medical school by taking more time in ugrad seems short-sighted.

2. She's always been a hard worker but she has struggled to get the grades she needs in the past. At UtSA she is having a really good time academically since it's so much easier there (this is the consensus I've heard from all the cap students I've met in other years). It would probably be a lot easier for her to get the GPA she needs at UTSA even though I feel the classes at Ut Austin will better prepare her for the mcat and the medical school workload.

Yup. If I were her I'd transfer to Austin but major in bio, biochem, or chem (she hasn't expressed any interest in the liberal arts) and ensure that there never has to be a Plan B.

What do you guys think? I've talked to her at length about this and never get anywhere but i'd like to know your thoughts.

Does anyone know what the hell Medical Lab even is?

The only thing I know about medical lab is that both her brother and sister did it and they seem to get "stuck" in that major. Her sister is going on her 6th yr undergrad and her brother his fifth.

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[DokterMom]

A) She's an adult and gets to make her own decisions, so tread carefully. (Suggest probing questions as a tactic.)
B) With two siblings in the MedLab program (whatever the H that is...) and already experiencing the 'can't get the classes I need to graduate on time' phenomenon first hand, even that knowledge probably won't dissuade her.
C) If MedLab is prep for a Lab Tech career (what it sounds like to me), wouldn't her degree program at UTSA prepare her well enough for that?
D) Transferring to UTA and majoring in bio or biochem won't do much to improve her job prospects if she doesn't get into medical school or go on for an advanced degree.
E) If she's doing really well academically at UTSA, maybe staying there and going full steam on Plan A is a more viable strategy than she's giving it credit for. Does she lack confidence in her abilities? Is she fearful about not getting into med school? Or maybe scared of out-performing the rest of her family?

I guess I'd ask her about her attraction to the MedLab program. How it's working out for Bro and Sis? 'Cause as far as I can tell, it kinda isn't...

 

[Lucca]

A) She's an adult and gets to make her own decisions, so tread carefully. (Suggest probing questions as a tactic.)
B) With two siblings in the MedLab program (whatever the H that is...) and already experiencing the 'can't get the classes I need to graduate on time' phenomenon first hand, even that knowledge probably won't dissuade her.
C) If MedLab is prep for a Lab Tech career (what it sounds like to me), wouldn't her degree program at UTSA prepare her well enough for that?
D) Transferring to UTA and majoring in bio or biochem won't do much to improve her job prospects if she doesn't get into medical school or go on for an advanced degree.
E) If she's doing really well academically at UTSA, maybe staying there and going full steam on Plan A is a more viable strategy than she's giving it credit for. Does she lack confidence in her abilities? Is she fearful about not getting into med school? Or maybe scared of out-performing the rest of her family?

I guess I'd ask her about her attraction to the MedLab program. How it's working out for Bro and Sis? 'Cause as far as I can tell, it kinda isn't...

Ya I respect her decision either way but occasionally she asks me for advice on what she should do but I honestly don't know anything about that particular career pathway (medical lab/labtech??) since it's never one I considered as a backup.

Your point E basically nailed the root problem: her confidence. I absolutely believe she is capable of going to medical school. She's not a standardized test taking machine but she works hard and loves the field (she's been around it all her life) so there's not a doubt in my mind she can make it...as long as she gets the grades to get in. Her sis is finishing her practicuum next year (6th undergrad) and then finally graduating. Her sis is finishing that at UTHSC-SA and my friend believes the degree from UTHSC-SA will give her a boost in admissions. I told her where you graduate doesn't matter but she can probably get some very credible recommendations from the faculty there. I haven't heard a peep about her siblings taking the mcat yet though since their degree just takes up so much time. Given all of that, probably a 7 year timeline from high school to med school application - and that's totally ok but she could do it in four and save a boatload of money and still get to where she really wants to be. I don't know much about her bro but I know he just started his fifth year.

I don't know if a bio/biochem degree would work for a lab tech. Would it? i'm admittedly ignorant in this area.

 

[Command]

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