xx

[eristic]

---

Members do not see this ad.

>-<

 

[RNtoMD87]

Hello all!
I'm a current high school senior that will be in Rowan's 3+4 BS/DO program this fall. I've heard that a DO degree limits your future options and an MD is almost always preferable to a DO, but I was pushed into accepting this program by my parents, over going traditional at other schools. If I can keep my GPA up and get a high score on the MCAT, would it be a reasonable decision to drop out the program to apply to MD schools? This would mean losing a guaranteed DO degree for a chance at a MD degree, so I'm not sure the risk is worth the reward. (The minimum for the program is a 3.6 GPA and a 501 MCAT.) Also, the program advisor is also the chairperson of the pre-health committee at Rowan -- do you think dropping the program would negatively impact the letter they'd write?
Thank you!

No. Bird in the hand. And MD programs may not accept you for declining a DO program. If you don't want to do DO, don't apply DO.

 

[usernamesaredumb]

No. Bird in the hand. And MD programs may not accept you for declining a DO program. If you don't want to do DO, don't apply DO.

he's not declining a DO program and he doesn't have an acceptance in hand.

 

[RNtoMD87]

@RNtoMD87 Unfortunately, I didn't have much of a say in the decision. Thank you for the response, nonetheless. 🙂

Maybe it's different like username said. If you get your bachelors there are you stuck there? I never heard of a BS+DO before.

 

[ciestar]

Maybe it's different like username said. If you get your bachelors there are you stuck there? I never heard of a BS+DO before.

Pretty similar to BS/MD programs.

OP, you won’t be the first or the last to change your mind on one of these programs and apply elsewhere

 

[RNtoMD87]

Pretty similar to BS/MD programs.

OP, you won’t be the first or the last to change your mind on one of these programs and apply elsewhere

I didn't know they had combination programs at all. Interesting.

 

[Lucca]

In general I think these combined programs are a very bad idea. Mostly because the kind of high school students competitive enough to get into them will be competitive enough to get into medical school in their own right and the program only serves to limit their options.

In my view, drop out of the program, do well in school and check the boxes like a regular pre-med and apply MD/DO.

 

[OrthoTraumaMD]

In general I think these combined programs are a very bad idea. Mostly because the kind of high school students competitive enough to get into them will be competitive enough to get into medical school in their own right and the program only serves to limit their options.

In my view, drop out of the program, do well in school and check the boxes like a regular pre-med and apply MD/DO.

I disagree. I was in one of these programs and it’s the best thing ever. Allowed me to take any classes I wanted, as long as I did pre-reqs, and not be insanely trying to get a competitive application for medical school. I enjoyed college immensely because of the decreased pressure, and participated in extracurricular activities I otherwise would not have had time for.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

No. Bird in the hand. And MD programs may not accept you for declining a DO program. If you don't want to do DO, don't apply DO.

Bad advice.

 

[Lucca]

I disagree. I was in one of these programs and it’s the best thing ever. Allowed me to take any classes I wanted, as long as I did pre-reqs, and not be insanely trying to get a competitive application for medical school. I enjoyed college immensely because of the decreased pressure, and participated in extracurricular activities I otherwise would not have had time for.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

I see where you are coming from and obviously that was your experience but I stand by what I said. These programs are really good deals for the medical school and OK deals for the student at best. The pressure is off to a great extent but a BS/DO program is seriously limiting the students final options compared to say Rice/Baylor or Brown/Brown

 

[OrthoTraumaMD]

I see where you are coming from and obviously that was your experience but I stand by what I said. These programs are really good deals for the medical school and OK deals for the student at best. The pressure is off to a great extent but a BS/DO program is seriously limiting the students final options compared to say Rice/Baylor or Brown/Brown

Would you say the same for a BA/MD? Or just BA/DO?


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

 

[Lucca]

Would you say the same for a BA/MD? Or just BA/DO?


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

I think that BA/MD can be Ok depending on the program, if it’s not too restrictive. The one that used to exist at my UG for example was a four year degree compressed into three years and all the people I knew in it were just miserable and taking obscene amounts of credits every semester. Wouldn’t recommend that to anyone coming into UG with 2300+ SATs and perfect GPAs. Something like FlexMed? I think that’s quite good. The better the linked med school and the free-Er the program lets you be in UG, then the better the linkage program is.

BA/DO? Don’t see the point.

But that’s just like my opinion.

 

[OrthoTraumaMD]

I think that BA/MD can be Ok depending on the program, if it’s not too restrictive. The one that used to exist at my UG for example was a four year degree compressed into three years and all the people I knew in it were just miserable and taking obscene amounts of credits every semester. Wouldn’t recommend that to anyone coming into UG with 2300+ SATs and perfect GPAs. Something like FlexMed? I think that’s quite good. The better the linked med school and the free-Er the program lets you be in UG, then the better the linkage program is.

BA/DO? Don’t see the point.

But that’s just like my opinion.

I see. I’m not a fan of the “compressed” programs either in terms of timing, mine was a full 4 years college, 4 years Med school. Most programs though will only reserve your spot as long as you don’t apply anywhere else. Which is in my mind totally fair, they accept you out of high school and are counting on you, if you flake on them you lose the spot.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

 

[benjamin94559]

I'd say wait until you take the MCAT and see how your GPA is when you're a junior. If you have a 3.7+ and a 510+ go and roll those dice.

 

[TheBiologist]

Hello all!
I'm a current high school senior that will be in Rowan's 3+4 BS/DO program this fall. I've heard that a DO degree limits your future options and an MD is almost always preferable to a DO, but I was pushed into accepting this program by my parents, over going traditional at other schools. If I can keep my GPA up and get a high score on the MCAT, would it be a reasonable decision to drop out the program to apply to MD schools? This would mean losing a guaranteed DO degree for a chance at a MD degree, so I'm not sure the risk is worth the reward. (The minimum for the program is a 3.6 GPA and a 501 MCAT.) Also, the program advisor is also the chairperson of the pre-health committee at Rowan -- do you think dropping the program would negatively impact the letter they'd write?
Thank you!

minimum requirement is a 3.6 and a 501, stats probably good enough to get into DO programs regularly. drop out and aim for MD

 

[Kgizzle]

Do you have to make your decision right now? You can do your pre-reqs and take the MCAT before making a decision.