<p>My dad is STRONGLY recommending that I apply to many 6,7, or 8 year med programs, but this would mean I would not be able to apply Early Decision to schools that I really want to go to (or at least so I've been told by people that have just graduated).
And since admission rates for these integrated programs are extremely low (I'll be applying to CWRU's, Rice/Baylor's, Northwestern's), I was wondering whether it is worth applying to these med programs, since I know acceptance rates for Early Decision can be much higher than acceptance rates for Regular Decision</p>
<p>(Like for UPENN it goes from 12.2% regular to 25% early and for DUKE it goes from 10% regular to 30% early).</p>
<p>I'd like some advice on this cause I want to be realistic. I'm also not sure if I want to go into medicine, as I think Biomedical Engineering seems very appealing to go into right now.</p>
<p>My Statistics:
3rd class rank in weighted GPA (I don't know my exact GPA but its around 4.5 or 4.6ish)
220 PSAT (I live in Ohio)
35 ACT
2310 SAT
All 5s on the AP Tests I've taken
President of 3 extracurricular clubs (Quiz Team, Model UN, Science Olympiad)
Violin and Piano
Internship with a materials science researcher at Ohio State University
around 200-300 volunteering hours</p>
<p>If you’re not sure that you want to go into medicine, I don’t think a combined BS/MD program (regardless of length) is a good idea for you at all. These programs are for students who are 100% sure that they want to be MDs at the time of application. The programs are grueling and require a specific sequence of courses and work leading up to the med school part and then through med school, so they require dedication. Also, you wouldn’t want to choose a BS/MD program that’s very expensive if you could’ve gone to a less expensive program in a different field if you change your mind.</p>
<p>I personally don’t really get the point of integrated programs. I mean, cognitively I understand why students want to do them - to avoid taking the MCAT and going through the med school admissions process, in in the cases of the 6- and 7-year programs, to shave off a year or 2. But I wouldn’t give up the opportunity to explore other careers and go to a university I really wanted to attend just to avoid taking the MCAT and applying to med school. It’s a tough process but not so insurmountable that it’s worth changing one’s entire college plans for it, IMO.</p>
<p>As far as I can tell, you have the stats (although all of the competitive kids at the programs will have high stats). But I think these programs want to see evidence of passion for and dedication to medicine. Are your volunteering hours in the medical field? IS the materials science research relevant to biomedical issues?</p>
<p>Thanks for the advice! The problem is that almost none of my volunteer hours are in the medical field. I am however, doing a summer program this year that is called “Mechanisms of Human Health and Disease” and gives a huge background in medicine. But overall, I think going Early Decision is my best bet. </p>
<p>With stats like your’s, you’ll have chance, but with stats like yours, you’re also likely to easily qualify for med school the regular way. And you lack the clinical hours that these programs like to see. With your stats, you’ve got pretty much an open field as to where you can go, merit scholarships to qualify for, and then you can go to med school. </p>
<p>I’m not seeing the upside here to locking yourself into a BS/MD program - but then I rarely do, as I’ve become very much against these programs. But there are programs you can apply to midway through college that avoid the MCAT, and those I like.</p>