<p>But why does it matter that a student picks a school based on “merit”? A lesser ranked school may end up being a much better fit for an individual student than a highly ranked school. The happiness of a student probably does not have that much of a correlation to the average SAT scores/GPA of a given school.</p>
<p>I didn’t mean merit in the academic sense. If a kid happens to like the BS/MD school, then by all means pick it. But if he happens to like some other school better – for whatever reason – then he should go there.</p>
<p>I think it’s also very difficult, if not impossible, for a high school student to know that they want to go into medicine. But once they’re in one of these combined programs, they will not explore any other career paths. Sure, there are exceptions, but the majority are mentally locked into one career path (and one that’s not for everybody at that) before even graduating high school.</p>
<p>I know a number of people in my school’s combined program, and at least from what I can tell, they do not have the qualities that are desired in a physician (note: I’m not trying to pontificate on what it takes to be a doctor seeing as how I’m still only in college. But having spoken to a number of docs, some of whom are on admissions committees, I’ve gotten an idea of what they think prospective docs should be like). There are some that do, but the majority seem like they just applied for the combined program because they did well in high school and never gave it real thought (“being a doctor seems like something I’d like to do, why not get a guaranteed spot?”)</p>
<p>MiamiDAP, what BDM is saying is that some kid who got into their dream school (just regular undergrad) and a BA/MD program at a school that doesn’t “fit” them well, many of them are going to go to the BA/MD school, even though they probably won’t be as happy, just because they’ll be going to medical school.</p>
<p>You shouldn’t suffer through those four years just for a semi-guaranteed spot at med school.</p>
<p>lol, but it would suck for someone to go to his/her dream school and after 4 years realize no medical school wants him/her…</p>
<p>I guess it just depends on the environment the person perfers and what the person’s commitment to medicine…</p>
<p>I’ve been trying to explain: that doesn’t happen to the kind of students who get into a BS/MD program.</p>
<p>True…but there are always some kids who lose focus in college.</p>
<p>Fair enough. Pick the school you like, and don’t be one of those kids.</p>
<p>easier said than done</p>
<p>Not really. That caliber of student has a very low chance of slacking off, especially if they’re picking the right school: supportive, surrounded by an entire student body of talented peers, well-advised.</p>
<p>It is not possible at all to predict if a kid going to like school or not even with all visitations and overnights. Adding the stress of not knowing if you get to Med. School or not after 4 years of very hard work (yes, you have to work hard to maintain GPA while taking very challenging classes at ANY school, state or Ivy) is breaking a lot of kids. Removing this stress is very helpfu. And, yes, it is extremely helpful if they end up liking the place, satisfied with academics, participate in many aspects of college life and surrond themselves with people of their own level academically, socially and so forth. Most people who apply to BS/MDs, apply to several programs. Some of the lucker ones end up with few acceptances and choose which one to take. Even lucker ones end up choosing between top choices on their own list. D did not get to #1 program, while getting to that school with huge scholarship. However, she got into #2 program with full tuition scholarship. She also got into accelerated bs/md, which was not her preference. So, she decided to go to #2. However, during interview process we have met a lot of people in a programs and applying, who preferred accelerated as #1 choice for various reasons. </p>
<p>My point is that concern for some low level of academics in some programs is not supported by any facts. All participants are very high achievers with tons of valedictorians and people who would be accepted to Ivy’s. They want to focus on academics and enjoy college life as much as possible instead of being under constant stress of possibly not getting accepted to Medical School after all.</p>
<p>While there are always variables that are hard to predict, picking a good school generally isn’t that difficult: you look for a supportive environment; a student body in which you belong intellectually; student organizations that give you opportunities for growth; etc.</p>
<p>If you’re talking about Ivy-caliber students, Ivies have 90%+ admissions rates – and these students would usually be at the top of that pool at their school. The stress and fear are greatly overhyped by BS/MD programs in the process of trying to “bait” overqualified students to come to their programs.</p>
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<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/pre-med-topics/687847-regular-premed-vs-bs-md-program-requires-mcat.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/pre-med-topics/687847-regular-premed-vs-bs-md-program-requires-mcat.html</a></p>
<p>BDM,
Our discussion is not really valid. We compare apples to oranges, since you are using your experience at Ivy and I am using my D’s experience at bs/md program. Niether of us has the experience of opposite side. Both have pros and cons and each individual applicants has to decide which path to use. However, assumption that what you mentioned about academics, student body, level of advice and great opportunities at Ivys being not available to bs/md’s is not correct.</p>
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<p>Again, that’s not the point. If there happens to be another school which is your top choice, well and good. But if you are picking it because it’s offering you a gimmick, that’s just not a wise decision. I know plenty of kids who would have preferred Rice to Princeton; for them, picking Rice over Princeton was a solid choice. But if you really wanted to go to Princeton but picked Rice because it offered you a medical school admission, then that was a foolish choice.</p>
<p>The choice isn’t absolutely right or wrong; it’s the motivation for doing so.</p>
<p>What makes you think anyone is picking a BA/MD solely as a gimmick, and they don’t really like what the school has to offer? It would be tough to provide any quantifiable evidence for this. Most will tour the school, see what it offers to them and how good a fit it is, and then make an informed decision, based on their personal goals and instincts.</p>
<p>I don’t think that “anyone” picking the BA/MD is doing so as a gimmick. I bet there are some kids whose first-choice school happens to offer a BA/MD.</p>
<p>But the premise of the BA/MD program is a gimmick. And people who pick it for that reason – and there are some, since most kids on these boards talk about them that way – are making a mistake.</p>
<p>All? Of course not. But some.</p>
<p>BDM,
You should provide tons of exmaples before you put out conclusion that most kids are making a mistake going to these programs. ALL kids that I have talked to during D’s interview visits at various programs are feeling very proud, lucky, privileged and satisfied with their choice.</p>
<p>Well, what I said precisely is that most kids on these boards speak as if they are choosing the program because of the BA/MD offer. I then said that I think that reasoning is mistaken.</p>
<p>And I don’t think it’s a mistake that would be immediately apparent. Remember, these are all students who have been told over and over again that premed is hypercompetitive, that their college years will be miserable, etc. So of course they feel happy with their “purchase” – they’re still watching the same advertising.</p>
<p>And in any case, here’s three stories of regrets just from this board alone:
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/multiple-degree-programs/490891-some-advice-dont-rush.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/multiple-degree-programs/490891-some-advice-dont-rush.html</a>
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/pre-med-topics/364188-small-okay-rather-large-dilemma.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/pre-med-topics/364188-small-okay-rather-large-dilemma.html</a>
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/1059843478-post16.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/1059843478-post16.html</a></p>
<p>purchase" – they’re still watching the same advertising.
They are not watching, they have been in programs. You can believe anything you want. But all what are you saying is in theory, you have not been part of it. As I pointed out neither of us knows what the other is saying.</p>
<p>As a high schooler in Texas who had no interest in primary care but a great deal of interest in med school, D applied very late to the only generally available BS/MD program in Texas, UMSI at TTU. (She didn’t apply to any OOS). She made the cut for the interview (big clinical, big ACT, big rank) but as luck would have it she had to miss part because of the state basketball championship game. I don’t think that affected her as much as the whole “not interested in primary care at a primary care school” did , but …she didn’t get the gig. </p>
<p>Thank God for unanswered prayers. TTU (edit: and TTU-EP) is the only Texas medical school she is not applying to attend.</p>