<p>Do 7/8 year med programs have any distinct advantages over just doing 4 years undergrad and then applying to med school?</p>
<p>Shakespeare himself would wonder if you’ve been drinking ??</p>
<p>No, absolutely no advantages. I’m not sure why I’m even applying. We should just do regular route so we’re always stressed out in our undergrad years about getting into a med school, doing interviews, writing essays, working on doing phenomenal on the MCAT. So no, these programs aren’t advantageous in any possible way.</p>
<p>^^^ Baahahahahahahahhahahahaha</p>
<p>In all seriousness, are you a high school junior? If you are, you might wanna get a serious move on in getting ready to apply to BS/MD programs if you’re considering them.</p>
<p>yeah im a junior.</p>
<p>is it really that much harder to get into med school w/o a program?</p>
<p>and are there any 7/8 year programs you guys would reccomend that arent extremely difficult to get into?</p>
<p>Huge advantages according to my D. She was in 8 year bs/md and applied out.
First, her bs/md required MCAT, but the requirement was 27. It is low considering the fact that D. got 25 on her first diagnostic MCAT that she took without any preparations and before she even took physics, and some others do even better. Kning that you need only 27, allowed her to stay calm during long and hard exam and receive substantially higher score.
Also going to interviews and already having secured at least one spot in Medical School is a very different situtaion. It gives you boost of confidence.<br>
D. was the only one in her bs/md who applied out. Nobody else bothered with the process, so they just graduated from UG and started at Med. School few months later. It would be a dream come true for most other Med. School applicants except for those adventurous types (like my D.), who got accepted to couple top 20s and currently is a second year Med. Student at the school of her choice.
There are NO bs/md programs “that arent extremely difficult to get into” as far as I know. D. was rejected pre-interview from the bs/md that was part of her current Medical School.</p>
<p>There are certainly some benefits in attending BS/MD programs. There is the security in knowing what requirements you must fulfill in order to matriculate into the medical school. In other words, rather than worrying nonstop about trying to get the highest MCAT score and GPA possible, you have some assurance in knowing that you only need to obtain a certain GPA and MCAT score. Most programs are accelerated, so you save one year of tuition. For some programs, it may be even easier to obtain certain positions such as research positions which can be helpful later on in medical school. Another great aspect is that you can do whatever clubs you want to do. For example, throughout High School, I volunteered hundreds of hours at my local hospital. When I entered my BS/MD program, I considered volunteering at another hospital, but then I realized that most of the work I would do as a volunteer was “*****” work so I turned down the offer. My premed peers, however, needed medical experience to put onto their resume so although they were performing tedious tasks such as folding sheets and cleaning rooms, they had to partake in this task in order to show some medical experience. </p>
<p>OH and it’s difficult to get into medical school the traditional route. Even though some schools claim that 90% of their med school applicants get in, they don’t take into account the number of students who dropped out. They also tend to include students who get into dental schools, vet schools, podiatry schools, osteopathic medical schools and Carribean medical schools in their percentages. So yes, getting into a US allopathic medical school is tough. That being said, most people in BS/MD programs can get into medical schools the traditional route, but college can be tough and there is always the chance that a single mistake or a family crisis could ruin your chances of getting into med school the traditional route.</p>
<p>Another great option is the ability to apply out. Although most schools don’t let you keep your seat, if you perform extraordinarily well at the university you are attending, you can consider applying out. Though it is not recommended, it gives you options.</p>
<p>Possibly one disadvantage with being in BS/MD programs is that some summer medical research programs (such as SURP programs) not affiliated with your university are geared towards offering opportunities for pre-med students and not students who are in BS/MD programs. Is this a fair practice to deny students who are actually interested in research in favor of students who want to add research to their resume? No, but they usually don’t ask whether or not you are in a BS/MD program so you can easily get around that. </p>
<p>All in all, there is a huge, huge, benefit in applying to BS/MD programs, but make sure that medicine is your passion.</p>
<p>thanks everyone!</p>
<p>and i realize they are all difficult to get into, i just meant if anyone knows any 7/8 year med programs that are more feasible to get in to? (rather than the top tier programs)</p>
<p>any and all help is appreciated!</p>
<p>do not do a 7 year. you will make a terrible doctor. I know many residency programs who will not accept a 7 year person. we like well rounded docs. yes, a doc that can read shakespeare vs a doogie howard</p>
<p>There is no evidence that 7 yr programs are not accepted by many residency programs. In fact most end up in great residency programs.</p>
<p>@Princess’Dad, did your princess not make it into a program? I’m assuming that’s why you would post such a false statement.</p>
<p>yes, applicants from even 6 yr programs get into great residencies. And many many others do not have goal other than to be a doc. in thier hometown. there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. About 80% of docs in my town are from the local Medical school. It absolutely does not mean they are good or bad. Some of them are better than others. And the few who are renown in a world are not necessarily the best docs at all, I have few very unsatisfying experiences. Yes, they are local pride, but when you actually visit this doc. he is nothing special, all overblown glory, he is just another doc. who again just spending 2 min. with you and much rather talk on his device or spend time on his computer all during your appointment on your dime so to speak. Name of UG or bs/md will not guarantee anything and will not prevent you from anything. It is all up to you.</p>
<p>@MiamiDAP Well said. Medicine is such a field that in the end, the empathy, love of the profession and intuition often triumphs qualification and fame.</p>
<p>I it easy to do a 7 year program if you have 30 or more AP credits accepted by the college. My D had 30 accepted in an 8 yr program and it frees her up to do research. I know one high school senior who has 42 AP’s since he was allowed to take them in all four years of high school. Otherwise you would likely be taking classes in some of the summer sessions.</p>
<p>Remember most ivies do not accept AP but generally allow you to take a higher level course in AP areas. Even MIT ( which does not have a program and most of its premed types become research doctors) accepts APs only in non major courses of study like English or History.</p>
<p>NO
I have been on the admission committee of several “ivy” medical schools. Unless the person is going into research, the committees I have been on have not looked favorably on the “Doogie Howsers”.
Can a 7 year doc get into residency = yes
Will he make a good doc with emphathy AND the ability to talk to the patient - not in my experience.
Why would anyone want to forgo a couple years of college. Why would someone not want to be a Renaissance man/woman? Being a good doc is more than knowing biochemistry. It is the ability to relate and listen to your patient.
Look at the percentage of successful applicants who have “life experiences” now instead of just college to medical school. It is increasing as we see that they end up doing better.</p>
<p>Dont listen to people on this board. Go to your local MD and ask him/her if she/he wished they had done it in 7 or not!</p>
<p>ps sanguine
my Princess is now at Harvard Law
thank you</p>
<p>But you’re talking about a difference of 1 year. I highly doubt that in 1 year a person can gain “life experiences” that will allow them to talk more empathetically to the patient. A 25 year old doctor has just as much life experience as a 26 year old doctor. I don’t think it would make a difference.</p>
<p>I am sure @PrincessDad means well. However, I think his opinion is not based on scientific evidence. In fact I think even a 5 year degree students will just do fine, if it is followed by a rigorous internship/residency. Case in point, look at the doctors who come from India. I understand in India students do a 5 year MD after high school. Once they come to US, they pass the required tests and practise medicine well. Some of these 5 year MD graduates from India are exceptional (my primary physcian is one of them).</p>