<p>I know about a handful of guaranteed medical programs that my parents are interested in, however, I don't think it'll pay off. All of these schools are Tier 3 or 4 colleges, or are renowned but have subpar med schools. Should I just apply to them and get a load of pressure lifted off my shoulders?</p>
<p>Depends on u r own attitude -_- Fewer top med schools have BSMD programs now cuz it is perceived to drag down the normal MD courses’ reputation or statistics ( MCAT, GPA, what not). However, the pressure is off u r shoulder and exploration during underG is a plus for these BSMD ( exception is the WUSLMS 3.8 GPA /34 MCAT a huge minus). Make sure U are interested in these BSMDs, NOT u r parents , although i know they foor u r bill ! 
For u r reference, the better known names are : NW hpme, plme Brown, BUSM, and a few others. Read the otehr threads to know more…</p>
<p>Or why not just apply to the ones that have top tier medical schools (as below), or ones with top tier undergrads which you can apply out if you want (SLU, Drexel, etc.)?</p>
<p>Brown
Northwestern
Case Western
Boston University
Tulane
WashU in St. Louis
Rice/Baylor COM (there are others with Baylor COM: [Bacc/MD</a> Programs - Medical School - Baylor College of Medicine](<a href=“http://www.bcm.edu/medschool/baccmd.htm]Bacc/MD”>http://www.bcm.edu/medschool/baccmd.htm))
University of Pittsburgh
Penn State/Jefferson
U of Rochester/University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry
UMiami/Miller School of Medicine</p>
<p>just to name a few…</p>
<p>JaialaiChamp,</p>
<p>If you are really motivated and talented and want to have most options for undergraduate and medical schools, your best bet is to go the usual route. The best programs (HPME, RB, PLME, ect.) are so hard to get into, that any one that can get in to these programs would most likely do very well going the usual route. Going to lesser programs ( like SLU, Drexel, PSU,etc) usually means that you are going to end up in an undergraduate intuition that you may not otherwise go to. FYI you lose your guarantee if you apply out at SLU, Drexel and similar places.</p>
<p>Is it worth it? </p>
<p>That is a personal choice.</p>
<p>any ranked med school is a top tier med school. look at roentgen’s list. it has amazing med schools on it. don’t believe that you’ll get into harvard or hopkins for med school, because remember that getting into those med schools are significantly harder than getting into harvard and princeton undergrads. cream of the crop. also, the residencies for harvard and a school like northwestern or baylor or brown or ohio state or pitt or etc. are essentially the same. the point most med programs have crappy undergrads is to take OFF the pressure, not put MORE on you (eg penn state/jeff).</p>
<p>Agree with doc2b – no guarantee for ANY med skools for normal route, let alone Harvard, JHop, UCSF, Mayo, Yale, Brown… However, PSU/Jeff is not a pressure pot with the 2-yr. underG cuz a lot of AP counted ( 2 summers, but 1 is possible) , and Jefferson is a great school in a great city. You can choose 7 yrs. but the briefing said you lost your peers by doing 7 years, and just do more of electives ( it’s OK if you want to ). The whole point of BSMD, to reiterate, is to let go the MCAT/research/ec/double major pressure, but some courses are linked to lower tierd underG. But so what ? If you are soooo sure you can beat the ultra-competitive crowd in top ivies/public ivies and stay afloat, then go for it and good luck :)</p>