<p>Hello All
My name is jason, and I am currently a third year PLME student at Brown. I used to contribute to this forum quite often (lol you can go back to see my stats, whatever, ill post my old username) but obviously with school I have been quite busy. I remember how much I would have appreciated any help from direct program applicants from the past, so I have come to help in whatever way possible. I wont be on every day, but maybe once a week. Anyways, Brown PLME is a great program. I will write a more extensive post detailing my experience later. I feel very lucky to not have the pressure this year of taking the MCATS and applying to Med school. Trust me, I have several undergrad friends who have gone through hell for quite a few months/weeks. Basically, take college admissions and multiply it by around 10 to understand the pressure of applying to top programs. Med school applications are more predictable-for example, if you have a solid GPA, and a good MCAT score-say 36 or near. Then you will probably get in with an overall decent application. However, high school is much more unpredictable. A 2300, and 3.9 wont get you into a top school alone. Anyways, I can answer questions about PLME, or applications-since I got into Rice/Baylor as well. I might be able to assist with essays and yes, I can even try to give you achance to at least one of the competitive programs. Yes, it is partially a “crapshoot” but I believe that it is not as unpredictable as some assume. Therefore, PM if you want help editing essays (lol except hopefully not too often), etc.</p>
<p>Why did you choose Brown over Rice, since you got into both?<br>
What was your “secret” in getting in? (URM? 1st gen? any other hooks?)
Do you think it’s harder or easier to get into PLME this year compared to three years ago?
What’s the downside to going straight into medical school?<br>
Did you get substantial FA?<br>
And what happened to your old username?</p>
<p>hello limabeans, sure Ill be glad to answer your questions.1. The choice between Brown and R/B was for sure an incredibly difficult decision. Honestly, I cannot really describe the back and forth arguments/emotions I felt because it was seriously a huge decision for me… However, it was a great and very lucky situation that I was in. Okay, so basically, it came down to this. Overall, Brown’s UG program was definitely something that I would have been one my top choices regardless of PLME. Although I did not know for sure at the time (I know do know), Brown’s open curriculum, liberal environment and lack of competition are all very important factors. Honestly, the people here are incredible, you eventually (during 2nd year) develop bonds with professors and the location is phenomenal. Also, I am very interested in community health/health policy and Brown is much stronger than rice in this aspect. Overall, PLME’s “message” of developing doctors that are extremely well-rounded makes the program extremely strong. Things that you do in undergrad are things that you WILL NEVER be able to do again. I am hoping to travel to Germany to study there for a semester during my 4th year. I wont be learning about anything close to medicine-this is an opportunity I would never have otherwise. While Rice still offers many great programs, the UG education probably does not compare well with Brown. So I honestly think that it ultimately had to do with Undergrad years. I mean, after all, it is as long as med school, and the point of these direct programs is not necessarily to give you a “guaranteed” path-it is more for you to truly explore ideas in education that you would normally not do. The hardest part of the decision had to do with the baylor med vs warren alpert. Obviously according to those “rankings” baylor is a top 15 (i think) program. However, ultimately, the MCATS ,GPA, and EC’s required to get into brown med are probably similar to those required at Baylor Med. Ha, also another factor was weather and location. Honestly, if I was just picking undergrad, then I would not be picky, but I would be spending the NEXT EIGHT years at whatever location I picked! Texas does not have great weather, and I love the new england type area-mainly because I am originally from the west coast.2. Ha, I am not sure if I had a “secret” to getting into either of those programs. I am Asian, so def not URM, my parents are immigrants but they went to college. I can post my stats in a separate post if you guys really want-but I did several medically related EC’S for 3-4 years, and spent a lot of time on my essays. I think that I was VERY VERY lucky to get into PLME and R/B, and I was definitely lucky to get an interview at HPME (which was my top choice actually).</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Hmm, honestly I cannot tell you if it is “easier” or “harder” to get in. If you look at the MSAR data, it remains about the same. However, if you compare 07 with even 04-there was a HUGE difference. My sister applied in 04 when only I think aroun 1000 people applied and 85 got in. In 07, I believe about 1500-1800 applied. This is how it is today. Overall, PLME is extremely tough ( I got into Princeton and MIT, but not HYS), but you all know that.</p></li>
<li><p>Well, I dont think that there is any downside at all! I mean, I am not going straight into medical school at all- so I dont entirely understand what you mean by that? in fact, I would argue that compared to regular pre-meds my life is wonderful right now. As I elaborated above, I do not have incredible stress to take the MCATS, etc</p></li>
</ol>
<p>.4. Yes, I believe Brown along with other schools started changing the amount of Financial aid that they gave out around this town-or maybe before. My parents are certainly middle class, maybe 75-100 K, so I am lucky that they can help out a little. Nonetheless, med school is very expensive!</p>
<ol>
<li>I tried logging on with my old username, but I was being denied-I am guessing i had the wrong password? I do not use that email anymore-it is yahoo so it was inactivated. Let me go back, if you really want, into the old forum so that I dont have to post my stats again!any other questions? by the way, limabeans, are you applying anywhere?</li>
</ol>
<p>Could you post your stats please? </p>
<p>And one very important question:</p>
<p>Do you actually have ANY international students in your batch?</p>
<p>Thank you!</p>
<p>“Do you actually have ANY international students in your batch?”</p>
<p>I would also like to know the answer to that question.</p>
<p>its probably 50 times harder if your an international applicant</p>
<p>@kkbm24, I have met you before :P</p>
<p>And true, it must be really hard. The only “advantage” I would have over any other applicant applying international would be that I am a US citizen! Woo-hoo! :P</p>
<p>I still wonder how many international students are in the batch.</p>
<p>^^lol, do you mean in person, you have met me before?</p>
<p>Haha stalker much, nitcomp?</p>
<p>Copied/Pasted from my other thread. Hopefully you can help</p>
<p>Most of the 7 or 8-year BA/MD programs allow you to opt out after the four undergraduate years and apply to a different medical school. I’m pretty sure that Brown also used to do this. However, I just ran across this on the PLME website…</p>
<p>*PLME students have the option to apply to other medical schools. In doing so, they will be withdrawn from the position being held for them in the Alpert Medical School (AMS). However, they will have the option of applying to AMS via the standard (AMCAS) route, in which case their application will be considered alongside other standard route applicants. Individuals are asked to notify the PLME Office of their intent to “apply out” by September 15 of their senior year, or by September 15 of each year they are on deferral. Students should know that the Office of the Associate Dean of the College for Health and Law Careers will provide the PLME with the names of PLME students applying to other medical schools at the start of each academic year.</p>
<p>Like all other prospective applicants, PLME Students planning to apply to other medical schools must attend one of the group information sessions offered in the Fall Term by the Associate Dean of the College for Health and Law Careers. *</p>
<p>[Brown</a> University: Program in Liberal Medical Education](<a href=“The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University”>The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University)</p>
<p>So based on my understanding of the above, PLME students can not apply to other medical schools without giving up their guaranteed admissions at Alpert Medical School anymore? Can someone clarify? Thanks</p>
<p>True (at least for incoming PLMEs). But, you’d have to take 2nd semester orgo, and the MCATs, and all the other requirements PLME doesn’t make you do, in order to apply out anyways. And this way, Brown’s med school has a better idea of how many spots they have in their class (it’s different from undergrad in that they really do have to try to enroll X # of students), rather than have people who are applying out decide to go somewhere else at the last minute, leaving the med school scrambling to fill the last spot with a qualified applicant. Furthermore, it means the med school will be reserved for people who want to stay at Brown the most, rather than those who just want to get into the most “prestigious” med school possible.</p>
<p>^^ ha, the peopel who think that Alpert is not prestigious enough are kind of crazy.</p>
<p>hi jelstworth, i really really want to get into the rice/baylor program.
i live in tx.
my SAT score is 2150 total, 1390 critical reading (670) + math (720) and its not superscored.
freshman year i took AP human geography and got a 4.
sophmore: Ap world his and got a 4
junior: AP chem 4, AP stat 3, AP art his 4, AP eng 5, AP us his 4
senior i will be taking: AP physics B, AP bio, AP english IV, AP sculpture, AP gov, AP economics, AP calc AB, and AP psychology</p>
<p>i have gotton one B so far an 88 and the rest are all A’s</p>
<p>i have voluntered for 130 hours in a hospital and i shadow doctors separatley too
also i volunteer at the library and other places.
i am in nation spanish honor society and national honor society and will be in national art honor society, also i am in class council and red cross club
total i have about 400 hours of volunteer work.</p>
<p>do i have a good chance of getting into the rice/baylor program or even a 8 year guaranteed program. </p>
<p>my gpa is 3.95/4</p>
<p>please help. thanks</p>
<p>also is it worth applying to a third tier or fourth tier school if it has a guaranteed med program? thanks</p>