<p>Hey all! I'm a junior in high school in NJ and I've been looking at Combined Med Programs for a while now and have come up with a list of possible colleges I would attend. A big factor for me is the "college life." I want to attend a reputable university with a good education, but with students who know how to party and have a good time. Can someone help me sort out cut-throat from chill?</p>
<p>Brown U (8 yr)
Case Western Reserve U (8 yr)
Drexel U (7 yr)
George Washington U (7 yr)
Howard U (7 yr)
Lehigh U with Drexel University College of Medicine (7 yr) (Formerly Medical College of PA)
Michigan State U (Medical Scholars Program)
Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine - 6 or 7 year pgm
Northwestern U (7yr)
Nova Southeastern University (7 yr - DO program)
Ohio State U (7/8 yr - must be Natl Merit, Natl Achievement to qualify)
Penn State U with Jefferson Medical Coll. of Thomas Jefferson U
Rensselaer with Albany Medical College
Rice U with Baylor College of Medicine (8 yr)
Rutgers University - Camden (BA/DO program w/ University of Medicine and Dentistry, New Jersey)
Siena College with Albany Medical College (8 yr)
Sophie Davis School with CUNY
SUNY - Brooklyn College and Stony Brook
Tulane U - (7 & 8 yr - apply once enrolled)
U of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey
U of Miami (FL) (7)
Boston U
Washington University (St. Louis) (8)</p>
<p>If you want an active college/social life - don't do a combined med program. All you'll do is study and stress. Do a regular 4 year pre-med program, have fun, do medical-related ECs/summer jobs/internships. Then apply to med school. It'll take longer, but it will be a heck of a lot more interesting, fun and probably fulfilling. I know two kids who did a combined program -- one had very mixed feelings about it, the other flat out said, if I could do it again, I never would have gone this route.</p>
<p>Northwestern's a sweet deal- I know a couple of kids in the HPME program, they just have to keep something like a 3.3 GPA and they're set. And I hardly have to mention NU's ferquently cited as having the best (or at least most balanced) social life in the US News Top 15. (Do a search, not just my opinion).</p>
<p>Yeah take Case off the list if parties are important...my friends there say that the social life is pretty lame. Ditto Drexel. Also, NEOUCOM (Northeast Ohio...)</p>
<p>I've heard that RPI has a pretty big greek scene and a decent social life</p>
<p>Rice. Great party scene. The Baylor program won't really kick in at all until after you graduate Rice so I can't help you much there, but even if you don't get into the Rice-Baylor program, you can still have a great time as an undergraduate and rest assured that you will definitely get into some medical school (maybe Baylor after all).</p>
<p>Also, Rice is absolutely one of the least cutthroat of all the "prestigious" schools, including for premeds.</p>
<p>I don't understand Katliamom's post. How can you relax AT ALL knowing for 3.5 years that you have to keep a high GPA and do very well on the MCAT?</p>
<p>Better to get into med school at 18, then keep above the minimum standards for progession. Very little stress there in comparison to not knowing.</p>
<p>I'll second what mochamaven says about NEOUCOM. A lot of my friends who go there have no time to do anything except schoolwork, and I've heard the social life is pretty much nonexistent.</p>
<p>Wow, I wouldn't want to do the WashU combined program. 36 MCAT? Pff. With scores like that and a 3.8 like WashU requires, you could get into many more med schools, and certainly ones that are better located.</p>
<p>Let me explain: you spread out your required hard-core sciences over four years. You also take a lot of non science classes (med schools increasingly favor non-science majors). You give yourself TIME. Many of these combined programs DON'T guarantee admission, they only make it more likely you get in. I was speaking to a physician who also teaches at the University of Colorado medical school. His concern is that there are many things pre-med and med school students should be learning, but aren't: like economics of being a doctor. It ain't like the good old days! (This is the same person who disliked his combined-program btw.) If you take a more traditional route to med school you'll likely have a broader educational background, and one that allows for a fuller, more 'fun' school experience. </p>
<p>But hey, it's all an indivdual issue. Do what you want to do. I'm just pointing out something to OP who stated that social/campus life is important to him/her.... Obviously this person wants something besides med school admission from their "college life."</p>
<p>I go to UMiami -- you shouldn't even have to ask to know that it's definitely a lot of partying lol. I honestly (on average) went out Tuesday-Saturday and still had a 3.7 GPA. Obviously not everyone can do that; I worked my butt off during the day! But, it is possible. And I have a couple friends who are in the 7 year med program and they still have time to go out too! UMiami is sooo much fun ... if you're looking for a very reputable academic instituion where you'll have a TON of fun and party a lot, then definitely keep UM on the list!</p>
<p>Brown is definitely not competitive, in the cutthroat sense of the word. Chill, laid-back kids. And they've definitely got parties if you want 'em :).</p>