<p>My goal is to become a doctor. I recently was accepted to Creighton and received an interview at UMKC Medical School for the six year BA/MD program.
I am still waiting to hear back from Creighton's Honors Program.</p>
<p>I would like some feedback on which I should attend next year. While I know UMKC is an accelerated program, I have heard it has many flaws. At the same time, cutting down two years is a big deal.
I want to take everything in account such as the program, the location, the classes, ect.</p>
<p>The flaws with UMKC’s program are real, and they start with missing out on a normal undergraduate experience (which can’t be replaced and for a great many people are some of the best years of their life). </p>
<p>As for Creighton, it’s an okay place. If it’s a great fit for you, then go for it. However, if there’s some place else that’s a better fit, go there instead. Creighton has a reputation for being some what of a pre-med “factory” which isn’t necessarily a terrible thing, but there’s not much benefit either - unless it’s the right school for you for other reasons (size, Jesuit foundation, etc).</p>
<p>melpra, if you have any specific questions about Creighton, PM me. I attended Creighton for undergrad as a premed in their honors program and thoroughly enjoyed my experience. So, I know the premed and honors program inside and out.</p>
<p>Bigredmed, I was just curious if you have experience with Creighton’s premed/undergrad program considering you think it’s just an “okay place.” I think I could make a pretty accurate guess as to where you went for med school based off of your handle so perhaps you have a unique outsiders perspective about Creighton?</p>
<p>If you get into UMKC, grab it and go; two siblings attended six year programs, and now 30 years on, both are very glad they did. Both had excellent results with residency match; getting into medical school is very tough, and if you know you want to be a physician, go the six year route.</p>
<p>You have to wait until you are accepted. Interview is not an acceptance. Do not waste your time counting birds in a bush, consider them when they are in your hands.</p>
<p>We have met many families during D’s interviews at several bs/md programs that considered accelerated route as their #1 choice. it depends on many factors and they were different from family to family. There are NO general rules here. As Bigredmed pointed out, the normal college experience was my D’s priority, but not many others’. D. was lucky to be accepted to both accelerated and non-accecelrated bs/md programs, so she choose what she wanted. Not everybody is in position to choose, programs are very hard to get into. We also have met several current students in accelerated (and non-accelerated) programs. They were all very happy, they all have adjusted to requirements. Please, look closer AFTER you are accepted, then decide. Many of us here will not have experience with the specific programs and UGs on your list. In addition, it might look like a good choice for somebody but not for you. You have to decide how any UG or bs/md program fits your personality and wide range of interests. Make sure that you are not mesearable in the most crucial (for your future) and very challenging 6 - 8 years.</p>
<p>The flaws with UMKC’s program are definitely real. Something you should think about (although I personally can’t imagine knowing the answers to these questions while I was still in high school) is what specialty you want to work in and vaguely what kind of career you want to have. </p>
<p>UMKC’s average Step 1 scores are considerably lower than other schools, which theoretically means it is more difficult for UMKC students to match into competitive specialties or competitive programs within any specialty. This may or may not be a drawback for you. UMKC has a lower match rate (as in, getting one of your top 3 choices) than other schools, including other public schools in the same state. This may or may not be a drawback to you. </p>
<p>If you were interested in a competitive field–or even might be interested in a competitive field–such as radiology, ortho, ophtho, anesthesia, or derm–then UMKC might not be the best place for you. On the other hand, if you’re interested in less competitive fields–such as internal med, peds, emergency–then UMKC might be fine for you. If you envision your career as one where you’ll be doing high-powered research at a top academic institution, then academic pedigree probably matters and thus UMKC might not be the best place for you. If you’re interested in specializing in pediatrics and then going back to your hometown, opening up a private practice, and enjoying continuity of care with your patients, then UMKC is probably fine for you. </p>
<p>A classmate who was originally part of the UMKC program (and is now friends with the UMKC crowd who finished residency interviews) mentioned that her former classmates subjectively feel like they have a lot more to prove than students from traditional schools when they’re interviewing because their program is looked at somewhat skeptically (for reasons that have already been mentioned) by the residency program directors where some of her friends interviewed. Others thought their interviews were fine. </p>
<p>Personally: I considered the UMKC 6yr program in 2006, and decided that it was more important to me to have more options upon graduating from med school than I believed UMKC would offer. I didn’t think saving 2 years of my 20s was worth it if in the end I didn’t get to be part of the career I wanted. Since then, I’ve found that medicine is quite demanding, but that it’s definitely the right field for me–and working in it isn’t a drawback (meaning–I don’t wish I had 2 more years. I’m fine with the total I’ve already dedicated.)</p>
<p>Thanks everyone. I appreciate the replies and I’ll take them all into consideration.
I know that I have not been accepted yet. There is a good chance I won’t even have to worry about this because I’ll be rejected.
I just want to be prepared considering how lost I feel at the moment.
Creighton isn’t my only other option. They have just offered me the best benefits and I know a lot of premed student there.</p>
<p>I want to do research and pursue exciting, innovative fields of medicine in the future.
Will UMKC really cripple me that much in my endeavor?</p>
<p>Medicine is a very challenging field full of very competitive people. If you have lofty goals–and I’d consider doing research in an innovative field to be on the lofty side of things–then it’s in your best interest to set yourself up for success. One way you can set your self up for success is by going to the best school you can. Academic pedigree does seem to matter if you are interested in pursuing academic medicine (which sounds like what you described). So, to this extent, UMKC will probably cripple you.</p>
<p>Another thing to think about if you’re interested in research is whether you might be interested in MD/PhD. If that’s the case, then you’d need time to do research, find mentors, present, etc etc–and time is certainly at a premium if you’re cramming all of undergrad into 2 years. </p>
<p>At the same time, who knows–you might change your mind completely and decide that you don’t want to do research anyway. A lot of young students tend to romanticize the notion of research anyway and don’t realize what it really takes to successfully “do research” as a career (not saying you’re one of them). If this is possible, then in the end, choosing UMKC wouldn’t really matter.</p>
<p>Some conventional wisdom here will say that if you’re competitive enough to be accepted to a combined program right out of high school, and you continue on the same trajectory, then you’re probably among the students who are most likely to get into med school taking the traditional route anyway. </p>
<p>But back to the original question of–will it really cripple you that much. It certainly won’t help you. It will probably make things more challenging. It will probably close some doors to you. But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible or that all doors will be closed. Just means that you will have to be that much better in order to overcome it–and who knows, maybe that’s your style!</p>
<p>Knowing what I do now–about med students from various schools in MO, including my own–UMKC would not be among my top choices for med school.</p>
<p>OP,
Ask yourself if any UG, program or not “crippled” future of anybody or it was a person (student) who did it to him/herself. I bet it is second and not the first. I know the person who got accepted to a very selective residency (at Mayo Clinic) after similar 6 y accelerated program. There are NO general rule, we all have anecdotal evidences that point in completely opposite directions. Self-relience is the key to success. Yes, some have to work harder than other. As I can see from my kid experience, she had to do a bit more, go overboard working hard than many of her friends who had MD parents (as one example). Is it a general rule? No, it is part of my D’s life that has been discussed among us. She never felt bitter about anything, just took everything as is. You decide, plunge, and never look back, just do the best under ANY circumstances. There ALWAYS pros and cons in any environment. To learn how to turn everything into your advantage is a life lesson, the most valuable of them all.</p>