<p>Raycmr: I paid off my college/med school debt when I was 58, yet still made more than 75% of America. While those days may be gone, docs still will be in upper third. Would wonder if your DDS’ doc also has a divorce to pay for? Still believe the extra year in non-medical can never be found again. But, if $ is really important, a 3 year med school is the best way.</p>
<p>Punjab, I am not St Paul. Gupta did a 7 year, not 6 and if he was
Hillary’s health care advisor, I will say no more. And the Princess is in Law School</p>
<p>Residency acceptance has changed, but it is still primarily a “good olde boys club”. The sure way to get in is for one of us to receive a phone call from a colleague saying Dr x walks on water. (And yes, if I did get one from a 7 year wonder, I would consider). When I started, my chair would deep six a boy who trained under Dr x would not be considered. </p>
<p>Again I say for a kid who does not want to go into research to seriously consider a 6 year program - esp is he/she wants to do primary care. To consider a 3 year med school instead. To talk to an older doc first</p>
<p>Remember when certain countries lost 20 percent or more on depositors savings accounts virtually over night? Well the Federal Reserve did the same thing to savers especially older savers by allowing banks to one Pay one percent interest from three or four percent. We all got a haircuts of 15 percent or more these last 5 years. They just did it gradually to avoid a revolt.</p>
<p>Well they are doing the same thing to unsubsidized student loans charging them 7 percent.
In the beginning it was to boast banks balance sheets and stim the economy. Now it is to keep interest on the debt from becoming a bigger disaster. But it is still a sin to charge these kids these high rates when half can’t get jobs and bankruptcy excludes student loans.
The only saving grace is there is no debtors’ prisons anymore.</p>
<p>Debt has to be a major consideration to nearly everyone getting a degree. Even if they get a job, a major portion of their net income will go to debt service instead of a house, savings or even their IRA’s for their future retirements. Add to that the future prospect of most doctor reimbursements going to Medicare levels. Why? The government did not negotiate the lowest rates and deductibles like they do under OPM for federal workers .I see in 2 or 3 years the government saying the insurance companies under the Affordable care act are overcharging people and move to a single payer ala Medicare. Then the doctors with big student loans will either have to join the military or work in under served areas under that federal program to get med school debt relief.</p>
<p>“Three year medical schools (no summer vacations): Texas Tech, Mercer are some.”</p>
<p>This is interesting. A friend’s kid was admitted to the med school after freshman year at tech, asked to start after completing undergrad in 3yrs and was told that the admission was only valid after the 4th year. So the kid had a choice of taking the year off or do something else and so chose to get a masters before starting med school.</p>
<p>In many of these programs the seat is assigned to you starting 3 or 4 years in the future so you can’t move it up. It has the "class of date " in the contract. Many would not want to be in an earlier med class since they are so close to the 15 or 20 other kids in their UG class.</p>
<p>No, Sanjay Gupta did the 6 year Interflex BS/MD program at the University of Michigan…</p>
<p>“EDUCATION:
M.D. 1992, University of Michigan Medical School
B.A. in Medical Sciences, University of Michigan
(Interflex 6-year program, combining pre-medical and medical school, accepted directly from high school)”</p>
<p>Clearly there is some poor advice going around. I can’t imagine anyone who advocates accelerating the medical school portion of one’s education, LOL. Thanks for the laughs. </p>
<p>Northwestern, BU, and Penn State/Jefferson have had their accelerated medical programs running for the longest time and none of them have ever cut down the time in medical school. Your performance in medical school is what matters for residencies (except to those residency interviewers who are clearly biased against these BS/MD students…)</p>
<p>With your comments “the king”, it is obvious that you are not a doctor nor have done medical school or a residency.</p>
<p>Gupta enrolled Univ of Mich 1986, University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, and his Doctor of Medicine from the University of Michigan Medical School in 1993 then at least 7 years of neurosurgery. The residency and fellowship are where one learns medicine in one’s practice. </p>
<p>The three year program does not cut the amount of basic science time nor clinical time. In the 70’s there were many prestigious schools doing it but often students found it tough and dropped back But the quality of docs graduated were no different.</p>