<p>i got a free ride at a really great in state college that i've wanted to attend for several years and i also got into a reputable 6 year bs/md program. after the in state college i hope to attend an in state medical school, totaling to about 165k. i have AP/dual enrollment credits so it would become about 7 years total.</p>
<p>i also got into PSU's BS/MD program that totals to about 405k. the program gives me a piece of mind and assures me a med seat, but it's also really far away in a cold climate and gives no scholarships.</p>
<p>Is it worth spending the extra 240k for PSU's medical program? please weigh in. if you respond and would like my opinion on something feel free to include that with your response. thank you! :)</p>
<p>PA is not that cold :). Think about it this way - if you finish a year earlier, then you would be making money one year earlier which could be 240k in one year. It would kind of break even. If it’s gonna end up costing around the same in that regard any way, you might as well keep the guaranteed seat and have a relaxing time taking courses you enjoy and having much less stress.</p>
<p>You must have worked really hard to get into PSU/Jefferson. Remember the high SAT score, commendable EC’s, high GPAs that you had to strive for? It will worse be worse in 3-4 years. You will need publications, great MCAT and high GPA. You will have to stand out like never before. And this is to get into schools that may not be as strong as Jefferson. Take the sure route. Now I just need to convince myself and my daughter of this.</p>
<p>I forgot to mention more essays, recommendation letters, premed counseling office. Application fees, months waiting for interviews, making sure you have at least ten. The expenses of traveling (airfares, hotels, rentals), months waiting, rejections and finally, acceptances. Senioritis, moving, new abode, new people. For the unfortunate few, no or delayed admission.
Pretty much an unproductive year whereas you could have been settled in your place, BMOC, did some travel abroad learning, and insider status compared with the newbie 80% of your medical school class.</p>
<p>250k is a ton of money so definitely would be a hard decision for anyone. But again, don’t take the 6 year ba/md guarantee lightly. Finishing one year early = you start earning one year earlier as well so you should take that into account and calculate the money difference by looking at the net present value rather than total educational costs. Also, there is absolutely no guarantee that you will be able to finish in 3 years AND get accepted into your state med school right after that. You would have to finish most of your pre-reqs, take the MCAT, and apply to med school right after your 2nd year. Also there are a ton of students, for personal reasons and for reasons of improving their resume, that take a year off in between undergrad and med school.</p>
<p>So, although you may be an excellent student, and I would bet you will get into med school eventually if you got admitted to PSU ba/md already, its not necessarily gonna be completely smooth sailing just as you plan.</p>
<p>That being said, if you really like the state school you got into and have talked to other students at the state school who have similarly got into med school right out of undergrad and you know you can do it, go for it!</p>
<p>That’s a decision unfortunately thrusted upon a teenager. Hopefully the medical school admission committees have had the chance to ascertain the maturity, interest and commitment of the applicant. As at that stage, all applicants are considered to be equally intellectually capable.
They and you, have made a mistake. This is very costly to you/your parents. But it happens on occasions. And it is difficult to perform demanding work, while your heart is not into it. If there is any doubt in your mind, then opt for the safer route, and take the free education. It is not easy to get into medical school if you are not committed to the endeavour. Medical students who don’t do well tend not to be capable of doing the work, and not because “they decided they don’t want to do medicine”.</p>
<p>In state full ride. The majority of pre-meds change their minds well before applying (75%).</p>
<p>50% of pre-meds get accepted every year, so you are trading a 50% chance of rejection given the 25% chance you will stay in medicine (a 12.5% probability) for a whole, WHOLE lot of money.</p>
<p>Mature, explore medicine, shadow, think it over and take your time. This is not a race.</p>
<p>the OP posted this long ago, but for future students:</p>
<p>I turned down a full ride at my state college for nova’s bs/md program. However, that’s because I can’t see myself doing anything else besides practicing or teaching medicine 10 and 20 years down the road.</p>
<p>Having that guarantee to a med school is well worth the cost imo. Plus, it is far less stressful. I have pre med friends who go crazy trying to do as much as possible. Many of these kids eventually give up and change majors because they realize that they aren’t competitive enough to get a spot.</p>
<p>In terms of the money situation, i’m sure you’ll be able to pay it back someday. I have cousins in private practice who make $500k to 1.5 million a year.</p>
<p>6 years, though, is a bit tough. I’m in a 7 year program which is pretty decent, but time still feels like it’s flying by really fast. Granted, even if my program were 8 years, time would still feel like its going by quickly.</p>
<p>I strongly agree that “Having that guarantee to a med school is well worth the cost imo”
However, one big question is if accelerated route is for you, or maybe not.
My D. was accepted to several bs/md programs, including accelrated and non-accelrated. She felt very strongly that accelerated one was not for her. She was looking for regular college experience that allowed her to grow and mature as a person while providing good academics. Seh wanted to have minors, possibly continue with her sport (did not happen), maybe Greek, travel abroad, participate in college life as much as possible. At the end, she was right, these experiences are very valuable and more so for the future MD.<br>
However, on our trips to her interviews for these programs we have met some families and current students in various programs and some of them indicated that accelerated was their first choice.<br>
So, only you will know.
If you want to know my D’s experience (currently 3rd year Med. Student), she choose non-accelerated 4+4 bs/md. She was on full tuition Merit award while in UG. She had UG experience that went well beyond expected with many more opportunities that we knew existed there when she applied. Looking back, she still considers her college to be the best place for her. In addition to that, her bs/md also allowed to apply out while retaining your spot in a program. D. has applied out to several Med. Schools and got accepted to 3 additional Med. School. Believe me, going to interviews having already one guaranteed spot is a very different story. She definitely had a great advantage over others. It gives you confidence during interview and actually more chance at being accepted.<br>
Since we did not pay tuition for D’s UG, we are footing her bills for Med. School. If it continues this way, we hope that at the end D. will not have loans.</p>
<p>^MiamiDAP,
Do BS/MD programs allow their students to apply to other medical school ? In some schools (;I don’t know which schools are.), the guaranted spot will be lost if students apply to other MD schools after BS.
What BS/MD program did your D go ?
What MD school did your D end with ?</p>
<p>Go for the free ride. The extra cost isn’t worth it when your debt is rapidly mounting. Medical training will result in you losing many of your hobbies, friends, and sometimes your sanity. IMHO use your 4-5 years in college to enjoy a period of your life you will never get back once medical school begins. Trust me, I know there is a fear about not getting into medical school later. But if you aren’t medical school quality later on, you shouldn’t enter the profession. </p>
<p>In my med school class, the students who were guaranteed admission out of high school were ill prepared and contributed to a historic drop out rate. It was so bad that my school ended their program. </p>
<p>The only thing that is guaranteed in medicine is your debt. Don’t get saddled with any if you can avoid it.</p>