<p>I am a parent of a student who is trying to get into the 7-yr Medical School programs out of High School. My son is a Sophomore, and I would like advice on the following topics:</p>
<li>How do you improve your chances for getting into the 7-yr programs?</li>
<li>What kind of EC’s, projects, or Coursework does one need to do to achieve this goal?</li>
<li>What are the good schools that offer this program?</li>
<li>Is it better to do this 7-yr program or to do a 4yr Undergraduate degree and then apply for Pre-Med.</li>
<li>Any other tips that you can provide?</li>
</ol>
<p>If you go to the Premed and Med School Forum on CC there is a thread that deals specifically with multiple degree programs. It has moderators who are MDs as well as contributors who are both current med students and members of med school admissions committees. I think you'll find most all of your questions answered there.</p>
<p>You can also get a few books on the subject from Amazon, and they have some listings of the programs in them as well. </p>
<p>He will need to show that he has been involved in medical extracurriculars (research, shadowing, volunteering at hospitals, etc) and understands what is involved and wants to be a physician. Also top grades, rank and test scores. And great references from mentors and teachers. Great he is starting now!</p>
<p>Be aware that all programs are not created equal, so read carefully. </p>
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4. Is it better to do this 7-yr program or to do a 4yr Undergraduate degree and then apply for Pre-Med.
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<p>That depends on the student, how sure they want to go into medicine. The number of kids that say they want to go to med school in HS and even in the first couple of years of college is high, but the number that actually do it after the reality of the job, the coursework and the cost of becoming a doctor is much reduced. </p>
<p>My D was considering medicine during HS, she volunteered in a low income clinic, conducted research (no-medical), did a job shadow and was the student rep on a County health advisory committee. But when she had the option of applying to the Rice/Baylor program, she declined as it was just too early for her to commit as she wanted to try some other options. Freshman year in college she volunteered at a Ronald McDonald house, started taking premed coursework and last summer had the opportunity to go to a summer program at the UWashington med school. As a sophomore, she has finally made the decision to continue as a premed with a humanities degree. Even though she's decided to stick with medicine, I don't think she regrets not applying to a BA/MD program (which might have saved her from taking the MCAT and given her a straight shot to med school) because she had so many other things that she need to try. Now she's "at peace" with her decision and excited about what lies ahead. </p>
<p>I think one more thing to think about, and this varies with the individual, but whether or not they really want to spend 7-8 years in the same location.</p>
<p>I did a year round 6 year program in SC for undergrad/med school and I would NEVER recommend it! Even a 7 year program is not worth it. I basically had no fun in college at all and was extremely underprepared for the rigors of medical school in so many ways.
So, starting medical school at age 20 when we had the oldest median age class ever at that medical school- 28! was simply awful. I was thrown in with people who were married with kids going into their second career( a lot were frustrated engineers) and every other possible lifestyle in between, and I could not yet legally drink! ( at that time I didn't want to)
If I could turn back the clock, I would gladly spend 4 years in an undergraduate school majoring in something I really enjoyed while getting my prerequisites so I could apply to medical school if I wanted. Don't let your child cheat themselves out of the best years of their lives to really grow and complete adolescence by letting them speed up the process.
That being said, I really do love my profession and could not think of doing anything else. I just wish my journey had been much different!</p>
<p>My son is in an 8 year med program, with guaranteed med school admittance. He does NOT have to take MCATs, can major in anything but he must take the normal "Pre-med" classes that med school requires. Many of the students in his program are humanities majors. He currently is a neuroscience major with a humanities interest (possibly a second major). Even though he doesn't have the pressure get all As, he still works hard and is driven to do his best (seems all his classmates work hard as well) - and he has maintained a high GPA and has taken a couple non-major classes pass/fail. BUT he sees a difference - he feels more relaxed to spend his undergrad years studying what he wants. He can spread out his pre-med classes however he wishes, since he doesn't have to get them done before MCATs. While regular pre-meds will spend a year studying for MCATs, writing apps and hopefully flying all over for interviews, he hopes to study abroad or possibly do a double major or get more involved in research or whatever... </p>
<p>He was STRONGLY discouraged from applying to these programs by his own doctors - who said he wouldn't enjoy his undergrad years and would be incredibly stressed out - but his experience is just the opposite. What he now realizes is that those doctors must have been thinking of accelerated combined programs where students are rushing through, taking classes during summers, etc. Not all programs are alike so do some research. Some people prefer the shorter programs as they are cheaper in the long run - less tuition. My son was never interested in rushing through. I won't be surprised if he decides to defer med school for a year. In fact, his school actually encourages students to do a gap year.</p>
<p>My DD had several friends who went into this type of set up right out of HS in the UK- DD was not ready yet to say she wanted medicine. Now that she is in the final stages of preparing for the apps to med school next summer, I can totally see the appeal of the 6-7-8 year admissions, especially the ones which allow guaranteed admissions to a med school.</p>
<p>My junior D, like jerzgrlmom's S, is in an 8-year program with no MCAT requirement. Her experience is very similar, although she doesn't intend to take a gap year. Although many major in humanities, she's majoring in Biochemistry & Cell Biology. Biology was her intended major with or without the medical program acceptance. With a full year of AP credit going in, she's taken many classes just for fun (Zombies in Film & Literature anyone?)</p>
<p>She is seriously enjoying her undergrad experience. Yes, she studies very hard and stays far above the required GPA, but she would do that anyway because she naturally expects alot from herself. But she has an active social life, a serious boyfriend, does volunteer work, plays on a couple of sports teams, etc.</p>
<p>I have a friend who rushed thru undergrad in 3 years & then started med school (not purposely the accelerated program, but he caused it to be). He said that in retrospect it probably would have been better for him if he had stopped more & smelled more roses, but that's just him & it was WAY back in the day. At the time he started college he honestly had no idea he wanted to go to med school My SIL also didn't know for sure she wanted to go to med school & majored in nutrition. She took the MCATs & was accepted so didn't take the other grad schools tests & make those apps.</p>
<p>I think there is some risk in shaving time off the undergrad years, but understand that in other countries like Australia/NZ & perhaps elsewhere, it is a more compressed program than typically in the US (4-6 years or so total for all schooling after HS to get med degree).</p>
<p>My D had all of your questions (and more) a couple of years ago. She looked at places such as BU & NU and also med schools that lead to a DO (doctor of Osteopathy) degree. She didn't get accepted to any of the 7-year MD programs, but did get into a DO program. The latter appear to be easier to get into, and that may be one option for your son - they are not as common as MD schools, though; LECOM and PCOM are two colleges in our state that offer it. </p>
<p>My W, based on teaching students & residents, said that there were good DOs and bad DOs just like there are good MDs and bad ones, but apparently there is some stigma, and my D decided against the DO route.</p>