<p>I was accepted into the Lehigh/Drexel program, and I was pretty sure I was going there, until now. I'm from California, and the distance away from family and friends is not THAT big of a deal, but still it is influencing my decision. It's a toss up between this program and UCLA</p>
<p>UCLA:
-about half the price of lehigh
-like an hour away from home
-prestigious
-cali weather is good</p>
<p>BUT </p>
<p>-normal 4 year undergrad
-score as high as I can on the MCATs
-no guarantee to med school
-have to do many other things so I can get to med school</p>
<p>Lehigh/Drexel:
-7 years of schooling instead of 8
-guaranteed a spot into med school</p>
<p>BUT </p>
<p>-FAR away from home
-people are nice there but the atmosphere is a bit different for my taste, im sure i could adjust, but still...
-twice the price of UCLA
-have to score atleast a 30 on the MCATS???? (this was my main problem with the program..)
-GPA requirement is alright, but a bit higher than some other programs
-oh and this is a small problem, but im a vegetarian and Lehigh seems like it would be hard to find food around for me, I'll survive, i know, but still...</p>
<p>I know I will make the final call but I would love to hear some suggestions or opinions.... I have been asked where I would be genuinly happier at, and I would feel happier at UCLA, but then again, I could save a year of my life, and that makes me happy. But how much extra work is there to go to UCLA like any other pre-med compared to going to lehigh and getting a 30+ MCAT and 3.5+ GPA? it seems that if i did that at any undergrad i would be competitive for a lot of med schools as it is....thanks for the help.</p>
<p>omg im in the same situation excpet im choosing btwn ucla berkeley and drexel/drexel. well mostly berkeley vs. drexel. but yeha.</p>
<p>Accelerated medical programs are good...but where you are does make a difference in some way...if you are not happy where you are, then your grades and productivity will suffer a bit. And realize that if you do not meet the GPA or MCAT requirements, you're left with Drexel or Lehigh which do not have such good standings for pre-med applicants to medical schools as do Brown, Rice, and Northwestern. Lehigh is kind of far from Philadelphia and somewhat isolated. But its still okay. It just depends how much you are willing to sacrifice. Anyways, choose wisely.</p>
<p>Id still go with the Lehigh Drexel. Once youre at UCLA you'd regret giving up guaranteed admit. Studying for the MCAT...maintaining that GPA while doing medically related stuff...its tough.</p>
<p>You would still have to study for the MCAT while in the Lehigh/Drexel program and still maintain a high GPA like pre-med students, except not too much emphasis on ec's. Anyways, I do not think Drexel has as good residency placements as do other medical schools. It is not even in the top 50 medical school list from the US News report. However, this depends on what you want to be. If you do not mind going into general medicine, then it is not that competitive. But if you want to be an opthamalogist, dermatologist, or other specialist (which mean less stress and more $), then you may want to consider another more prestigious medical school (JHU, Northwestern, BU, etc.). By the way, Drexel has had a shaky past and uncertain future before merging with MCP Hahneman Hospital, which manages all of Drexel's clinical sites and tertiary hospitals. Nevertheless, its future now is a bit more stable.</p>
<p>hmmm, im going straight med, im just gonna miss cali, and eating food.</p>
<p>I am considering sophomore matriculation programs...where I can apply at the end of the second year for provisional acceptance into medical school...MCAT's are not required at that time...I would just need a decent GPA, good recommendations, and a good interview. These programs are not that risky as I have found out that some accept more than half of their applicants. I know that Georgetown and some state colleges (i.e Penn State) have this type of program.</p>
<p>k, it was a last minute second thought sorta thing, but im sure im going to lehigh. thnks for the quick replies guys. I would still like to hear other opinions though.</p>
<p>what made me happy just now is that i have to get a 27 on the MCAT, not a 30....3 pts. is major man, its major.</p>
<p>27 MCAT total, no score lower than 9. If subscore lower than 9, combined MCAT needs to be 30. Wish you good luck. 27 is below national average. I'm a junior, also in calif. Unless you have a lot of $$. Applying to a lot of medical schools draw from the bank account. I already feel the heat for my family this coming fall.</p>
<p>w00t hopefully i can manage a 27, im not that great with tests. If i cant get a 27, i don't belong in medicine.</p>