<p>Hi, I have been accepted into both the RPI/AMC and Lehigh Programs and I just don't know what the differences/pros and cons are for both programs. I know there's no MCAT requirement for RPI and there is one for Lehigh, but as far as the medical schools they're associated with goes, I have no idea. I was wondering if any of you had any information from your research of the two programs or any info from friends/relatives that have been in Lehigh's program especially and their thoughts on it since on my interview day at Drexel there was only a Villanova representative. Which med school is considered a better med school? Albany med or Drexel, and how is Lehigh as a school? Academics and challenge wise compared to the non competitive atmosphere I've heard exists at RPI. Thank you so much for your help and good luck with everything!</p>
<p>my brother went through rpi/amc and had a great time at rpi though it was only 2 years at the time; he didn't like amc only b/c it was hard but i bet it was probably easier than other med schools or at the same caliber; he got interviews to residencies such as georgetown, yale, columbia, but put his top 3 all in socal including ucla and usc and he got into usc his top choice which has a great program for his field; p.s. he did pretty mediiiocre on his boards so i don't know how he got those interviews</p>
<p>i got into lehigh/drexel prog, but rejected from rpi/amc (im not that sad considering i got into siena/amc), but if i had gotten into rpi/amc, i would chose rpi. at lehigh, u have to get a 30 on your mcats, and though its not impossible to get that score, i rather have a "vacation" for 3 years of not worrying about mcats at rpi( yeaa theres some research...but hey no competition and no worrying bout mcats). however, lehigh is a really good school, i think its in the top 30s-40s of best national universities (i checked its ranking a couple of days ago on usnews.com but im too lazy to find that site again). eventhough i havent visited lehigh, i heard its a pretty campus. its also 40 minutes away from philly, so its in the suburbs, not the city. theres no required research stuff at lehigh, but if u just LOVE to do research, go to rpi. oh and i heard the life at rpi isnt that great. somebody told me that its full of "engineer major, nerds." but then again, thats just one opinion...if i were u, visit both lehigh and rpi if u live up north, or directly talk to kids at both programs. just ask the director for both programs. im sure they'll give u phone numbers/emails.</p>
<p>My son is in same boat. Doesn't know what to do? He is accepted at RPI/AMC and also Drexel/Dexel Medical. Any advice will be greatly appreciated.</p>
<p>give your thoughts on RPI/AMC and Drexel program. Which one is good?</p>
<p>ok... I have been accepted to RPI/AMC, Union/AMC, Lehigh/Drexel and Drexel/Drexel.</p>
<p>My choice is Drexel/Drexel. Here is why.</p>
<p>First off... regarding the whole "MCAT"/"difficulty of program" issue:</p>
<p>MCAT requirement at Drexel Medical's programs is a 27, not 30. You need three 9's.
MCAT requirement at AMC is nothing. You dont take them.</p>
<p>Secondly, a score of 27 is BELOW the national average. I dont mean to sound cocky in any way. BUT, if i have been accepted into med skool as a high school senior, I am 99% sure i can get a 27. In fact, no one has ever NOT been able to get the 27 in the history of drexel's 7 year programs. I dont plan on being the first. Now the issue for most of us isn't getting a 27, but the stress and added pressure of having to get that 27. </p>
<p>Well... I talked to one of my friends in the Drexel program. They said that the program itself is the easiest thing EVER. Like the actual course work as an undergrad is a breeze. SO, if your looking to be challenged, mentally stimulated like never before, I dont think drexel is the place for you. But i'm looking for the complete opposite. So I like this about Drexel. I dont want to go to med skool burnt out. I KNOW FOR A FACT that at drexel, you wont be overworked as an undergrad... because its an easy school... for us program kids anyway.</p>
<p>NEXT: Environment</p>
<p>I live in Northeast Philly. I grew up in Queens, NYC. I hate northeast philly, because I dont like the suburbs. I love city life. I like concrete. I like skyscrapers and buildings. I dont like trees and shrubery and nature and all that. I'm a city kid. I'm NOT ready to commit 3 years of my life to Lehigh [which btw is on the side of a mountain]. Drexel is perfect for me. Its across the street for UPENN, USP and within 10 minutes of Temple. Being from Northeast philly, my social network revolves around these skools. PHilly is amazing. AND IM NOT going to go to lehigh just because its ranked highly according to usnews. YES lehigh is prestigious. BUT, what good does that do me>???? IM ALREADY INTO MED SKOOL. If i wanted prestige, I would mail in my deposit to UPENN. Prestige [as far as the undergrad skools are concerned] shouldnt be a factor in your decision because you are already into med skool!!!</p>
<p>SO GO TO THE SKOOL U LIKE!!</p>
<p>ALSO, I dont want to go to the AMC programs because they are 4 hours away from home for me. NOw, I have indian parents. AND they were sooo surprised when i told them that I would rather go to a school closer to home than go to some skool off in the distance. Throughout high school, I told them, I'm going to go as far away as possible. BUT THEN I REALIZED SOMETHING. Im committing the next 7 years of my life to this.!!!! Would i rather be 4 hours away from home in albany?.. [btw, albany is such a waste].... or 45 minutes away in philly??... my choice is philly...</p>
<p>Also, as far as MED SKOOL reputation:</p>
<p>ok... yes i know, we all want good residencies.
Here's something to think about:</p>
<p>If neither Drexel med or AMC are considered one of the top 20 medical schools in america, do u REALLY think that a residency director is going to give you a residency because you came from AMC as opposed to Drexel, and vice versa. To be honest, BOTH MED skools ARE MIDDLE OF THE PACK. .... and thats the sacrifice you have to make by entering one of these programs... you cant go to a top medical skool like hopkins... y?... because they dont need to recruit kids to their med skool through these kinds of programs... they are prestigious.... DREXEL med and AMC aren't bad... but certainly not great... SO comparing the medical skool reputation of drexel and AMC is like comparing the differences between UPENN and DUKE... THEY ARE THE SAME.... there is no distinctive advantage...atleast from a "prestige" standpoint in the eyes of a residency director...</p>
<p>IT COMES DOWN TO YOUR BOARDS..... which med school you go to is NOT going to change that</p>
<p>also... drexel med offers both PBL learning and traditional learning... PBL[problem based learning... the kind they have at harvard] is a unique method of study... so at Drexel med u do have that option..</p>
<p>ALSO... finally... I also like the fact that Drexel is the cheapest of the four options [im rich so my parents told me not to worry about finances... BUT... it is the cheapest as far as undergrad is concerned and thats always good]... and also... u dont give up ANY summers... which is amazing... becuz at union.. u give up 3 summers if you do the mba and at rpi... u have to give up the summer before med skool to do research... which would probably be a royal pain.</p>
<p>SO... thats the logic behind my decision. I think the fact that ALOTTTT of my friends attend schools in the philly area made my decision a little easier... Also... the best social scene, in case you have yet to pick up on this minor detail [sarcasm] is at drexel.... enjoy your college years... you will never get them back... med skool is going to be hard... residency years are going to be exhausting.... nothing will ever be as fun or easy as your undergrad years.... spend them in a place you like.... </p>
<p>let me know what choices you guys eventually make...</p>
<p>Let me break it down between these two programs. Btw, I'm currently in a program. Take whats closer to you cause thats very very important. If you're the same distance, take RPI/AMC. First of all, MCATs are a pain. To get a 27, although it is slightly below average, you will need to work your butt off for that score. No exceptions. It requires at least three months preparation to open the book, do problems, take practice tests. So when people way "oh no big deal, it's a below average score, etc." Thats naive high school ********. I'm in my second year here and it would be crazy if I had to take the MCATs. That means this summer I would be working on that to get 9's on all the subjects, which isn't easy. Take a look at the test. RPI/AMC allows you to maintain a 3.4 every semester and cruise by. The environment I bet in both schools is awesome. One thing is that AMC students coming out of RPI perform at least 15 points above the national average on the boards (traditional AMC students get avg. scores on the boards) and all are in the top half of their AMC class. Thus they get their top choice residency programs. Money is the same for both schools. Undergrad might vary slightly, but it's all about financial need. Feel free to ask any questions.</p>
<p>well i have a question:</p>
<p>I got into the Lehigh/drexel, the RPI/AMC, the Union/AMC, and University oif Miami HPM. I am leaning towards Union/AMC because you come out of the program with a BS, an MD, and also an MBA. Do you know if the AMC students coming out of Union perform at least 15 points above the national average on the boards??? or are they about the same as other AMC students</p>
<p>When did you hear from University of Miami HPM?</p>
<p>Hey, thanks for the posts, they've been really helpful. I wanted to add that I'm from California, so the distance thing really doesn't matter to me as far as which program I choose and I didn't get to visit Lehigh when I was at Drexel for my interview, since it was so far away. Drexel Med in its current form is pretty new I hear, ever since those three med schools combined into one. The feel I got from both interviews was that the Lehigh/Drexel people didn't seem to care about the program kids as much as they did at RPI, but that was just a feeling I got. I've contacted the program director there to get contact info for someone in the program, but they haven't responded. I'll let you guys know if I hear anything new. Gangsta, I've heard the same thing about the MCAT and that you still have to study to get a 30. Does anyone know what the grading scheme is at Drexel? Like is it Pass/Fail or Honors,Pass/ Fail like at AMC? I'd love to hear any more opinions anyone has. Thanks.</p>
<p>drexel med is a huge institution...i definately would not go there unless that was my only option...taking the mcat over not? why would you ever subject yousrelf the not only the possibilty of not doing well on the mcat but studying for it when you had the option not to?? if you can go to a guaranteed med program where you dont have to take the mcat...those are the true med programs like amcs and umkc...</p>