@Gumbymom Thank you so much. You really fit your tile forum CHAMPION. 
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@thumper1 What are her chances to get into BS MD programs?
Post your questions and kid stats here. You can start a thread…or just read about these programs.
Also, I’ll tag @momsearcheng whose daughter got accepted to two BS/DO programs.
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Ask on the forum I linked above. These programs are as competitive or more competitive than most of the top elite colleges.
I am not the right person to ask about these programs.
Our daughter also graduated from Davis and was also accepted into several medical schools.
She didn’t attend CC prior to going to her college. Students typically don’t do that if they’ve been accepted to a 4 year college unless they want to take classes in the summer while their college is on break.
She didn’t attempt a BS/MD program because she didn’t feel that she had had enough exposure to medicine to absolutely confirm her life’s path at 17. She had hundreds of hours in a biotech lab as well as volunteering hundreds of hours in a Vet’s office (dealing with blood, bile, urine, loss of pets, scheduling, etc.)
Don’t railroad your daughter into a BS/MD program. I imagine she hasn’t seen death up close on a continuous basis? During med school, our daughter and her classmates were front and center in the Covid Crisis and experienced seeing the handling of human remains in refrigerator trucks. It hit them very hard, and, they weren’t 17.
Your daughter can major in anything and if the med school doesn’t work out, she’ll have a degree in something she likes.
Slim to none honestly. BS/MD are extremely competitive and you need a different profile.
I know BS/MD Programs can be extremely competitive. But Would you please elaborate on why there is little/slim chance for my D. Just trying to understand what is lacking or where to improve. Thank you
She will be against students who did research, ton of volunteering, 10 +AP exams, 500+ hospital hours, shadowing etc. It is like competing against people who flew to the moon or spent years helping in Africa… It is harder than getting to Ivy schools.
We did not participate in that competition, so I cannot help you with improving. I think it is too late to improve anyway.
Also even if your daughter would make it, can you pay full ride for BS portion and MD portion?
You might want to include Clemson and the University of South Carolina for merit.
Is your daughter sure about medical school? It’s not an easy decision to make at 17, although some/many do and never change their minds. My daughter was premed but changed her mind about med school after graduating and realizing that her career interests were elsewhere.
As far as majors, my daughter was a biology major with a chemistry and Hispanic Studies double minor. She’s returning to school this fall after working for four years, earning enough to support herself and save money for school. Not a high salary by any means, but enough to support herself and also save some money.
I think majoring in biology is perfectly fine if your daughter is 100% sure that she will eventually be applying to some type of grad school, even if it isn’t medical school. The key to a successful job hunt is to gain relevant experiences during undergrad.
For those who do not plan to continue, or are not sure about continuing their education after four years, I would choose something else such as biostats etc.
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This is an important point. While your student could get some decent merit aid for undergrad in one of these programs, the medical school part is usually costly.
Check the LECOM programs. BS/DO. What I like about this one…student attends an undergrad at a college on their partner list…and then goes to LECOM for their DO degree. It’s a nice variety.
But agree…this kid needs some medically related ECs in high school to then apply for these programs…I think.
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BS/DO route is good for students who want to work in primary care or emergency medicine. I can bet that 90% of 17 years old want to be specialists. (And their parents are not interested in least paid fields too.) Plus majority of people are not interested in DO period. DO schools are less prestigious and most in the middle of nowhere.
I am sorry, but I hardly can imagine girl from California with these stats to be interested to attend school in Erie in PA. Also there are very few feeders on West cost. Student would need to persuade LECOM admission committee that she is very interested in her choice. Why LECOM from CA?
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Would your daughter be interested in Bioinformatics, Biostatistics, or Biochemistry? These majors are slightly less competitive to get into in CA than biology and offer more job prospects if she needs a “glide year”.
Your daughter should probably apply to UCR&Medical Scholars there
UCR has lots of “pathway programs” wrt medicine.
https://pathwayprograms.ucr.edu/
Thomas Haider = as a jr or sr in college, when she’s completed
And UCR is a safety for your daughter.
Other safeties in CA: Cal Poly Pomona and Humbolt, Cal State Chico (Honors), perhaps UCSC (and their “honors” program).
Someone mentioned WWU which is WUE and another safety for her.
Biological sciences are one of the most competitive majors at UCs and CSUs.
Good instate targets would be UCD or Cal Poly SLO.
(She can ofc apply to any UC bc her stats are excellent).
From the list of private colleges above, run the NPC on St Olaf and show interest (create an email address just for college communication - register with "join our mailing list - check it regularly - open emails and click on links of personal interest: all of this will be tracked.)
Its science offerings are excellent, it’s large for a LAC (over 3,000 students), they offer need-based and merit aid. It’d help if she were a high level musician (lots of topnotch musicians attend, it’s a music mecca).
Closer to you, Whitman would also provide a personalized, topnotch science education.
Mount Holyoke and Smith are elite women’s colleges which strongly support women in STEM.
The recommendation about “showing interest” also applies.
In terms of reaches, Rice, USC, Northwestern, UChicago, Vanderbilt, Wesleyan, Williams, or Brown may appeal to her. All 4 have very different “vibes” or “cultures” and if some appeal more then we’ll be able to suggest colleges that share some of her preferred characteristics.
For a larger, OOS university that offers merit&a solid Honors College (isn’t necessarily better than a UC but is a safer admission bet), look into Miami Ohio, College of Charleston, University of Alabama, University of South Carolina, University of Cincinnati.
Depending on your personal situation, you may have to consider healthcare/health safety concerns in some states.
As for this summer, I agree she shouldn’t be taking classes at the CC (or only one that she’d deem un necessary and fun but could come from community education). Having a (possibly very part time) job, especially if it’s client-facing, is a great opportunity to do something entirely different. She can also do whatever she finds fun or, as someone suggested, try to get/start working on a CNA or EMT certificate.
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@GreenD525
For safeties, consider WUE schools. WUE is a consortium of public state colleges in the western states that offer reduced tuition to residents of other consortium states.
Schools and the majors they offer are here: Save On College Tuition | Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE)
FWIW, I agree with @aunt_bea about BA/MD programs. I am opposed to them on philosophical grounds. A BA/MD program is committing a 17 year old not-quite adult to a career path that requires 11-25+ years of training before they can really start their independent adult life. Few 17 year olds, no matter how mature, really understand what kind of life they are signing up for and the kinds of sacrifices required and the limitations it places on their life. They simply don’t have the life experience to make this kind of decision.
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@MYOS1634 Thank you. Great Info. She is volunteering currently at a hospital and has ~250hrs, (considering for Volunteer service awards), also did shadowed Physicians at a reputed hospital. Currently doing a part time job as Piano teacher (certified) and enrolled in honors program at local CC. Thank you for suggesting CNA or EMT Certification. Looks like it would be a better option for her than CC she can also get clinical hours and good for the pre med majors.
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Thank you so much. I have started this thread without knowing any 'abc’s of college search and what colleges to apply etc. You all have been so helpful in guiding me the right direction. I really appreciate all your input. Once my D finishes her AP exams we are going to write down college list and i will update you. Please feel free to add if you think of any good pre med schools/prog she can apply for.
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Why? Because this student is a strong applicant, and perhaps could gain acceptance.
DO students receive the same training as MD students. The match was merged a while ago. Students graduating as DOs work side by side with students who are MDs. There are DOs in many specialties, not just primary care.
And LECOM has more than one campus location. I would say none are in the middle of nowhere.
And big plus…LECOM is the least costly private DO school in the country.
It’s at least worth exploring their BS/DO option if this student wishes to do so.
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Why would you think the OP’s daughter wouldn’t be interested in LECOM when your own daughter chose this BS/DO program? Quite a few students from California attend a number of the LECOM partner schools.
Plus you’re wrong about the western US partner schools. There are 2 partner schools in Phoenix and 7 in SoCal , including 4 public Cal States. And 2 more in Hawaii.
@Gumbymom Again one more layman question :). Do AP classes weigh more than classes taken at CC? Especially for private colleges (IS or OFS). My D has signed up for 4AP classes for her senior year (Total would be 11 AP’s). But through college advantage program she was selected to finish her senior year of high school at CC. In this case, she can take max 15 credits (college courses) at CC. By the end of senior year she will finish 5 AP’s and college courses at CC which would be less AP classes compared to finishing her senior year at HS. Would that impact her admission criteria?
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Each private university will have their own policies regarding GPA calculations and weighted classes so there is no Universal answer.
UC’s weight AP/IB/CC and UC Approved Honors courses the same with 1 semester course = 1 Honors point.
CSU’s give 2 extra Honors point weight for each CC semester course. While AP/IB or UC Approved Honors courses are given 1 Honors point for each semester.
CSU’s only consider the Capped weighted GPA which is capped at 8 semesters of Honors points.
The combination of AP and CC classes Senior year would show high rigor which will be fine. She will be reviewed in the context of what her HS offers along with how she compares to her peers. If her counselor considers her Senior year rigorous that is all the confirmation you need.
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