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<p>My only point, schrizto, in linking to the definition was to say that the process would hardly classify as arduous, as per the actual definition, and seemed to have been used hyperbolically. It wasn’t to insult anyone’s intelligence. I apologize if you felt I was insulting your intelligence or the intelligence of CC members.</p>
<p>In addition to NEOUCOM, here’s some of the programs I think applicants apply to only for the sake of a spot in a medical school.</p>
<p>UMKC is also ridiculously expensive OOS and could be considered to have a reputation not even as good as NEOUCOM. There is also the phenomenon of the white or Asian kid applying to Howard’s BS/MD as the only HBC school they apply to. Another is the type of program where an applicant would have never heard of the undergrad school and would have never considered it either, but will totally go for the program because it is linked with a decent medical school (ie SBU/GWU). I see kids with 2300 SATs, 15 APs, and research applying to UMKC and I really think they would be better off in the long run at their own state school and going the traditional route than UMKC. The factor of fit with a school seems to be completely overlooked in these cases. </p>
<p>Most BS/MD applicants do not apply to these programs, however, because many applicants can see farther than just getting a spot in any medical school. It’s always HPME, PLME, and R/B that are most discussed and it’s understandable that it might be a difficult choice between one of such programs and one of HYPSM.</p>
<p>First off, it is NOT a dilemma many are going through. Second, I respect your opinion and all, but lets wait until someone asks a certain question regarding this. Hypothetical pondering has no point.</p>
<p>@paki786
“hypothetical pondering” does have a point, especially when it may have an impact on your list of colleges.</p>
<p>it allows you to think about the future and what you want to do with your college + years</p>
<p>so in this case, it makes complete sense to think ahead</p>
<p>if you still don’t see the benefits.
it will allow me to choose whether or not I want to apply to both normal universities and thsoe with the combined medical program.</p>
<p>it may seem like a common sense type of problem to just apply to both kinds of universities</p>
<p>but you would be surprised to see the amount of students who only apply to one kind and regret their decision</p>
<p>for that reason i just wanted to hear the reasoning of the general public</p>
<p>and yeah it kind of is a dilemma. O.O</p>
<p>to my other CCers
may i bring to your attention the subject of financial aid</p>
<p>how does it generally work for those in the combined medical program?
do they have financial aid for both undergraduate and medical school?
or just undergraduate, like many other universities?</p>
<p>haha when i get into PLME or HPME, I’ll start pondering about this “dilemma”. I’ll be more than happy to ponder all day about this when I get in.</p>
<p>And yes, about financial aid. Unfortunately, BS/MD programs don’t offer much financial aid because most students are already cream of the crop.</p>
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<p>If you’re talking about financial aid at schools like NU or Brown, it’s need-based. The reason people say that there isn’t much financial aid at these schools isn’t because the students are the “cream of the crop” but because most of the FA goes to those from low-income families.</p>
<p>On the other hand, BS/MD students in other programs usually get the best merit aid if their stats are significantly better than the average SAT and gpa at the undergrad school. Those in USC’s BA/MD usually get a half-tuition scholarship, Pitt’s all have full-tuition scholarships, etc. I believe Rice also offers merit aid on top of its tuition that is already cheap for a top private school (which is why I think it’s better than HPME or PLME :D).</p>
<p>yea I got full tuition to UPitt. Still procrastinating on the GAP supplement, which is due on 1/29.</p>
<p>@schrizto
do those scholarships last throughout the entire medical program?
both need-based FA and merit scholarships?</p>
<p>If you get any scholarships they can be renewed each of your undergraduate years provided you maintain the minimum gpa requirements. Need-based FA needs to be reapplied for every year.</p>
<p>Don’t expect any scholarships for medical school. There are scholarships awarded by medical schools but they are for exceptional candidates who apply the traditional route. It’s actually less likely for someone in a BS/MD to get a scholarship in medical school because they may not have taken the MCAT (which is usually a factor in awarding a scholarship).</p>
<p>Being in combined program gives great sense of security. In regard to MCAT, EC’s and so forth, pre-meds are all involved anyway, in program or otherwise. D. is in program that allows to apply out and retain your spot in a program. Her program also reguires certain minimum MCAT and not accelerated. She was accepted to 3 combined programs with various reguirements, 2 of which were accelerated. Her decision to apply out will be based on her MCAT score. She is junior and very happy to be in a program. We hope that she will continue having scholarships in Medical school, but again it will depend on her MCAT score and school that she will end up going. The reason that she want to apply out is she does not like urban setting of Medical school in her combined program. Her UG school has very pretty campus in a middle of nowhere, which is D’s preference.</p>