<p>Hey, I'm a junior researching schools to apply to next year. I'm interested in medicine but I don't know what school to apply to. My older brother is at a 6 year med program out of state (he turned down Johns Hopkins), but I'm not sure if it's worth turning down a top ranked school for that program. This is what I'm thinking:</p>
<p>1) I could go to University of Illinois Urbana Champaign*. It's a good school, one of the top ranked public schools in the nation and the best part is that I would be paying instate tuition. The disadvantage would be 8 years and having to apply to med school and study ridiculously hard for the MCAT.</p>
<p>2) I could go for that 6 year program* my brother is taking. The advantage is that I don't have to worry about applying to med school because I'd already be in if I could maintain the required gpa, however, it's not cheap and if I decided I don't want to be a doctor I'm screwed.</p>
<p>3) I could go to a top ranked school such as Johns Hopkins or the Ivy League*, the advantage to this is really the prestige. But at the same time private universities = more $. The disadvantage would be 8 years and having to apply to med school and study ridiculously hard for the MCAT.</p>
<p>*Assuming I get in to all these schools (I think I have a solid chance).</p>
<p>1) You're making too big of deal about the extra two years. There are lots of benefits from two years, and I (as a current medical student and someone who turned down an acceptance to a 6-year program) advise 99.9% of students to steer clear of accelerated programs. I won't get into it here, but I'm continually thankful that I took the normal path.</p>
<p>2) You're also making too big of deal about the MCAT. Yes, you have to study for it, but so do thousands of other students.</p>
<p>3) Prestige of undergrad also doesn't matter that much. WHAT you accomplish in undergrad is FAR, FAR, FAR more important than where you accomplish it. </p>
<p>4) People will come out of the woodwork on CC to tell you about this school and that school that they hear puts 100% of their pre-meds or applicants into med school - ignore this statistic. Again, I won't go into the details, but just know that it is an easily manipulated statistic and really doesn't tell you much of anything about a school.</p>
<p>5) The bottom line, take home advice is to go to an undergrad school that you love and that you'll be successful at. You should completely remove any and all medical school considerations from your selection process. You smartly realize that you may decide you don't want to be a doctor at some point during the 6 year program - this can happen going the normal course too. Going to a school where you'll be successful academically, socially, emotionally, and physically (and with great balance between the areas) means that no matter what career path you end up on, you'll be happy at your school and can get the most out of it as is possible.</p>
<p>Why not the 6 year? I mean besides the fact that you probably don't have a life for those 6 years, I think the extra work you put in to save two years of your life and begin your residency two years earlier, is worth it.</p>
<p>1) I'd guess that 95+% of medical students enter through the regular way - by studying hard and applying. Is there a reason why you can't do what 95% of your future peers will?</p>
<p>2) You want to save two years of life for residency, where you work your butt off, by working your butt off for six years as an undergrad/med student? That sounds like crazy math to me.</p>
<p>3) BRM is right. Prestige makes very little difference - it's what you accomplish that matters. If you can't get anything done at a big name school, the big name won't do anything for you.</p>
<p>Find an undergrad that you like. You're doing this complex calculus of cost, time, effort, and benefits without thinking about FUN. Go to a school you like. It's really hard to succeed if you're miserable at your school.</p>
<p>ask yourself, when you're 70 years old and about to retire as a physician, do you REALLY think you're going to say "gee, I'm really glad I was a doctor for 46 years and not just 44..."</p>
<p>Fun DOES matter. I promise you that those two extra years (maybe even 3 if you take 5 years for undergrad) won't be a waste. </p>
<p>Issues I have about 6 year programs include (but are not limited to):
1) Burnout
2) Transferring after burnout
3) workload
4) making sure you really want to be a doctor
5) maturity
6) time away from the classroom whether it be clubs, greek life, sports, study abroad, or even research
7) if such programs really make you the best doctor you could possibly be
8) going to schools that don't fit you simply because they offer an accelerated program
9) cost</p>
<p>I applied for but didn't get into a six year program ( looking back I was having too much fun to do the application well; in pencil while hiding during a pledge period!) and never regretted it. Finished in 7 1/2 years instead, and loved every minute of the undergraduate experience (if 20 year hindsight is reliable...). Don't abbreviate some of the best years of your life!</p>