Hello. I’m new to CC, so I may be in the wrong place, but I’m not sure where else to post this. However, I recently got into Brown University for undergrad, but I was also accepted to the Akron/Neomed 6yr program. This is the last year of the program, and it consists of two years of undergraduate schooling at the University of Akron, then four years at Northeastern Ohio Medical College (Neomed). There is a lot less stress at the Neomed program (only need a 3.4 gpa and 50th percentile on the MCAT!) and it would cost slightly less money for all 6 years than 4 years at Brown (thankfully money is not a major issue).
I am really conflicted as to what I should do. How important is going to a prestigious undergraduate school or Medical school in Medicine? I am set on Medicine and I would be a neuroscience major on the premed track at Brown. Is the level of stress that I would have at Brown worth it? I was also waitlisted at Johns Hopkins, Rice, Northwestern, Columbia, Harvard, Cornell, and Duke. Even though I know the chances of me getting off the waitlist at any of these schools is slim, is there any specific one that I should definitely pursue as a potential premed student(I really don’t want to take someone else’s potential spot if I don’t have to)?
I would appreciate if anyone with experience at either school could provide some insight. I’ve done a fair amount of research into both options, but I would greatly appreciate the opinions of some people with more experience.
If you have what it takes to make it into a med school, you’ll do it from Brown (with no gen ed requirements and a 3.6 average GPA, meaning even an average brown student has a mednsxhool worthy GPA) as well as from Akron/Neomed.
Unless you’ve been at boarding school, I’d pick Brown for the change of region and a great undergraduate experience. If you’ve lived outside of the Akron area you may not mind as much but it’s still good to discover something different during college.
How many students who enter the program actually complete it (because I heard it was switched to something else due to the failure/drop out rate linked to the difficulty in fitting all the requirements in the two-year timeframe.)
If you’re laser-focused on med school and don’t care about the undergraduate experience, ask how many from a starting cohort make it into neomed.
@thatonebloke Some random thoughts for your consideration.
One of the oldest BS/MD guaranteed program ( One of the top administrator in Cleveland clinic graduated from Neomed in seventies and could reach some top position).
Recently they are experiencing that many students are not able to get decent score in mcat and/or GPA and hence the decision to change from 6 to 7/8 year model. I think that may be due to the narrow focus of the program in admitting 90% of students from Ohio state only. But I presume this point may not be relevant looking at the colleges you are waitlisted and with admission at Brown, you are capable to study well and get good scores.
You have not mentioned if you from that area or OOS. The reason behind that is, are you comfortable to live 4 years in Neomed campus. Personally as a parent I felt when I visited once, there is no life except the neomed building and dorm. If you are comfortable, then it is fine.
Since it is 6 years it is on a fast pace, it starts right away in Mid June and not much summer break going forward.
If you are so sure and want to complete MD, you can consider Neomed. But there are decent chances that you may get 1 or 2 from your waitlist. Do not rule that out. Unfortunately the whole admission process is game. Whether it is top BS/MD programs or Ivy-top UG programs, the very few top talented students will end up applying to many schools and they get selected to same and obviously every student is going to join only 1 college.
Of course you need to put focus, efforts and go thru the grind again in all other schools. Risk versus Reward. You will be a better judge than any one. GL.