<p>Anyone have any info or any say about this program? Anyone who is in the program at this moment and has some reasons why they would choose a different school without a med program instead of this program, plz help out. Im from california, so east coast would be a big change, but its guaranteed into med school, and its worth the sacrifice. But any advice or input would be greatly appreciated.</p>
<p>I got into this program and I'm seriously considering going. I know someone in the program who's a 2nd year at Drexel and he's enjoying the program so far. I'm basically posting what my decision process is for choosing Lehigh/Drexel over NYU, Tufts and the other schools I got into. I'm also on the "still under consideration" list at RPI/AMC (although I pretty much consider it a lost cause) so a lot of my references include that program as well.</p>
<p>A) Work Load
From what I've heard from students at this and other med programs, the work load is pretty much the same across the board. Your workload can be nice and relaxing at Lehigh or it can be rigorous depending on preference. Because of the low GPA requirement and the ability to choose any undergraduate major, the years spent at Lehigh are academically less stressful than going to a traditional undergraduate program. Obviously, as in any med program, the work load increases significantly once you go to med school. But that's pretty much on par with any other program.</p>
<p>Compared to other programs: Same
Compared to traditional pre-med: Better </p>
<p>B) Undergraduate "Experience" (not academics)
What differentiates this program is the 3 years spent at Lehigh. My friend said he enjoyed his undergrad years because Lehigh is a top 40 undergraduate university so you get intelligent people who attend from varying backgrounds. Plus, its known as somewhat of a party school so it's not like at RPI where you're going to school with 4000 computer nerds. So this way, the Lehigh part of the program really gives you the "undergraduate experience" that everyone is so afraid of not getting if they attend a combined degree program. And Lehigh has one of the most underrated campuses in the country as far as aesthetics go so that also contributes to the undergraduate experience.</p>
<p>Compared to other programs: Better
Compared to traditional pre-med: Better</p>
<p>C) MCAT
The one thing that sucks about this program is the MCAT requirement. I know a lot of people say that getting a 27-30 on the MCAT is not that hard but I find that argument to be misleading. I perform well on standardized tests but that's because I work my butt off and aim high. Just because you only need to get a 30 doesn't mean you should study enough to get a 30. Knowing me, I'm going to work and study hard enough to get the highest MCAT score possible, and that would be true regardless of where I went. So, at least for me, the MCAT requirement at the Lehigh/Drexel program makes it the same as going to another undergraduate college and having to take the MCAT after 4 years.</p>
<p>Compared to other programs: Worse
Compared to traditional pre-med: Same</p>
<p>D) Summers
RPI's program skips the MCAT requirement and instead makes you do a summer of research. In either case, your summers are occupied with med-related studying/work. So, in either case, you're pretty much on par with the other med programs as far as time spent. The difference is, at RPI/AMC, you get paid for your research work and you get to mingle with your peers at the program. And of course, its a lot less stressful than studying for the MCATs. With traditional premed, you're summers are pretty much all occupied with trying to get clinical experience, studying for MCATs, and trying to pad your application.</p>
<p>Compared to other programs: Worse
Compared to traditional pre-med: Same</p>
<p>E) Graduate "Experience" (not academics)
If you do go the traditional premed route, location and campus is another thing to consider. Drexel is right in Philadelphia and since I live in Long Island, NY, its only about 2hr30min away from where I live and I get to experience another big city which is cool. But another thing to consider is Drexel's campus, which I know many of us visited for our interview. I've heard from many previous students and people who live in Philadelphia, that it's basically a dump. Now, I was basically only at the med school so I didn't get a chance to look around much but that may be another factor for someone to consider. Again, I don't know this first hand, just passing on what I've heard others say. I've stayed right around AMC at a friend's apartment and while the weather is really cold most of the year, the area is pretty nice because you're in Albany, NY, a major city. I'd also imagine if you went the traditional med school route, you'd hope to get into a top 30-40 med school that would inevitably have a nicer campus.</p>
<p>Compared to other programs: Worse
Compared to traditional pre-med: Worse</p>
<p>F) Status
If status and prestige is one of your top concerns, then combined degree programs aren't for you. When I say I got into "Lehigh/Drexel Med", people think I'm giving them a list. They inevitably ask, "So which one are you going to choose, Lehigh or Drexel?" at which point I go into my little synopsis of a med program "Well, actually its a combined degree program at both..." and yes, it is quite annoying. But unless you get into USC/Keck, NW HPME, Rice/Baylor, or any other program that's tied to a great undergraduate school, that's a sacrifice you have to make. As far as residency goes, schools don't really care where you went to undergrad and of course where you went to med school makes a difference but what makes more of a difference is how you performed at the med school you attended and what your board scores are. Having said that, Drexel is not really a great med school. Neither is Albany Medical College. But its usually the kids in these combined programs that tend to do the best in these med schools because they are so driven. So, if in the end, its just about your willingness to sacrifice the status symbol for added simplicity in getting into med school. In my opinion, the undergraduate prestige doesn't really mean anything if you end up 4 years later with a low GPA and no med school prospects.</p>
<p>Compared to other programs: Worse
Compared to traditional pre-med: Worse</p>
<p>G) Intangibles
There is one big difference between a non-program school and combined degree programs, and its kind of a big one: Competition. If you go to a place like John Hopkins, Cornell, Rice, Northwestern, or any top 50 institution, its basically an "every man for himself" policy. The competition is fierce. Its basically like being in high school again except in high school you had kids of varying intellects competing for a wide range of spots in various fields. In these top institutions, you have some of the smartest and hardest working kids in the nation all competing in the same major for a limited number of med school spots. So, if you go to a top 50 institution and try to apply to med school after 4 years, those are the kids you'll be competing with. I've heard many cases of students sabotaging other students in order to get ahead. But with med school acceptance rates hovering around 50%, what do you expect?</p>
<p>Compared to other programs: Same
Compared to traditional pre-med: Better</p>
<p>Well, I hope that helps a little. That's basically the decision process I am using when I'm deciding what to do for the next 7-8 years of my life. Obviously in all of this, I'm not taking into account financial considerations, which could be huge for some people. And another thing, this is not taking into account the amount of passion or drive someone has for medicine. Honestly, some of my brother's friends have gotten pressured into med programs or kind of just went into it thinking they would develop their passion later on and they're all either unhappy or out of the programs pursuing other careers now (either by failing or dropping out). So, this is assuming that you have the passion to become a doctor and know that its what you want to do but like me, are just trying to decide on the right way to go about it.</p>
<p>Anyways, hope this helps. (It helped me just by writing it down so thanks for asking the questions.)</p>
<p>Best of luck to all and post back with any questions or comments. I can ask my friend in the program any questions so feel free to ask away.</p>
<p>SgX57 - wow !
Excellent summary.</p>
<p>amazing answer, i love you. But could you expand on the summer part a bit more? does that mean we can't go back home, are we forced into researching? can we do our own research back at home or something?</p>
<p>oh snap another question, you think if i asked to transfer to drexel university to do my undergrad instead of lehigh, they would let me? cuz i applied to drexel and i got in with a scholarship too but i didn't get in as part of the ba/md program. i'll try asking but i highly doubt they would let me unless someone has any advice on how to go about trying this out.</p>
<p>funkmasta, if you read some posts by gangsta in other threads he's said and i've heard from rpi students that you do 10 weeks of research in the summer (starting in may when rpi gets out of school) after your thrid year at rpi and you end up getting like a month and half off to go home or do whatever before you start your first year of med school. then i think it varies how much reasearch one does after the first year of medical school most students do 8 weeks or so and take 2 or 3 weeks off for that summer, from what i've heard it's pretty relaxed, and apparently in special circumstances (family issues etc i think they've let some students do research close to home and one student i heard just did something other than research after first year of med school, but the prgram's interest is research, but again your interests can change by the time you get to med school)</p>
<p>The way I see it, not everyone goes to Harvard Med and becomes a neurosurgeon. And there are not many med schools in the first place. If you are in the top half of med schools I could hazard a guess that you have a chance at any residency as long as your academic record is good.</p>
<p>This is probably completely untrue but not everyone from a top med school is going to go for a top residency, some are goign to go through med school just to teach in a med school. Believe it or not, some go through med school at Harvard and end up just practicing general medicine.</p>
<p>funkmasta, you could prolay write a letter or something. Since you got into the med program itself, I don't think it would be that big of a deal for them to let u go to drexel. I myself got into both lehigh/drexel and drexel/drexel, but it looks like i'm going to drexel/drexel because lehigh didn't give me a penny in scholarships.</p>
<p>yeah same here, lol that's why i want to try it out, but I have to do it soon, i might just call them though since it's faster. I don't have a problem with lehigh, but i'd like that scholarship and plus its in the city so there is some stuff to do, but that's like the least of my worries, its on the bottom of the list, but if i can do it, why not try, right?</p>
<p>hehe thanks for the compliments guys</p>
<p>So, has anyone else decided on Lehigh/Drexel yet? I've pretty much made up my mind unless Tufts or NYU or one of my waitlisted schools blows me away.</p>
<p>I figure this would be a good way to get to know each other in the months before school starts.</p>
<p>P.S.
For those still deciding, I found a pretty interesting thread from studentdoctornetwork.com. One of the comments is from a person who went to Lehigh/Drexel, took the MCATs, did well, and applied out to Columbia Med and got in. Interesting stuff and a good read from a lot of people who have more insight than we do. <a href="http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=270497&page=1&pp=25%5B/url%5D">http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=270497&page=1&pp=25</a></p>
<p>P.P.S. funkmasta, let us know if anything comes out of calling up the colleges, it sounds like an interesting situation. Best of luck!</p>
<p>sxg57, im actually pretty sure im going to lehigh/drexel program unless some other ba/md program decides to randomly call me and offer me a full scholarship, so whudup? I think its a good idea to get to know each other, especially cuz im gonna be nervous moving to the other side of the nation by myself. do you know how many people got into the program sxg? I know like 10-13 people usually enroll, but I'm not sure how many actually get accepted into it, so based on that number i doubt we'll run into many other people going to lehigh drexel...anywayz, respond back, lets keep this up.</p>
<p>hey watsup...i actually think you might've been there on my interview day...if you're the same dude from cali that i remember being there. i only know of one other kid from my school who got into lehigh/drexel's ba/md program, but that's pretty much it. what other programs/schools have you gotten into?</p>
<p>lehigh/drexel was the only place i got into for programs because i didn't apply to many that were within my reach, but i got into UCLA, Berkeley, USC, and a few other west coast schools...the program seems good but the only thing that I didn't like was the MCAT part, to score above a 30 would make us competitive for other med schools anyway, and with the GPA requirement too, we could opt out of the program whenever we want. Its just that safety net, knowing that you got a place to go after undergrad, oh and hte whole 7 years part.</p>
<p>yeah it's totally the same for me...i wish i got into some of the other programs i applied to because this one does have some cons. i'm actually about to leave to go to Lehigh, they have some orientation-type deal at their school today, along with a meeting for BA/MD Candidates. so hopefully i'll come home with some more information =)</p>
<p>yeah I was planning on going next week on friday for lehigh day. Anyways let me know how the school is when you get back.</p>
<p>hold up someone told me that the lehigh drexel program 'weeds out' students from the program, i think its called the tier system. Is this true? So if I didn't perform as well as some other students, i get kicked out of the program?</p>
<p>I went for the BA/MD meeting today. Campus is beautiful
Weather was bad (rain/snow/cold).
There were about 18 + BA/MD and dental etc selected students. Stephanie Miller (asst. director) told that about 10-14 students join the program and only 1 or 2 students drop out mainly due to change in career path. She said, "ITS A GIFT TO BE ADMITTED TO THIS PROGRAM".
About 30 -40 students join PRE-MED program and acceptance rate to med school is 91 % etc. etc.</p>
<p>is 91% from the ba/md program or just pre-med from that school? I thought everyone from the lehigh/drexel program got into the medical school....the only reason I ask is because on the contract we have to sign, it says that we arent' technically guaranteed into med school, we have to meet the requirements to stay in the program, but to actually get into med school you have to be approved by some committee.</p>
<p>has anyone received anything from drexel to respond to your acceptance to their med school?? All i got was a packet from Lehigh and a postcard to send to them, but I didn't get anything from drexel, and Stephanie Miller said yesterday that they might not have sent it out yet, but i just wanted to make sure that I'm not the only one...</p>
<p>yeah rm516 i was at the same meeting, she gave some weird stats, esp the 91% deal...oh well, it's still my most viable option</p>
<p>Sxg57
DREXEL did send me an envelop, late march, informing me of acceptance to BA/MD program at Lehigh. There was another attached form, where you have to sign to say that i will matriculate to Drexel in 2009 and final acceptance is dependent on MCAT (30), 3.45 GPA, No C- etc. If you don't send that signed form before May 1 the college will assume that I am declining the offer.
I am planning to go to "Lehigh day" on Friday to make my final decision</p>