<p>Do any of u have any information as to this program and your opinions of it?..also if u have any insight to going into this program vs. going into UMKC's 6 yr ba/md program that would be greatly appreciated as well :)</p>
<p>well from what i have heard on these boards…NOT sure how reliable it is…but slu would be better. graduating college & med school in 6 years wouldn’t really give you a great experience. while graduating earlier might seem appealing, being overwhelmed during these years and not having a true college experience might be a big factor if you think about it, which is why i am not too supportive about the 6 year program. also from what i have heard slu is more respected than the umkc, both undergrad and for med, but like i said this is just what i have picked up on from these boards…</p>
<p>thanks nicole…thats some great insight…anyone else have any info on the matter pleaseeee?</p>
<p>Dear hehs503434: Just my 2 cents worth on 6 year BS/MD programs in general - There is so much more to being a physician than 4 - 6 years of studying science. Dealing with sick people from all walks of life, cultures, etc. requires maturity and experience. Life experience. My oldest is 24 and a first year medical student. He sees patients (with other physicians) in rural clinics, many who have never seen doctors before and are very poor. He is a mature kid, but I do not think he would have been ready to do this at age 20. The problems he sees are much more than medical, they are social and emotional and require more knowledge than he picked up in 4 years of studying at a top university. If you can afford it, I recommend 4 years of undergraduate and 4 years of medical school because you will have the time to grow and mature and be better prepared to take on a medical career and ALL that being a physician entails. (I have been married to a physician for 30 years who has taught 100s of residents, he would agree with my post).</p>
<p>Best wishes to you with your future goals.</p>
<p>Thanks for all that great info HeartArt! It really seems like you have experience with all this stuff with your son and husband. For me i personally would love to go to slu, but my parents keep hearing 6 urs and can’t get that our of their mind and are pretty much forcing me to go there :(…im trying my best to show them my side…any other opions r welcome too :)</p>
<p>It is hard to pass up saving 2 years of tuition, and if you are instate, I am sure the cost of
UMKC is better. The med scholars program is nice because you know you have a spot and do not have to worry about med school applications which are MUCH WORSE and more time consuming than undergraduate applications. Another thought I have is that if you are fairly mature, maybe the 6 year program will work well for you. And if you are female, you can get your education out of the way and still have time to have a family, if you want to do so. With many years of internships, residency etc. it can be difficult to make the time to have kids, this is a big issue for female doctors. And if you are a guy, please do not be insulted! It is hard to make time to become a dad as well!</p>
<p>You have at least two great options. Good luck with your decision!</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/78595-please-tell-me-any-6-year-medical-school-program.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/78595-please-tell-me-any-6-year-medical-school-program.html</a></p>
<p>This thread showed up on cc and it has an interesting post by a physician/parent.
Just another opinion to consider.</p>
<p>haha thanks so much…well ive decided and im gonna go to SLU’s med scholars :D</p>
<p>Dear hehs503434,</p>
<p>CONGRATULATIONS! Very happy for you! My son is headed to SLU next fall on the pre med track as well (Traditional track, not Med Scholars). We have spent a great deal of time looking at all that SLU has to offer and are very impressed. I think you have made an excellent choice and hope your parents are pleased as well. Best wishes!</p>
<p>HeartArt: could you tell me why your son is going “traditional” and not Med scholars route? My daughter is a junior and will be visiting soon to look over the campus. She will be pre-med also and as I read it I thought the Med scholars would be a great “fall back garauntee” so if she was accepted into this program she would have a seat in a medical school. She invisions herself applying to other med schools but does admit having a “definite” would be a great feeling. What, if any, drawbacks do you see to the Med scholars program that your son will not be applying?</p>
<p>I don’t see any drawbacks to going the med scholars route! It is a prestigious program that you have to invited to apply for and then be accepted into! My son would LOVE to be in it, but was not invited. That’s ok, more impetus to study harder. I did find this post on the pre med thread under multiple degree programs…you should check out those threads:</p>
<p>A little inside information</p>
<p>Ok, I am a recent graduate of SLU and attending SLU School of Medicine. I saw this thread, and thought I would give my point of view on the Scholars stuff and how it really works.</p>
<p>I read before that some believe this program is of benefit to the Medical School because it assures good students will enter the med school. I sincerely doubt this claim. SLU, and med schools in general, are competitive enough that there is another student just as (or more) qualified than a given student in the scholars program. I knew many scholars who withdraw from the program to apply out, only to receive rejection letters. The med school receives thousands of applications every year, so they do not need to actively recruit potentially fruitful applicants, especially 4 years before matriculation. The benefit of this program rests squarely on the undergrad campus.</p>
<p>The program is not a guaranteed acceptance. You have to maintain a 3.5 to stay in it, as well as complete a medical school interview. After this you may be provisionally accepted. They say the MCAT scores do not really matter, but if you get a 10 or something you will not be let in.</p>
<p>I was not a med scholar, but I knew many of them. I believe there was somewhere around 50 my freshman year, but there are only a handful in my med school class. Some could not maintain their GPA’s, botched the interview, or made a D in physics. Some opted out, and got in, while a few others opted out but did not get into another school.</p>
<p>Overall, this program isn’t all that. The only perks are being accepted to med school a year earlier, and not taking the MCAT so seriously. Even that, blowing off the MCAT, is not very valuable. The dedication, time, and preparation to do very well on the MCAT is close to what will be expected of you all year in med school. It is a good indication if you have what it takes to go from pre-med to pre-MD.</p>
<p>Best of luck to all of you. Terren</p>
<p>HeartArt- Sorry, I totally misread the Med Scholars info on the SLU site. I thought you just applied to the program after freshman year. I didnt know they picked you with your freshman application to SLU. My DD is only sold on the program as a kind of failsafe. She has no ideas yet where she would want to go for Med school. Even admitting she may come home (chicago) after undergrad to attend Med School. So many choices for these bright kids. I currently work at Rush University and have interaction with residents routinely. I telll my kid if some of these residents made it she will too! LOL. Im sure your Son will do well. Goood luck to him.</p>
<p>It’s not a 6-year program at the very least. You do 4 and 4. So no time savings.</p>
<p>Thanks heartart, i am very excied actually :D…and i do realize it is not a 6 year program but overall i think SLU is a way better university and program than umkc’s and it is also possible to finish the slu med scholars in years as well…and yes i had to file a separate application for the med scholars program too, u need like a min 30 ACT and i think thts the only requirement besides a strong academic profile…to Spring, i personally think SLU’s med scholars program offers many avantages and i think it is a good safety net for students since med school these days are so competitve to get into, just my 2 cents…if anyone nhas any questions for me i would be glad to anwser too :)</p>
<p>As I understand it, (spouse of a physician, parent of 1st year med student and the aforementioned SLU pre med freshman to be) med school acceptance is very numbers driven: GPA and MCAT scores. Where you go to undergrad is not nearly as important. You HAVE to have a high GPA and competitive MCAT score. Pick an undergrad school where you think you will do well, not necessarily the most prestigious. A’s from a state school will beat out Cs from elite U. </p>
<p>Best wishes to everyone pursuing pre med and medical school. It takes a great deal of tenacity to become a physician.</p>
<p>I’ve applied for both SLU’s Med Scholars and UMKC’s 6-year track. I’ve accepted SLU’s MSP, but UMKC has recently informed me that I’m high on their waitlist.</p>
<p>I must say, SLU is very pleasing to the eye, while UMKC… not so much. I’ve only visited UMKC’s medical campus, though. I must say, if it were based on physical appearances alone, I’d choose SLU in a heartbeat.</p>
<p>Then there’s the cost. SLU is pretty generous with aid, but at UMKC, you only need to pay out-of-state tuition for 2 years before you can legally change your residency and pay in-state tuition. Unless you’re already from Missouri- then UMKC will be much cheaper. Plus you save two years.</p>
<p>From various online reviews, I hear that the application process for residency might be harder coming out of UMKC. Even so, I believe UMKC prepares the student VERY well for future practice; the program will plan your courses for all 6 years, while still allowing some elbow room for other interests. It also provides various opportunities unavailable elsewhere (i.e. shadowing, having your own office in the university hospital, etc.).</p>
<p>All in all, both are FANTASTIC programs and the choice is up to your preferences.</p>
<p>ya i got into both programs in the end…i went with SLU since it seemed to fit me better and plus i personally found for advantages with that and many disadvatages with UMKC…im happy in the end :)…gluck with your decision</p>