<p>I am sorry for posting this so many times. </p>
<p>I aim is to be a doctor someday. I saw the accelerated programs. I want to get into one of those. But I really would like to skip aheah to my M.D. degree. It seems like a waste of time of like 4 years if I know I'm going to be a doctor. I really don't want to study anything else. Does anyone know if there any medical schools which don't require a B.S. degree? Thanks.</p>
<p>Also are there any medical schools overseas such as in London and Canada which don't need the B.S. degree?</p>
<p>I know there are some combined programs which you'll find out about in due course. I'm not personally familiar with them.</p>
<p>I wonder, however, about your claim that "it is a waste of time" to study and "I really don't want to study anything else." As is well-known, a good doctor should be more than a "nerd", but rather should have a broad, humanistic understanding of and sympathy for his/her patients--in addition to basic scientific and medical knowledge. To be the best doctor you can be, and to do the best by your patients, therefore, you would do well to take the time to study humanistic disciplines such as history, literature, and philosophy. </p>
<p>These studies can be done in a traditional college, in a combined BS/Med school program, or even (possibly) on your own--if you take the studies seriously.</p>
<p>As a physician, I must agree with ADad. Good physicians have a maturity derived from a well-rounded life experience to deal with patients from myriads of backgrounds. Also, there are many undergraduate prerequisites for medical school, that, although do not require a science major, do require a period of college study before med school. In the US, there are combined 6 year BS/MD programs. In Europe, students may enter directly into a medical program from high school, but the program is still 6 years in duration. With no offense meant to all the Doogie Howsers of the world, I think a full 4 year undergraduate degree in ANYTHING is preferrable to immature physicians.</p>
<p>ADad I probably shouldn't have putten out harsh words, but I mean that like if I get a B.S. in Business (I'm kinda interested in Business) then I go to medical school. That B.S. degree is going to be a waste. If I'm going to be a doctor then do I need the B.S. degree? I don't really think so.</p>
<p>A doctor in independent practice is running a small business. My nephew recently bought an orthopedics practice, and says that 25% of his time goes into business management. A business degree might be quite sensible in that light.</p>
<p>Technically, many med schools don't require BA/BS degrees, but almost all strongly recommend them. Baylor College of Medicine and Yale Med are 2 such schools, but you can look on the websites of many schools to find out about more.</p>
<p>I STRONGLY agree with the others though, that taking time to learn about things outside of medicine will make you both a better doctor and a better person.</p>
<p>Check the website at UAB for admission to its medical school. I think theres a combined BS/MD. And don't let stereotypes let you overlook this school. UAB medical school and graduate programs in biomedicine etc are highly regarded.</p>
<p>UC Riverside has a combined program. I teach in a medical school and I recommend to students to do the full four year BA or BS degree. There is a level of maturity and an understanding of life that cannot be translated into a cram course.</p>
<p>As a layperson I would echo what the previous poster said: I don't think the four years of undergraduate work would be a waste of time no matter what you want to be, including a doctor. Getting a general education and studying with other people whose interests may not specifically match your own are part of becoming a good professional of any kind. In fact, maturity, self-awareness, and knowkedge of the world around you are key to being a fully developed human being, and that itself should, to my mind, be part of being a doctor; it isn't just chemistry and bio.</p>
<p>The trouble is, even at schools that don't require BA/BS degrees, you are going to have ridiculously long odds at getting in without one, unless you have something else spectacular. Med schools are (rightly in my opinion) looking for a degree of maturity and life knowledge that many people gain in college. If you've gained such knowledge elsewhere - that's one thing. But because a school doesn't require a BA doesn't mean they will accept people right out of high school.</p>
<p>However, you can find all this info on your own really easily - like I did when I posted baylor and yale. You ought to do a little of your own research before posting this question multiple times. All you need to do is go on a bunch of med school admissions websites and look for the link that says requirements.</p>
<p>I can tell you that med schools will not give you a second look if they perceive your attitude to be that your are not interested in anything else. They really want people with broader outlooks on life, and much more curiosity. The combined programs are even more cautious about this precisely because they do not get to see what people did in college. The trend is moving farther and farther away from strictly pre-professional educations. There used to be some 6 year programs that gave you the premed requirements, and nothing else, for two years, then sent you to medical school. Medical schools hated them and most have stopped. They want people who will bring something beyond a few introductory science courses to medical school and to the profession.</p>
<p>I do not want to sound patronizing, but do yourself a favor and get an education before you go to medical school. Once you enter, your intellectual life will be very narrow, so take advantage of college while you have the opportunity.</p>
<p>Sciencenerd, if you want to work for a salary on the staff of some hospital or clinic, you are right - you don't need an undergraduate degree in business. On the other hand, if you think you may someday want to run your own medical practice.... you may find that you need that business degree more than you ever thought possible.</p>
<p>OP
If you want to have a private practice or work in a teaching hospital, some courses in psychology would be useful. Much of medicine involves relationships with peers, staff and patients.
If you want research, then certainly explore science fields.
There are a handful of 6-year programs, e.g. U of Miami, NW</p>
<p>Rice/Baylor has a combined degree program, but it is limited and accepts only about 10-15 freshmen per year. My best friend's husband is a doctor and he is considering going back to school for an MBA so he can handle the business end of his practice better. Rice offers a program for MD's, etc., evenings and Saturdays.</p>
<p>Rice/Baylor still requires that you spend a full 4 years getting a BA. It's actually designed primarily for people who have numerous interests outside medicine - so they can take all the courses that interest them without worrying as much about things hurting their GPA.</p>
<p>However, med school places in the UK are subject to government control, with the majority required to be given to UK and EU citizens. The number of non-EU places is tiny - at Oxford for example, out of a typical intake of 150, there are 7 places for non-EU students.</p>
<p>My son has a friend who's studying at the Royal College of Surgeons in Dublin. He's just starting his third year and is totally immersed in medicine. A very, very different approach from the American system. His parents are (politely) astonished when I describe my son's US liberal arts education.</p>