<p>D had a successful application cycle and has narrowed down her decision. She was accepted to a 6yr BS/MD program with guaranteed admittance to medical school (with a 3.25 GPA and an average MCAT score). She will be an MD in 6 yrs. Her alternative is to accept a Singer scholarship to Miami. Using her position as a Foote Fellow, she could major in something she likes (English) while fulfilling the pre-med requirements and then apply for med school the traditional way a few years from now.</p>
<p>To complete undergrad in the BS/MD program, she'd need to go year-round with a relatively heavy course load. It is at a low-tier state school, though, so that shouldn't be extremely difficult. The medical school is not ranked highly but had a somewhat acceptable residency match list. The housing for the UG and med school are both excellent, although I'm sure she'd prefer the Florida weather. In the BS/MD, there'd be no cutthroat competition amongst the pre-meds, no med school applications, extensive additional volunteering, shadowing, research, recs needed . . . . </p>
<p>Please tell me why she should choose Miami.</p>
<p>Congrats!!! The BS/MD programs are usually highly competitive and sought after. </p>
<p>Does you daughter want to go to another med school (perhaps a higher ranked one)? I know not everyone is matched and it seems most are from the lower ranked schools.</p>
<p>Thanks MTnest for the reply. D worked hard and deserves a lot of credit. Sure she would like to go to the best medical school possible and has some great undergrad offers at schools with excellent medical schools. (We sat through that painful honors dean’s presentation at Pitt just like you did). She also would like the complete college experience and to study abroad, but it is hard to pass on a sure thing with a clear pathway.</p>
<p>I’m sure she won’t have a problem with getting a match if she does well in the program. If it was my kid, I would advise her to take the offer and run with it. You will bypass the medical school application process (along with the sizable additional costs). The GPA is nice, most of the programs requires a 3.75 or above.</p>
<p>Yes, that honors presentation was painful. I don’t know why they selected him to be the Dean especially since he is the face of the honors program. He doesn’t give a good impression of the honors college. The regular admitted students program was so much better.</p>
<p>I will weigh in on the other side. Your D will be a doctor either way because she is a hard worker and bright so there is no doubt of that. It is a long road ahead and shaving off a couple of years will not make a huge difference in the long run but she will only have once chance to go through the undergraduate experience (with clubs, sororities, homecomings, study abroad, etc…). With the 6 yr med program (the only one I know of is UMKC) the work is grueling for all 6 years with no break in sight. Lots of kids burn out so ask what the retention rate is. Last but not least, she will be able to study what she likes (English) and never be wistful about it.</p>
<p>Stay with the BS/MD program. It is so hard to get into medical this days. Most schools require a GPA of 3.8 and above and a high MCAT. That does not mean that she will not have a good education. The fact that she got into a 6 years program will already show that she is an exceptional student because those are very competitive. After that she will have to match for a residency program, but with some luck she will be able to get into other prestigious schools. After residency if she still wants to improve her skills she can do a fellowship program, but those are easier to get in.</p>
<p>Thanks for the comments. Would like to hear more reasons to choose Miami. Krug the program is NEOMED. D wasn’t really thinking BS/MD and it is the only program she applied to. The retention rate is very high. I asked some of the current students about attrition and they looked dumbfounded that that could happen. D has so much AP, dual, and last summer’s college credits that the schedule will not be a problem. D is so confident that she can do this program that she asked about fitting in the core requirements for an MBA in the two undergrad years.</p>
<p>Still would like to hear more reasons to go with Miami, ie their premed track, science offerings, the grading scale in these courses, the assurance program with Med admit after 3 yrs etc.</p>
<p>It pretty much sounds like she’s already made up her mind. Unless cost is an issue (which doesn’t sound like it is), a full-tuition scholarship is hard to turn down. But if she has her heart set on this program (and it sounds like a very good program), and cost isn’t an issue, I don’t see a reason why she should turn it down. And this is coming from someone who has almost nothing bad to speak about Miami at all (others around this forum can attest to that).</p>
<p>Miami is a pretty respected university for premed and people do get into great med schools from Miami. But I do see the appeal of having a clear route in 6 years. That’s an attractive option. I would go where she thinks she will be happy. Does she especially like Miami in terms of its social and cultural offerings? Or is she just considering it because it is perhaps a more regarded school than her other option?</p>
<p>I have nothing bad to say about Miami. My son will attend Engineering school this fall at the U and my husband did his residency at Jackson (also part of Miami). The reason I did recommend the program is because my husband is a doctor and I know how hard is to get into med school, including Miami. Many people do pre-med but there are not so many spaces in med school for all those candidates so competition is tough. You also be saving money from less years in school. If being a doctor is you D goal I do see this as a great opportunity.</p>
<p>One other practical matter to consider is the lost income of the two years (or more) she will be in school by taking the Miami route rather than starting her career. </p>
<p>Practical matters aside, take the route of least regret.</p>
<p>If Medicine is the most important thing in your life and you would do anything in the world to become a doctor then you should do it. If Medicine is just one of the many careers that you might follow once you figure out what is really important in your life, then go enjoy college and leave your decision for down the line.</p>
<p>I recently graduated from UM as a Pre-med & currently applying to medical school. I would advise the 6 year program so your D doesn’t have to deal with the competitiveness of the Pre-med program, plus all the extracurriculars like volunteering, physician shadowing, etc. With the 6 yr program she can just concentrate on her GPA & the mcat. Plus, you’ll save 2 years of tuition = $80k + time lost if you do the regular route. </p>
<p>P.S.
With the 6 year program I don’t believe she’ll be able to study abroad.</p>