<p>Hi I'm going to be a high school senior and was thinking of applying to Northwestern University. I heard about their Honors Program in Medical Education but not sure what it really is only that it is really selective. I was planning to major in medical and become a doctor. If I don't apply to their HPME program, will I still be able to major in medical at Northwestern and become a doctor? Or do I HAVE to apply to that program in order to be a doctor?</p>
<p>If this is a serious question, and I’ll assume that it is for the moment, you can major in ANYTHING before you go to medical school. English Lit, Sociology, Music, Bio, whatever. The key is that you need to take certain courses before you apply-they may be science, math or English classes, but you don’t have to major in any particular subject. Medical schools are not looking for an entire entering class of science majors.</p>
<p>I’ll take you at your word that this is serious (?) and try to elaborate tersely. HPME (7 years) along with Brown’s similar program PLME (8 years) are the two best programs of their ilk out there; the program essentially guarantees admittance into the medical school unless you just do dismally academically. With how competitive medical schools are and the arduous process involved, the program makes the trip into medical school easier. But, it is INCREDIBLY competitive. Here are some stats:</p>
<p>In the Honors Program in Medical Education of Northwestern University, the average SAT score is 2268. That includes an average of 742 Critical Reading, 772 Math and 754 Writing. The average score on the SAT II in Chemistry is 755 and the average Math Level 2 score is 773. I can’t really find anything on the acceptance rate but I would guess that it hovers somewhere around the 5-8% mark. You have to be a brilliant applicant to be accepted. </p>
<p>Having said that, I really don’t know what you mean by majoring in “medical.” As momof3sons stated, you can major in anything as long as you fulfill certain course requirements. Been playing a little too much solitaire perhaps? Hmm?</p>
<p>I’m just a little confused as to whether I can go to Northwestern and then become a doctor and going to medical school without applying for their HPME program?</p>
<p>you first get a 4-yr degree (BS), then apply, get in and go to 4 yr med school (MD). hpme combines both into 7 years and guarantees med school admission when you enter your BS. there are others that trims another year: 6-yr BS+MD (e.g., umkc and penn state).</p>
<p>you can get BS anywhere and MD anywhere, provided that you get admitted.</p>
<p>hpme locks you into NW, not that it’s bad, but you lose your option of another school.</p>
<p>you can major in anything, but should do well in MCAT, which requires science background. so most people just do science BS.</p>
<p>for most people it’s generally better to do a BS and then MD. if you’re convinced you want to be a doctor, and have the stats, there are several direct medical programs to consider, not just hpme.</p>
<p>^</p>
<p>That isn’t all quite right. The HPME is non-binding which means you can opt out if you REALLY want to and apply to other medical schools. With the strength and competitiveness of the program as well as Feinberg, not all too many people take that path. </p>
<p>The reason why people go into programs like NU’s HPME and Brown’s PLME (considered the two best such programs by many) is to completely circumvent the stress and pain and toll that is medical school admissions. For a lot of people who aren’t sure about medicine, I would say that it might not be the best option for those hesitant in medicine, but for those who know unequivocally that the medical profession is in their future, it is one of the best options out there. There are no guarantees when applying to medical school or any other type of graduate school - these are the workarounds to that.</p>
<p>So if I applied to Northwestern and got in, can I still apply to their medical school after a 4 year degree without first applying to the HPME in the beginning?</p>
<p>Yes, just like you can at any other university in the country.</p>
<p>Yes. If you happened to get into NU without applying to HPME, after you get your undergraduate degree you will then apply for admission into medical schools, take your MCAT, and all the loads of joy that goes along with it. Why wouldn’t you be able to apply to Northwestern’s medical school after graduating as an undergraduate? That’s a pretty irrational notion…</p>
<p>Sounds like you need to do some research if you are serious about a career in the medical field. Here is a good place to start and it should provide many of your answers.</p>
<p><a href=“https://www.aamc.org/students/[/url]”>https://www.aamc.org/students/</a></p>
<p>I would suggest reading “Getting Into Medical School” by Sanford Brown. It’s very insightful, and is geared toward those who are interested in medicine but arent the type whose first birthday gift was a microbiology textbook. That coupled with the link just provided will give you a lot of information that will help. I would only apply if you’re dead set on medical school. I mean, sure, you can opt out of the program, but if it’s junior year and you for some reason change your mind, then you’ve basically wasted a spot in the program that could’ve been held by someone who was better suited.</p>