@priapat Don’t want to hijack or create panic. Regular MD application needs a calm and well planned out strategy and it is not that easy like BS/MD application process especially for ORM. SDN has more threads. But review on going basis over a period of time to decipher and filter (so much noise) to your needs.
I have never created an account in SDN but followed for my own curiosity.
You will get so much contradicting and conflicting messages. So you need to rationalize and find what is appropriate to your student / family situation.
Name a few items already.
Applying ED
Not to take MCAT again
Plan for DO only
Assuming will get Merit aid
Selection of college list (especially the reasons for your list - it is almost like stock picker - Human nature is greed and fear but when does it come and when do you execute - Example: DC is not a state so every one applies - average 12-15K applicants for GW, Georgetown. TX only 10% for OOS but many does not apply. State schools in general IS oriented - but still the chances are more for OOS, especially for CA resident need to note.
Still folks apply with no or so little shadowing (can you believe!) or no volunteering or applying only to T20. Or applying so late when it is rolling for interview and admission.
Assuming 520+ and 3.9+ scores will get you in T20- NO invariably those admitted profiles are for extra ordinary & different reasons and not due to stellar academic profile alone.
Disclaimer: I know nothing. But like to learn every day. Similar to you an IT person.
Hi all, I’m deciding between SMED and some non-HYP Ivies. As an Asian applicant, what GPA/MCAT is needed to get into a t15 med school? I’m worried that I might feel guilty that if I were to score like a 520 on the MCAT, then I could’ve got into a better med school than BU.
My S got accepted to Drexel’s BA/BS+MD EAP and Med Scholars from SLU with presidential scholarship. I would greatly appreciate your input on these 2 choices. Thanks!
You are right - TAMU S2M and USC are both better options when compared with the rest. I would not worry about Cornell. USC and Cornell have similar ranks. And, you are getting USC UG for 100K!
TAMU provides guarantee to medical school. The matriculation requirements are on par with other BS/MD programs.
USC is a great school with excellent program. How comfortable are you preparing for medical school applications?
TAMU provides an easier & cheaper path to becoming Doctor
@priapat - Congratulations to your son, your family. Your son has an excellent profile. Both excellent choices – go by what your son likes and what works for your family cost-wise!
My pick would be CWRU since med school (research) has a much better ranking than Brown. The cost difference is also significant.
It depends on how important prestige is for your son/family…
Thanks for sharing the details about your D - I remember congratulating your D a few days back. I was not sure if you were talking about her or another child. Full tution scholarship at temple sounds good.
Admire and it is good you are trying to find objective factors to finalize your decision.
BU SMED has its own merit and as @rk2017 mentioned in post above, you still have an option to apply and get in to your dream T15 after 3 years of UG.
Now coming back to your Non-HYP Ivy & regular route. Nothing wrong with that approach. But your assumption is giving concern. But since you mentioned only T15 schools and want only Ivy schools for UG. Just want to highlight few things. So ground your self with reality.
Even if you are HYP and got 4.0 and 528 MCAT don’t assume you are getting in to T15. As long as your realistic and do your best and apply broadly but you may be lucky to get admission to some college way below BU medical. That may be a reality. It depends on so many factors including your school list.
Personally I know a student who graduated from Penn with near 4.0 in Biomedical engg and 39 MCAT and solid research and ECs etc and got 0 admission. May not know the complete picture but heard school list tripped since applied only to T20. Admit sample for stat=1 so ignore this.
But there is another Doctor Parent and who also volunteers to counsel all his patients and their child for many years and he has posted many times with valid stats why people are not rationalizing their views with reality. Other long timers, if you remember the handle name mention that. So you can search and read all his old posts in all previous year discussion thread.
There are students who have opted not to join BU SMED or any other BS/MD programs and nothing wrong with that strategy.
Aim high but be realistic and have proper guidelines / grounding.
Take BU SMED if you are committed to become a doctor. Think about you have to do over again - all medical ECs again, maintain a high GPA >= 3.7, get great MCAT score, essays, secondaries and interviews. Try later for residency in t15 medical schools. Believe me you do not get paid more from for having a UG degree from Harvard/Other Ivies as a doctor by an insurance company or medicare. One gets paid by medical billing codes not UG or medical school of MD degree.
If one thinks that they reached plateau in high school performance, better consider other profession as Dr journey is far tougher than 4 years of HS.
It is always boils down to calculated risk, kids are much more capable of absorbing that risk at this age than boomers, much risk averse.
Disagree with bread oriented thought process because I am getting paid same, I don’t want to develop/groom myself to my abilities. I truly believe price doesn’t equalize quality of professionals. How many times we come across in our lives a good Dr vs bad Dr? What makes them good vs bad, certainly not some online reviews.
My D interviewed for BU SMED last year. She wanted it very bad and sure she showed it at her interviews (UG & Med). They didn’t offer her SMED but offered her UG admission and early med admission the following year. She didn’t take the offer and we never heard anyone had that offer before. We never contact BU since she didn’t get a seat in SMED. She’s attending at another BSMD program and she enjoys her UG. stress free. Hope it helps for some of you are trying to gather information so you can make decision! it’s almost over with the waiting game, you did it!
Thank you for the input! I’m still undecided, haha. I got the sense that SMED students are very tight-knit when J met a couple during my interviews, as they all take a majority of classes together and there are only 20-25 students in each class. On the other hand, Brown PLME is a much larger program with 65+ students per class and there are no required classes that PLMEs take all together other than a senior seminar. Undecided how much it matters to me to have a tight-knit community within the program, as I worry SMED could become a bit too cliquey for my taste, but PLME might also be very distant.
I also have become very interested by the pre-clinical electives and clinic volunteering programs available to PLMEs at Brown, and haven’t really seen a comparable program at BostonU that I could be apart of if I joined SMED. Additionally hearing great things about student satisfaction and faculty advising for PLMEs, while SMEDs admitted to me during interviews that they were really stressed due to courseload (never met a PLME face-to-face, though).
Oof, and there is finances. Both programs cost serious buck, but of course SMED is one year shorter.
I’ve looked mainly at undergrad as I have been comparing the schools, but I’m also going to start looking into their med school to help make my decision (style of learning, camaraderie, common match specialties, options for volunteering/community involvement, etc.)
Again, thanks for the input! I have a lot of thinking to do.
Michigan State has both Allopathic and Osteopathic programs. One of my acquaintances did residency in pediatrics there followed by fellowship in pediatric cardiology some place else.
Yes that is a trade off that comes with any accelerated program vs 8 years. Since you will be on accelerated schedule and don’t have the luxury of extra year for all those nice to have thingies. But on the flip side, if you are one of those who accumulated a tonne of AP/IB/DE credirs, what is the point in spending 4 years on undergrad again? Individual taste and choice.
Not sure how they could have offered early admission the following year even before the student is committed to that school. I did meet a parent of a student who was a Biology major and offered early admission (non accelerated) after/during sophomore year at BU based on gpa, ECs and interview. Like the regular EAP programs at most places. They call it MMEDIC or something.
Every batch of SMED they have many with 520 range scores after sophomore year and they neither regret joining the program nor withdraw from it (though they can).
Some of the factors deciding med school admissions apart from just gpa and MCAT:
ECs/research and their quality, letters of recommendation
URM (for example BU and others too have partnerships with historic black colleges)
First generation college grads and socio economically disadvantaged
Those coming from underserved areas and likely to go back and serve their communities (like for example Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, rural backgrounds etc)
Those with unique life situations, challenges and experiences
Those who are seen as being more matured as persons and likely to serve the cause of medicine instead of treating it as another money making business
Limit of one or two acceptances per undergrad institution (except for state med schools or in case of private, if you had attended the undergrad at the same university)
Having to compete with multiple batches of graduates due to gap years. Some of them having accumulated significant research or medical ECs during the gap years or may have even gotten a master's degree.
So quite possible that someone you know with 5 points lower in MCAT and > 0.1 GPA difference got that spot(s) and you may not.
