This discussion never ends like any other discussion since most people are not open minded and think they know the best
As per results thread, every year you get few posts only and most posters donāt want to reveal too much about their ECs and essays. Also these threads are dominated by parents. Most parents and students donāt come back next year to offer help.
Can you share some data please for all of this?
Further, the results page over the years should showcase the āSTATSā of students going the BS/MD route. Such sweeping generalizations are inaccurate, incomplete, misleading and demotivating for several that are entering the path.
There is robust evidence in this forum through several old timers and experienced parents on the topic of residency matches. It all comes to personal preference, an attitude of risk aversion, and key traits of focus, grit, optimism, work ethic, and determination to succeed. Students that have these will succeed in any path they choose.
@srk2017 - Thanks for the clarification. I appreciate your perspective.
You and the other senior folks in this forum are doing a great service by helping teens. I have been volunteering for last 7 years in a local organization and I have noticed the same trend ie; only a few people volunteer. But, once in a while we do get one or two people who are truly interested in helpingā¦
college-experience-report forum seems interesting and maybe I will be able to add to this after several monthsā¦
In democracy, everyone is allowed to think they know the best Forcing people to agree to a particular way is what historically caused religious wars/crusades etc.
UPitt threw another curveball. I had received 80K scholarship for UG [20k per year] as a part of presidential scholarship to honors college. I would forfeit that if I dont commit to UPitt UG but only end up attending the GAP interview.
UPitt/UPMC is super expensive otherwise. Without scholarship the price difference between SB and UPitt/UPMC will be >200K.
So difference is $120K now? If you are not taking loans 120K is not bad. If you are taking loans, thatās $200-$250K.
SB is giving provostial scholarship to cover UG fully + NMF scholarship + I have an external scholarship as an NMF. With in state tuition for med school, SB seems financially better proposition right now.
The decision depends on how confident you think you could get a 3.75 GPA at Pitt and how much you like going to Pitt, even without Pitt GAPā¦ You could commit to Pitt to make use of the 20K annual scholarship and attend the GAP interview as a bonafide Pitt UG. I suspect that a lot of the GAP candidates are facing similar dilemma as youāre and once they commit to another school, they probably will change their mind about the GAP interview because they got used to the rhythm of their UG and donāt want to make a change. You chances would therefore be greatly enhanced. On the other hand, if youāre risk-averted, then you could accept and start at SB. You have a year to come up with the extra $60K to make up for the missed scholarship for the next 3 years at Pitt if you got accepted and decide to transfer.
Debate between BSMD or traditional route:
Depends on how determined your child is on becoming a doctor!! Iāve been on this forum only recently but did review results of students over the past few years and the students joining these combined programs have done exceptionally well in standardized test/GPA/EC In high school and if they continue their hard work in college I donāt see any reason why they wont be getting into competitive residencies. In fact they have more time ( as they donāt have to apply to medical schools now in college)to do research and focus on residency subspecialties they want to specialize in.
So if student is really interested in becoming a doctor this is the way to go. Take it from a doctor parent.
Traditional method is if you are not sure you want to do medicine .
Itās human tendency to slack off if hard work is not needed. So will all these students keep same rigor and engage in strong research, clinical and volunteering opportunities while trying to finish UG in 3 years is debatable. I was hoping more students and parents will report in the thread I created 3 years back.
I am not a doctor but my spouse is and was trained at a T5 medical school and does physician interviews. We see a value in going to top tier schools (not monetary gains).
Someone sent me this interesting information and I havenāt checked it myself.
AAMC published attrition rate, which, for the most recent period (2013-14 matriculation year), shows 5.2% of BS/MDs leave medical school, compared to 3.1% MD-only. Interestingly, this is comprised of 2.9% academic/2.3% non-academic reasons for BS/MDs, compared to 1.3%/1.8% MD-only.
So do you think that BS/MD students (esp those that go to lower tier UG/med school program) will still be able to get competitive residencies? Because rank/reputation does seem to play a significant role in the residency match processā¦
These percentage differences are truly very small. Further, as we all know, one cannot compare percentages without seeing the raw data (n/N) that was used to derive these percentages. Once again, to keep up the morale and motivation of several of us that are going down the BS/MD path - no one path is absolutely right. How do we define success is very critical - is it getting into a T20 medical school, getting into a lab with multi million dollar funding, publishing in high impact factor journals, changing treatment guidelines, or truly impacting patient care one day at a time. The burnout in labs that work round the clock like an assembly line is a topic of several publications. Each person swims in his or her own lane, and they define their success, happiness, purpose, and motivation.
I chose medicine because it is my Ikigai - something I can be passionate about, something that will be give a sense of purpose, something that I can earn a living out of, and something that I can help the community with. A true venn intersection of all these four factors. How I get to the intersection - through a traditional path or BS MD is immaterial. As long as I get to the intersection.
I speak on behalf of several of my peers that are embarking on a BS/MD path.
Technically, your presidential scholarship is for UPittās UG honors college and dependent on your selecting that program by May 1, 2020. If you do not select UPittās UG, you loose the scholarship and money could be allocated to some other purpose. It has nothing to do with your interview with GAP in Sep 2020. Is this the explanation or something else ? So real choice is a bird-in-hand vs a potential better looking bird in future at a substantially higher cost.
Forcing people to agree to a particular way is what historically caused religious wars/crusades etc.