<p>^I know what you mean. I am ****ed of at them…but what can I do? Besides, it wasn’t their name on the publication…It’s not them that go to academic competitions…it’s not them that arrange fundraisers, debate, and it’s not them that go to the research internships…its me…that’s all the recognition i need. Outside of the house, I control myself…inside, they control me…To me I don’t really care because the latter doesn’t really mean much. It’s the former that does.</p>
<p>Bubba- jumping over the intervening posts, I mean your parents are not thinking entirely logically to think that if “they” get you into a BS/MD program, that is no guarantee that the things they worry about won’ happen.</p>
<p>Any student, BS, MD, BS/MD, any other degree can make mistakes, can go off track, can lose focus. Just because you are in the program does not mean you won’t make mistakes. Their idea that the BS/MD is the panacea for their worries is faulty. You need to approach med school in the way that will allow you to complete the marathon that the MD degree and training are.</p>
<p>On the other hand, I do understand that so many top students in HS feel more average in college. I do know students who just did not find their path, were not on track in undergrad or took a while to do so. They might not get into med school if they later turn things around. That being said, it is a huge commitment to say at 17/18 that you KNOW you want to be a doctor. I knew my DD would be a good doctor, or at least a good medical student, but she did not know until she explored her options. A huge percentage of the kids who SAY they are pre med as freshman do not end up going to med school, so it is a risk on that side, too.</p>
<p>Curm does get points for picking a place to live and securing his daughter’s endearing accent.</p>
<p>+1.</p>
<p>What accent? My kid doesn’t have an accent. ;)</p>
<p>Sorry for the OT posts.</p>
<p>This is all ringing a very familiar tone … I have had to correct my dad a couple of times when he talks about the application process… He always says: “we” checked this particular school or thank God “we” started that project that “you” got asked during your interviews…or “we” are definitely going to…</p>
<p>I cancelled all my interviews at my state schools…(he was not happy)…I will be at least 1500 miles away from home for med school, and I have already told him that he can not go to Second Look Weekend (i overheard him trying to get time off from work those days!) :)</p>
<p>"Wait are you saying that because of the lax GPA requirements, screwing up in a BS/MD programs would be easier? How so? Is it that students wouldn’t feel that much pressure and thus not try as hard? "</p>
<p>-I am a parent of D. who is finishing UG part in bs/md. We did not push her to get there. However, she applied only to schools with the programs. She got to all schools (you got to be accepted to college first) and to 50% of programs that she has applied. Being in a program has helped her whole tons during Medical School application process. She has decided to apply out of the program and her program allowed her to retain her spot. She ended up getting into Med. Schools that originally rejected her from their bs/md programs (which I have mentioned before). However, I strongly believe (and D. confirmed to me several times) that being in a program and getting one spot at the moment when she received her MCAT score (her program requires MCAT of 27, which she has exceeded by a lot) has made her very relaxed and confident which has made a difference in whole process. Actually it started earlier, while taking MCAT and knowing that she needs that low score, made it possible for her not to be nervious and she ended up with much higher score. This is all according to my D’s comments. As a result she has been accepted to 4 Med. Schools so far out of 8 that she has applied - being in a program alowed her to apply to relatively small number of school. Other than requirement of MCAT=27 and GPA=3.45 and staying in UG for 4 years (could not graduate earlier), there were no other requiremnts in her program. Any major, longer stay in UG…whatever and double advising, some within the program in addition to general college pre-med advising (which has been awesome at her school). Oh, almost forgot to mention, she was also on full tuition scholarship which allowed her to widen her choices of Medical Schools, since we will be footing the bill after not paying for UG. Another benefit was that she went to good number of interivews at Medical Schools 4 years ago. Although they were very different than regular Med. School interviews, she has discovered 4 years ago that she is very good at it. Another boost of confidence! And some people in her program with good stats, decided not to apply out at all. avoiding very stressful process altogether. Well, D’s experience with bs/md process, made her more successful now than she would have been otherwise. I am not comparing her to other applicants. I am making comparison to her with and w/o being in bs/md program and I (and my D.) definitely see huge advantages.
So, I do not see anything negative about being in a program. However, if getting into one is a goal, applying to 1 -3 is not enough at all. You need to apply to wide range of them. </p>
<p>D. did not make her choice of Med. School yet. It will not be easy at all, since her choices are awesome. </p>
<p>Best wishes, do not be upset if you do not get in now and take advantage if you do.</p>
<p>Hey, MyO. I got to go to the Second-look at Southwestern (I was the transportation as it is only 90 miles away for me, she flew). Well, I got to go the financial aid seminar. I just didn’t get to sit near her as she wanted to sit with friends from the interview trail. 
lol. </p>
<p>Give us some credit for what we did do, but yeah. We can be just a touch “grabby”. We get excited. They are your boundaries to set. So set them. That’s what healthy adults do.</p>
<p>Hey, I got to drop off, pick up and dinner with DD before her UW-SOM interview, and I got to pick her brain in detail over dinner to hear a reprisal of the whole thing, then dropped her at the airport. </p>
<p>Curm, my Dd actually has a Canadian accent. I know, I know, ya’ll have no accent.</p>
<p>I am actually pretty good at holding back those feelings the OPs parents are expressing, though I am sure I annoyed D1 intensely during her college apps, and she STILL did not listen to me!! I’ve had lots of practice avoiding annoying 3 teen DDs 
and do most of my obsessing on the forum! I can understand your parents worries, but it is not always helpful to express them so overtly, yet in many cases, teens appear to be ignoring everything you say and even just not hearing the words. I developed a style of just doing once or twice a week email checks on college stuff, just the logistics to keep the emotions out of the process. Since then, I have been the recruited administrative assistant for grad school and med school apps plus all things FAFSA. I also am approved for transcript ordering, since I have the fax capability. And, yes, I will confess to the use of WE at times in the process, because I was doing research and tracking it all, it did feel like “we” were all working together, especially when you add in Dad/Curm/others proofing the SOP and short answers.</p>
<p>My DD recently told me, after I texted her a compliment, that it is fine with her if I keep those coming…apparently expressing my excitement is no longer lame. She says she will let me know if I go overboard, but she is working hard enough that hearing those compliments now & again, randomly, is a real lift in the midst of a tough schedule</p>