<p>How hard is it to get into a Medical School (particularly the Duke School of Medicine) after four years of undergraduate study as a premed at Duke. I mean, there is no guarantee to get into Medical School, so how hard is it to get in afterwards. My greatest fear is not getting into medical school after paying $20,000 a year and having no job as a premed major.</p>
<p>Here are some general numbers for Duke: <a href="http://www.aas.duke.edu/trinity/prehealth/appendix/%5B/url%5D">http://www.aas.duke.edu/trinity/prehealth/appendix/</a></p>
<p>Premed isn't a major . . . you can major in many different things and be premed. I know some bio majors who are premed, don't want to go to med school right away, and are working in labs next year.</p>
<p>Hi Frisbee,</p>
<p>I didn't know you were a premed.</p>
<p>First, you should know that Duke is quite possibly the best place in the country to be a premedical student. I explain why here:
<a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=147457%5B/url%5D">http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=147457</a></p>
<p>Second, you can see the odds for yourself at the website above: Duke students place into medical school at approximately 85%, close to double the national average of 48%.</p>
<p>Third, you should be aware that Duke Med does not give its own students an advantage. More students apply; more get in; more go - but there is no percentage-point benefit to going to Duke. Most schools are like this - i.e. WashU kids will not do better at WashU Med, Harvard kids will not do better at Harvard Med, etc. The few exceptions (Emory, NW) are generally trying to use their medical school to "prop up" their undergraduate schools.</p>
<p>
[quote]
92
Duke seniors were accepted to medical school in 2004
108
Duke seniors applied to medical school in 2004
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Why do these numbers seem low to me? Only 108 students out of a class of >1000 applied to med school? </p>
<p>I've heard that freshman year, 50% of the people are "pre-med". (No empirical evidence, just from current Dukies who talk to each other, rough estimate, probably an exaggeration)</p>
<p>Does this mean that these students changed their minds, couldn't keep up with the pre-med, OR were discouraged by the committee to not apply? </p>
<p>For some reason only 108 students applying to med school seems very low to me. </p>
<p>PS I will probably goto Duke '10</p>
<p>The reason it's low is because it is.</p>
<p>You're overlooking the fact that many students take a year off before applying.</p>
<p>The actual number, in that case, is 268 total applicants in 2004 and 79% being admitted somewhere, or roughly 17% of any given class.</p>
<p>Use this instead:
<a href="http://www.aas.duke.edu/trinity/prehealth/appendix/New2004HPAC%20Annual%20Report.pdf%5B/url%5D">http://www.aas.duke.edu/trinity/prehealth/appendix/New2004HPAC%20Annual%20Report.pdf</a></p>
<p>tufnut, you're right. 46% of the incoming class ('09) said they were interested in premed. However, many of these will probably change their mind. Anyway, that was a HUGE jump from previous years, or so I'm told.</p>
<p>yea many ppl will in fact change their minds: some go to PhD programs cuz they find research more interesting while others choose to go into other health professions other than the allopathic track (i.e. osteopathic medicine, optometry, dentistry, vet., pharm, etc.) and others decide not to do science all together cuz they find something else more compelling</p>
<p>or some of us volunteer in the hospital...hate it...and want to convert to an engineer:( except now its too late</p>
<p>remember too that people change their minds in the middle of their undergrad years very frequently, especially for premed. Premed is one of the most intensive majors, especially considering the high grades one must obtain to be seriously considered for any medical school. As these premeds get put through weeder classes (officially or not), those who get Cs in orgo and other core classes will seriously reconsider their medical aspirations.</p>
<p>People change their minds all the time.
when I started here, all of my friends were premed, now only one still is and she's planning on taking a year off between college and medical school anyway.
People have tough times going through weeder courses, people realize their academic interests and passions are in other departments, people go to PhD programs, people work in labs. There's plenty of reasons why there are 108 going to med school.</p>
<p>I was surfing the web, and Anesthesiology is a good major and career. They get paid mad cash (around $250,000) a year, and for what?, putting people to sleep? lol I want to do that! What is so hard about that?</p>
<p>First, medical school admissions committees frown - as they should - upon students who make their career selections based on financial decisions. This may be fine for other professions - but medicine is a different animal.</p>
<p>Second, anesthesiology is quite possibly the riskiest part of any surgery - it is associated with a great number of complications.</p>
<p>EDIT: I decided my initial scolding was perhaps harsher than necessary.</p>
<p>So would you recommend going into it? I don't know if I like it or not since I have no experience with it, but hey, why not get paid a lot and like something at the same time? And why is it the riskiest part?
The Committee can frown all they want, but how will they know that someone is going into a profession for the money (they might actually happen to like it as well)
BTW, does anyone know about Medical Malpractice Insurance and how much it costs per year to have insurance against a lawsuit.</p>
<p>I don't know enough medicine to explain this, but the bottom line is that anesthesia is associated with a very high percentage of surgical complications.</p>
<p>Second, medical schools place a VERY high priority on screening out applicants who are interested in medicine for the money. It is one of their top priorities in interviews and essays - they are very aware of this possibility and are very experienced at screening out these students.</p>
<p>Anesthesia probably has very high malpractice. It varies considerably among specialties and based on geography.</p>