<p>My S got into Harvard and PLME, he is struggling to choose between the two. </p>
<ol>
<li>For those of you who gave up HYPS, could you please explain how did you make the decission? Any of you regret? and Why?</li>
<li>How many people (or what percentage of each class) gave up, and move to other fields? </li>
<li>Since the guarantee spot of med school and low GPA requirement, you will have less pressure during UG. How do you spend your extra time?</li>
</ol>
<p>Any info and story about PLME other than above categories are appreciated.</p>
<p>I am not a current PLME student, but I did apply, and weighed my options beforehand, so hopefully I can be of some help.
Generally speaking, going to Brown, in my opinion is not giving up on anything, even HYPS. Because, Brown has the Ivy League status, the proper science facilities and as far as I know, not cut throat. That is a better environment, in my opinion again. Then again, as many people say, if your son got into Harvard AND PLME, he shouldn’t have a problem getting into med school in the future. So, by going to Harvard, your S shouldn’t be regretting missing out on the guaranteed acceptance to med school, because it seems that he will be getting in anyways :). Also, Alper Med School is not that low ranked, and is actually not bad. Also, you can apply to other med schools while not giving up your position at Alpert, so if your S wants to apply outside, that shouldn’t be a problem. Even if he decides to stay, the residency match list of last year was quite impressive, which you should check out.</p>
<p>2)Not my field of exptertise.</p>
<p>3)That is mostly up to your son, he could do ECA’s, research as an undergrad, take a heavy course load like Uroogla (:)) or take whatever course he may be interested in, the options are endless. </p>
<p>Lastly, but of the most importance, you should run a search on PLME on CC, because there is a lot of info available if you look for it. I recall someone, probably bruno14, writing a lengthy post on PLME, so you should check that out.</p>
<p>As Studyzone said, I’ve written quite a few posts on why people pick PLME, since I’m basically the only current PLME on this site. If you have any questions after reading those posts, feel free to ask them here or PM me if you don’t feel comfortable making it all public. Did your son attend ADOCH yesterday and today?</p>
<p>Actually, the deal is that you lose your spot in the next Alpert class, but if you apply out, then choose to return to Brown Med school, you can take a year off and join with the next year’s class. For example, if I choose to apply out, I’ll lose my spot in the class of 2018 but have a spot in the 2019 class.</p>
<p>Thanks guys! Nice to know that if S apply out he would not lose the spot in Alpert.Taking a year off is not big deal.
Is it common for PLME student to apply out?</p>
<p>bruno14, my S didn’t go to the ADOCH day, because he already visited Brown in Febrary. He like the school but not sure he want to stay in one school for 8 yrs. Thats another concern for him whether to choose PLME or Harvard. But now we know that he would not lose the spot, he could try out if he decide to move.</p>
<p>While Bruno14 isn’t wrong for the class of 2014, the classes of 2015 and on do indeed forfeit their guaranteed spot. (Even with the guarantee in the past, it actually hasn’t been too common for students to apply out. There are usually around 5 or 6 who do so. The majority of students will continue through the program. )</p>
<p>Oops! I’d never bothered to find out the deal for younger classes, since they haven’t matriculated yet. My mistake.</p>
<p>Graagh is correct in that not many students apply out of PLME. I’m currently leaving my options open to do so - there are family circumstances that may necessitate me moving home to California in four years.</p>
<p>Snspmom, all I can say to you and your son is that PLME is an amazing and extremely selective program; I know many students who gave up acceptances at colleges such as Harvard for PLME just because the caliber of students within PLME is so amazing, and because Brown offers so many more opportunities. Having the opportunity to obtain a true liberal-arts education while still guaranteeing a spot in medical school is something that isn’t offered to many people.</p>
<p>If Graagh is right about the class 2015 could lose the spot if apply out, S will not choose PLME. We are also from California, S not sure he would like the winter on the east coast for 8 yrs. Most likely S will apply out after UG I guess. But I know a lot applicants who accepted by Harvard and Stanford even failed to get into PLME, so it’s really hard for S to make decission.</p>
<p>Even when kids were allowed to apply out and not lose their spot at Brown Medical very few did. What does that tell you? These kids could go anywhere!</p>
<p>I don’t think Brown will stay at so called tier 2 med school very long. It will advance to tier1 very soon (If tier one is say within 20th and it is that important to you). Besides its match list is always tier 1 (it is the first job you concerns most) </p>
<p>If you think Brown will advance to 25 in a couple of years, you will feel good. If it climbs up to teens in 8 years (at the time you graduate from PLME and med school), then you will feel great. If it climbs up to within 10th in a little more than a decade, you will say amazing. All lies in how much confidence you have in Brown.</p>
<p>I would say within 25th rank is no doubt, within teens rank it depends on its research capacity and resources put in, it is in progress, doable and very likely it will achieve. Within rank ten, i believe it relies on the overall environments, atmosphere, investment trends in the entire region, and a bit of luck and efforts on the research.</p>
<p>As national average to enter all med schools now is around 8.9%, to get into a med school like Brown is not easy. And it will become more and more difficult.</p>
<p>What’s wrong with 8 years in the same city? I guess many Harvard, Yale, John Hopkins or even Rice/Baylor students, after graduate, if they have proper GPA and MCAT, they’ll love to be accepted to the same med school they attend in UG.</p>
<p>Rice/Baylor 8 years program, where is the hospital, it is at next door. Anybody complain? No.</p>
<p>Where are those top ranked med school’s affiliated hospitals? do your own research on Harvard, John Hopkins, Yale, and many others. Those hospitals are not only in the same city, some are even at next block (like Yale, Baylor …), some of the hospitals are in the same neighborhood, or within 2-3 miles. Be realistic, if the hospital is too far away from university, where you can get your volunteering, clinical research, internship…, i would say, it is inconvenient. </p>
<p>If you choose PLME 8 years program, 4 years in main campus - college hill, 2 years in new Med school building (not in main campus), 2 years in Hospital(2-3 miles away from school). I think it is a reasonable setting.</p>
<p>I would suggest, anyone interested in PLME, think deep. It is an Ivy league school - until you get in you will feel the difference. The med school ranking definitely will climb much higher in the very near future (look at the resource it puts in). Now you are not required to take MCAT, low GPA requirements (some say Brown average student GPA is around 3.5+). How if Brown’s rank climb to say 15th. They might start to ask new PLME admit to take MCAT, and raise GPA standard. Even though it is not possible. Because they want PLME students explore anything they like. Are there any school like this? I haven’t found one.</p>