<p>As a rising senior, I'm currently in a serious mode searching for my fit-schools.
I'm an aspiring doctor, so I narrowed down my choices into a few that I really belong to. </p>
<p>Putting aside the fact that PLME is insanely selective every year (as is probably agreed by all), I want to hear some voices from either PLME students or those who're shooting for it about the advantages this program has over a plenty of other routes.</p>
<p>Prestigious BS/MD program, less or no worry about applying to med schoools, yes we all know that. And that possibly accounts for why this program is extremely popular.</p>
<p>But I want to see some REAL reasons regarding why PLME is definitely worth a shot spending most of your life in the twenties in Rhode Island. Is it REALLY (as many say) one of the fastest ways to become a doctor? What is so unique about PLME?</p>
<p>Let me toss several related sub-questions here.
* Is there Early Action for this program?
* Could anyone kindly tell me where to get PLME/Brown Essay Questions for this year?</p>
<p>It's no faster than the normal route to becoming a doctor. If I recall correctly though, you don't have to take the MCAT if you get in. I believe there is also a PLME Early Decision option.</p>
<p>Honestly, it's not that different from the normal route, except that you have a guaranteed spot at BMS (though you might decide you don't even want to be premed later on, or that you want to apply to other schools).</p>
<p>That is the normal length, 8 years. There are some 6-7 year programs, but not PLME.
And it has early decision, but no early action. Though you get to choose whether you would like to be bound to Brown college if not accepted to PLME.</p>
<p>Personally, I believe the biggest draw to PLME is simply the fact that it is ivy league undergrad + guaranteed medical school acceptance. And I can certainly see why that is appealing.
There may be other reasons, but I was never interested in combined med programs, so I don't know them (though I have a friend starting in PLME next year, which is how I know what I do know.)</p>
<p>Oh, and you may want to post this in the forum on combined BA/MD programs.</p>
<p>Well I'll be attending Brown this year (2 more weeks!!), and the only thing that is really appealing to me is the separate PLME undergraduate research grant fund, then again I'm more interested in research than medicine. But just as everyone said, it is still 8 years so basically you are doing the normal route sans MCATs. If you want a 6 year program try the Penn State/Jefferson Program. Also, make sure you want to attend Brown and not just PLME, because if you apply ED you have the choice of still being considered for Brown ED if you don't get into PLME ED. I have a feeling that option can have somewhat significant effects on your admission into the program. </p>
<p>Frankly, I think you shouldn't spend you entire college search on these types of programs because you are focusing your whole college career on a career pathway that might change in the next four years. My advice is to choose a college that is well-rounded and that will allow you to be successful in whatever you choose to pursue. Personally, I think the normal premed struggle is conducive to creating good future doctors, the University of Michigan thought the same thing when they ended their BS/MD Interflex Program a few years ago citing a discrepancy between Interflex doctors and the doctors who got in through the normal application process.</p>
<p>the major advantage of PLME over other direct programs is the opportunity to do something completely unique with your undergraduate years without the constraints of traditional pre-med obligations. also, it is designed to be an 8 year continuum, so there are opportunities to take medical school classes while in college along with opportunities to take humanities (or any other university classes) while in medical school. </p>
<p>friends of mine have used to flexibility of plme to (among other things): write a book on the history of anatomical dissection, write a romance novel, discover new bacteria, spend an entire year doing research in africa on health in the developing world, found and run a non-profit designed to reduce obesity, produce a documentary on HIV in the third world, etc.</p>
<p>As an HPME (Northwestern) graduate, I'd 2nd the remarks of dcircle. The real advantage to a combined program is to enable flexibility/creativity/exploration and remove much of the usual pre-med stress.</p>
<p>Having said that, I would discourage anyone from selling short their time in college by pursuing a program as abbreviated as 6 years or by heading off to a school that was not not a fit. Northwestern's program is 7-8 years depending on choice. I, for one, would encourage everyone to opt for 8 unless finances were a significant issue. If Rhode Island doesn't feel right for all of 8 years, you may want to consider NU and Chicago.</p>