<p>As an Olive Branch, let me start with some very nice data about Brown’s Pre-med placement (from [Medical</a> Admission Data Snapshot](<a href=“WELCOME TO HEALTH CAREERS ADVISING | Health Careers Advising”>WELCOME TO HEALTH CAREERS ADVISING | Health Careers Advising), with some light screening for rank):</p>
<p>Medical schools where five or more Brown University graduates matriculated, 2005-2009</p>
<p>New York University 26
Mt. Sinai 21
University of Pennsylvania** 19
Columbia** 17
Yale** 16
University of California -San Francisco (including joint program with Cal-Berkeley)** 15
Harvard** 14
Albert Einstein 14
University of Michigan** 12
Cornell-Weill 11
Northwestern-Feinberg 9
Stanford University** 8
Cal-Los Angeles 7
Case Western Reserve 6
Johns Hopkins University** 6
Washington University-St. Louis** 6
Baylor University 5
Chicago-Pritzker 5
Duke University** 5</p>
<p>All of these medical schools are more highly regarded than Brown’s (those that are **ed are around top 10 in USNEWS), and have plenty of people matriculating from Brown. I would go so far as to say that Brown’s Pre-med placement is downright excellent for a school of its size and focus (even if I have problems with the advising). Why not take advantage of it?</p>
<p>“geo, please stop hating on Brown already. I don’t know how PLME would be considered in any way a “trick” to “lock” anyone in. In the past, PLMEs had the freedom to apply elsewhere while still being guaranteed a place in Alpert. While that policy, I believe, has changed recently, pre-meds who decide Alpert is not up to par can forgo their place and apply as any other pre-med would— MCATs and all.”</p>
<p>Its not an overt locking-in which is why its a trick. If you have an automatic in to a medical school, you’re not going to have the same Sword of Damocles [yes, I know its not a perfect analogy] hanging over you to keep your grades up, to spend that extra 5 hours a week in lab, to join that extra club, etc, etc. Many PLMEs with competitive backgrounds end up at Brown simply for this reason, or because they don’t want to deal with another application cycle. And I find that tragic. As an example, my roughly-equally-talented group of biochem major friends includes one person who got into Yale Med, one person at Penn Md-Phd, one person at MIT for graduate school, and a PLME who ended up at Brown. There’s a real disparity there. If you’re competitive enough to get into medical school, essentially, out of HIGH SCHOOL, why not take your talents to somewhere better than the 30th best medical school in the country?</p>
<p>Also, you’ve kind of answered your own question with the last part of your post - they’ve changed the policy so that people who apply out also have to apply to Brown. What does that tell you? They’re interested in keeping people in, that’s what. </p>
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<p>“jerzgrl mom is right, I know I want to be a doctor so my dad encouraged me during my junior year to look at some combined bs/md programs…it sounded good, but you’d basically focus your entire college education on science, science, and more science (not that i don’t like science, i obviously love it, but i have some other interests as well)”</p>
<p>You can take non-science classes while at Brown and still be a competitive pre-med. Hell, you can be a non-science MAJOR at Brown and be a competitive pre-med. Happens all the time.</p>
<p>“then, over the summer, i found brown’s PLME program…it’s stated right on their website, the goal of this program is not acceleartion, but enrichment…this is exactly what i want…”</p>
<p>You can get that at Brown without PLME.</p>
<p>“i want to go to college for the first 4 years as a normal student, able to study whatever i wish, studying humanities allows you to become a better doctor too, since you are learning how to interact with others, which is crucial in medical profession.”</p>
<p>So I’m told. You should study a little humanities even when you’re a science major. Learning art history has actually helped me relate to my (simulated) patients a little better. Keep in mind that the premed requirements for PLME and non-PLME are roughly equal (plus or minus the second semester of orgo and a semester of biochem I think?) so you’re not getting a great net benefit out of that.</p>
<p>“Another incentive for me was the fact that I’d be going to Brown University…not TCNJ or Stony Brook (the other schools that offer bs/md programs in my area)…not only is Brown’s prestige attractive, but its liberal atmosphere conducive is for LEARNING, not just acquiring facts on math and science…”</p>
<p>Sounds fair</p>
<p>“these are some of the reasons i want to go to the PLME, i understand my chances are extremely low, especially since i dont have the perfect stats everyone here seems to have i.e 2300-2400 SAT…go to a prep school…done research already…have some publications…etc, etc…I’m applying because I am sure this is where I want to be and where I would like to learn how to be a doctor, and maybe that counts for something…”</p>
<p>Not all PLMEs have those stats. I know many outright idiots in the program, in fact. Its rather remarkable how much it looks like a social experiment gone wrong. Furthermore, they reject several people with all of those stats too. </p>
<p>Also, don’t worry about not having those stats when you get to undergrad. College is a rebirth; you may not have had the opportunity to do research or kill your standardized tests before, but there’s no reason that you can’t now.</p>
<hr>
<p>“As a PLME, he doesn’t have to cram all his science/math requirements into his 1st 2 yrs so he’s ready to take the MCATs. He can take what he wants when he wants.”</p>
<p>The MCATs require little more than what you’re taught in AP Bio, chem, and physics, plus organic chemistry. Maybe one additional bio class is helpful. I fail to see how that’s “cramming”.</p>
<p>“He doesn’t have to spend a year preparing for/applying to and interviewing for med school.”</p>
<p>While that may sound stressful, in retrospect is a really wonderful experience. You get to see how medicine is done all over the country, and you get to hang out with other applicants. Even writing the application is pretty gratifying because it really forces you to think about your decision to enter medicine - not to mention justifying it to others. Plus my professors were all pretty understanding about why I was gone all the time (my DiffEq prof wasn’t, until her doctor husband told her about it, though 
).</p>
<hr>
<p>“Instead of stressing out, he can spend that year studying abroad - something that can be done as a non PLME but in many schools with core requirements, it can be difficult to schedule as an undergrad, especially while concurrently taking MCATs and applying to med schools.”</p>
<p>People still do it, especially during years off (more on this later).</p>
<p>“Brown also allows (and I believe encourages) PLMEs to take a yr off before med school to do research/volunteer/study abroad or whatever.”</p>
<p>Medical schools encourage this too. In fact many of the best applicants are those that took a year off and did research or volunteer work.</p>
<p>“As a PLME, one doesn’t need to obsess over EVERY grade or class choice, worrying how it will look to med schools. Brown undergrads (PLME or not) have some flexibility/freedom to study what interests them. They can take an occasional course Credit/No Credit if they want to try something new and expect it could hurt their GPA.”</p>
<p>Its not like medical schools want you to have a 4.0 (in fact they probably look at you a little weird if you do). And the truly great applicants don’t have to worry that much about class choices or grades because they’ll get the grades and take the hard classes for their own sake. </p>
<p>“Sure, PLMEs need to maintain a minimum GPA but honestly, I’m not sure what it is - I think possibly a 3.0. To me, that seems like a big relief but kids at Brown are self motivated and probably work their hardest regardless.”</p>
<p>No way. You’re not going to work your absolute hardest unless there’s something hanging over your head. Sure, you’ll work hard. But not your hardest.</p>
<p>“As far as Brown’s med school goes, it recently received a 100-million dollar gift and I expect good things to come. I know there are plans to expand and I believe a new med school is going to be built. My son doesn’t live by rankings so he’s fine with where Brown stands now - but I expect the med school to climb”</p>
<p>They renamed it and are adding some buildings. It’ll climb, but not climb that quickly.</p>
<p>“Not having to take the MCAT is a huge stress relief for many people and I think this is a large part of the motivation.”</p>
<p>If you can’t get a 32-3 on the MCAT, you shouldn’t be a doctor. If you can’t pass organic chemistry, you shouldn’t be a doctor. I’m not kidding. The things we’ve learned in medical school are far more difficult than either the MCAT or organic chemistry. </p>
<p>“Second of all- PMLE students are competing very heavily for those few positions and i do not think that Brown’s selectivity is any significantly different than for the rest of the applicant pool.”</p>
<p>That sounds about right.</p>
<p>“By the way, I do not know which medical school you would like to attend, but you should know that you are likely to get rejected from more than 50 percent of the schools you apply to.”</p>
<p>This is sobering, but true. Esp if you only apply to top places. Don’t let that discourage you though, plenty of people at Brown get into top places if they hunker down and put in the work.</p>
<p>“Even USNews ranks Brown at 34 in Research and 27 in Primary Care ( ahead of Duke Medical School and Johns Hopkins Medical School !!! )”</p>
<p>Don’t get too excited, because primary care rankings are BS. </p>
<p>“Do you think that you have a secured Harvard admission for med school? (since you are talking about “best”)”</p>
<p>No one does, but that doesn’t mean he shouldn’t take a shot. Even if you’re Harvard-competitive but don’t get in, you have a great shot at Hopkins or UCSF or Stanford or any number of places that are better than Brown Med.</p>