Some advice please....

Pre-Med & Medical School Pre-Med Topics
1

<p>I am currently a high-school junior in Pittsburgh with a GPA of around 4.5ish (weighted obviously). I plan to become a physician, and I've read how hard it is to get into medical school, so I am trying to get into a 7/8 year BS/MD program where I would not have to apply to medical school.</p>

<p>My first option for the BS/MD program would be at the University of Pittsburgh, which I've heard has an excellent medical program (most likely not extremely top-tier, but quite good), because my father works for UPMC, and therefore I would have most of my tuition paid for the first 4 years for which I would be an undergrad (at the very least).</p>

<p>I have not taken any AP tests yet, but I am taking AP Physics, AP Chem, and AP Stats this year, and planning to take AP Bio and AP Calc BC next year. I am also competing for class valedictorian (currently ranked 2nd in the class out of about 350), otherwise I would take anatomy and organic chemistry (both of those classes are only 4.0s, and getting an A in them would actually hurt my GPA). I also received a 1450 on the SAT(800 math, 650 critical reading),not including writing, (2140 w/ writing), and a 34 on the ACT </p>

<p>All of the 8-year programs are conditional, and the UPitt one says I must maintain a 3.25 GPA, and that I can SKIP the MCATs (meaning I don't have to take them). Also, there are a variable number of seats depending on how many worthy people apply to the program, so it may be anywhere from 5 to 50. </p>

<p>If I get into the BS/MD Program at Pitt, that's where I'm going, but other universities, such as U of Miami (FL), last year, accepted 50 out of 200 applicants. Therefore I will be applying there as well, since the GPA requirement is only 3.0 and I have to take the MCATs.</p>

<p>Therefore, I need some advice:</p>

<p>1) Is it better to go to a BS/MD program in the long run? </p>

<p>2) Should I bother applying to schools such as Boston University, where the average accepted SAT score is a 1540?</p>

<p>3) What other schools should I look at within the BS/MD Program that offer decent GPA and/or MCAT restrictions (some schools like Drexel and George Washington are slightly more difficult: Drexel - 3.5 GPA, at least 27 on MCATs, George Washington - 3.7 GPA, No need to take MCATs)</p>

<p>4) Does it matter after college where I went for undergrad/medical school? As in, would someone with the same qualifications as me get the job simply because he went to both harvard's undergrad and medical school?</p>

<p>Thanks
Evilbooyaa</p>

2

<p>The first note is not a criticism of you, but it is a sad lament about the process in general: I hate how kids have incentives to avoid certain classes. I hate it. If a pre-premed is not supposed to be taking organic chemistry and anatomy, then what in the world is he supposed to be doing? It's a stupid, stupid system they have, and I'm sorry you're caught up in it.</p>

<p>Second, while the requirements matter, almost any set of requirements is "easier" than applying in general. Proof by extreme example: WashU's program - apparently brand new - requires a 3.8 GPA through college and a 36 on the MCATs, very competitive numbers by any standard. So...? The answer is that if you take easy classes to amass your 3.8, take the MCAT five times before you can finally manage to score a 14-14-8 (not a good score!), and do no extracurriculars, you will be admitted. For most applicants, that would be a very bad application. So while, of course, lower standards help, even very high standards should not rule a program out.</p>

<p>To answer whatever questions I can:</p>

<p>1.) In the long run, I can't imagine it matters in the slightest.</p>

<p>2.) It depends on the rest of your application and the rest of what they look at. Are you a URM? A legacy (presumably not)? Do you have killer extracurriculars? Have you won a Nobel Peace Prize? The thing to remember is that half the students admitted score below the median. That half, though, has something especially wonderful going for them, whatever it may be. Do you?</p>

<p>3.) No idea. Again, remember that even very stringent requirements are still helpful.</p>

<p>4.) I don't think undergrad matters. Med school will.</p>

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<p>Thanks for responding mike, I am also slightly angry that I have to skip organic chem and anatomy in high school simply because it would kill my GPA. </p>

<p>You seemed very critical of the BS/MD program. Is it because it is easier than reapplying to medical school and going through all of those hassles or is there some disadvantage (at any point in my life) of going to an 8-year medical program instead of a 4 year undergrad, then 4 year medical?</p>

4

<p>I'm sorry, didn't mean to be critical at all. What I mean to argue was that your path would be easier - a good thing! - if you went through that program.</p>

<p>My hostility towards admissions is because I find the admissions process in general a little bit on the frustrating side, nothing at all to do with BS/MD programs uniquely.</p>

5

<p>any combination of the mcat that equals out to a 36 is pretty damn good, if u can manage a 36 then that means you did learn enough in college, and that you didnt need extra curr. or research, or watever. to get into med school its 95% test scores and gpa. also, dont give me that crap how some ppl have an unfair advantage by going to easier schools/ easy major or go to grade deflated schools, thats why there is the mcat, just like the sat's it is the same for everyone and is the most unbiased way of comparing students.</p>

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<p>Med school admissions is not 95% test scores and GPA. Test scores and GPA's will get you a secondary (and perhaps an interview at lower level med schools) but to get accepted you must have good EC's, personal statements, and interivew.</p>

7

<p>Hi Rav,</p>

<p>I'm not entirely clear on what you just said - the MCAT is crucial? a 36 is good? - and so I'll try to respond as best I can.</p>

<p>I apologize for continuing to take this thread off-track, but I felt it was important to talk a little bit about some of what Rav said.</p>

<p>Booyaa, if you end up taking the MCAT, your subscores matter just as much as your overall score. One way that schools will evaluate your score is by looking at your worst subsection, and an 8 in any section is a pretty serious liability under most circumstances. A 36 overall is a very good score (97th percentile), but it's much better to have a 12-12-12 split than a 14-14-8 split. Goodness forbid you score a 15-15-6, in which case you would almost certainly not be admitted to any medical schools despite two perfect subsections and an overall 36.</p>

<p>By the way, I think the MCAT is a very, very good test - that is, I think it correctly measures many of the sorts of things I hope all my doctors will have.</p>

<p>Second, the process is most certainly NOT 5% intangibles, and focusing purely on your grades and MCATs will serve you poorly as a premedical student, both during the admissions process and during medical school itself. The MCAT matters a great deal, it's true, as does your GPA. Still, medical schools pay attention to a great deal more than that. They are trying to figure out what kind of doctor you will be. They need you to be smart, and part of how that is decided is based on the numbers. They need you to be sociable and professional, as seen in an interview. They need you to be a good communicator, as seen in essays. They need you to be a talented and committed leader. They need you to be compassionate. They need you to be passionate about the world around you. Numbers are most certainly not the only deciding factor, and ignoring the rest of the process will harm you severely.</p>