<p>I am currently a freshman in a med program that does not require me to take the MCAT for acceptance into medical school. </p>
<p>Although the program itself seems great, I have had a miserable first semester, mainly because of the lack of academic environment there. I feel like no one else ever studies and that I can get good grades without much effort. Some upperclassmen have told me that the classes do not get much more difficult as the years go on, and talking to some of my friends at more academic schools (schools similar to the ones that I turned down for the med program), I feel like I am missing out. Because of the school's lack of diversity and the fact that I am at the top of my classes, I do not believe I'm growing as an individual. </p>
<p>My question is should I transfer out of the med program and try to go to a more academic school next fall? Should I wait another year? I'm afraid that if I transfer out, I won't be able to get into med school later on because the classes will be much more difficult at another school. I want to be challenged, but not to the point where I'll be failing all my classes. </p>
<p>Also, if I decide to apply to transfer, would I be able to without my program director knowing? If I told him that I was planning on transferring, and I didn't end up doing so, it could be really awkward. </p>
<p>You shouldn’t be concerned about the difficulty of upcoming pre-medical classes. If you can’t perform well in them, no matter where you are, then you should not be a doctor. I’m transferring for many of the reasons you are considering (I’m not being challenged at my current school), but I’m not afraid of not doing well at my new college. If I’m cut out for the work, I’ll perform; if not, I’ll change courses.</p>
<p>Also, I was concerned about notifying my advisor about my ambitions to transfer. To avoid the situation, I just asked a different advisor to handle the process for me. I would assume you aren’t obligated to notify the program director about your plans. If you don’t need to let them know, then don’t.</p>
I believe if you are not enjoying the school and not feeling challenged, then yes you should transfer. However, if i were you i would apply as a junior transfer and see if you can handle o-chem before you decide to forego your guarantee. If it is totally unbearable, you might want to just transfer earlier. I think you should be able to handle premed coursework if you were able to get into a bs/md program.</p>
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I highly doubt you can keep this a secret, but you shouldn’t be afraid to make your decision open despite what they might say.</p>
<p>If you do your best and work harder at your next school then I really doubt that you will do so poorly that you won’t even be able to get into one med school.</p>
<p>If I were you I would transfer out; I think you will have better opportunities at another school. If you aren’t willing to work hard enough to get grades good enough to get you into med school in a challenging environment I really doubt you will make it as a doctor anyway. </p>
<p>This is actually a very good question. Just know that given the highly cutthroat nature of med school admissions these days, a BS/MD combined program is an excellent thing to have. You’re right to be concerned that you may not get into med school later on due to going to a harder school, but you should also note that your current GPA (I’m assuming it’s high) will still help you in the future - it can pad your future performance, but only to a certain extent.</p>
<p>You should also ask yourself if the grass is really greener on the other side. I go to Dartmouth, and it’s really not that great (I’m hoping to transfer out for this reason). Just know that you’re already in a great position to become a doctor, and if you don’t feel challenged, try to find ways to challenge yourself (take on new and interesting activities, or take harder classes).</p>
<p>Also, all this advice about “if you can’t handle the classes at a different school, then you’re not fit to be a doctor” is totally absurd. Med schools are totally blind to the difficulty of an undergraduate institution, and most of the undergraduate material in a premed curriculum almost has nothing to do with being a doctor anyways. Like seriously, how is O-Chem exactly going to help one be a doctor? <em>Shakes head</em> CCers… If you have a guaranteed ticket to med school, you should seriously weigh the options here; whether or not you’re interested in other facets of the undergraduate experience etc.</p>
<p>^^^ Well said.
I feel if you drop out you will be missing out on something great you already have. You can go to the old saying in a few years when you are taking the MCAT and applying for med school, you don’t know what you have until its gone. I would stay. If you don’t mind me asking, where do you go?</p>
<p>aerialblue, how is what I said “totally absurd?” If it is, then why do adcoms care about how you do in pre-med coursework? Maybe O-chem isn’t an important skill to have to be a doctor, but the ability to learn it shows that you can learn other difficult disciplines in the future.</p>
<p>^Again, your extreme ignorance on these topics really shines through with a post like that. Adcoms do care about premed coursework, but not as much as you think. Final GPA is much more important (which is why premeds should major in something that they’ll do well in). Also, there’s a whole thread on CC somewhere questioning just how useful having O-Chem is to the premed curriculum. Look for it. </p>
<p>…But it all doesn’t really matter anyways because the OP is likely doing well in his premed classes at the moment.</p>
<p>The hardest part about med school is getting in. The OP, for all purposes, is already <em>in</em>. It absolutely matters if the OP goes to a harder school and doesn’t get into med school as a result. Your post was incredibly misleading.</p>
<p>Just some clarifications:
1.) hold up you still need to know some basics of ochem to do biochem (and biochem will be important for your first year of med school)
2.) If premed coursework didnt matter, we might as well just take fluffing classes to get a high final gpa. The rigor of the coursework matters, but so does your final GPA. (in other words you need both) which is why its suggested to major in something that you’ll do well in
3.) So why is ochem even required? The only thing i see from ochem is that you need to utilize many different learning skills to master the science. You need to know how to memorize and use critical thinking skills/ problem solving skills (for example those synthesis questions)
Is this course necessary to be a doctor? iono probably not, but i believe its just a way for med schools to weed people out that might not be able to handle the coursework in med schools.</p>
<p>1) Then just teach those basics. Leave the rest to ChemE majors.
2) OMG learn to read.
3) That’s a terrible reason…if it were even true. There are so many courses that can replace OChem. Dude…there’s been an entire thread debating the worthiness of the class, and I really don’t feel like rehashing it here.</p>
<p>Also, are you agreeing with the other posters that if the OP goes to a different school and gets weeded out, then he “can’t handle” being a doctor? Even if he’s going to excel in his current school? </p>
I agree there should be other courses to judge premed students. But, i heard that is one of the reasons why they put ochem to begin with after talking to some physicians.</p>
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I am just qualifying what you wrote. Your premed coursework is still important to get into med school. [regardless if its important to become a doctor, sadly speaking] </p>
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If he/she gets weeded out, he/she wont even get into med school period. however the part where he “cant handle being a doctor” i disagree. </p>
<p>Look all im trying to say is if the op was able to get into a bs/md program and do well in it, most likely the op will do well in top private and get into med school. So if the op is seriously unhappy with the program and school, i think the OP can consider transferring.</p>
I am just qualifying what you wrote. Your premed coursework is still important to get into med school. [regardless if its important to become a doctor, sadly speaking] </p>
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If he/she gets weeded out, he/she wont even get into med school period. however the part where he “cant handle being a doctor” i disagree. </p>
<p>Look all im trying to say is if the op was able to get into a bs/md program and do well in it, most likely the op will do well in top private and get into med school.</p>
<p>I finally got my grades and ended up with a 3.75 GPA first semester, but with A’s in both Biology and Chemistry. </p>
<p>Is my GPA too low to transfer to a more prestigious school? I’m thinking about Georgetown, Wellesley, UNC, Tufts, Boston College, UVA, Notre Dame, Vanderbilt, William and Mary, Brown, Hopkins, College Park, Dartmouth, UPenn, and Brown (I know, I really need to narrow this down!). </p>
<p>Should I wait until my junior year or just stick with the program?</p>
<p>Do you really, truly want to be a medical doctor?</p>
<p>If the answer is “Yes”, and this is the only profession you can imagine yourself working in, then quite frankly, it is stupid to transfer out of a 6 year BS/MD program just so that you can have a “more fun undergraduate experience”. You are already admitted (essentially) to the MD program where you are. Transferring elsewhere and then applying to other medical schools is a huge gamble.</p>
<p>Now if your desire to change schools is based in truth on a private question about your ultimate career goals, then perhaps taking a semester/year off of school (does your university allow you to do a year abroad, or take a leave of absence for personal reasons?) or considering a transfer is in order.</p>
<p>It is actually an eight year program so I spend four years in undergrad and not two. If it was two years I would probably stick it out, but three and half more years is a long time.</p>