<p>Hi! I had a few concerns about the fast track medical program. Tulane requires one to complete 60 credits including the eight science classes by the second year at Tulane. Is it possible for a person to do that if he/she does not have any college credit to begin with? Also, if one does complete this task, does it automatically allow one to get into med school without taking the MCAT? </p>
<p>Thanks</p>
<p>60 credits in 4 semesters (15 hours per semester) is considered a normal load. It is quite doable, most actually complete a few more hours than that because of labs in the science courses.</p>
<p>You still have to take the MCAT, with the one exception of getting accepted into the Creative Scholars Program. That is the one for non-science majors and you get into that after you sophomore year. However, it really isn’t “fast track” because you still complete your regular 4 year degree at Tulane and then go to med school. For the TAP-TP program which you get into as a freshman and then you do start med school early (after taking a year off after sophomore year to perform community service in Southeastern Louisiana), you still take the MCAT.</p>
<p>Is it automatic admission through the creative scholar program?</p>
<p>Thanks.</p>
<p>Yes, as long as you maintain your grades and meet other standards. Here is more information:</p>
<p>[url=<a href=“http://tulane.edu/som/admissions/faqs.cfm]Tulane”>http://tulane.edu/som/admissions/faqs.cfm]Tulane</a> University - School of Medicine - Office of Admissions - faqs<a href=“question%20#9”>/url</a></p>
<p>and this quote from the site:
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<p>The emphasis was mine to highlight that answer to your question.</p>
<p>The only other thing I have read somewhere is that they interview you in the spring of sophomore year and you get a yes/no answer during the summer, probably in June.</p>
<p>fallenchemist: What does it take to get accepted into Tulane’s honor program before freshman year?</p>
<p>You would have to be invited when you were accepted to Tulane. I wouldn’t worry about it as far as the Creative Scholar’s Program. As long as you get a 3.6 or better (and for your goals try very hard to do better) you will get in the Honors Program after freshman year, and that is fine.</p>
<p>However, if you really want to try and get in before freshman year, send me a private message with your stats and I will give you my opinion as to whether you have a shot. But unless you were thinking about the TAP-TP program, you don’t need to be in the Honors Program now.</p>
<p>when we visited Tulane one of the things that they mentioned in the info session was the Creative Scholars Program, however, I’ve heard that Tulane Medical School is quite pricey. If heard that its something like $75K/year, however, other med schools that may even be a little bit more reputable are more like $50K/year? So people have questioned this program all together. Anyone have any comments on this? Is this wrong, have I misunderstood?</p>
<p>Tulane is one of the most expensive medical schools in the country. I would not even consider going there unless I was doing the Army/Navy/Airforce HPSP Scholarship or some kind of full-tution/living expenses scholarship. Tulane usually ends up being 75-85k/year (including living and food, as well as tution, etc).</p>
<p>I’m from Texas and I know that the instate cost of attending is anywhere from 20-30k/year (also including food/living expenses, etc).</p>
<p>Is it possible to go in debt for Tulane’s medical school? If so, how much debt will one be in?</p>
<p>It is always possible to go into debt at any medical school as far as I know. The amount of debt is impossible to predict. Like for undergrads, Tulane does provide some grants to incoming students and there are private scholarships available as well. [Tulane</a> University - Types of Aid for SOM](<a href=“http://tulane.edu/financialaid/hsc/som/types.cfm]Tulane”>http://tulane.edu/financialaid/hsc/som/types.cfm)</p>
<p>Frankly I wouldn’t focus on this too much. Once you start your studies as an undergrad, you will be getting plenty of information regarding the ins and outs of medical school, both at Tulane and elsewhere. It is fine to think ahead of course, but so much depends on how you do as an undergrad you might be overdoing it a bit.</p>
<p>Fallenchemist: Everyone says that Tulane is an expensive school. It is, but I thought one could get loans to get in and help pay for it, so I think money is not an issue for Tulane undergrad or am I missing a bit of information.
Thanks</p>
<p>Tulane, like all private schools, is expensive. There are 3 major sources of money other than your own. 1) Merit money based on your academic record. At Tulane this can range from $0-full tuition. 2) Financial aid based on need in the form of grants. Grants don’t have to be repaid. The biggest difference between these and scholarships are that scholarships are guaranteed for 4 years unless you don’t make the grades or get in trouble. Grants, like all need based aid, are reviewable every year as your financial circumstances change. The better academic record you have, the more likely it is the FA will lean in favor of grants rather than loans. 3) Of course loans are available and will almost always be part of a need based packed. However, I strongly discourage any student taking on a lot of debt, and if you want medical school it is a really bad idea. My own rule of thumb is that you shouldn’t take on more than about $25,000 in debt for undergrad, $30,000 absolutely tops. But while everyone has their own comfort level, there can be no doubt that there are numerous horror stories for students having crushing debt after undergrad, from almost any school you can name. I cannot say strongly enough that this is a path you should avoid.</p>
<p>Thans for replying fallenchemist. I have another questions, when Tulane gives out merit scholarships, do they empasize on your grade or your ACT score? </p>
<p>Thanks</p>
<p>I don’t know the exact formula, but everything I have seen tells me it is a pretty even balance of the two.</p>
<p>Thanks for the advice fallenchemist, it really helped me out. One more question, does one have to pay off the undergrad debt before going into med school? </p>
<p>Thanks</p>
<p>No, you are free to accumulate debt as long as you can get the loans.</p>