<p>Just returned from NOLA where I attended a conference but a friend brought her s to stay with my S and visit TU. They met with someone from the med school who said that in addition to the creative scholars program, they are introducing a new program for incoming freshman (probably next years class, but I am not sure- maybe this year's freshman could look into it too). It is available <em>only</em> to DHS students who want to go to med school. Basically, after 2 yrs of undergrad (where the student will have to complete all premed requirements) they then take a year off, while staying in NOLA (possibly staying in the dorms but this isnt clear) and spend that year doing community service in NOLA (and probably getting a stipend during this time -- this also was not clear from my friend). Then, the next year, anfter what they considered a year to grow and mature, the student goes right into TU med school, and essentially completes their undergrad degree while completing the first 2 yrs of med school. Even better, the last 2 yrs of DHS $$ will go towards paying the first 2 yrs of med school! Interesting program!</p>
<p>*** Here-- I found info onthe med school website-- the year off is coordinated through Americorps
[quote]
TULANE ACCELERATED PHYSICIAN TRAINING PROGRAM (TAP-TP, 6+1)
Tulane offers a 7-year program (TAP-TP, 6+1) that includes an undergraduate and medical education in addition to a mandatory year of public service with AmeriCorps.Tulane has a long history of public and community service, requiring community service in the medical school curriculum for over 20 years.As New Orleans is an underserved community (especially following Hurricane Katrina) and Louisiana a low-income state, the marriage of an educational program and public service is a natural mix for Tulane.</p>
<p>Exceptional high school students will apply to the TAP-TP.Eligible students will be expected to have high levels of academic performance as judged by transcripts, SAT/ACT scores and AP scores. Students will be interviewed by a committee of undergraduate faculty, medical school faculty and administrators. Between 10 and 20 students would be accepted each year.</p>
<p>TAP-TP Students will complete an abbreviated undergraduate curriculum designed around a BS in Molecular and Cellular Biology with emphasis on the application of scientific principles for the public good. Undergraduate performance would be a requisite for continuing in the program. TAP-TP Students will have bi-monthly conference style workshops designed to both track the students and develop skills necessary for the practice of medicine. Following completion of 2 years towards the BS degree requirements, students will begin a one-year public service commitment with AmeriCorps. Students will then enter the 4-year medical school curriculum.
<p>^^ Addendum: I am not sure if thsi accelerated program is available only to DHS students, or if it is that a student who has the DHS will have the last 2 yrs of the scholarship go toward the first 2 yrs of med school tuition. Either way, it is a sweet deal!! Incredible opportunity and extremely financially beneficial to the right student.</p>
<p>is this program up and running yet ( noticed you said freshman could look into it)? i have searched the website and found what you have above, but no link to any type of application?? guess it would be too late now as son accepted with chem major already and i bet the stats needed would exceed his but seems like a great program.</p>
<p>parent56 - Tulane doesn’t accept students linked with declared majors, so just because he indicated chemistry as his intended major (yay!), it really doesn’t mean anything. In other words they are not accepted into particular schools, all students attend Newcomb-Tulane College, and can easily switch majors between those associated with Science & Engineering, Liberal Arts, Business, etc. I don’t think they are even in a school until they formally declare a major, but I have never looked into this in detail. I’ll ask my D when I see her next week. Also, there is no such thing as a pre-med major. All students that are pre-med have to major in a “normal” area of study, be it biology, chemistry, history, music, whatever. They just have to take the courses med schools require like freshman chem, organic chem, some bio courses, and a few others. And take the MCAT’s of course. It would be interesting to know what field their BS degree would be in for the program jym describes.</p>
<p>lol fallen chemist…this major from a kid that “hated” chemistry until exposed to wonderful chemistry teachers! i probably worded my post incorrectly, i really meant, he had already applied and been accepted and i would expect that this program would have its own specific application. I wondered about what their undergrad would be also, as 2 years of pre-med required courses (i’m sure there wouldnt be time for anything else) . son will be home next week and if interested maybe he can call and get more info</p>
<p>Yes, I am sure you are right about the program having a separate application, although it probably isn’t in place yet. But I don’t know for sure, so as you say a phone call is in order.</p>
<p>Just as a ramble, I have mixed feelings about these programs. It seems to me that the point of a liberal arts education like Tulane’s is to let them explore for a couple of years and then decide if what they thought they wanted to do going in is still their passion, or at least more interesting than anything else they have been exposed to. Certainly we all know people and have heard lots of stories of kids that changed their major after taking a subject they had no idea about before. After all, look at your own son and chemistry (I love that story, btw). On the other hand, there are other schools with these programs and some for a long time, so I will have to assume they are successful and fill a need for a lot of students.</p>
<p>A quick search didn’t turn up an application, everything just took me back to the same page that described the program. I suggest calling the admissions office at the med school, since it is their program.</p>
<p>Also, I just re-read the program description and see that the BS is in Molecular and Cellular Biology, which was a question I had.</p>
<p>FC–
The creative scholars program does <em>not</em> require the student to take the MCAT. Thats the beauty of it - to know at the end of one’s soph. yr that they are in med school. They can still take the MCAT and apply elsewhere, but they have a guaranteed med school admission (acceptance) in their pocket. And I am guessing that the new accelerated program would also not require the MCAT, as it is apparently very selective and currently seems to be taking only DHS scholars for consideration. For this new program, the description says
Sorry. Not a chem major ;)</p>
<p>My friend and her son (who is a HS junior) met with whoever is spearheading this program at the TU med school last week. I would guess that this program is in place for incoming freshmen, but am not sure if it is available to current freshmen. But it is certainly worth exploring. Good luck!</p>
<p>this sounds like the program in place at some other LACs…a friend’s daughter is attending Union College like this…they are wonderful if a kid knows at 17 what they want to do for the rest of their lives…sounds terrific…</p>
<p>Hi jym - yeah, I was talking about regular premeds and the courses they have to take when I mentioned the MCATs. A lot of people don’t understand that there is no premed major, just requirements. The MCATs wouldn’t makes sense, of course, if one is already “in” med school.</p>
<p>It does makes sense that the people getting in are DHS people, since the med school program is so small and therefore selective. Most of the DHS winners are science types with a lot of them undoubtedly being premed. In fact at the DHS breakfast we learned that my D was the only declared liberal arts major, so Dean Haber sought her out, lol! So while maybe there is no specific statement that you have to be a DHS winner to get into the program, if enough DHS winners apply to fill the slots, it makes sense that others would have a slim chance to get in.</p>
<p>^^^ Very true, FC, but if the program will accept 10-20 students a year, and, for example, your d’s class has only 26 DHS students, that would mean almost all of them would have to want to go after this opportunity. I just don’t see that happening. There is another forum called “studentdoctor dot net” where this program is also being discussed. The OP is apparently a current freshman and was approached by a dean to consider pursuing the new TAP-TP program. In that forum he/she said they had a 1/2 tuition scholarship. That sounds like it isnt the DHS. I posted a question asking for clarification so we can get a better understanding who might be eligible for the program. Stay tuned!</p>
<p>** And sorry for the misread on your post–I thought you were saying the Creative scholars students had to take the MCATs.</p>
<p>parent56-
IT isnt too lte for anincoming student to pursue the program. There was apparently a presenttion about it given in the Honors dorm not too long ago:
Information session: Accelerated pre-med program