HS senior here, after the decisions round I’ve narrowed down my list to two choices; UMinn Twin Cities and Villanova. I’m majoring in Biology in both (CBS in U Minn), and I’m really unsure about which one to choose.
Money is not an issue in my family, so that won’t really be impacting my decision too much.
I love the research that UMinnTC is doing, and I’d love even more to participate in it. I’ve also heard a lot of good things about their Bio / Pre-Med track. I’m worried, however, at how big the school is; I’ve usually done better in smaller classes, and have had the opportunity to connect with my instructors more. This came to mind when thinking about the fact that I need good LORs for Med school. Biggest point though is the fact that UMinn has a med school, which I could just straight track into from undergrad.
Villanova is a different story; from the students I’ve talked to, nova seems to really make sure that class sizes aren’t over 50-60, and even provide recitation classes just in case you had any questions in a smaller class setting. I have heard, however, that the Bio program at nova has really been “forgotten” about, and that they get little funding. I’ve also taken a liking to some of the research being done at nova. Main issue is that they’re affiliated with a DO school* rather than an MD school, which I’m afraid will be looked down upon by the Med School AdComs, or may just have less opportunities for shadowing, etc.
*I Have nothing against DOs, or DO schools. In fact, the entire reason I’m going into med is b/c of this great DO that was the PA of a surgeon that I shadowed. Without him, I probably wouldn’t be as involved as I am about this entire process.
No, MD programs won’t “look down” on you for studying at an institution that is affiliated with a DO program. Just put that notion out of your head!
The standard advice for pre-med students is to choose the institution where you are likely to get the best grades and MCAT prep, and that is likely to leave you with the most money to pay for med school. So the real question here is: If your parents pay for Villanova, will they still have enough money to pay for med school?
If you change your goals, and your major, which place offers better options for you?
So he basically graduated from the local DO school, and was taken under this surgeon’s wing, and acts as his PA now. They’ve worked together for at least 7-8 years from what I remember. I don’t want to divulge any more information so I can stay semi anonymous, so take it as you will. I did just check the website of the institute that the surgeon is part of, and the aforementioned DO graduate is listed as a PA-C.
Yes. We’ve been saving throughout the entirety of my elementary to HS years for this & our family is generally well off. We aren’t exactly rich, but we have enough money even w/o scholarships, which they’ve proven.
Thanks for the kind words! I’ve been hearing the exact same thing, that it’s primarily GPA, MCAT score, LORs, and Personal Statement rather than what school you came from. As for switching, I haven’t really looked into it because med has been my primary goal since probably beginning of MS, but I’ll look into it as life does tend to happen sometimes. Regarding the monetary section of your comment, see above.
“So he basically graduated from the local DO school, and was taken under this surgeon’s wing, and acts as his PA now.”
That is, absolutely, a first for me; I have never heard of a physician agreeing to be a PA-until now. State licensing must have accepted his medical school coursework instead of PA school, which seems odd, but this world never ceases to amaze me.
???":*;":"??? Count me in on being confused as the DO being the PA to a surgeon? No Residency, just wanted the 6 figure paycheck…all sounds confusing if not fishy. @WayOutWestMom can you make sense of that for us?
As far as you choosing an UG, I don’t see one being *better than the other.
More than a bit surprised a medical professional would share their salary with a HS student, though.
And my question was practical as much as anything else; virtually all state licensing PA boards require graduation from an accredited PA program. Technically, no MD or DO programs are accredited as PA programs. Seems like going to medical school would fill those requirements, but would be interesting to learn the decision-making process.
So still puzzled by this, especially the mechanics of going from DO to PA and actually practicing.
I really don’t get the attraction for Villanova. My high school was literally just around the corner from Villanova and it was alway considered a fall back/safety school in case you didn’t get into someplace better like Penn State or Temple.
ButI think the OP must have their facts jumbled. A DO cannot be licensed as a PA. Maybe the DO is acting as surgical assistant to the surgeon (a surgical assistant doesn’t require a PA license or a medical license.) because they didn’t match into a residency and lucked into this surgical assistant gig. Without a residency, a DO degree would just be fancy piece of paper hanging on the wall. (The same is true for a MD.)
But my advice is same as that given above–
–minimize your undergrad debt if you plan on going to med school because the name of college is one of the least important factors med school adcomms consider when making an admission decision.
–also make sure whichever college you choose offers you the opportunity to develop a Plan B career (since the vast majority of freshmen pre-med hopefuls will never apply to ANY medical school)
Plus I would advise you not to get into the MD or bust mentality. Doctors don’t care what initials their colleagues have after their names–MD, DO, DPM. To each other they are all just doctors. Medicine is very much a team effort nowadays. All a doctor cares about is whether their colleague is competent.
P.S. You know that both MDs and DOs participate in the same residency Match now. Both MDs and DOs train side-by-side at the very same programs. DPMs now are required to complete 2-3 years surgical residencies where they train side-by-side with orthopedic surgeons.
I think I have them jumbled as well, though according to their site he is certified. Odd, but I didn’t want to ask too many questions regarding how he got into his line of work, more or less just interested on learning more about the profession that I might end up becoming. I appreciate your words though, and will start to give my 2nd options a thought.
I realized how stupid my statement was after I typed it; you’re entirely correct. I was kinda going for a joke, but the internet is a hard place to convey sarcasm. As above, I didn’t really ask him how he really became a PA, and didn’t pry after he told me that he graduated from the local DO school. I was actually in his office and saw the certificate. Site says he’s certified, though.
Regardless of all of this, I’m probably going to go for Nova, as the smaller class size (esp. in some of my freshman classes, where I know I may need help) will really help my GPA and sGPA be as high as possible. This and I’ve found a professor whose research I’m pretty interested in at Nova.
Thank you everyone for your comments!
P.S. I can still try to get in contact with the surgeon so I can talk to his PA about this entire situation if you guys would like lol
