<p>Does anyone know anything about UMKC's 6 year accelerated med program and if it's a good idea to get into? Please help me!!</p>
<p>I think it's a horrible idea along with anyother accelerated program. I'll get into why later.</p>
<p>Among other reasons, the biggest problem I have, is what happens if you decide that medicine is not for you - you've wasted a lot of time and money for credits that won't transfer...again I have lots of reasons but that's the biggest and easiest to understand.</p>
<p>What if polkadotprincess, or anyone for that matter, is 100% sure she wants to be a doctor. Why would it be bad to go acc. then?</p>
<p>I'm guessing you're going to say no one can 100% sure they want to be a doctor, but I'm sure there are many people out there who are sure.</p>
<p>If she's 100% then that's one (out of many) she's taken care of...</p>
<p>I was accepted into UMKC's program in spring of 2001. I turned it down for a number reasons. Some of the top ones:</p>
<p>1) What's the hurry? When you retire at 70 are you going to look back and say "gosh I really wished I would have been a doctor for 46 years instead of 44".
2) Maturity - two years makes a big difference in your ability to deal with the stressors. 22 vs 18 makes a big difference when learning to take a sexual history, or when learning how to advise on contraception.
3) Miss out on a true undergrad experience because you have no time. I had so many things that were non-medical experiences while in undergrad that have made me who I am today.
4) specific to UMKC - all the MD's I met during the admissions process there were graduates of the school - that's a little fishy to me when they can't get other docs to work in positions dealing with recruitment.
5) Somewhat contradictory reports on placement into highly competitive residencies.
6) really really expensive. (Maybe not if you are planning on going private school for both undergrad and medical school but I was deciding between three different state schools for undergrad)
7) You don't get to meet as many people b/c the classes are (appropriate for medical school) limited in size.
8) I had two doctors (one that I was shadowing, and one that was a retired surgeon who came to my HS anatomy class to lead dissections of fetal pigs) who both advised me not to this route - for many of the same reasons I've listed here. Hearing them say it was important.</p>
<p>9) EVEN IF YOU ARE 100% COMMITTED TO MEDICINE DOESN'T PRECLUDE YOU FROM BURNOUT.</p>
<p>Oh ok..thanks for those points..they make a lot of sense now that you elaborated.</p>