<p>Hi guys! I am currently a junior in high school and eventually want to become a doctor, and was talking to my AP Biology teacher today, who was a pre-med. He, however, decided not to continue medicine.</p>
<p>As I was talking to him, he told me that it would be better to go to an undergrad school that has a medical school. Would it be better to do this, or to go to whatever undergrad and then med schools separate from that school.</p>
<p>What would be the pros and cons of each?</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>My guess is that there is an advantage at Med School A to have gone to undergrad A but that this advantage is so small that unless A and B are essentially equal to you, you should choose whichever school you like best. Happy students are successful students.</p>
<p>I do not know any advantages. However, there are advantages of being in combined bs/md along with some disadvantages. I completely support that "Happy students are successful students. "</p>
<p>I’m not sure there is such an advantage…especially at public SOMs</p>
<p>Since state gov’t control which state schools can have a SOM, I’m not sure that those SOMs are even permitted to give an advantage to their undergrads.</p>
<p>When my son applied to our state SOMs, the question was asked if he had gone to ANY of the state undergrads…there wasn’t an indication that there would be a preference given to those having gone to a particular undergrad.</p>
<p>To be clear, there is probably not an explicit advantage but a glowing LOR from a prof the ad com personally knows will go further than one from a prof at another institution they don’t really know.</p>
<p>^ Other than this, there is no advantage at all. I go to Penn State and there is no advantage for me if I apply to Hersey. The same applies if you went to Cornell and apply to their med school, etc. These schools want students from all over. However, there might be programs going on between the two schools that might be interesting. It all depends on what school you like better. I was told by someone to do the same but I still don’t think that it’s an advantage.</p>
<p>So then what are the advantages and disadvantages of applying for, and going through, a BS/MD program?</p>
<p>Disadvantage…</p>
<p>Highly competitive, very hard to get accepted to, usually requires very high stats for a chance at acceptance. (otherwise, every premed would go this route.)</p>
<p>If it’s a 7 year program then I think everything is too rushed and you don’t get to enjoy undergrad as much. </p>
<p>Often the publics that offer BS/MD give strong preference to instate students so if you’re OOS, your chances are even worse.</p>
<p>What are your stats?</p>
<p>"So then what are the advantages and disadvantages of applying for, and going through, a BS/MD program? "
-As a parent of current MS2 who was in bs/md, in our specific situation we did not see any disadvantages. However, specific situation is a key. D. had choices of bs/md programs and she has chosen specifically non-accelerated 4 + 4, that also allowed to apply out. Some other families that we met during interviews preferred accelerated ones.<br>
It all depends what kid is looking for and specific family situation. My D. was looking to have normal college experience that would include couple minors, possibly club sport, sorority, job, Research, travel abroad and preferrably no summer classes. One program matched 100% to her goals.
Being highly competitive is not necessarily such a disadvantage. You learn ropes much earlier than everybody else. They get interviewed at Med. Schools while in HS. It is extremely valuable experience. We sat thru many info sessions, learned a lot, learned a lot from families with the older sibling already in Med. School. Coming to “regular route” application process, D. did not feel as “new” as most others and coming to interviews knowing that you are already accepted to at least one place is a great advantage. It even helped taking MCAT as they needed low score in the program, which make them more relaxed.
However, keep in mind that getting accepted to specific Med. School “regular route” is easier than to the bs/md that includes this Med. School. As an example, D. was rejected pre-interview from bs/md that included her current Med. School.</p>