<p>I just had my eyes opened to this possibility, and I'm now seriously considering it. I'm not sure if I should post my stats here, but just in case...</p>
<p>Indian Asian Male
GPA: Weighted top 10%
SAT I: 1530, 770 Verb 760 Math
ACT: 33 (only one I can rememebr is the 36 reading)</p>
<p>Extracurriculars:
Scholastic Bowl 4 years, captain of both JV (soph year) and Varsity (senior)
Forensics One Year
National Honor Society
Robotics club
Science Club
Eagle Scout
Many volunteer hours with park districts, through boy scouts, etc.
National Merit semifinalist (probably a finalist, score of 219)</p>
<p>Recs:
2 very good recs, one from a department chair</p>
<p>Misc:
Have held 2 part time jobs, one as a cook at target, one as an english tutor/teachers' aid at a private academy (current)</p>
<p>My sister's in the Rice 8-year program and so far seems pretty happy with it. I also have a friend in the Northwestern program, and I know there's a similar thing at GW. All are extremely competitive, look for signs you're completely devoted to medicine, and very well-regarded. good luck!</p>
<p>Also BU, NYU, UConn(I'm applying to UConn's 8 year program), Penn State, and Case Western all have programs. However, most of them have a less than 10% acceptance rate, and are just as hard to get into, if not harder than any top Ivy. I'd say your grades and SAT's are high enough, but they really want to see dedication to medicine-they want to know that you are positive that you want to go into medicine. If I were you I would do some volunteer work in a hospital, or another medically related ec. Good Luck!</p>
<p>If you want more info, I think there is a whole board about this under the med school/pre-med categories.</p>
<p>Brown is up there as well. Some advice though, I seriously dont recommend these programs unless you think you might slack off in college or are not concerned with how good of a med school you go to. Here's the deal, you are Ivy caliber and having gone to an Ivy I have seen most of my friends end up at the top 25 schools. The best 7yr program, Northwestern, is ranked #19 for med. Why not go to an Ivy, enjoy life and have a true college experience, then go on to a much better med school. The only reason to not go that path is if you want to slack in college or think you wont do well on the MCAT. Most of these programs dont require the MCAT or higher than a 3.1 GPA.</p>
<p>Agreed, its a great med school. BUT all the others are very difficult to get into (penn state, etc) and in the long run are not worth it at all for top students. NU is a great school, but most of the PLME students are of the highest caliber and would have likely ended up at top med schools anyway. That program does shave a year off of college though, which is nice if you are financially strapped.</p>
<p>I agree with others that grades/sat scores are not enough to get you considered. You have to show a large interest in medicine and show that you've been exposed to it and sure that that's what you want to do.... from your ECs it doesn't look like you've done this. A job at a hospital or a nursing home or research or something...</p>
<p>Honestly you seem outside the range for Brown or Northwestern PLME. In that case I advise forgetting the rest and going to an Ivy like Penn, Princeton, Dartmouth, etc. Get a good GPA/ MCAT and you will be a grad of both a great undergrad and great grad schools. Even my friends who had 3.2s in college ended up at med schools better than many of the 6-7 yr prograqms. Most with a 3.7, 33MCAT ended up in the top ten.</p>
<p>Oh yeah- Case's med program is also top notch. That is the one you have the best shot at and its top ranked. Go there if you really want to go this route.</p>
<p>I'm stacy's sister - and she's right, I am happy with the Rice program! I had stats similar to yours, so you should definitely look into these programs. Unfortunately, unless you have already applied to Rice, you have missed the deadline. But other programs may still be accepting applications.</p>
<p>You should also look at the multiple degree programs forum on this site.</p>
<p>Also, Slipper, i totally disagree with you. I resent that you think the people in these programs are slackers. Maybe you don't know people in these programs? Trust me, they aren't slackers. If they were, they wouldn't be in the programs!</p>
<p>I am in a combined program and did not do it so that I could slack off. I did it so that I would have the freedom to explore multiple areas of interest to me with out worrying about how it would look to a med school admissions staff. I did it so that I could save money (many of these programs give merit aid, and rice and baylor, at least, are far less expensive than comparable schools). I am in the program so that I can do study abroad, internships, research in sociology, etc - basically things that might seem to not be medically related but are important to me as well.</p>
<p>I am enjoying life and having a "true college experience", and most people in these programs do as well.</p>
<p>Slipper-
Jen is right on this one. Being selected for a BA (or BS)/MD program is no easy thing. I would not apply the word "slacker" to anyone who is accepted into one of these programs. Just as different things appeal to individuals, so does the choice to pursue a combined program rather than have to go throught the angst again in a few years. Student s accepted into these programs are making rather large life decisions at the ripe old age of 17. That should also not be trivialized. While I agree that one of the benefits of being accepted into one of these programs is that it does take some of the pressure off , and allows students to have a life.</p>
<p>I really appreciate all of the input! I've spent some time reading through all of your opinions, and right now, the track that seems best is the Ivy>med School track, as opposed to a 7 year program.</p>
<p>Guys, I dont think that people in this program are slackers, in fact they are incredibly hard working. BUT I think they might have made the wrong choice. I see no reason to be in one of these programs unless you dont want to work hard to get a high GPA and MCAT in college or unsure whether you will be able to get high scores. </p>
<p>Here's my rational: 1) Jen you mention being able to go on trips/ study abroad/ etc. The truth is that most of the 6-7 year programs cut out key undergraduate parts and options in order to expedite graduation, actually making this impossible</p>
<p>2) Also, it is MAJOR misconception to think med schools dont want things like study abroad, and random classes and majors. None of my friends who went to the Ivy med schools were even bio majors, one was philosophy, one english, one nueroscience, one anthropology, one physics, etc. Med schools want to see diversity in their classes, so all you need to do if fill up the prereqs and show interest (like doing med related research). My anthro friend for example did fieldwork on AIDS in the Mali. It helped get him into Yale.</p>
<p>3) Most people who go to these programs could go to much better programs. For example, the guy who gave up Stanford to go to BU. Lets put it this way, if he was good enough to get into Stanford and BU med, he'll probably go to a much better med school than BU in the long run.</p>
<p>Exception) Financial: Sure, Rice has great merit aid, and no one can argue a good value if that is what matters most.</p>
<p>Also, Jen Rice/ Baylor is quite possibly the best BA/ MD dual degree program in the country (Baylor is a top 15 med school, Rice top 15 Undergrad). So for you I can totally see how it was the right choice. Northwestern and Case Western are similar as well. But the rest of the programs are also difficult to get into, and they are not of the highest caliber.</p>
<p>I don't know... I agree with you that these programs are not for everyone. </p>
<p>It kind of depends what you want to do. If you do not want to go into academic medicine and simply want to be a family physician or pediatrician, etc., does it really matter which med school you go to? No. </p>
<p>Also, I agree that med schools want diversity. I just think that the combined programs take the pressure out of making some of the decisions about what to do during the college years.</p>
<p>Finally, I agree with you that many 6-7 year programs do make it difficult if not impossible to do things like study abroad, internships, etc. That's why I didn't apply to them. But 8 year programs don't have this restriction.</p>
<p>BTW, I didn't say that a good value is what matters MOST, but yes, i think it does matter. Why pay more than you have to, you know?</p>
<p>I am a faculty member of one of the top-ranked medical schools and have served on the admissions committee at another top-ranked school. </p>
<p>I think the major advantage for going to a combined program would be to short-track (6 or 7 yr programs), and thus save 1-2 years of your education and tuition. I think a very highly motivated and mature student could take advantage of the time saved, particularly if they were interested in a specialty of medicine that required very long training (e.g.,cardiac surgery). I don't see any advantage to an 8 year program other than than having the security of knowing you are in medical school. </p>
<p>I agree with Slipper1234 that going to college for four years has its advantages, whether it be at an Ivy/top LAC or an honors program at a state university. You have the opportunity to explore other areas and may even find that medicine is not what you really want to do (Over the years, several of my classmates have left medicine to pursue other activities). You also can pursue some academic area in depth of your own choosing rather than take a prepackaged curriculum. To me, the freedom to develop one's intellectual interests is very special and should not be given up easily. Additionally, doing well in college enables you to get into one of the better medical schools, which in turn, enables you to get into more competitive residency programs. Many of the schools in the combined programs are not highly regarded and their graduates would not be highly-ranked by residency directors of the top programs unless they were the among the very top of their class. On the other hand, students from top medical schools (even below average students) get into excellent programs. </p>
<p>I think my foregoing comments apply mostly if you are interested in competitive specialties and subspecialties. On the other hand, if your major goal is just to practice good medicine (particularly in primary care) then the prestige of the degree or residency training is not that critical. Most patients never ask where you went to med school or residency-they just want a competent, caring physician. </p>
<p>Last, med schools look favorably upon applicants who may worked for 1-2 years after college or longer. They feel these students may be more mature and have real life experiences that give them a better perspective on medicine. Medical school/residency is a conveyor belt. Once you step on board, you will keep moving ahead and it is difficult to step off. It does not allow a lot of time for personal exploration or reflection, even though you will grow and be challenged during your training.</p>