<p>SLU medical Scholars
Lehigh/Drexel 7-year BA/MD</p>
<p>SLU is getting more prestigious each year.
Lehigh/Drexel is a shorter period of time </p>
<p>i really don't know</p>
<p>hmm if i were you, i personally would choose lehigh. i applied for that program, but didn't make it. i would say you should think about how far each school is from where you live, and which you would actually be happier at... because you know that from either you will get to medical school, you obviously worked hard in highschool... make a decision based on which you will enjoy the most, because that is the place where you will most likely do the best. it isssss a hard decision though.. and i know that im not sure which i should choose either.</p>
<p>uconn - 7 or 8 yr (whichever i choose) mcat of 28
union - 8 yr no mcat and can get mba in undergrad
vcu - 8yr no mcat
temple - 8 yr mcat of 30
rpi - 7yr... not sure about mcat (focus on lab research)</p>
<p>right now, im thinking uconn is where i will end up... but im not sure if that is really the best decision given my other options... i just dont know. im thinking temple and vcu are outttt because vcu is too far and well i would choose union over vcu if i had just those two.. and temple is out becuase i'm not thrilled with the area, and i would choose uconn over temple if i had just those two. soooo right now im deciding between union and uconn i think.</p>
<p>to the original poster, my suggestion to you is to look into the medical schools of each program and find out various things such as their teaching style (e.g. do they have problem based learning, system based learning, etc.) and which one fits you better. Undergrad isn't as important, so focus on which medical school you think would be better for you. </p>
<p>to jenc89... I am actually in vcu's program, and I'm curious why you would choose union over vcu since I made the opposite decision last year. MCV is generally held in better regard in the medical community than AMC (there was a big thread over on the SDN forums a while back with people who had various complaints about AMC), and the students at MCV seem to very happy with their experiences. Additionally, if you want to, VCU gives you the ability to apply out while still retaining your seat at MCV. This is pretty sweet, since many programs will make you forfeit your seat if you choose to apply out. Union/AMC is also VERY expensive so, even with their best scholarship, you'd be paying out of your nose for 8 years.</p>
<p>Anyway, just thought I'd share with you my thought process when I was going through this last year. Ultimately, though, I hope you find a place that works for you.</p>
<p>Prestige really means nothing; unless you're going to a top 10. Think about time/money/happiness/residency acceptances. Ask for the match list and average student debts - that matters more. Saving an extra year can be helpful in boosting yourself with a better (longer) residency.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Prestige really means nothing; unless you're going to a top 10. Think about time/money/happiness/residency acceptances. Ask for the match list and average student debts - that matters more. Saving an extra year can be helpful in boosting yourself with a better (longer) residency.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>that's definitely true. what I meant when I said MCV seems to be more highly regarded in the medical community than AMC was that, in terms of facilities and training, I've heard better things about MCV. There just seems to be more positive opinions about factors relevant to the education such as professors, lab equipment, clinical exposure, etc. </p>
<p>I kind of disagree about the whole saving a year thing. I don't think it's bad--I just think it's irrelevant. If you're going into a 7 year residency, what difference does it make if you finished med school in 7 years or 8 years? You might as well enjoy one last year of relatively stress free undergrad before diving into the thunderdome. </p>
<p>Also, I think match lists need to be approached with a grain of salt. They don't really tell you much, because like you said, prestige isn't a big factor in medicine. Match lists aren't telling you that you are more likely to get into residency X because N number of people from school Y got in last year. Regardless of where you go, if you want to land a competitive residency, board scores + clinical recs + grades + research (in some fields) are the primary factors of concern.</p>
<p>I agree, but if a many students get into hospital y for residency, then the residency directors will have your school in better light, which may help you out.... Moreover, an extra year of residency can do a lot - especially, in regards to specialization.</p>
<p>that's true. residency directors tend to look favorably upon applicants from schools with which they have had good experiences. I think it's negligible compared to the other factors I listed, but it's something I guess.</p>
<p>Definitely, if your step 1 scores and grades aren't reasonable, then it's pretty hard to get into a good residency.</p>
<p>i would choose union over vcu primarily because it is just so far away from my family. virginia is like a 6 hour drive or something... not one i could do very often, and its important for me to be my family. Also, I am Jewish and fairly religious and keep kosher... at VCU that just wouldnt be easy. The medical school is definetly very good and well, better than AMC, but I just don't think I would be happy there so far from all of my family.</p>
<p>From what I've heard about Uconn, it is brilliant.
I had a friend who was in the same position as you jenc89, and he chose uconn over union and he is very happy with his decision.</p>
<p>man... answer my question!!!</p>
<p>Drexel is a fine medical school. you will get a good education. Philadelphia is a good town to learn medicine. I would also like to pay less tuition if you implying that it is 7 years verus 8. One less year of school is a plus because you learn the"real medicine" in your residency.</p>
<p>i know drexel has an MCAT requirement... what about SLU? That's something to consider. I suggest you look into the curricula of both medical schools to see what kind of strategy they use. Ask some existing students about their experiences (i.e. head over to SDN). also, check out how students at each school ranked their school based on this survey: <a href="http://www.amsa.org/premed/medsurvey/%5B/url%5D">http://www.amsa.org/premed/medsurvey/</a></p>
<p>Oh, I have a question about the MCATs since some programs require them. Is it really worth it to go to a school that requires a 28+ score? And how hard is it really to get a score like that anyways?
thanks in advance</p>
<p>in my opinion, it isn't worth going to a school that has an MCAT requirement of any sort. If you're gonna study for the MCAT, you're not just gonna study to try to get a 28... you're going to try to get as high as you possibly can. And since that's the case, you might as well take the traditional route and have the option of applying to a variety of schools. a 28 is below the average for students accepted into med school (which is around 30). I don't know how hard it is to attain since I haven't really looked at the MCAT, but I would imagine it isn't too tough for a focused student. Still, programs that require the MCAT seem somewhat useless since they don't remove the bulk of the stress of the premed experience (which is prepping for that damn test).</p>
<p>that makes sense. thanks for the reply. =]</p>
<p>MSU Med Scholars or HPME? that is the question.</p>
<p>depends on where you live.</p>
<p>if location isn't an issue, I'd take HPME.</p>