<p>Bachelor/MD programs (BS/MD or BA/MD) are very attractive to high school students BECAUSE of the guarantee of medical school - that should not be the sole reason to go to a program. Many high school students are scared to the point of paranoia that they won’t get into medical school and these combined programs take advantage of this. Which is why many low quality undergrads participate in these programs to get more applications.</p>
<p>Most people normally would not even apply to these schools based on the undergraduate institution alone (which are usually low ranked and subpar), although there are exceptions (Rice, Brown, Tufts, Northwestern, Boston University, and many more), and these happen to be the ones hardest to get into.</p>
<p>As far as “messing up”, MiamiDAP, there are people who enter these combined programs and due to the compressed curriculum or skipping of lower level prereq classes, “mess up” and end up leaving the program as well. It’s not just out of sheer laziness. By being in a full undergraduate (4 years), you have the time to take your pace to learn the material well and build a good foundation. It’s when a lot of these programs start knocking off those years in undergrad that students get into trouble, as then students have to take more classes in less time AND not get their summers off to rest - thus students end up miserable.</p>
<p>Success in high school is not necessarily indicative of doing well in college - although taking more college preparatory coursework (AP courses) in school, will prepare you for the work effort in college such as AP Calculus, AP Biology, AP Chemistry, and AP Physics B (assuming you study and try to learn the material).</p>
<p>If I had a choice between Harvard and a mid to low tier Bachelor/MD program, I would go to Harvard. No offense MiamiDAP, but U of Cincinnati’s Bachelor/MD program is not exactly top notch. Getting 9’s on each section is actually pretty low. Luckily for your daughter, she can apply out if she wants, which I would highly recommend, esp. if she’s considering something competitive for residency.</p>
<p>To add onto MD2B2012’s contention and address the op’s question, the point of an 8 year BA/MD program, like the Brown PLME, is to provide a full undergraduate experience so that students have the maturity and foundation necessary for medical school. For me personally, the notion of an “accelerated” medical education was not attractive; the guaranteed medical school admission was what I coveted (not that I doubt my ability to get in later, but if you can get in as a hs senior, why not?). The popularity of 8 year programs compared to accelerated ones is fairly conspicuous given that Brown PLME has around twice as many applicants as any other program (1856 this year).</p>
<p>If you care about name brand colleges and want a great undergraduate experience in such a college…BS/MD programs are not for you.
If you are trying to find your niche life, and or have varying interests in different fields…BS/MD programs are not for you.
If you are smart, hard working, disciplined and a go getter as most of the students in this forum are(i.e have great confidance in your abilities)… BS/MD programs may not be for you.</p>
<p>The pros of these programs
If you are sure you want to go into medicine and you are not very concerned about name brand colleges these combined/accelerated programs provides the following advantages.
Stress free undergraduate years i.e ability to choose a minor/major that you otherwise maynot choose, no need of figuring out research projects or volunteering/ shadowing jobs in order to beef up your resume. No MCATS is a big plus.(you have to prepare and score well on MCATS. And for places like Harvard med school you will needto score big… 36 or so to even get your foot in,…which I am sure can be /will be very stressful when the time comes) And finally you can bypass the entire painful process of applying to medical schools…which involves so many other factors including “the interview…which again can be a gamble” other than just grades and MCATS.</p>
<p>An advantage to a good combo program. A case in point. Student got into one of the better combo programs and Cornell. Took the combo program. Got a really great GPA…opted to take the MCATs…aced them, and is now applying to the best med schools in the country. Would this student have done just as well out of Cornell? Who knows. Also, this student did not slow down on shadowing etc. in college.</p>
<p>“The top of your class in some small schools might not be enough.”</p>
<p>You are talking about mostly Private Schools with very rigorous curriculum. D’s class had 33 kids and school is considered to be the best in large area including neighboring state. I am sure that that fact that she was #1 in her class of 33 in her Country Day school played one of the major roles in her acceptance to porgram as school is very well known and respected.</p>
<p>MiamiDAP, I think BERN1943, was referring to the scenario for example where someone may have very good grades AND have a high rank (those 2 may not necessarily go together esp. if one is making A’s in only “regular”/on-level classes) AND may have high standardized test scores, but no extracurricular activities that demonstrate a commitment to the field of medicine.</p>
<p>It isn’t just whether your school is public or private and most universities esp. combined Bachelor/MD program committees don’t have time to dig up info on each and every high school. You do realize in your daughter’s class that with her TOTAL senior class being 33, that the top 10% of her class is #1, 2, and 3, which is nuts. Many public schools have 30 students in one classroom.</p>
<p>High rank in your high school has to be taken in context, esp. in comparing to high schools that have usually higher senior class sizes, some even in the 800s-900s. 33 people is the size of 1 classroom in my old high school.</p>
<p>University of Southern California also has a terrific BA / MD 8 year course. We talked to a girl who was a freshman and she was so excited to be able to get her BA in International Relations since she wants to be affiliated with Doctors without Borders when she has her MD and feels that, as she said, “I’ll get all the bio and med classes I need in Med School and now I can expand my horizons with study of International Relations, etc.”. Sounds like it would totally take the pressure of a pre-med.</p>
<p>BA,BS/MD programs are for kids
1.That are very sure they want to be physicians and practice medicine for the rest of their life. (At this young age it maybe quite difficult to figure that out)
2.Students that understand and accept that the standard of medical school education is the same no matter which medical school you attend. However if you want to be an academician i.e tenured faculty and or conduct major research in a competitive medical school/hospital that you will have great connection and the edge by these attending prestigious medical schools. Also these institution’s name will help if you decide to do private practice for bigwigs… like HOLLYwood movie stars(!!)
But for everyone else that wants to simply practice medicine in a clinical setting any medical school is fine. Remember none your patients are likely to come to you based upon which medical school you attended!!<br>
3. Finally these programs are excellent for students that are smart, hardworking etc but who are not very competitive by nature. Or those students that would prefer and love to broaden their horizon as mentioned in the above post, and do something free of major stress during the undergraduate years, because you have to realize that…once you enter medical school the four years in school and the residency/fellowship years( +3-7/8 years) can be quite stressfull. And the stress levels dont abate whan you start your practice…infact gets worse in almost all specialities specially in the early stages of your career…some specialities are more stressfull than others ( surgical specialities etc etc)</p>