<p>Hi Everyone,</p>
<p>Do you have any advice for selecting between Yale and Northwestern's HPME (7-year combined medical program), Harvard, Stanford, and UPenn's Vagelos?</p>
<p>I have no idea what to do and would appreciate any and all advice! I want to go to medical school, obviously, in the future.</p>
<p>Thank you so much!</p>
<p>Apply to all of them
If you really want to go to medical school, you would not ask this question
you will know the answer</p>
<p>all the best</p>
<p>Dear Bluewhitebulldog,</p>
<p>I already applied to all of them in the fall; I am trying to make my decision where finally to attend before the May 1 deadline. Admissions decisions have been released.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>For some of the schools you list, but not for the Ivys. Do you have likely letters from them?</p>
<p>Yeah, why don’t you wait until you get decisions from all of them. They may end up deciding for you.</p>
<p>Yes, and those are some pretty big choices.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>bluewhitebulldog – Your posts read like riddles – inscrutable riddles.</p>
<p>OP – Unless you have received likelies from all the schools you list, I agree with the posters who say wait and see where you are admitted before agonizing. That said, there is a fundamental difference between Northwestern PLME and the rest of the schools on your list. If you are absolutely certain you want to go to med school, the sooner the better, the NU program is a stellar choice. If, however, you want a broader liberal arts education (not one stuffed into 3 years), or if there’s any doubt at all that you want to go to med school, you may want to choose one of the other schools on your list, assuming you get into one or more of them. Med school acceptance rates are high from all of them.</p>
<p>Many years ago I was rejected from Northwestern’s “6 year Honors Medical Program” as it was called in those days. Yet, I was accepted to Stanford and, in retrospect, it was the best thing that ever happened to me. I was an English major at Stanford but went on to go to Northwestern Medical School and meet my wife who did get into the Northwestern Honors Program. </p>
<p>The bottom line is if you’re smart enough to get into Northwestern’s HPME, you’re smart enough to get into a great medical school after getting the full undergraduate experience
at a SHYP school.</p>
<p>If you are positive you want to be a doctor, then choose Northwestern’s HPME program. My brother loved HPME. He graduated from HPME many years ago, so my information is old. But it still looks like a great program. While my brother was in HPME, I was attending the 6-yr program at Univ. of Michigan–a great medical school. But as we compared notes, there is no question in my mind that HPME was the better program by far!</p>
<p>Now, financial considerations could tip the equation, but IVY’s are also expensive.</p>
<p>HPMEs don’t have to stuff everything in 3 years; that’s just an option but they can choose to graduate in 4 years and receive a broad liberal arts education.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I think if one forgoes HPME, he/she will have to work pretty hard to just have a chance to get into a great med school. I don’t think the risk is low.</p>
<p>Most importantly, I think HPME is more likely to give a fuller undergrad experience when you no longer have all that premed stress. You can take challenging courses without worrying about grades and your undergrad experience is no longer the typical premed one. You also don’t have to do anything to pad your resume; you pursue only the things you are truly interested in and passionate about. That’s not to say you can’t do all that as a premed; it’s just a lot tougher and likely a lot more calculated. Besides, its not like one is giving up much in terms of quality of education; Northwestern is no HYS but it’s still one of the top-tier schools.</p>
<p>Hey guys,</p>
<p>Thanks for all your advice–</p>
<p>I did get into the schools I listed: I applied and was accepted to Harvard, Stanford, Yale, Princeton, MIT, UPenn’s Vagelos Scholars program, Brown’s PLME (8-year med program), and Northwestern’s HPME
I’ve narrowed it down to HPME (unless PLME is better?), Harvard, and Yale-- Stanford is offering me no financial aid
I definitely want to go into medicine, but my only qualm about HPME is that I may not be in as intellectually vigorous environment, with as many opportunities, as Harvard or Yale or some of the other schools would offer; do you feel this is true?</p>
<p>afflatus- its between Yale, Stanford, and HPME for me. For what it’s worth, I’m going with either Yale or Stanford for sure. The only reason you should choose HPME is if you are 100% certain that you CANNOT get into a medical school better than Feinberg; and for the record, Feinberg is not THAT good. Furthermore, you are signing yourself into 7 years of essentially no financial aid, most notably the 4 years of med school in which you will be paying full tuition; normally you can bargain for scholarships from medical schools.</p>
<p>I would advise against the medical program. SOOOO many kids change their minds when they get to college. It sounds like you’re certainly smart enough to get into medical school without doing the combined program. Just enjoy four years of college and give yourself more time to explore other things.</p>
<p>omg,
HPME is not binding. You can do 4 years of undergrad and apply to other med schools if you want. </p>
<p>MagiTF
OP can “enjoy four years of college and give himself/herself more time to explore other things” at Northwestern while still having that HPME option at hand. On the other hand, if the OP doesn’t change his/her mind, the premed life is likely gonna give him/her <em>less</em> time to explore other things and make it harder to enjoy four years of college.</p>
<p>I have a friend at school whose name is Sam Lee.</p>