Click here to go to the NEW College Discussion Forum

	Subtopic	Posts		Updated
	Archives: 2003	339		02/06 10:15am
	Archives: JAN	52		01/31 09:24pm
	Archives: FEB-MAR	71		03/31 01:18pm
	Archives: APR-MAY	113		05/31 05:06pm
	Archives: JUN-JUL	88		08/01 01:09pm

I'm Asian(indian) and am a junior in the top high school in New York.
GPA - 3.5/4.0 - brought down cuz of stupid stuff like woodhsop where my teacher sucked.. and one year of spanish where my 95 tests average granted me a 75 in the class.. : /
SAT - 1410 and will retake
SATIIs -
MatchIIC - 760
Writing - 660 and will retake
and will take chemistry SATII

Clubs- member of Culture Club(4yrs) + various dances and shows and stuff, Business Club Secretary (2 years)

Classes- all the general stuff + Medical Diseases, Laboratory Techniques, AP Statistics (3), and am taking AP Chemistry, AP Calc AB, and AP Spanish next year.

ECs - Tutored two kids in mathA stuff and first and second year spanish for around 120 hours now.
Worked in my uncle's business for 3 years now - no pay..
Volunteered at a hospital - should have just over 100 hours when apps go in.
I am also hoping to do some research - for the Intel competition as school goes on, but thats not guaranteed.

What are my chanecs at the combined Med programs at these places? --

Rutgers
Drew
GW
TCNJ
BU
Rice
IIT
Northwestern

Thanks for the feedback ppl..

By Luda (Luda) on Monday, August 23, 2004 - 11:37 am: Edit

These are top programs (other programs you may want to look at are Brown, RPI, and Rochester...though all three of these are extremely tough). Right now, your chances are very low. You GPA, SAT scores are not close to the average needed for these programs. TCNJ and IIT are the least competitive programs of the ones both you and I listed, but even for that you're borderline. Need to bring up SAT to near 1500 for the programs and increase the subject test scores to well above 700 for a shot. I had a 1520, above 750 on the subject tests, top hs in the northeast and top 10% and I got rejected/accepted randomly to a number of bs/md programs (also Asian Indian) so keep working hard.

By Rubens (Rubens) on Monday, August 23, 2004 - 11:56 am: Edit

Luda - thanks for the info
I've been studying for my SAT now.. so I shoulda be able to break 1500

do you have any recommendations for a safety med program?.. I figured TCNJ was almost a safety for me.. while BU, Rice, and Northwestern were if i was lucky..

also, specifically, what do you think my chances are at GW?.. thats the one I REALLY want..

and uh, for school rank, my school doesn't rank students.. and the 3.5 is like 3.56 but i just truncated it and stuff..

Thanks again

By Rubens (Rubens) on Monday, August 23, 2004 - 12:23 pm: Edit

I know this is talking kinda optimistically..
but say i get a 750 on my writing and chem satIIs, as well as get a 1500 on my SAT..
do you think my chances at GW/BU/etc. increase by A LOT?..
also, does my volunteering help?..
and if I actually do do research and enter the intel competition, i know itll help, but do my chances become more realistic?.. once again specifically takling aobut GW, BU, Rutgers, Rice..

By Luda (Luda) on Monday, August 23, 2004 - 12:33 pm: Edit

increasing those scores will get you an interview. For interview, the thing is that alot of these programs just screen for scores. They take all people above 1440 lets say and SAT II averages above 700. You can still get in with a 1450, but the higher your scores are, the better the chance. So, if you have the time, try to retake the SAT I and take a third SAT II and shoot for 700 or above. Research/volunteering are all extras. For Rutgers, BU, it's mainly scores. Rice and GW, you need top scores and some volunteering will help. Intel is very impressive so of course that will help. You have a realistic shot so don't get deterred by my first post. With higher scores, IIT will be easier (can't really say back-up for any applicant..it still is a bs/md program). So for now, study for the SAT's, continue a little volunteering (200 hours doesn't really make a diff. compared to 100 hours so just have something) and try to do research. Research is tough for hs students so thats the last thing you should look at. Hope this helps. Don't hesitate to ask any questions.

By Luda (Luda) on Monday, August 23, 2004 - 12:34 pm: Edit

Just saw that you're a junior. You have PLENTY of time. Don't worry at all. Raise the scores, GPA is fine, and keep volunteering.

By Rubens (Rubens) on Monday, August 23, 2004 - 12:51 pm: Edit

luda.. i luv you..haha
thanks a lot
im taking the satI in october and well on my last 2 prac tests i got a 1540 and a 1580.. which is good i guess, cuz when i got the 1410 i was getting 1490s on the prac tests..
anyway.. when you say take a third sat II, do you mean overall or in that last sitting
i have already taken the satII in math2c, and will take it in writing and chemistry in november.. so thatll be the 3.

Also, I know doctors, like their family friends and stuff, and they like hang out with me cuz theyre actually kinda fun even though there like 40 or older.. but if i get some recs from them, like about my character and stuff, thats worth it, right?.. or will the college just dismiss it.

and i didnt ask about these programs before - but how about
Stonybrook
Sophie Davis

finally, you might have heard of it, or have gone there urself, cuz i go to Stuyvesant in New York. and since this school is a lot more competitive than others will i be given preference over other students?.. i hope so..

thanks again

By Rubens (Rubens) on Monday, August 23, 2004 - 01:00 pm: Edit

oh btw.. if it matters any, i forgot to mention that I am president of the physics club.. just this upcoming year though..

By Luda (Luda) on Monday, August 23, 2004 - 01:12 pm: Edit

Yeah, math, writing, and chem, thats enough. Take that. You're killing the practice SAT I so...damn thats good. A letter of rec can only help not hurt. Stonybrook is good and cheap. Sophie Davis is not great cause you have to go into primary care for some years after medical school. If you get into the private bs/md programs like BU, RPI, Rice, GW, then take those over Sophie Davis...not sure, we'll see in two years. Stuyvesant is a very competitive and well known school so that will help. I went to a really competitive high school and was barely top 10% and got into a number of bs/md programs and ivies so I guess it helped. I lucked out and got in, but I still wonder if it actually matters what high school you go to. In your case, your hs is great so it will most definitely help. Yeah leadership like physics club is all good. Keep in touch.

By Bobbyh (Bobbyh) on Monday, August 23, 2004 - 01:53 pm: Edit

Hey guys I was just wondering: if i go to a semi-not so great undergrad school, and still get a good gpa and high enough mcat score, could i still get into an ivy league med school? any answers would be appreciated.

By Psedrish_Md (Psedrish_Md) on Monday, August 23, 2004 - 02:39 pm: Edit

Your not-so-bold enthusiasm is pretty unimpressive. My best guess is "it's not happening".

By Grad05 (Grad05) on Tuesday, August 24, 2004 - 01:04 am: Edit

I am a rising senior(Asian-Indian male from CA) and was hoping someone could help me out. Please evaluate my chances. Any feedback or suggestions will be appreciated.

SAT1: 1450(one sitting)/1510(composite) I think most programs take the composite score except VCU and maybe Northwestern.
SAT2:
Chemistry: 790
Math2C: 800
Writing: 740(may retake)
AP:
Eng/Lang: 5
US History: 5
Chemistry: 5
Physics: 5
Calculus AB: 5

GPA: Weighted 4.4(9-12) 4.6(10-12)
Unweighted 4.0(9-12) (on 4.0 scale)
Rank: not sure exactly, but easily top 1% out of about 500 students.

Senior classes:
AP Bio
Economics(1st sem)/AP Gov(2nd sem)
Stats (at community college)
Humanities
Art (required for graduation and UC's)

EC's:
-math club-4yrs
-science club-4yrs
-CSF (President)
-astronomy club-4yrs (president)
-environmental club-4yrs
-founded local Indian youth and cultural group (perform cultural plays, dances, speeches etc.)
-varsity tennis 4yrs/ captain 2 yrs
-played piano for ten years
Massive amounts of volunteering at hospital and cancer center(dont know how many hours though). Have worked in doctors' offices as well.
Went to India for a summer, and volunteered with my uncle in rural clinics.
Can someone please tell me my chances at the following ba/md programs:
VCU
George Washington
Rice/Baylor
Case Western
USC
Union/AMC
Rochester
Brown PLME
UMKC
IIT
BTW sorry for the long post. I'll appreciate any responses. Thanks

By Bobbyh (Bobbyh) on Tuesday, August 24, 2004 - 01:49 am: Edit

"Your not-so-bold enthusiasm is pretty unimpressive. My best guess is "it's not happening". "

Sorry mate. Next time I'll type a post with more "enthusiasm" so you type an actual meaningful response. What I really meant was, is it possible?

By Psedrish_Md (Psedrish_Md) on Tuesday, August 24, 2004 - 08:33 am: Edit

Bobby,
Ivy League med students typically, but not always, come from the very finest undergrad schools.
In almost every case their grades are spectacular and their MCATs are nearly perfect.
These numbers are often complimented by a great deal of community service over a long period of time in which the volunteer has done more than gotten a certificate of service, but rather a reputation that will, among other things, generate a powerful letter of support.

Your first email is filled with (3) descriptors of your prognosticated performance:

1) semi-not so great undergrad school
2) good gpa
3) high enough MCAT score

You then go on to ask whether these 3 underwhelming achievements are likely to get you into a Ivy League Med school, a question which you soften up a bit by asking in your follow-up "is it possible?"

Let me say that a plan for mediocrity is even worse than having achieved it, and that while anything I suppose is within the realm of possibility, you need to develop a "plan B" soon.

By Papucutta (Papucutta) on Tuesday, August 24, 2004 - 03:04 pm: Edit

hey ppl i'm a rising asian-indian senior in the midst of applying to a lot of programs....lol....just wondering what my chances are and how well i'm spending my time

sat i: 1520 (790v, 730m-ouch)
sat iis: iic 790, chem 770, writing 720<-should i retake this one?
gpa: 6.2/6.0
rank: 3 or 4 of 380

red cross (10-12)
co-founder/prez
newspaper (9-12)
editor-in-chief-12
arts and ent. editor-11
tennis team (9-12)
varsity 10-12
pa state team runners-up-10
pa state champs-11 (BUT I QUIT b/c i needed time to study--would have competed, but didn't so no medal)
environmental club (9-12)
president
project greenways club (10-12)
president
national honor society (11-12)
vice president
middle school mathcounts assistant coach (11-12)
big buddy/little buddy program (11-12)
chemistry laboratory asst (11-12)
hs math tutor (11-12)
physics olympics team captain (9-12)
orchestra (9-12)

hospital volunteer (300 hours--maybe 325)
pediatrics, emergency, patient transport
red cross volunteer (150 hrs)

last summer: pa governor's school for excellence

below are the programs i'll be applying to. any ideas if any could be considered safety schools (i know ALL programs are tough)? any matches (hopefully)? and finally the dream schools that i can eliminate?

george washington
northwestern
boston
tcnj
drew
rochester
case western reserve
drexel
lehigh
penn state
villanova
brown
virginia commonwealth
rice
nyu
rpi
union

and i am so sorry for the length of this post. thanks so much for everyone's time.

By Papucutta (Papucutta) on Tuesday, August 24, 2004 - 03:05 pm: Edit

oh forgot about aps:

10th:
bio: 4 (independent study)

11th:
calc bc: 5
us history: 5
chem: 4

12th:
english
physics
psych
govt
econ
college math course

By Papucutta (Papucutta) on Tuesday, August 24, 2004 - 04:08 pm: Edit

haha oh also: i volunteered as a medical assistant this entire past summer in a peds private practice--about 200 hours for 2 months--worked every day 1-5pm

By Bobbyh (Bobbyh) on Tuesday, August 24, 2004 - 04:11 pm: Edit

"Let me say that a plan for mediocrity is even worse than having achieved it, and that while anything I suppose is within the realm of possibility, you need to develop a "plan B" soon. "

I understand what you're saying. I do suppose I should have reworded it a bit. No, I'm not planning on mediocrity, I'm planning on excellence. Thanks for your response, and I apologize for before.

By Psedrish_Md (Psedrish_Md) on Tuesday, August 24, 2004 - 04:30 pm: Edit

Cool....good luck!

By Buckwald (Buckwald) on Tuesday, August 24, 2004 - 10:53 pm: Edit

schools u can eliminate- NYU they dont' have program anymore.

By Rubens (Rubens) on Wednesday, August 25, 2004 - 11:34 am: Edit

does case western have a ba/md program?
I couldn't find it on their website..

By Buckwald (Buckwald) on Wednesday, August 25, 2004 - 01:12 pm: Edit

yep, case western definitly has one. my friend was accepted into it last year.

By Rubens (Rubens) on Wednesday, August 25, 2004 - 02:28 pm: Edit

just wanted know how i can use this
I just found this old envelope saying im being considered for the national merit scholarship for my psat score..
i kinda uh.. missed the deadline
I remember that I had it on my desk labeled "important.. do not throw out.." but i actually never opened the letter till now
yes, i feel stupid about it.. but well, can I say as a award or somethin.. "considered for national merit scholarship 05".. iono
thx

By Psedrish_Md (Psedrish_Md) on Wednesday, August 25, 2004 - 02:53 pm: Edit

I suggest you never mention it to anyone you're trying to impress.

By Rubens (Rubens) on Wednesday, August 25, 2004 - 03:35 pm: Edit

..haha
okay thanks

By Streetlight (Streetlight) on Thursday, August 26, 2004 - 11:47 am: Edit

Just by numbers, would I get interviews?

1560 SATs (one sitting)
720 chem, 730 physics, 730writing, 770bio, 760MathIIC
APs: Bio(5), CHem(5), PhysicsCMech(5), CalcBC(5), Statistics(5), CompSciAB(3)
Rank: 15/540 (3%)

By Mail4nrs (Mail4nrs) on Thursday, August 26, 2004 - 12:15 pm: Edit

Hi,
These are my son's scores. Can someone please evaluate his chances?

SAT 1 -1460(660-v, 800-M)
sat II - chem(730), Math IIC 740 (taking it again). Taking writing in oct.
Ap calcBC -5, AP phy C -5, AP chem-5. Taking AP stats, AP bio,AP economics this year

Volunteer at hopsital
Summer Research intership at NIH
Varsity Track
Peer leader
RPI Medal Scholar
NJ chemistry Olympia gold Medalist
memeber of various club
Natinal Honors Soc., Math Honors soc.

Do you think his summer research intership at NIH will help him?



Thanks!

By Mail4nrs (Mail4nrs) on Thursday, August 26, 2004 - 01:19 pm: Edit

Hi,

Do you think a recommedation letter from NIH will increase my son's chance of getting into these programs. His stats are listed above.

Thanks

By Papucutta (Papucutta) on Thursday, August 26, 2004 - 01:22 pm: Edit

rubens: that psat letter you mentioned--was it the College Plans Reporting Service letter????? i got that too, but got the impression that i was not obligated to fill it out in order to receive the NMS award....... haha ur scaring me here, rubens

mail: yea, nih will help

By Mail4nrs (Mail4nrs) on Thursday, August 26, 2004 - 01:29 pm: Edit

Hi Papucutta,

Thanks for your response. Can you eveluate my son's stats listed above.

Thanks

By Mail4nrs (Mail4nrs) on Thursday, August 26, 2004 - 01:33 pm: Edit

Hi Luda,
Can you please evaluate my son's stats. Thanks

By Rubens (Rubens) on Thursday, August 26, 2004 - 03:52 pm: Edit

yeah its the colege plans letter.. iono, i just figured cuz theres stuff to fill out so we shouldve.. i might be wrong

By Luda (Luda) on Thursday, August 26, 2004 - 05:01 pm: Edit

Mail4nrs, his scores are in the ball park. The verbal score on the SAT I is a little low, but is fine. His AP's, SAT II's, awards, and ec's look very good. He has some similar ec's to what I have. Definitely should apply to the RPI 7-year Physician Scientist BS/MD program because he has the RPI medal. The other top programs he can apply to are Rochester, BU, NW, and Brown. He's in good shape.

By Wobudong (Wobudong) on Thursday, August 26, 2004 - 11:02 pm: Edit

Buckwald. Case has one of the best. I think it is listed under "pre-professionals" programs on the web site.

By Mail4nrs (Mail4nrs) on Friday, August 27, 2004 - 08:23 am: Edit

Luda,
Thanks. My son is also interested in applying to TCNJ/NJMS 7 years program but I heard it is very competitve. Does any one accepted in TCNJ/NJMS 7 year BS/MD program.and also Pennstate/Jefferson 6-7 years program. I would like to know their profile.

Thanks

By Mail4nrs (Mail4nrs) on Friday, August 27, 2004 - 08:26 am: Edit

Is anyone from NJ governor's school of Science and got accepted in any NJ BS/MD programs? I heard that Nj programs like the students from NJ governors school of science.

By Streetlight (Streetlight) on Friday, August 27, 2004 - 09:50 am: Edit

Just by numbers, would I get interviews?

1560 SATs (one sitting)
720 chem, 730 physics, 730writing, 770bio, 760MathIIC
APs: Bio(5), CHem(5), PhysicsCMech(5), CalcBC(5), Statistics(5), CompSciAB(3)
Rank: 15/540 (3%)

By Luda (Luda) on Friday, August 27, 2004 - 11:49 am: Edit

Mail4nrs: The NJMS is competitive for NJ state residents, def. apply cause it's cheap. PSU/Jefferson is another good program. The difference between a program like this and RPI or NW is that there is no set curriculum or goal in the program. So the program is not really known for research or medical engineers for example. It's extremely competitive nevertheless and worth a shot.
Streetlight: Those numbers will get you interviews.

By Papucutta (Papucutta) on Friday, August 27, 2004 - 01:38 pm: Edit

could someone please review my stats posted above (haha way above) and tell me how i stand? i'm a little worried about not having been able to do research.....

yea rubens, i think we're safe man.

By Bharath2007 (Bharath2007) on Friday, August 27, 2004 - 05:42 pm: Edit

I didn't do any research and got into Case

By Papucutta (Papucutta) on Saturday, August 28, 2004 - 10:12 am: Edit

hey bharath how many volunteer hours did u have? what kind of "medical experiences" did you have? i assume u had great numbers. any extraordinary ec's?

By Dk92487 (Dk92487) on Sunday, August 29, 2004 - 10:04 am: Edit

i heard that the accelerated BA/MD program at Rutgers was not like many of the others i have heard of. i heard that you do not get admitted to the program based on your high school gpa and SAT stats but you get admitted while attending rutgers and are gauranted into UMDNJ. i also heard that you don't have to take the MCATS in this program. can anyone verify this?

By Rubens (Rubens) on Sunday, August 29, 2004 - 12:50 pm: Edit

you do need the mcat.. i vissited them.. dont remember the score.. but it was above 20

By Mail4nrs (Mail4nrs) on Tuesday, August 31, 2004 - 12:55 pm: Edit

DK92487 - I am checking accelerated programs for my son. Rutgers have 2 joint programs
one is 7 years program where you are guaranteed admission ot NJMS from freshman year. second one is you apply after sophomore year and get admitted to NJMS and can finish in 7 years. I called rugers to get mor information on second program. They said usually 55-60 students apply at sophomore level and they take 10-12 students.

Here is the link to Rutgers program -
http://tecn.rutgers.edu/prehealth/7year.htm

By Mail4nrs (Mail4nrs) on Tuesday, August 31, 2004 - 12:57 pm: Edit

Bharat2007 - can you tell me your stats. My son is applying to CASE.

Thanks

By Mail4nrs (Mail4nrs) on Tuesday, August 31, 2004 - 01:01 pm: Edit

Luda,
My other son is in RPI/AMC 7 years physician-scientist program. He is a Junior at RPI.

By Dk92487 (Dk92487) on Tuesday, August 31, 2004 - 04:32 pm: Edit

Mail4nrs- thanks for the link!

By Prfzer (Prfzer) on Tuesday, August 31, 2004 - 09:25 pm: Edit

Right now, I'm a junior in high school. I am really interested in BS/MD programs. So far, I'm doing well in terms of academics. I have a 4.0/4.0 and I am 1/380. I havn't taken any tests but I'm taking AP bio and AP chem so the SAT II's should be a breeze. Also for the SAT I'm getting around a 2200 (Hoping to get 2300+ by March). What I really need are medical activities such as research, shawdowing, and etc. Can anyone give me ideas/advice. Also if anyone from MI could tell me where/what they specifically did, that'd be great.

Thanks a lot!!!!

Stop the bumping please.

By Grad05 (Grad05) on Friday, September 03, 2004 - 12:26 am: Edit

Hi, I'm a senior. I'm interested in several BA/MD programs including Brown PLME and Rice/Baylor. I'm also applying to several other competitive schools. I was wondering whether I should retake a 740 Writing (my other two SAT2 scores are 790 chem and 800 2c). I ask this because I bombed the essay portion (subscore of 56) and colleges will see these scores. I don't want to ruin my chances at a program because of a stupid subscore. A timely response will be greatly appreciated as the deadline is approaching fast. Thanks

By Docintraining (Docintraining) on Sunday, September 05, 2004 - 01:53 am: Edit

I was wondering what is the difference between good primary care schools and good research medical schools? If I want to be a physician which one should I aim to get into?

By Collegebound77 (Collegebound77) on Sunday, September 05, 2004 - 01:55 pm: Edit

Please evaluate my chances at any of the 6,7,8 yr programs (especially GW, BU, TCNJ)

SAT I: 1460 (710v, 750m) (might retake)
SAT II: math IIc 660 (definitely retaking), writing 750, and taking chem in oct

expecting 4/5 on the following ap's: chem, bio, english, calc, statistics

activities: NYLF on Medicine
NIH internship
Spanish Club 4 yrs
Class Cabinet 4 yrs
school volunteering club 4 yrs
NHS
tutoring
volunteer at hospital (250 hrs)
science club
gifted and talented network
baseball (intramural)

thanks!

By Collegebound77 (Collegebound77) on Sunday, September 05, 2004 - 01:57 pm: Edit

forgot to add some stuff:

class rank: 1 out of 200
GPA: 4 (unweighted)

asian (indian)

By Papucutta (Papucutta) on Sunday, September 05, 2004 - 05:17 pm: Edit

collegebound77: how did u get that nih internship? did you have prior research experience? i'm just curious lol. btw, ur stats look good. how was nylf? i thought it was some scam so i didn't go.......whoops....

By Psedrish_Md (Psedrish_Md) on Monday, September 06, 2004 - 10:43 am: Edit

Docintraining: There's no such thing as a research med school vs a primary care med school. The education, 90% of the coursework and of course the degree itself are identical. As a result, the post-grad opportunities for clinical vs research positions will be there for anyone from any school.
Having said that, some schools turn out more research-oriented docs, probably because they chose their students that way in the 1st place and because their profs are more likely researchers than clinicians. I think about Hopkins & Harvard as good examples.
Other schools are definitely more community-activist in their outlook; they inculcate the primary care philosophy along the way. Good examples here would be Wayne State and Sophie Davis.

By Collegebound77 (Collegebound77) on Monday, September 06, 2004 - 12:08 pm: Edit

nih internship through connections..haha..it was a great program

nylf...didn't learn much (just how to stitch, how to take blood pressure, made some hospital visits and got to see a surgery which was pretty cool)..it was definitely fun though

could someone please evaluate my stats above for any 6,7,8 yr programs (what should i keep as 4 yr backups?)...thanks!

By Anyhelpicanget (Anyhelpicanget) on Monday, September 06, 2004 - 12:14 pm: Edit

Hello. I was wondering if you guys could evaluate my stats and see if I am capable of getting into any combined program. I’m not trying to sound pessimistic, but compared to…well the rest of you guys…my stats are amazingly low. I live in Illinois but I’d be willing to go to any college in the U.S. if I can get into a combined bs/md. program. Considering that I’m already looking at the lower end of things, how are my chances at these schools:

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute(I’m assuming big reach)
U. of Missouri-KC
Kent State U.
Youngstown State U.
Drew U.
Fisk U.
Montclair State U.
Richard Stockton College of NJ
Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education
Stevens Institute of Technology
Hampton U.
Illinois Institute of Technology
Norfolk State U.
Old Dominion U.
Rutgers U.
U. of South Alabama
Any others that I may possibly get into?

GPA: 5.0 ...top 18%(6.0 is the highest you can get if you're taking all honors and 5.0 is the highest if you're not...i have been taking all honors)(my high school is very competitive, but I also realize my GPA is very low in general)

ACT: 30
E: 30
R: 31
M: 33
S: 25
(im doing practice and will now be hopefully getting 32-33)

SAT: 1330
M: 730
V: 600
(im doing practice on this as well with 10 REAL SATs and am getting around 1450-M:780 V:670)

SAT II:
Math IIC: 780
Writing: 710
Chemistry: 610 (i know its horrible)
(should i retake these...i wont retake chemistry ill do even worse...if i do retake math & writing and maybe something else will colleges get their scores because i will have to take them on November 6...I’m taking the Sat I on October 9)

AP:
Euro History: 3
U.s. History: 4
Chemistry: 2
English Language: 3
This year I am taking Calc BC, Physics C, Spanish Language, US Gov, & Micro
(I know I did horrible...I’m not even looking for credit I just don’t want colleges to see those scores as horrible and not admit me because of them...can I erase them somehow?)

Extra-Curricular:
--Math Team- 4 years
--Scholastic Bowl - 3 years...i dont think ill go back
--Latin Club - 2 years
--FBLA/BPA - 4 years(w/ many area and state awards)
--Model U.N,- 2 years...and maybe even captain coming year
--Odyssey of the Mind- 3 years-w/ a couple state awards
--Hospital Volunteering
--Advil Western Open(pro-golf tournament) volunteering-1 summer for about 3 days
--Community Carnival Volunteering - 4 summers in a row for about 4 days in the summer

Thanks for your help!

By Luda (Luda) on Monday, September 06, 2004 - 10:57 pm: Edit

RPI Physician-Scientist is completely out of your reach. Need at least 1400 and top 5% and nothing below a 3 on APs at the very least to have a shot. There are new bs/md students in the program that turned down HYP so thats a long shot. NEOUCOM is for ohio-residents so is impossible for anyone out of state. The others are possible, but I don't know the value of those programs.

By Anyhelpicanget (Anyhelpicanget) on Tuesday, September 07, 2004 - 12:42 am: Edit

hey thanks luda....i was very much looking at stevens inst. of technology because they have a very good engineering program as well...does anyone know what my chances are at that bs/md program? thanks

By Antique (Antique) on Tuesday, September 07, 2004 - 10:34 am: Edit

Luda, I'm considering NEOUCOM as well. Do you think it's "impossible" for any out of stater to get in? (SAT: 1390, retaking, ACT: 32)

Anyhelpicanget: R U a senior? If not, then u still have some time. If U R, well, I'd say check out IIT.Don't know abot Stevens.

By Qwerty55 (Qwerty55) on Wednesday, September 08, 2004 - 04:24 pm: Edit

Anyone know any good 3rd tier BS/MD programs such as Neoucom?...

where a 4.0 and 30 ACT or 1300 SAT would be competitive?

Dr. Sedrish, are these programs ok?
They are never in the "rankings."

After graduating from them, do students have a chance of getting into the most competitive residencies?

Thanks

By Collegebound77 (Collegebound77) on Thursday, September 09, 2004 - 03:29 pm: Edit

hey guys...i just received the "bausch and lomb honorary science award"...is this prestigious or does everyone get it?...thanks a lot

By Papucutta (Papucutta) on Thursday, September 09, 2004 - 04:35 pm: Edit

ok how did you get that??? did you do anything or was it something that u got in the mail by surprise????? lol!! i think it's pretty prestigious, champ. congrats.

By Collegebound77 (Collegebound77) on Thursday, September 09, 2004 - 05:36 pm: Edit

i think every high school gets to nominiate one student..and then they judge u based on ur science "excellence," ur psat/sat scores, and the "rigor" of the science courses u've taken.

i sure hope its presitigious...too bad the scholarship program that goes along with this only applies to the university of rochester

does anyone know for sure if it really is an honor to get this?

thanks!

By Gangsta (Gangsta) on Thursday, September 09, 2004 - 07:13 pm: Edit

The Bausch and Lomb w/ U of R and the Rensselaer Medal are the two most prestigious science awards given in hs in the nation.

By Mail4nrs (Mail4nrs) on Friday, September 10, 2004 - 08:57 am: Edit

My son got RPI Medal from his HS. Do you think he has better chance getting into RPI/Albany Med. 7 years program.

By Gangsta (Gangsta) on Friday, September 10, 2004 - 05:26 pm: Edit

He will definitely make RPI's cut and most probably get an interview with the medical school as long as his SAT's are at least mid 1400's and grades are average in the top 10%. The medal shows that he is one of the best math/science students so it will help.

By Baseballnbooks (Baseballnbooks) on Saturday, September 11, 2004 - 08:52 pm: Edit

What kind of computer is best for pre-med majors? Mac or PC? Desktop or Laptop? Thanks.

By Baseballnbooks (Baseballnbooks) on Saturday, September 11, 2004 - 08:55 pm: Edit

Also, is it true that upon graduating from Johns Hopkins Undergrad, it is next to impossible to get into a renowned med school due to horrible grade deflation? I have heard this many times before, arguing both for it and against it. I would think that adcoms for med schools would take into account that an applicant graduated from Johns Hopkins, but I have also heard otherwise.

By Sakky (Sakky) on Sunday, September 12, 2004 - 02:47 am: Edit

Baseballnbooks, for what it's worth, consider this quote. It's about Stanford, but I think it's applicable to your question. Keep in mind while you're reading this that Stanford is a school that's fairly infamous for easy grading, while JHU is well known for tough grading.

"...It is true that it is more difficult to get
an A in a Stanford pre-med class than it is at most otherschools. This is easier to understand since you aregraded on a curve with some of America’s best students.Consequently, an ‘A’ at Stanford can mean a lot,particularly in science classes with a ‘C’ mean.

However, most of you won’t get A’s in every
class. And because of this, some of you certainly
would have had higher GPA’s elsewhere. It is also true that medical school know this and will take it into account.

However, this ‘forgiveness factor’ is not infinite. Getting a 4.0 in your pre-med requirements at a junior college will certainly make you a stronger applicant than a 3.5 in your pre-med requirements at Stanford. One admissions officer I spoke with estimated
the bump factor of attending a school like Harvard orStanford to be between 0.3 and 0.5 of a grade point.

For some of you, an ‘A’ in high school could
be achieved through hard work and determination.
This is not necessarily true of the pre-med classes at Stanford. Everyone is trying hard. They are all smart. And the classes can be very difficult.

The upshot of all of this is that some of you
may be more successful applying to medical school by taking most of your pre-med classes elsewhere. And I have certainly known many applicants who would have
been more successful applying to medical school if they had pursued their academic passions at Stanford and
took their pre-med classes elsewhere, either in summers or in a year off. I have also known students at Stanford— who would have been fantastic physicians—who quit the pre-med process in frustration without exploring
this option. If you want to be a doctor and are
struggling at Stanford, this option is worth exploring"

http://questscholars.stanford.edu/oldstuff/activities/professional/pre-med_letter/premed-letter-2001-2-pdf.pdf


I would also direct you to the data about premeds who went to MIT and Berkeley, 2 schools that are also not exactly known for easy grading. Look carefully at the surprisingly high grades necessary that their premeds needed to get admitted to med-schools.

http://web.mit.edu/career/www/infostats/preprof.html

http://career.berkeley.edu/MedStats/top20.stm


MIT students undergo an extremely tough undergraduate program, as I'm sure we'd all agree, yet med-schools still demand high GPA's from MIT premeds. The same thing can be said for Berkeley premeds.
What that goes to show you is that there seems to be minimal evidence that med-schools take into account the fact that you went to a tough undergraduate program.

By Baseballnbooks (Baseballnbooks) on Sunday, September 12, 2004 - 10:21 am: Edit

Sakky, thanks a lot. It troubles me to find out that places like Stanford, Berkely, MIT, and JHU almost "burn" their OWN students. I know that places like Harvard and other Ivies are notorious for grade INFLATION, as they want their students to succeed. Not to say that the others don't, I still can't understand how I could have more trouble getting into Harvard Medical School if I studied at JHU for undergrad than I would having studied at a local community or state school. Why is this so? I know JHU is considered to be one of, if not THE, best pre-med departments out there, but if only the top tier can get into decent med schools, why should I kill myself in undergrad if I could cruise along elsewhere and still have the upper hand when it comes to med school. I probably would not be in the top 2 or 3 percent if I went to JHU, but I could easily be number one if I studied at a lesser challenging school. Also, your advice about studying pre-med elsewhere and getting educated at JHU intrigued me. Wouldn't the adcoms at med schools see that an applicant who attended JHU for all undergrad classes except pre-meds, which were taken at a community college, has basically avoided the rigor of JHU?

By Theapprentice (Theapprentice) on Sunday, September 12, 2004 - 12:25 pm: Edit

What are some of the easier combined med schools to get into and how long are they (6/7/8 years)?

By Sakky (Sakky) on Sunday, September 12, 2004 - 05:24 pm: Edit

Personally, baseballnbooks, I think that Stanford doesn't really "burn" its own students, because the fact is, Stanford is without a doubt the most notorious of all the elite schools for grade inflation. More than Harvard, more than Yale, more than any of the other elites.

But the general point still stands - med-school admissions is a numbers-driven process. You absolutely have to present sterling numbers. If you don't have the numbers, it doesn't matter how difficult your coursework was. You don't have the numbers, and your application will be thrown away before it's even seriously considered.

Now let me be clear - clearly the best strategy is to attend an extremely extremely rigorous program and do great. So if you go to JHU and you pull top grades, you're sitting pretty.

So here's a possible top-notch strategy. Go to MIT. Major in Electrical Engineering and do the premed classes on the side. Get A+'s in all your classes. You do that, and you have positioned yourself brilliantly to get into med-school.

The problem is that most people aren't going to be able to do this. Most people aren't super-geniuses who never tire and can study like a machine. Most people just aren't going to be able to do sterling work at rigorous programs. That's why you have to seriously consider Plan B - if you're not a super-genius and you're not a studying machine, what's the best strategy for you to get admitted to med-school?

And the answer seems to be to go to a place where you're probably going to get good grades. That could mean going to a place like Harvard or Yale (or Stanford) that practices lots of grade inflation. That could also mean going to a no-name school where you know you will dominate.

What it also clearly indicates is that, again, unless you're a super-genius or a studying machine, it's risky to attend a rigorous school like MIT or JHU. It's risky to study a tough major like engineering. It's risky to take hard classes. You get bad grades, and your medical career is effectively finished before it ever began, and it's very easy to get bad grades if you go to a tough school and take tough classes. If your grades aren't good enough, your med-school application will be automatically rejected before it's read by a human being. You gotta do what you gotta do to avoid being automatically rejected.

You ask why these things are happening. Personally, I strongly suspect that it has to do with med-school rankings. The fact is, med-schools are ranked, in part, on selectivity, and selectivity is measured by the GPA of entering med-students. So med-schools have an incentive to admit students with high GPA's, even if they know full well that those students may not be very good because they went to easy schools and took easy classes.

If med-schools really truly wanted to admit the best candidates, they would be admitting far far more engineers than they do. After all, engineering students have proved that they can work extremely hard. But engineering students actually have the most trouble in getting admitted to med-school because of the heavy emphasis on grades. It's very difficult to get top grades in engineering. Hence the fact that med-schools are basically punishing the engineers indicates to me that they really aren't that interested in admitting the truly best and hardest-working students. Instead, they want to admit those students with top grades, regardless of whether they really are the best and hardest-working students or not.

Nor is this my sole opinion. Another person on CC, Calkidd, has said precisely the same thing.

Now as far as your last question, well, to some extent, yes, the adcoms may know that you escaped the rigor of JHU by taking classes at a community college. But your presumption is that an adcom officer is reading your application and can tell the difference. If you've reached that stage, then that means that you've survived the automatic-rejection cutoff and your application is now being read by a human being, and that's good, because most candidates won't survive to that stage.

So, again, let me be clear, obviously a better strategy would be to do all your work at JHU and get top grades there. So yes, your application will be weaker than a guy who did just that. But, again, the problem is that not everybody is going to be able to do all his classes at JHU and still get top grades. A lot of people who do all their classes at JHU will get mediocre grades and their med-school applications won't survive to the point that it's now being read by a human being.

So it is true that if you take all your premed classes elsewhere, your application will not be considered to be equal to other people who did all their premed work at a rigorous school and did well in that work. But hey, at least your application is still alive to the point that the adcom committee is actually reading it, which is more than a lot of applicants can say. You gotta do what you gotta do to stay alive in the admissions process. Let me give you the following sayings that may seem to be tautologies but actually contain a lot of wisdom. Nobody ever became a doctor if their med-school application was thrown away before it even had the chance to be read by a adcom officer. You gotta do what you gotta do to avoid your application from being thrown away. Only by keeping yourself in the game do you give yourself a chance to win.

Having said that, let me now say this. The fact is, I don't like this kind of gamesmanship. I don't think this is the way it ought to be. I can sympathisize with people like nyugrad who think that these tactics are somewhat sleazy and unsporting and perhaps downright unethical. Ideally, med-schools really should be compensating applicants who take tough coursework.

But that's not the reality of the situation. Med-schools have shown time and time again that when it comes to grades, they insist that you present top grades. They also don't really care very much how you get them as long as you get them. Period. And if you don't present top grades, then med-schools will punish you by automatically rejecting you and throwing your application away before it's even read by a human being. So if med-schools insist that that's what you will need, then that's what you will have to give them. So if anybody is to blame for the gamesmanship, it's the med-schools themselves. As long as they don't bother to take the time to look carefully at how hard it is to get your grades (as evidenced by the top grades that med-schools demand from even premeds who come from a rigorous school like MIT), then premeds can and should play these games to maximize their chances of admission. I wish it wasn't true, but it is true.

By Mail4nrs (Mail4nrs) on Monday, September 13, 2004 - 02:33 pm: Edit

Gangsta:
My son is RPI Medal Scholar from his HS.

SAT 1 -1460(660-v, 800-M)
sat II - chem(730), Math IIC 740 (taking it again). Taking writing in oct.
Ap calcBC -5, AP phy C -5, AP chem-5. Taking AP stats, AP bio,AP economics this year

Volunteer at hopsital
Summer Research intership at NIH
Varsity Track
Peer leader
RPI Medal Scholar
NJ chemistry Olympia gold Medalist
memeber of various club
Natinal Honors Soc., Math Honors soc.

Do you think his summer research intership at NIH will help him?

By Papucutta (Papucutta) on Monday, September 13, 2004 - 06:28 pm: Edit

....haha of courseeeee the NIH internship will help him!!! btw, what kind of leadership positions does ur son hold in his clubs? how many hours of volunteering does he have? what programs is he looking at?

By Indianguy18 (Indianguy18) on Monday, September 13, 2004 - 10:42 pm: Edit

I have a 3.788-3.85(might change senior year) UC GPA and 3.722 unweighted
about top 7-9% ranking in school
above avg school but not great
school ranking API 789

SAT I 710 math 600 Eng
SATII Chem 750
MATH IIC 680
Wrting 650

300 hrs of volunteering at Kaiser Permenante ER room
160 hrs work at Kaiser Internship
Varsity Swimming (9,11,12)
Founder Chem club (11-12)
Interact club (9,11,12)
Academic block 9,10,11,12
other miscellanous awards

APs Chem 4, STats 4, US history 3, Cal AB 3, Goverment 3, Biology 4

toughest schedule school could offer

screwed up my 10 grade due to personal problems got a 3.5 both sems. C+ Algebra 2, B in Honors World history, B in Spanish

2B's second semster in Geometry and Spanish 9th grade

11 grade B in Honors English

All A's in science courses
A in Trig/ Precal in 11 grade

I really want to go to Med school some day

can you tell me my chances at UC's or other schools for Biological science or Genetics major.

Thank you

By Mail4nrs (Mail4nrs) on Tuesday, September 14, 2004 - 02:30 pm: Edit

Papucutta,
My son is in Peer Leadership for his HS. Volunteer at the hospital since 9th grade, not sure of homw many hours so far. He is thinking of applying to Penn state, RPI, GW, want to apply to Brown but not sure if qualified enough, Drexel, Rutgers/UMDNJ

By Mail4nrs (Mail4nrs) on Tuesday, September 14, 2004 - 02:38 pm: Edit

Does any one knows what is the minimum MCAT requirement for Penn state program. The website says satisfactory MCAT score is required but what is satisfacoty for them?

Is anyone in Pennstate program?

By Bharath2007 (Bharath2007) on Tuesday, September 14, 2004 - 07:29 pm: Edit

1440 in one sitting

By Theapprentice (Theapprentice) on Tuesday, September 14, 2004 - 09:25 pm: Edit

What are some of the easier combined med schools to get into and how long are they (6/7/8 years)?

Somebody plz answer

By Theapprentice (Theapprentice) on Thursday, September 16, 2004 - 08:38 pm: Edit

Why does nobody answer me!
bump

See below!

By Nike1800 (Nike1800) on Thursday, September 16, 2004 - 09:11 pm: Edit

How does Drexel's combined M.D. program rate? What about Temple's M.D. program?

By Psedrish_Md (Psedrish_Md) on Saturday, September 18, 2004 - 09:15 am: Edit

Apprentice: What would happen if you entered the search terms "Combined BS MD programs" into google.com? I believe the very first hit you would get would be:

http://services.aamc.org/currdir/section3/degree2.cfm?data=yes&program=bsmd

I think little chores like that are not the function of this board. In addition, answering questions as broad "....how long are they...." rarely yields an answer from our voluntary contributors. Something more along the lines of Nike1800's more pointed inquiry is more likely to evoke a response. In that regard I would also mention that the archives discuss many of the programs' merits individually. Read the archives!

Lastly, please don't "bump" here. Consider a question that received no feedback as the problem itself and try rewording it or doing some research on your own first so your questions are more specific.

By Papucutta (Papucutta) on Sunday, September 19, 2004 - 11:29 am: Edit

nike1800: i visited drexel's program and tried to talk to an adcomm about how good the program's turnout rate is (like how many people actually MAKE IT TO MED SCHOOL) and i got the general impression that it's pretty crappy, to be blunt......... i dunno, it depends on the person tho, i guess.

By Psedrish_Md (Psedrish_Md) on Sunday, September 19, 2004 - 09:08 pm: Edit

Let me just make a point here: there aren't any programs anywhere in this country where a properly motivated student cannot overcome a bit of professorial indifference & didactic poverty and become an outstanding physician. In other words, school is in large measure what you make of it.

By Nike1800 (Nike1800) on Sunday, September 19, 2004 - 10:28 pm: Edit

Good point.

By Innocent_Kiss (Innocent_Kiss) on Monday, September 20, 2004 - 08:06 pm: Edit

I don't know if this varies..but what does a incoming freshman's schedule look like for a TYPICAL pre-med major?

By Psedrish_Md (Psedrish_Md) on Monday, September 20, 2004 - 08:23 pm: Edit

Anything/anything/anything/pre-med level inorganic chemistry I.

Granted, some kids are more gung-ho and take lots of science and math but in the end, in my opinion, the one with the 8-9 semesters of required pre-med level sciences and a 4.0 will outgun the p-chem kid with a 3.0. That student will be probably be happier too, not to mention better educated.

By Special_Foreign (Special_Foreign) on Thursday, September 23, 2004 - 09:54 pm: Edit

psedrish,

first i just wish to say thanks for the responses. my question is as follows: presure on the high school student just never seems to stop nowadays. i go to a pretty top notch school and everybody strives to get straight a's and be "THE PERFECT ONE" after a while it becomes embedded into your brain that if you do not possess those straigh a's, etc. you my friend will end up going to community college. 'oh no not community college!' is this really a fact. if you receive 2 or 3 b's and instead of being in the top 1% of your class you're in the top 3% or 5% will your chances for a great pre med honors program at a top university just fly out that window or become miniscule? i'm a good/great student lots of ap classes, 4 b's which have brought my rank down a bit top 3% i believe, good ec, etc. i'm just sick of worrying everyday about my future in ten years when i should just enjoy my classes and time now. are there great 'famous' docs (more exactly with a proffesion in surgery) who weren't number one or two in their high school? i really really really wish to become a forensic pathologist and i'm scared that because i enjoyed life a little and maybe slipped a bit in high school they'll say "bye bye". just lay the truth on me and nothing more.

and one more thing. when you are applying to lets say a premed program they specifically look at the sciences classes and do not focus as much on the other subjects. so if you have a b in computer programming they don't hold it greatly against you, right? i know.. stupid question, witch i already know the answer to, but i'm having one of those stupid moments and reassurance is needed.

By Wobudong (Wobudong) on Thursday, September 23, 2004 - 10:48 pm: Edit

Special: The overwhelming majority of doctors in the US did not attend a "top 50" university for undergrad. In fact, if you look at the undergraduate schools of the faculty at the top twenty med schools you might be surprised.

By Psedrish_Md (Psedrish_Md) on Thursday, September 23, 2004 - 11:21 pm: Edit

Work hard, live well, enjoy what you learn. The rest will really take care of itself. As Wob said, Harvard isn't where most docs went to college.
I live in New Orleans and I have often told my kids' friends who were interested in medicine that you can hardly beat going to LSU undergrad and LSU med school. At the end of your 8 years, you're in debt $100,000 instead of $400,000...and they still call you doctor!

By Sakky (Sakky) on Thursday, September 23, 2004 - 11:59 pm: Edit

I would add one caveat- while the majority of doctors did not attend a top-ranked undergraduate school like Harvard, it is true that a disproportionate number of them did. The reason for that is simple - the hardest working and most intellectually capable people tend to go to prestigious colleges, and these same hard-working and intellectually capable people tend to do well at Harvard. Furthermore, certain highly prestigious schools are well known for grading easy (the so-called "grade inflation" that is prevalent at HYPS, but not at other schools like MIT or Caltech), and these easier grades also tend to help you in getting admitted to med-school.

Having said that, it is clealy true that you don't need to go to a top-ranked undergrad program in order to get into med-school. Plenty of doctors came from modest college backgrounds.

By Theapprentice (Theapprentice) on Saturday, September 25, 2004 - 07:10 pm: Edit

I heard from one of the alumni of my Chem AP class that science majors (such as biochem) and those doing combined med programs do not get credit for their AP exams for some subjects (such as bio and chem). So is it true that I would not be able to skip the lower level chem and bio courses if i get into a combined med program? What is the difference of my scores (a 5 would get me credit but not a 4)? What if I took the classes @ a community college?

By Ericman197 (Ericman197) on Saturday, September 25, 2004 - 08:02 pm: Edit

Does anyone know of an independent resource which evaluates college pre-med programs with regards to their medical school acceptance rates? Right now I'm looking at the following colleges:

Montclair State University
Ramapo College
Rutgers New Brunswick
Rutgers Newark
Stony Brook University

All I really care about is whether or not I can get into medical school from these colleges. Rutgers New Brunswick is one of the more secure options, but it's not within commuting distance. My cousin Ohmed went there and is now in an Invasive Cardiology fellowship. A family friend also sent his son to Rutgers New Brunswick, and knowing him and his credentials ( full professor of Neuroanatomy at Albert Einstein College of Medicine ), he knew what he was doing.

However, I'm not so sure about the others. My mother attended Stony Brook University and was able to get into the Albert Einstein MD/PHD program, but this is ancient history. Rutgers Newark has the Rutgers name, but from the tour of the college and looking at the statistics, I got the impression that it was not quite up to the standards of Rutgers New Brunswick. Nevertheless, it's a 25 minute drive from my house. I've taken several tours of Ramapo college and have already been accepted with scholarship. Thus far, Ramapo has given me the best vibes of all the colleges I've listed. The only problem is that it's a 40 minute drive and is probably the least well known ( although it's very highly rated ). Montclair State University is the worst of the colleges in terms of academics, but is a 10 minute drive from my house. I have no doubts that any of these colleges could serve my needs, but I do not want to be stuck in a situation where Medical School X has never heard of College X or has never accepted a graduate of College Y. When I contacted UMDNJ, they told me that they only look at the scores, not the name. However, when I contacted an out of state medical school ( Stony Brook ), they told me offhand that they've had plenty of students from Stonybrook and Rutgers, some from Ramapo, but don't recall any from Montclair.

By Pliang (Pliang) on Wednesday, September 29, 2004 - 02:17 am: Edit

I have two questions regarding the medical school selection process. First, how important is the undergraduate school reputation? You see, I'm not sure if I should go to UCONN honors program (which I'm sure my GPA would be near 3.8-3.9 and I'm getting a decent scholarship), Johns Hopkins, or U Chicago. I doubt I can get that high a GPA there. Suppose I score near the top on the MCAT and have a high GPA from UCONN, do you think I still have a chance of getting into say Harvard or Columbia medical school? Is it better to have a 3.6-3.7 from Johns Hopkins or a 3.8 from UCONN? And my second question is, do the top medical schools have a feeder school system like their business or law schools?

By Idontknow236 (Idontknow236) on Wednesday, September 29, 2004 - 09:47 pm: Edit

is SUNY stony brook honors program hard to get into??
they wants a 93 average or above and a 1300 sat
i have a 3.57 and 1260 SAT, i am retaking them in october....
???

By Sacrificet (Sacrificet) on Saturday, October 02, 2004 - 07:26 pm: Edit

dr.psedrish,
i got a question. how hard is it for an international student (no permanent residency or connections to get one) to apply to med school? And after applying to med school, and getting a residency and working or whatever, how does being an international affect the outcome?

By Gxing (Gxing) on Thursday, October 07, 2004 - 05:32 pm: Edit

Dr. Psedrish,

Is it necessary to go to a good school for undergraduate (premed) to go to a good medical school? Is so, which are the best schools for premed?

Thanks!

By Psedrish_Md (Psedrish_Md) on Thursday, October 07, 2004 - 08:52 pm: Edit

Sac: It's very tough for a foreigner to get into a US med school. If you did get in though, finding a training program would not be so hard.

Gxing: Read the archives.

By Sacrificet (Sacrificet) on Friday, October 08, 2004 - 01:29 pm: Edit

thanks.
i know this is thinking way ahead, but would it make more sense to get perm. residency after college then apply to med school? that would take what.. seven years?

By Psedrish_Md (Psedrish_Md) on Friday, October 08, 2004 - 06:28 pm: Edit

I really don't know much about immigration stuff. Sorry.

By Nannydramabug (Nannydramabug) on Saturday, October 09, 2004 - 10:18 am: Edit

Is it really true that it doesn't matter if your undergrad school has a premed program as long as you take your required courses, or does some sort of premed advising make a difference.

By Psedrish_Md (Psedrish_Md) on Saturday, October 09, 2004 - 12:16 pm: Edit

Tell me what you've gathered on that from having read the archives.

By Mrniphty (Mrniphty) on Saturday, October 09, 2004 - 08:23 pm: Edit

Is it unusual for pre-med students to major in physics? (A related question: is majoring in physics and doing pre-med too difficult?)

I understand the major doesn't really matter in terms of getting into medical school aside from grading harshness, but I would still like to know whether majoring in physics is terribly unusual.

Right now I'm a high school senior figuring about what to put on my college applications for major preference (I'm applying to a state school, so changing majors can be difficult), and I'm considering putting down physics because I like maths/hard sciences, but I also am thinking about pre-med for college and would like to pick a major that leaves that option open.