FL Resident; I am on a pre-med track and ultimately hope to attend medical school. These are my top choices currently. I don’t qualify for need based aid, so a majority of my scholarships were merit based.
USF + LECOM BS/DO Program: This offers a guaranteed seat at Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) following 4 years at USF, with no MCAT requirement. My current thinking is to keep this spot as a safety net while still preparing to apply to MD programs if my first few years go well. Financially, Florida Bright Futures covers USF tuition and an estimated cost of around 15k/year for housing and food.
UMiami HPM Program: I was admitted to the Health Professions Mentoring (HPM) Program, which provides a personalized one on one pre-med advisor, clinical exposure, research courses, and historically strong placement into the Miller School of Medicine, including early matriculation opportunities, such as beginning med school in the fourth year of undergrad. I’ve also heard that the HPM program is quite selective, with only around 20–30 students admitted each year, and majority end up matriculating to Miller. The cost would be approximately 64k/year after scholarships.
Penn State (Schreyer Honors College) – I’ve heard excellent things about Schreyer as one of the top honors programs, in terms of rigor and opportunities. Estimated cost is 61k/year.
UF – While it’s an in-state option, I’ve heard concerns about grade deflation, intense pre-med competition, and more limited access to clinical opportunities
UConn Honors – Another strong honors program from what I’ve read, with a cost of 37k/year after scholarships.
Additionally, I’ve been waitlisted at WashU in St. Louis, and also Oxford College at Emory University.
The medical school part of your studies will be about $100,000 a year. Please think about how that will be funded as well. Federally funded loans are limited to $200,000 in total, and a max of $50,000 a year. Clearly, this won’t cover medical school costs.
This path seems to be the most likely path to medical school. It also appears to be the least expensive of your undergraduate options, and likely the least expensive including medical school costs (LECOM is $76-88k per year, which is not cheap, but even UF in-state is $62-76k per year, and many other medical schools are $100k+ per year).
Be sure to check what college GPA and other conditions you need to keep in order to keep the “guaranteed” admission to LECOM medical school.
Would it be optimal to shoot for UMiami HPM instead? I’m interested in radiology or gen surg, and know that it’s a little harder to go there with DO. I feel like out of my options, UMiami would give me the greatest shot at MD, but am still open to more replies. Thank you
Miami would leave you with $200k less money than USF after undergraduate. Given how expensive medical school is, would you want to have $200k more debt at the end? It would also likely give you a much lower chance of getting into any medical school compared to the LECOM early admission program.
Getting into a specific more competitive specialty in residency match is also a reach, so even if you do take the Miami route and successfully get into an MD school, you may not match into those specialties you currently want (and by the time you are in college or medical school, your preferences could change).
Is Miami worth $200K more, for HPM, where there are still no guarantees. You can get an MD from USF too.
You have no bad option on your list - let’s get that straight. So if you can afford them all plus four years of med school, then which do you prefer? What type of opportunities does each school have? You can find rigor most anywhere, in and outside of Honors.
USF does give you the most optionality for med school. For example, what if you’re MCAT were not competitive?
I would not discount UF if it’s a top choice for you. Do you think they don’t produce med school students - of course they do? And clinical opportunities can happen summer and otherwise - and you have Shands Hospital. Maybe you can talk to a pre med advisor.
Forget the WL schools - they have rejected you but have you as a hedge in case they fall short - so sure, do your LOCI but put them out of your mind.
First look at 8 year affordability and then from that list, I might find the school I want to be at - taking medical school out of the equation - because most don’t end up there.
Wouldn’t say it’s a top choice. I only included it because it’s an option. I spoke with a bunch of current students and they said it’s very competitive and cut throat environment and most of the healthcare opportunities fill up fast. I also heard about grade deflation, in which it’s harder to maintain a high GPA.
I am able to afford them all, but I’m mainly deciding between #1 and #2.
Although USF might have the guaranteed spot at LECOM, I feel like I’d have to find opportunities by myself. In contrast, UMiami HPM would have a smaller closer knit community of HPM kids working together and hopefully thriving while being mentored by professors and students from Miller.
Regarding USF+LECOM, I believe that if I end up getting a really good MCAT score with a decent GPA, and other ECs like clinical hours, research etc, I’d probably end up dropping the program and applying traditionally to MD.
I agree that if you prefer Miami, then that’s where you should go.
This assumes that your family can afford the cost of undergrad + medical school. It also assumes that you know that going to Miami does not come with any guarantees.
I definitely like the program, but I feel that 64ish k for premed especially in state is more than what it should be, not that I cannot afford it. Is it worth the tuition?
Only your family could determine that. It’s their money - but you seem like you want to go to Miami. Is it worth $256+K (tuition increases could make it more) - and you lose the DO option? To me, no - but i’m not you.
If you said - I want to spend less and have a program, apply to U Alabama (merit is automatic and may still be available). They have the McCullough Pre Medical Scholars. It may be too late but would split the baby financially.
Then there’s USF - which has the living learning pre health community - which might be just up your alley for some things you want. Did you get into FSU? They also have one.
Check out the 2nd link below - perhaps this is how you split the baby down the middle - get some Miami benes at the USF cost.
If you have an acceptance to this program and you are 100% sure you want to be doctor, USF +LECOM is your best opportunity.
I would not consider this as a safety net that will allow you to apply to other med schools in the future. If you take the MCAT, you invalidate your agreement with LECOM and automatically lose your LECOM med school seat.
You will have a MCAT score and no guarantee that you will get ever get another med school acceptance.
Med school admissions are not predictable. Take your current acceptance, go to LECOM and be a doctor.
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Now if you’re not sure about the medicine thing… pick the undergrad that offers you the best combination of fit (socially, academically), opportunity (to explore other careers, make connections via internships and mentoring, etc) and cost.
Not true. They said you can take the MCAT if you want but if you somehow get lower than 500, they will remove you. But they still let you take it without it affecting your med school seat, assuming you get over 500. They said this during the information session back in December.
Not sure if current but from the LECOM FAQs which matches what you’re saying (you always want to see it in writing and not just verbally).
This can probably be decided later.
You clearly want to go to Miami - but you don’t want to spend a quarter of a million more. Talk to your folks - and look at the USF Living Learning Community I listed above - that might be the answer to your issue - medical enrichment and saving the $$$.
Do I need to take the MCAT? Medical EAP students may be exempt from the MCAT if they meet the Academic Index Score (AIS) requirement of 115 or higher. Students who don’t meet the AIS requirement must either: ● Take the MCAT and achieve a total score of 500 or higher, OR ● Complete the Master of Medical Science program at LECOM with a 3.0 or higher GPA If you choose to take the MCAT despite meeting the AIS requirement, you must still score 500 or better, or you will be removed from the EAP
500 is 49th percentile on the MCAT. To be blunt, if you can’t score a 500, you don’t belong in med school,
If apply to other med schools while you are part of the LECOM BS/DO program, you still lose your guaranteed seat. You’ve broken your contract with LECOM.
You will also need to report that you declined an admission to medical school on your MD applications. Be aware this is not a good look and adcomms will take your decision into consideration when making their own admission decisions.
My advice: either take the LECOM offer and plan on becoming a DO; or if you don’t want a DO degree, walk away now. Go to another school and take your chances at getting a med school acceptance like everyone ele.