BS/MD Programs- Starting Late

If you only recently decided that you want to be a doctor, why not just consider a traditional route to medicine (which is how most doctors become doctors)? You know, getting your BA at a regular college and then applying to medical school in your senior year of college or beyond.

Full disclosure - I am not a fan of the idea of combined BS/MD programs. I think they require young people to make decisions about their careers and career goals at a time when they haven’t really been exposed to many careers or options yet, or had the opportunity to do some exploration of the many paths they can take. They also pigeonhole you to select from the small number of schools that offer BS/MD programs rather than allowing you to choose the best college or university for you.

BUT if they are to be chosen, they are best for students who have known for a reasonably long time (at least since the beginning of high school, if not earlier) that they want to be doctors and have not wavered from that or changed their mind much in the ensuing years. That raises the chances that the student won’t regret their choice or want to leave the program partway through, or get discouraged by the challenges it presents.