I really need your help, guys. Seriously.

qtpie
Fri, 01 Apr 2005 15:30:21 +0000

hey rajpatel:

i’m in a similiar position as well. but i have to agree with mistaippa…go with BU. BU’s med program is one of the top rate programs for the combined degree in the country. if importance in rankings is important to you, it has made the lists for both research (now #28) and primary care. Not all of the ba-bs/md programs are on the list and very few are on both lists.

for me, it is more than not having to take the mcat (if i go to bu, i would be required to take the test). it is really about enjoying my undergraduate education without the stress of competing for a spot in a good medical school. it is about not having to endure unnecessary and unneeded competition among my peers. it is also about being able to focus on what i want to learn without the uncertainty of whether i will gain admision into med school or not. there are a lot of smart people vying for medical school; not everyone gets selected. i’m told that for indo-americans (i am assuming you are one based on your name) and especially those from california (that’s me), the competition is especially steep for both the combined medical programs and the regular medical schools.

in your case, geographical location of the colleges is another consideration. from what i’ve heard, duke is in a less than desirable place, which is one of the reasons i did not apply, although it is a top-notch university. boston is a vibrant and demographically young city full of life and full of college students!

good luck! you’ll be fine wherever you go!