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<p>Well, I don’t know if I can agree with that. The fact is, most of these combined programs grant you the bachelor’s degree in the interim (usually around year 3). Hence, that means that you are perfectly eligible to apply to other med-schools at that time, and if you get into a better one, you withdraw from your current program. If you don’t get in anywhere, then you simply stay in your current program and finish the MD there. In fact, certain of those programs like the Rice one explicitly say that they are nonbinding (meaning that you can leave the program for a better med-school), and almost all of the others are defacto nonbinding. After all, no school can legally force you to stay if you don’t want to. </p>
<p>So it’s not just a matter of having a bird in the hand and forgoing the opportunity to get 2 birds in the bush. It’s a matter of having a bird in the hand AND also the opportunity of getting 2 birds in the bush. You get guaranteed admission to one med-school, and you still get the opportunity to apply to other med-schools. </p>
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<p>Heh heh, that’s if you’re lucky enough to get an interview from each med-school you apply to. Almost nobody will get invited to interview with every med-school they apply to, and some won’t get a single interview from any school at all. So if you apply to 20 schools and get 20 interview offers, I think you’re in a very good spot.</p>