<p>i recently was accepted into the slu med scholars program and was wondering if it’s really all it’s made out to seem. the only really perk i see is not worrying so much about the mcat and finding out a little bit earlier…and at the same time, if you keep up the requirements needed by slu, it would be likely to get in somewhere else…ehh. more so, my parents really want me to go to slu because of the close location to home, and the med scholars just made them have an even stronger point. currently im leaning towards umiami or possibly georgia tech if i receive any aid…soo input on the slu med scholar program?</p>
<p>If you really want to do medicine then you should go to slu. No mcat is a huge deal</p>
<p>If you find that you don’t like SLU or have a hard time keeping up with the program requirements then it will be a disadvantage to have picked it. Go where you will be happy and do well. The med program acceptance is a benefit if it is your goal to be in a program and you understand what you are getting into.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>If you got into the umiami program then go there. That program is a lot better than slu’s.</p>
<p>I don’t know what Kheema read, but in the SLU Med Scholars program you DO take the MCAT:</p>
<p>[Special</a> Programs - Preprofessional Health Studies | Saint Louis University](<a href=“http://www.slu.edu/colleges/AS/phs/medScholars.html]Special”>http://www.slu.edu/colleges/AS/phs/medScholars.html)</p>
<p>“At the appropriate time, Medical Scholars are also required to take the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT); however, the score does not affect admission. Medical Scholars are expected to achieve their highest possible score on the MCAT.”</p>
<p>What do they do with the MCAT score if it doesn’t count towards admission to the med school? What if you do terrible?</p>
<p>It doesn’t matter what you get on it. They need scores for their averages. You can technically bomb the test and be fine</p>
<p>Hey, i recently got accepted into SLU Medical Scholars.
I’m seriously considering the program, but i heard some things about SLU that are making me hesitant.</p>
<p>1.) I heard that while SLU is generally an easier school, more than half of medical scholars drop out by the second year (the actual stats were 150 entered and by the second year 70 remained, of which half chose not to continue =/)
2.) I heard that SLU has one of the worst reputations for their Anatomy course
3.) I heard rumors that SLU’s organic chemistry professor hates Asian people and spends more time chasing girls than teaching.</p>
<p>I’m attracted to this program mainly because there is less stress because of lower GPA requirements and that they turn a blind eye to your MCAT. I also got their Highest Merit scholarship worth $15,000 a year, so i’m not worried about the money. I’m just hearing some things that are making me nervous about going to SLU.</p>
<p>SLU wants you to do the best you can on your MCAT, but they techically don’t use it in determining whether or not you get accepted into their med school. If you did terrible on the test, I would assume they would do what they said and not take your into account. I think they require it only because they don’t want a student to not take it, and then a year later have he/she decide that SLU Med School isn’t really the school they want go to…and not have an MCAT score to use to apply to other schools.
I would assume it’s more to help the student kind of build up his/her ‘Plan B’ in case they cross SLU off their list after Pre Med.</p>
<p>and jian888, all the drop outs in the med scholars program isn’t that big of a difference from the drop outs in the regular pre med route. I don’t know the actualy statistic, but I’m assuming there are a lot of kids who, 1 or 2 years into college, decide being a doctor isn’t really what they want to do. That’s true for all schools, not just SLU.
…and I thought their GPA requirements were hard! haha. but oh well…you said they were less strict. But that’s one thing I’m worried about keeping up on…a 3.5 seems hard, especially you have to maintain it in just the maths and sciences as well.</p>
<p>But I guess I’ll see how it goes. I’m hoping it’s one of those things where, looking at it ahead of time it seems really hard, but once you get there it’s not so bad. 
I have a feeling it’s not though…</p>
<p>I was also admitted…</p>
<p>Please do not make a decision based on ONE professor! There are teachers like that everywhere! Go where you think you will be able to accomplish more and be successful.</p>
<p>Hey Bill22, i said the GPA requirements were less strict because i was comparing with the national average for Medical School entrants. Most people who successfully get into Medical School have at least a 3.7, so by comparison a 3.5 doesn’t seem too bad. Plus i heard the school itself isn’t as strict on the grading. One of the current medical scholars there swears that he knows plenty of people with 4.0 averages, so I’m guessing the school probably isn’t terribly difficult to do well in. </p>
<p>And Arster2, i won’t make my decision based on that one professor. The main thing keeping me hesitant is that i’ve heard their reputation isn’t too good. What are your thoughts about going to Saint Louis?</p>
<p>i’m hesitant because of the GPA requirement. When i went for the visit, they said about 100 get accepted, and then 20 cannot meet the GPA requirement their freshman year, 20 do not maintain it their sophomore and junior year, 20 fail to meet the GPA requirement their senior year, and about 10 change their mind about medicine.</p>
<p>To me that sounds like too many students cannot keep up with their GPA, and that 98% acceptance rate comes from the people who can keep up their GPA and actually apply to the med school. </p>
<p>The numbers may be exaggerated, but i don’t know for sure.</p>
<p>the only reason for me going to this school is the program, so is it worth it if i really feel that i may be one of the people who cannot keep up the GPA?</p>
<p>Hey Arster2, don’t worry about the GPA requirement; here’s why…</p>
<p>Ok, you said that out of 100 people 20,20,20, then 10 get dropped because they cannot keep up with their GPA. That leaves only about 30% of people who can. Now take 98% of that value and you get 29.4% of people that can actually get into medical school. Now compare that to the fact that most medical schools have an acceptance rate at or below 10% (usually 5% or so) so you’re odds are a whole lot better at SLU Med Scholars then going the regular route. While I believe it is true that most people (the other 70%) cannot keep up with the GPA, remember that SLU Med Scholars accepts more than 20% of people that apply, compared to the usual Med Scholars acceptance rate which is almost identical to Medical School Acceptance rates. Since it’s relatively easy to get into, many people apply and get into medical programs like this one, often without any idea in the world whether or not medical school is right for them. And medicine is one of those subjects where you aren’t going to do well unless you are devoted.</p>
<p>So i would recommend considering medical scholars only if you are sure it’s for you.</p>