<p>I’m going through the decision right now…specifically, Dartmouth vs. REMS (eight year combined program at the University of Rochester). On one hand, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to secure admissions to medical school without having to stress for four years (and no MCATS either). But on the other hand, should one give up the opportunity for an ivy league education just to relax for four years? What do you guys think, and what are you guys doing??</p>
<p>If you really want to be a doctor, go with REMS, IMHO. The University of Rochester School of Medicine is a great medical school and is highly regarded. Also, the undergraduate program at rochester is a first-tier school, so you wouldn’t be giving up that huge of a difference in education. Does REMS allow you to apply out? If so then you may still have the opportunity to attend an ivy league medical school. REMS will allow you to have a less stressfull and more enjoyable college experience. Good luck in your decision, you can’t really go wrong in either choice!</p>
<p>first of all congrats on getting accepted to some of the greatest programs in the world
if u really wanna be a doctor REMS is the way
if u check the national stats only about 53% of people who applied to med school got in SOMEWHERE
u dont know how many people who really want to go to med school get shot down by the MCATs
i will agree that u r facing a very very tough decision, one that i might have to face as a senior as well
going to an ivy league school with a premed major doesnt gauruntee admission to a med school because the MCATs are ur life in med school
it also doesnt matter where u got ur MD from, whether u got it from Harvard med or from a no name school in ur city, it matters what u do in the world, ur ethics
the best doctors in the world didnt all go to harvard med or yale or dartmouth or any top universities
but its ur decision and hopefully u will find hapiness wherever u go</p>
<p>For that specific comparison: Dartmouth v. REMS</p>
<p>Considering…</p>
<p>More money from UR - Definitely REMS</p>
<p>Equal money - REMS</p>
<p>If it was Harvard, Yale, etc. then I would waver on that decision, but if its Dartmouth v REMS, I think you’d have a great undergrad experience at either school with comparable quality.</p>
<p>In my opinion, definetely go with REMS. If I was in your shoes, I would go REMS without a second thought. That guarantee of getting into med school certainly negates any notion of going to regular undergrad, even if its an ivy. You’ll be thankful four years down the road when all your med school hopeful friends are stressing out over MCATs and interviews. Plus Univ Roch med school is one of the best I heard.</p>
<p>hey I got into Dartmouth and REMS to. If it helps, between the two, I would take REMS for reasons outlined above.</p>
<p>mr. sanguine - that’s really cool! =D Yeah, I’m leaning towards REMS, but still waiting to hear back from some places.</p>
<p>but if u went to an ivy, and then bombed the mcats, should you really be a doctor? i mean it’s nice to relax for four years, but at the same time shouldn’t u think about how you may not be on the same playing field once you enter med school?</p>
<p>lol not really n33ta05. Like many other standardized exams (cough <em>old SAT</em> cough), a large part of your MCAT score is based on how good of a test-taker you are, how much you practice and how many review books you go through. Even then, you might know the science, the math, the english, but if you freeze up test day it doesn’t matter at all. </p>
<p>MCAT’s also don’t test human compassion and empathy, two traits I think any doctor would need.</p>
<p>With that said, I highly doubt kids at ivy schools are bad test takers – its their star-like ability to jump through hoops that got them there in the first place.</p>
<p>if i were in your shoes i would do REMS undergrad, take the MCAT, and if i did well, apply to other med schools to have more than one option.</p>
<p>mr_sanguine and ##############
could you both please post your stats with ECs and also tell us some of the questions that were asked to u
also could you tell us what u wrote about in your essay questions</p>
<p>sure</p>
<p>SAT 1590
800 chem 800 IIC 780 US Hist
AP’s: 5/5/5/5/5/5/4/4/4
National AP Scholar</p>
<p>top 1% class rank; 95/100 GPA</p>
<p>300 hours community service Emergency Room
Cancer research</p>
<p>President of a club, a bunch of Science Olympiad medals, National Merit Finalist, really good recs.</p>
<p>As for essays, I beleive REMS had a bunch of short answer questions. I can’t emphasize this enough: be humble and have humility, show humor if you’re funny, be articulate and make them have energy. One of them asked about what current medical issues you are following. I talked about stem-cell research (the California initiative and government health care). </p>
<p>Also, what I think is very important is to show them that YOU WILL BENEFIT FROM ATTENDING REMS! The whole point of these programs is that you will have the ability to be a regular college student rather than a cut-throat loser pre-med 
I talked about how I love reading history and economics, as well as biology and chemistry, and how I plan to major in economics. Basically, why do you want to attend REMS? Be convincing!</p>
<p>so most people are going to choose med programs over ivies? but shuoldn’t you have confidence in yourself, i mean if u get into an ivy, unless you really fail, you should be able to get into med school?</p>
<p>i’m just wondering, because it’s hard for me. i’ve been working for an ivy league all my life, and now w/these med programs, i just feel cheated with the undergrads i’d be going to.</p>
<p>lol i felt the same way before. </p>
<p>But then I thought to myself, with the upper-tier med programs like REMS and HPME, after you graduate from any ivy these are going to be the medical schools you’ll be trying for anyways. I have full confidence that if I went to any ivy, I would work hard and eventually go to med school, but I think that I would be happier with REMS or HPME, just because I dont want to deal with the same stress I’ve been with in high school.</p>
<p>mr_sanguine that is exactly why im leaning toward a medical program b/c i don’t wanna go over the stress of taking the MCATs like i am stressing over the SATs and the MCATs r really hard and also I dont wanna stress over schools anymore like applying and writing college essays, I just wanna be focused on becoming a doctor and work my butt off in highschool so i can get in these programs and not worry about this stuff again</p>
<p>Yeah, I’m definitely going through the same decision making process right now. I want to be able to relax for four years and pursue some of my other passions, but on the other hand, I wonder if I will ever regret not going to an Ivy. I think that if I went to an ivy, I would be able to get into to medical school…but I’m not sure if I really want to work like crazy for another four years and go through this entire process again. </p>
<p>hannanaq - a lot of what mr sanguine said was right on the ball. you need to be VERY convincing about why you want to go to REMS. I didn’t think my essays for rochester were too great, but I took a creative spin on one of the short answer questions (academic interests), which might have helped. my second interview at REMS weekend (finalists weekend) was actually with the director of undergraduate admissions (although I didn’t know it at the time!) so I really got the chance to make a positive impression with him, but I tried my best to do. As for specific interview questions, I got many of the basics from the doctor I talked with - why REMS, why medicine, etc. From the undergraduate admissions person, I got asked some more inventive ones: what’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received and who gave it to you? stuff like that</p>
<p>I think the two most important things for REMS are to show that you are PASSIONATE about everything you do, and throughout the entire application (and hopefully interview) process, BE YOURSELF. Good luck!</p>
<p>see here’s the thing… are you 100% sure you want to go to medical school?.. if the answer is yes… i think that you should DEFINETLYYYYYY go to REMS…</p>
<p>like it shouldnt even be a question</p>
<p>BUT… if you are not positive… then go to dartmouth</p>
<p>the thing is… is that ppl get hypnotized by the “prestige” of an ivy league school… an education at dartmouth is in no way superior to the education u might get at the university of vermont[random example]… usnews ranks dartmouth and all other ivy’s very highly based on RESEARCH GRANTS… NOT quailty of education… so dont become so enthralled with the whole IVy deal.</p>
<p>my cousin went to upenn about 6 years ago. she ended up in medical skool at a school in tennessee. </p>
<p>She told me… What is the point of going to a prestigous undergrad school like penn?</p>
<p>I said: to get into a top notch grad skool</p>
<p>She said: If you are already being offered that thru a combined program, why would u pass that up?.. do u really want to pass that up for stress, pressure, MCATs etc. at penn… and cutthroat competition</p>
<p>I said: NOPE</p>
<p>…</p>
<p>Right now, I have to choose from between Yale and BU med (perhaps more schools, I’ll know definitely by Thursday). I really love Yale- not for the prestige, but other reasons. However, I know how intense the premed life is, especially at a place like Yale. I don’t even know if I could get into BU med school out of Yale undergrad. Do you guys have any advice for me as to where I should go? </p>
<p>Also, does anyone know of someone who was accepted into a med program, decided not to go, and then got rejected from the same medical school after applying out of undergrad?</p>
<p>asterstar, i’d take BU med. sure it may not be yale, but YOU HAVE A GUARANTEED SEAT IN MED SCHOOL. however, i’d only take BU med if you’re 100% sure you want to be a doctor. I’m sure you are a top high school student-- you need to ask yourself if you want to spend the next four years working towards attempting to another standardized test( MCAT), interview, get in.
i know a girl who had a brother that did undergrad at some prestigious university and now is in Puerto Rico for medical school because he couldn’t get in to a U.S. med school.
so thats my two cents.</p>
<p>now for a question for everyone… how does the applying out process work if you are enrolled in a combined program… is your guaranteed med school seat jeopardized??? i’m assuming it would be frowned upon by the med school you already have a seat in? anyone know anything?</p>
<p>i didn’t get into bu’s med program (my first choice) so now i have to decide between lehigh’s program or an ivy (assuming i get in, lets say columbia)</p>
<p>i know lehigh is good but definitely not the best (plus i prefer city life!..not hickville, pa…jk but it is kind of in the middle of nowhere!). what would u guys recommend?</p>
<p>guaranteed med school is great but is it worth sacrificing a great school in a great location?</p>
<p>it also kind of scares me that future doctors are talking about slacking off in college (i’m lazy too but this is kind of scary!)</p>
<p>just give me ur 2 cents…whatever u have to offer will be most appreciated</p>
<p>thanks :)</p>