<p>mistaippa, </p>
<p>My comment about the undergrad part of the program is predicated on what one hopes to get out of the entire college experience. I would like for the years that I spend at an undergrad school to offer a certain measure of fulfillment and enrichment. Most of the people who are accepted into these programs are obviously very talented. They should want to - and deserve to be - in undergrad schools that are a good academic, intellectual and social fit. After all, one will be spending 3-4 years in the typical program in undergrad school prior to entering med school. </p>
<p>When I had to write the reasons why I applied to certain schools, I quoted what I was told by someone who I greatly respect and whose advice I sought. He has known me for several years. He did not identify any school that I should apply to but he told me that my primary goal should be to aim to get into a school where the calibre of the students and faculty and the programs offered would challenge me and cause me to expand my horizons. He said that as long as I attended such a school, he was confident that I would excel. </p>
<p>It really boils down to one’s expectations in terms of what one hopes to get out of those undergrad years. If one views those years as either inconsequential or of limited importance - and merely a stepping stone to a good medical school - then all that matters is the quality of the medical school.</p>
<p>There was one other combined program that I looked at closely - and then ruled out - because I am familiar with the undergrad school. GW, as an undergrad school, I could envisage as a safety if all my other apps had been rejected. There were other combined programs that I should have applied to but, quite honestly, I did not do my homework in terms of thoroughly researching the available alternatives. If I had known of CC last year, I’d have been better prepared.</p>
<p>There will inevitably be situations that are unique to each individual - whether financial, family related, etc - which would also need to be taken into account.</p>
<p>One thing that I have learned as a result of the postings on CC, and particularly the Multiple Degree Programs forum, is that there is no right or wrong answer when it comes to the selection of a college or combined program. Jefferson is a good medical school and I am sure that you will do great there.</p>
<p>I hope, before I become less active at CC, to start a thread to assist future applicants to these programs about the learning experiences that we have all been through.</p>
<p>wouldbemed, he’ll only be spending 2 years at Penn St (it is a 6 year combined program). additionally, jefferson is awesome and from the material they sent me it seems as though they have a very large and intricate web of connections as some high percentage of doctors have been affiliated with jefferson. if he’s sure he wants to be a clinical doctor, this route is probably best for him.</p>
<p>i’m doing the 7 year option street, </p>
<p>sanguine , if you are planning to apply out of a program, yes you do have a safety if that program allows you to still have your seat in the medical school (this is not always the case though such as stony brook’s program)… regardless if you do lose your seat or keep it, if you’re applying out, you’re looking for a “better” medical school (i put “better” in quotes because usually it comes down to prestige, which is all subjective in my opinion), and if you want to increase your chances into getting into a better medical school by working hard for that GPA, high MCAT’s, good recommendations, i’d go for an ivy-league education over the combined degree</p>
<p>i hope that answers your question sanguine</p>
<p>wouldbe,
“It really boils down to one’s expectations in terms of what one hopes to get out of those undergrad years. If one views those years as either inconsequential or of limited importance - and merely a stepping stone to a good medical school - then all that matters is the quality of the medical school.”</p>
<p>yes i meant to say the medical school is what should matter most when choosing a combined degree program, but i did not mean that the years at undergrad should be viewed as inconsequential or of limited importance, the undergrad experience should be heavily factored into as well, but the med school should be on top in my opinion… that said ALL undergrad schools that have a combined degree will offer “a school where the calibre of the students and faculty and the programs offered would challenge me and cause me to expand my horizons…” one can say that a Northwestern or Rice will offer a better one than X school, but it really really just depends on waht the student does with his or her experience, that is what i truly believe</p>
<p>wouldbe, good luck on your college choice , and i hope you excel at stanford or harvard! (let us know what you choose after ur done visiting)</p>
<p>streelight, I was merely responding to the question that mistiappa asked me. As I stated, individual views, expectations and priorities are very different.</p>
<p>mistiappa re
</p>
<p>You are quite right! I am glad you feel that Penn St. will offer you the right opportunities in your undergrad years. I wish you the very best.</p>
<p>thanks wouldbe, but i just want to clarify a little bit… i gave up northwestern actually knowing that i may have more doors opened and perhaps more opportunities to do research (which i’ve never really done but i may give it a shot in college heh) based on the fact that northwestern gets more NIH funding by about 4 times greater than jefferson and that northwestern has some amazing faculty i hear… but then i know penn state has great faculty as well and jefferson still is a great opportunity… it’s just what I DO with those opportunities and what i make of them that matters…</p>
<p>so what i mean is i have to find the opportunities at penn state, even though they may not be the best or “right” opportunities compared to northwestern, you just make the best out of what’s given to you and to shine…</p>
<p>i am just rambling a bit, just waanted to say that heh…
especially for those who are going to go thru this process in the coming years</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>mistiappa, I can fully relate to what you are saying. In some respects having several choices makes the whole decision making process more difficult.</p>
<p>Even when it came to GW’s program, after I met with several people who are in the program, I began to have doubts as to whether I was doing the right thing turning it down. These students were just very high on the program and their decision to go there. One of them had turned down Harvard and a couple of other very selective schools to pursue the program - and had no regrets about having done so. They told me horror stories about people they knew who had gone to an Ivy and then ended up having a heck of a time getting into med school.</p>
<p>So, although I expressed my rationale for pursuing the course of action that I have done, I just want to say that it was not without a lot of soul-searching. It is also the reason that I have said on a couple of occasions that there really is not a right or wrong answer when it comes to some of the issues that we have confronted whether it is HYPS versus a combined program or for that matter one program versus another. Ultimately, we have to just do what we feel is right - and in some instances it may just be gut reaction that dictates which option to pursue.</p>
<p>Before I go into hibernation with regard to this forum, I intend starting a thread that might guide others who are going to be applying in the next cycle. There is an amazing amount of knowledge that has been shared in hundreds of posts and it just might be helpful to have some of this information on one thread. I hope that many of the regulars on this forum will offer their input in an effort to help the next batch of candidates.</p>
<p>That’s a great idea, wouldbe. I was thinking about doing that myself…perhaps we could include a stats thread that would list stats, EC’s, etc. and where we applied and were interviewed/accepted.</p>
<p>wouldbe, I just wanted to say in regards to GWU’s program…I think that if you were accepted there, there’s no doubt that you’ll get into a fine medical school out of undergrad. It seems as if GW is very careful in selecting their applicants- I myself was rejected- and even though their med school is not as highly ranked as some of the others, I actually think that GW is one of the most selective programs since they only accept 20. The students that I met there impressed me the most out of all the students I’ve met at combined programs (Brown and BU are the others) with their confidence and maturity. I was actually prepared to go there over the other programs and Yale…if only GW had accepted me, lol.</p>
<p>So even though med school is so very difficult to get into, I believe that your acceptance at GW is a harbinger of good things to come :)</p>
<p>mr sanguine- what did you end up choosing?</p>