Wayne State almost FULL scholarship, Med School, HELP!

T26E4
Tue, 10 Feb 2015 13:09:56 +0000

UMich is a great school – but your stated goal is to get to Med school. For that, the three biggest factors are 1) GPA, 2) MCATs and 3) money. $15K for your entire undergrad is amazing. And knowing you’re one of the top scholars, you can be assured that your profs will know you and give you the extra attn you might not get at U-M. It’s not bad being a bigger fish in a small pond. My co-worker’s two daughters both turned down U-M Ross undergrad b/c they won presidential scholarships at Oakland. They’ve rec’d tons of internship offers, sat in on incredibly high level committees – all because the university recognizes them as some of the best there is on campus. That’s not a bad position to be in at all. And you can’t minimize the effect of med school’s cost. Go to the hospital parking lot near you. See all those old junky used cars? They’re driven by the residents and interns. They’re paying back beaucoup loans until into their 40s, in most cases. I’m familiar with IA’s culture – don’t let the “name chasing” affect you. Your classmates and their parents aren’t going to be donating to your med school tuition. Do what’s best for you and your family.

As for EM, it’s very competitive because it requires lots of initiative and willingness to make quick decisions. Maybe during some upcoming summers, see if you can shadow EMTs or other ER situations. I have a friend who is head of ER at a down river hospital. His path was very interesting. He started as an EMT. Then went to school for his nursing degree. Did that for a while – then went to MSU Med School. Graduated and continued to work in EM. Now heads his department. Neat story. Best of luck to you.