What schools have the best 7 to 8 year med programs?

pmyen
Wed, 22 Dec 2004 02:23:50 +0000

I am a faculty member of one of the top-ranked medical schools and have served on the admissions committee at another top-ranked school.

I think the major advantage for going to a combined program would be to short-track (6 or 7 yr programs), and thus save 1-2 years of your education and tuition. I think a very highly motivated and mature student could take advantage of the time saved, particularly if they were interested in a specialty of medicine that required very long training (e.g.,cardiac surgery). I don’t see any advantage to an 8 year program other than than having the security of knowing you are in medical school.

I agree with Slipper1234 that going to college for four years has its advantages, whether it be at an Ivy/top LAC or an honors program at a state university. You have the opportunity to explore other areas and may even find that medicine is not what you really want to do (Over the years, several of my classmates have left medicine to pursue other activities). You also can pursue some academic area in depth of your own choosing rather than take a prepackaged curriculum. To me, the freedom to develop one’s intellectual interests is very special and should not be given up easily. Additionally, doing well in college enables you to get into one of the better medical schools, which in turn, enables you to get into more competitive residency programs. Many of the schools in the combined programs are not highly regarded and their graduates would not be highly-ranked by residency directors of the top programs unless they were the among the very top of their class. On the other hand, students from top medical schools (even below average students) get into excellent programs.

I think my foregoing comments apply mostly if you are interested in competitive specialties and subspecialties. On the other hand, if your major goal is just to practice good medicine (particularly in primary care) then the prestige of the degree or residency training is not that critical. Most patients never ask where you went to med school or residency-they just want a competent, caring physician.

Last, med schools look favorably upon applicants who may worked for 1-2 years after college or longer. They feel these students may be more mature and have real life experiences that give them a better perspective on medicine. Medical school/residency is a conveyor belt. Once you step on board, you will keep moving ahead and it is difficult to step off. It does not allow a lot of time for personal exploration or reflection, even though you will grow and be challenged during your training.