NEED HELP ASAP..need to decide by may 1st

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Thank You in advance to anyone that replies.

I am a current high school senior and have to make my college decision by may 1st. My two choices are Miami University and NEOUCOM 6 year BS/MD at Youngstown State University. I have 100% decided that I want to go into the medical field, so choosing NEOUCOM and me not wanting to become a doctor will never happen. However, at NEOUCOM I will be taking more credit hours and will be needing to go to college during the summers. I am afraid that if I choose NEOUCOM I won't have much free time (like as in college) to hang out with friends and such. I also like Miami University a lot. I am wondering what your opinions are about which college to decide. One side of my mind tells me to pick Miami so I can enjoy my college years and ther other side tells me that I should pick NEOUCOM since I have a direct acceptance. Also, I am worried about the area where NEOUCOM is located as there is not much to do there.

What do you guys think about which college to pick? (based on medical school acceptance and free time to enjoy)
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Thank You in advance to anyone that replies.

I am a current high school senior and have to make my college decision by may 1st. My two choices are Miami University and NEOUCOM 6 year BS/MD at Youngstown State University. I have 100% decided that I want to go into the medical field, so choosing NEOUCOM and me not wanting to become a doctor will never happen. However, at NEOUCOM I will be taking more credit hours and will be needing to go to college during the summers. I am afraid that if I choose NEOUCOM I won't have much free time (like as in college) to hang out with friends and such. I also like Miami University a lot. I am wondering what your opinions are about which college to decide. One side of my mind tells me to pick Miami so I can enjoy my college years and ther other side tells me that I should pick NEOUCOM since I have a direct acceptance. Also, I am worried about the area where NEOUCOM is located as there is not much to do there.

What do you guys think about which college to pick? (based on medical school acceptance and free time to enjoy)
 
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dnt knw College said:
...I have 100% decided that I want to go into the medical field, so choosing NEOUCOM and me not wanting to become a doctor will never happen...
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In my opinion, that is a pretty silly and naive thing to say.... plenty of people who think like you do right now have completely changed their minds a few years down the road. That's why I'm not a real fan of these accelerated programs, but of course, they do have their advantages.

But anyway, I don't really have much to add, except that in my eyes, Miami is nowhere near worth their tuition...
 
definitely Miami. enjoy your college years, go study abroad, pursue various interests, etc. You have plenty of time to be locked into a medical career.
 
Hands down BS/MD.

Applying to MD schools and actually getting in is too big of a commitment and way too stressful to justify the 1 extra year of fun that you may have in college. If you are looking at Medicine, believe it or not your college years wont be as fun as you expect. I am sure you will still have a decent life in the BS/MD program. I am not aware of the exact details, but I can guess that they wont start teaching you human pathology in freshman year of college.
 
dnt knw College said:
Thank You in advance to anyone that replies.

I am a current high school senior and have to make my college decision by may 1st. My two choices are Miami University and NEOUCOM 6 year BS/MD at Youngstown State University. I have 100% decided that I want to go into the medical field, so choosing NEOUCOM and me not wanting to become a doctor will never happen. However, at NEOUCOM I will be taking more credit hours and will be needing to go to college during the summers. I am afraid that if I choose NEOUCOM I won't have much free time (like as in college) to hang out with friends and such. I also like Miami University a lot. I am wondering what your opinions are about which college to decide. One side of my mind tells me to pick Miami so I can enjoy my college years and ther other side tells me that I should pick NEOUCOM since I have a direct acceptance. Also, I am worried about the area where NEOUCOM is located as there is not much to do there.

What do you guys think about which college to pick? (based on medical school acceptance and free time to enjoy)
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That's been heard before.
 
Odds are if you can get into a BS/MD program, you can do great in college and have a good shot at getting a selection of Medical schools the standard way. Go Miami. Drink some beers. Get good grades. Go to the beach. Go home for the summers and catch up with your old buddies. UMiami is a fun place.

The 2 year exchange is not worth it, especially during these years of your life.
 
just curious, how much does each choice cost?
 
LOL my home town is right across the state line from YSU. Anyway, i was in a similar situation only it was with Gannon/LECOM DO. I didn't want to pigeon hole myself and I ended up getting into several MD programs. The point is, if you feel comfortable that you will do well enough in undergrad to FORGO THIS EXCELLENT OPPURTUNITY then by all means don't pigeon hole yourself. MurderTown isn't the greatest place on earth although i know several people who love YSU. If you feel like you can get into at least NEOUCOM from Miami then go to Miami, but if you are unsure then you may regret later having to scratch and claw for a spot (which I really hope isn't the case for you).
 
Easily Miami. You have no idea how many college freshmen were "100% sure about being doctors" and changed their minds.
 
enjoy your 4 years! support the local businesses at miami and just become a part of that community man
 
circulus vitios said:
That's been heard before.
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That's what I thought before college, then I started college, changed majors several times, and each time always went back to wanting to pursue medicine. I really wish I had been more decisive earlier, but that's just life. So, it's entirely possible for the OP to have those kinds of feelings.
 
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SN2ed said:
Easily Miami. You have no idea how many college freshmen were "100% sure about being doctors" and changed their minds.
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Yep, I was teaching high school chemistry (after attempting to become a professional baseball umpire) until the spring of my soph. year. It happens all of the time. You may find that you are more atrracted to the financial comfort and lifestyle of certain reasearch fields (synthetic organic) more than becoming a physician. It is my lab mediocrity that got me where I am, ironically.
 
orrghead16 said:
Odds are if you can get into a BS/MD program, you can do great in college and have a good shot at getting a selection of Medical schools the standard way. Go Miami. Drink some beers. Get good grades. Go to the beach. Go home for the summers and catch up with your old buddies. UMiami is a fun place.

The 2 year exchange is not worth it, especially during these years of your life.
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Totally agree :thumbup:
 
NeuroChaos said:
Hands down BS/MD.

Applying to MD schools and actually getting in is too big of a commitment and way too stressful to justify the 1 extra year of fun that you may have in college. If you are looking at Medicine, believe it or not your college years wont be as fun as you expect. I am sure you will still have a decent life in the BS/MD program. I am not aware of the exact details, but I can guess that they wont start teaching you human pathology in freshman year of college.
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Don't listen to this guy. if u got into a BS/MD degree im guessing you have a good head on you shoulders to begin with. College is not hard. A pre-med program isnt hard unless you make it hard. Take classes you like(easier to do well on them), take a lot of easy electives,(personally i took a lot of psychology and sociology classes which were fun interesting and entertaining), do stuff you enjoy, get involved with sports or clubs, and enjoy your time. Miami will be a hell of a time for you i'm sure.

Not to mention, even if u can have a decent time in a BS/MD program, which doesnt seem so certain, you wont have summers to go camping, go on trips, hang out with old friends, see your family, things that make life life.

I will admit an BS/MD program is a great opportunity, and applying to medschool is a HUGE hassle... dont let me understate that, but college to many people, pre-meds and not alike, is the best, most liberating, fun, eye opening time of your life. IMHO you would regret going to youngstown over Miami.

:edit: this reply was after i read the guys post above, i then read the rest of the thread and found others expressed the exact same sentiments.
 
My initial reaction was to say Miami, no question about it. My reason was because my school also has a BS/MD program. Although I regretted not being part of it when I first started, I was very glad by my fourth year that I wasn't. However, my school's BS/MD program is 8 years, whereas your schools is only 6. So technically you're only doing 2 years of undergrad and then going to medical school? Do you have to write the MCAT? If that's the case, definitely do the BS/MD. You are saving two years of your life. Choose to do your residency in a place like Miami. Also, think about it financially. How much money could you make in two years as a doctor? Instead you would be going to Miami, paying for two extra years of school, and then paying for all the medical school application etc.

So basically, if you're saving two years, definitely BS/MD. Otherwise, Miami
 
My own personal experience:

I had the choice to do the Drexel Undergrad/Med combo - 7 years, but I chose to go to College (Ivy-League). The result? Applied in junior year...rejected everywhere...hate myself. Applied this year and two acceptances :) So glad I decided to go to College for 4 years and have fun during the year off. My 2 cents...take it with a grain of salt.
 
I need a 3.2 gpa and 24 on the mcat (is this hard?) to go to NEOUCOM after 2 years at youngstown state university.

Also, me being sure about becoming a doctor is from volunteering for more than 200+ hours at hospitals and many hours of overshadowing doctors.

I just don't know if I will enjoy my college years at NEOUCOM.
 
Although cost is not a factor.....

Miami = little less than 60k for 4 yrs
NEOUCOM = little more than 60k for 2 yrs (includes college fees during the two summers there)
 
Go where you will be happy. If you were able to get into a combined program I would bet you could get into an MD program eventually.
 
Personally, most premeds I've met aren't exactly the most mature/worldliness bunch, and an extra 2 years in college before stepping into med school could go a long way towards growing up some. I feel the same way about myself; I used to want to go to a 6 year program, but as I've thought about it and read about it more, I see the benefits of an 8 year program. Sure, I'll take an extra 2 years to be a doctor, but that's an extra 2 years of my youth that medical school won't be able to sap from me. That's an extra 2 years of being able to live life relatively carefree (compared to med school onward) and mature.

A 24 on the MCAT isn't too hard to accomplish. The national average is like a 27-29, and if you try really hard on studying for it, you can probably get in the 30's (top is 45 but that's rare).

You seem a little overconfident about your future to me, but maybe you really do know what you're doing. Think about it though and make sure you do before you step into a 6 year BS/MD program, because it's a lot more difficult to turn back once you get into one of those.

People change their minds a lot through college in regards to what they wish to pursue. Read some books and other well-respected sources of information as to what the medical field consists of, and what you'll be doing for the rest of your life. Even volunteering/shadowing won't show you all of what being a physician is about, because it's easy to just follow someone around without having to worry about responsibility or any sense of urgency. It's much different when you're the physician.

Even so, I wouldn't choose the 6 year program. That's my personal opinion after reading quite a bit about them and thinking about attending one.

Good luck in your decision.
 
I have a lot of students in my class from Miami. I also have family that went there... It is a great school.

As for the BS/MD program. Personally, I'm not a fan of the hyper-accelerated 6 year tracks.

Plenty of people do perform just fine in those programs, but I don't see why you need to limit your options at this juncture. Yes, med school admissions is stressful, but cramming 4 years of undergrad into 2 in an attempt to prep for 4 years of med school won't alleviate much stress, IMO. 4+4 guaranteed admissions programs tend to give students more of an opportunity to explore other fields they might not have if they weren't pre-med.
 
Personally, I would do the BS/MD program in a heart beat. Medical school admissions are SO competitive, and it will only get more so in 3 years from now when you would be in the midst of starting your application process. I am a biomedical engineer at the University of Miami...(the REAL one...haha), graduating in less than 3 weeks (ah!). Applying to medical school was the hardest, most stressful, time-consuming process ever! I did not know I wanted to be in patient-care when I was your age, so I didn't even consider such programs. With the economy as it is, jobs are few and far between (I have countless graduating friends who can attest to this)....so more and more people are pursuing graduate education. More and more people are thinking about medical school...whether it is as an undergrad or a non-traditional student because their career has come to a hault (or been lost). It will only get more competitive!

Though, someone above makes a valid point--if you are offered a spot in a program like that at age 18, you probably wouldn't have a problem getting into medical school later down the road. However, I applied to 14 medical schools...got an interview invite from ONE. Got in, thankfully, but it really is just that competitive.

That's my 2 cents...go with your gut/heart! Picking my undergrad college was SUPER tough but I went with my heart and I know I did the right thing...best time of my life. I did have a really rigorous course of study, but I could've done better....graduating with 3.2 isn't my best, that's for sure lol. So, with that said, though your mind may change, if you feel confident in your life goals and career ambitions, you'll know what to do.

Good luck!!! :)

ps...some food for thought:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/27/health/policy/27care.html

maybe, despite the competitiveness, Obama will give us doctors-to-be something to look forward to...especially notice the part on making medical school classes larger.
 
IF you are 100% sure, go ahead and do it. You will still be able to have fun during school. I'm assuming you'll make new friends so you'll have plenty of new people to spend nights and weekends with (even if you have to go to school during the summer). AND, you won't have to stress about applying and taking the MCAT (which, if you make this decision, you will never completely know how lucky you are)

p.s. a 24 on the MCAT should be ABSOLUTELY feasible.

Good luck!
 
thegetupkid said:
IF you are 100% sure, go ahead and do it. You will still be able to have fun during school. I'm assuming you'll make new friends so you'll have plenty of new people to spend nights and weekends with (even if you have to go to school during the summer). AND, you won't have to stress about applying and taking the MCAT (which, if you make this decision, you will never completely know how lucky you are)

p.s. a 24 on the MCAT should be ABSOLUTELY feasible.

Good luck!
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The question is if a person is mature enough at 17 or 18 to truly make a decision that will govern the rest of their lives. Some are, but they're far and few in between.

A person that is educated about the field as a high schooler will know what it takes to get in as they go into college. Their chances of getting accepted are much higher because they know what extracurriculars, volunteering, etc. they need to work on. If they change their mind halfway through, they're still set to do whatever they decided to major in or change majors etc.

I'd say a person capable of getting into a BS/MD program will have much less difficulty getting into a medical school the traditional way than your average applicant.
 
i got into a bs/md program (a 7 yr) didn't go, and now have 6 waitlists and no acceptances yet (xf)... do the bs/md
 
I would pick the 6 year BS/MD program. It saves you 2 years of premed stuff.

dnt knw College said:
Thank You in advance to anyone that replies.

I am a current high school senior and have to make my college decision by may 1st. My two choices are Miami University and NEOUCOM 6 year BS/MD at Youngstown State University. I have 100% decided that I want to go into the medical field, so choosing NEOUCOM and me not wanting to become a doctor will never happen. However, at NEOUCOM I will be taking more credit hours and will be needing to go to college during the summers. I am afraid that if I choose NEOUCOM I won't have much free time (like as in college) to hang out with friends and such. I also like Miami University a lot. I am wondering what your opinions are about which college to decide. One side of my mind tells me to pick Miami so I can enjoy my college years and ther other side tells me that I should pick NEOUCOM since I have a direct acceptance. Also, I am worried about the area where NEOUCOM is located as there is not much to do there.

What do you guys think about which college to pick? (based on medical school acceptance and free time to enjoy)
Click to expand...
 
I'm sort of in the same situation too! I hope to hear some more input, I don't know what to choose either
 
If you don't choose BS/MD, I'll slap you because I got rejected from all BS/MD programs (however I got into a PharmD program).

You will enjoy college because you have the peace of mind that you're already in medical school. Don't be stupid.
 
I would need to do:

124 credits at NEOUCOM B.S./M.D. in two years (including summers)

around 131 credits at Miami in 4 years
 
I don't know if it makes a difference but I am currently 17 and will be 18 after a semester of college.
 
Sounds like you won't have a social life until you become board certified.

Besides not being able to buy cigarettes, I don't think being 17 matters too much. I just turned 17 yesterday and I'm graduating next month. Only setbacks are the stuff that are not school-related that require me to be 18. Otherwise I'd imagine the rest would require parental permission forms.

But if you're in a BS/MD program, you probably won't be taking jobs that require you to be 18 year olds and you better not be smoking.
 
dnt knw College said:
124 credits at NEOUCOM B.S./M.D. in two years (including summers)
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That would be around 21 credits a semester (including Summers). It would be pretty brutal starting off until you've adapted to the course load. You'll need to retain enough of that early material to have a solid foundation for your later coursework and get that 24 on the MCAT.
 
dnt knw College said:
I would need to do:

124 credits at NEOUCOM B.S./M.D. in two years (including summers)

around 131 credits at Miami in 4 years
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124 credits in two years :eek:. Are you sure about that? That seems almost impossible. I mean just for comparision, I am taking about 90 hours in four years (or at least that's the minimum, not sure exactly how much I have). 120 hours is a full degree at my school, and you would be doing that in only 2 years.

This is academic torture (and potential academic suicide)... Don't do it!
 
Summer 1: total 12 credits
General Chem 1 - 5 credits
BioMath 1 - 2 credits
BS/MD Seminar - 2 credits
Cell Biology - 3 credits

Fall 1: total 23 credits
Writing 1 - 3 credits
General Chem II - 5 credits
BioMath II - 4 credits
Human Physiology - 5 credits
General Psychology - 3 credits
Elective - 3 credits

Spring 1: total 21 to 23 credits
Writing II - 3 credits
Organic Chem I - 4-5 credits
Physics I - 4 credits
Physics Lab - 1 credit
Medical Sociology - 3 credits
Elective 1 - 3 credits
Elective II - 3 credits

Summer 2: (1st 6 weeks of summer) 11 credits
Genetics - 3 credits
Quantitative Analysis - 5 credits
Community Medicine Seminar (at NEOUCOM) - 3 credits

Summer 2: (2nd 6 weeks of summer) 7 - 9 credits
Community Medicine Seminar (con't from 1st six weeks)
Molecular Genetics - 3 credits
Molecular Genetics Lab - 1 credit
Organic Chem II - 4 - 5 credits

Fall 2: 20 credits
BioChem I - 3 credits
Bio Chem Lab - 1 credit
Physics II - 4 credits
Physics Lab - 1 credit
Molecular Mechanisms - 4 credits
Foreign Language I - 4 credits
Elective - credits

Spring 2: 21 credits
BioChem II - 3 credits
BioMath III - 3 credits
Microbiology - 4 credits
Foreign Language II - 4 credits
Medical Ethics - 3 credits
Elective - 4 credits

Summer 3: (1st 6 weeks) 9 credits
Elective - 3 credits
Communication Studies - 3 credits
Elective - 3 credits
 
124 credits is correct. I go to one of NEOUCOM's consortium schools, but am not in the BS/MD program. Being a biology major, I have been in classes with those students every semester, and I will say that the program is VERY intense. You will definitely be sacrificing some of the typical "college experience," however for a guaranteed acceptance to medical school......I think its worth it.

Keep in mind that its not REALLY "guaranteed." I know a surprisingly large number of people who did not matriculate due to their MCAT score, grades falling below the requirement, etc.
 
kappa09 said:
124 credits is correct. I go to one of NEOUCOM's consortium schools, but am not in the BS/MD program. Being a biology major, I have been in classes with those students every semester, and I will say that the program is VERY intense. You will definitely be sacrificing some of the typical "college experience," however for a guaranteed acceptance to medical school......I think its worth it.

Keep in mind that its not REALLY "guaranteed." I know a surprisingly large number of people who did not matriculate due to their MCAT score, grades falling below the requirement, etc.
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That's really not too hard to believe. Even if you work your ass off, keeping up a 3.2 with that sort of schedule has to be tough. And if you relax a bit because you think "ahh, well, I already have an acceptance..." falling below a 3.2 is almost a given. And if you don't study for the MCAT (even if you did well in the particular classes), a 24 isn't guaranteed. But really, a 24 isn't too tough a score to get if you take it seriously enough, I would be more concerned about keeping a 3.2 gpa.
 
BS/MD if you honestly do not have a single sliver of doubt in your mind that you want to do medicine NOW. Losing two years of what may be the best time in your life is not optimal, even if you are set on medicine, as it is obvious you are. However, you ALSO seem to want to enjoy your life while you still can, so I would recommend Miami without a second thought.
 
Yep, go to Miami.

Work hard, play hard. If you go to the BS/MD program, it's work hard and no play at all.
 
Dude, I was all for the BS/MD until I saw that course load. That is simply brutal! I've been taking between 16 and 20 credit semesters and it's not like it has been a cakewalk. I would choose Miami and actually enjoy your 4 years. I honestly think you would burn out after two years like that followed immediately by four years of medical school.
 
The BS/MD adviser at Youngstown State University told me that that usually 10 our of 35 kids in the program drop out due to mcat, gpa or/and financial reasons. One plus point is that the kids that did the program year before usually give the new year kids all their binders from classes. Also looking at the ratings for NEOUCOM college on here in the interview feedback section, it recieved 2/5 stars for rating, culture, and location. Thats the lowest rating of all the colleges and the only other colleges that have those ratings are Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Paul L. Foster School of Medicine, University of Central Florida, and Xavier University Medical School (Bonaire, Caribbean).
​
 
If you guys were in my position and according to what I said in my last post what would you guys decide?
 
dnt knw College said:
If you guys were in my position and according to what I said in my last post what would you guys decide?
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Miami. OP, stop hanging on to a position you know you don't really want. Yes, the security is great, but just because you're turning the opportunity down doesn't mean you'll NEVER make it into any other medical school. Hell, if you can make it into medical school right out of high school, just think of the amazing medical schools you can get into after 4 MORE years of experience. Don't sell yourself short! Take those 4 years at Miami, have fun, get the chance to experience amazng opportunities, and enjoy your life while you can.
 
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