In case there are other sdn'ers who are interested in this program feel free to PM me or just reply back here as well. I was in the 3+4 program.
Pro's about the program:
- It's pretty easy to stay in the program since only a low gpa (3.3-3.4?) & MCAT (26) is required.
-The med school itself is well known, they have great teachers, new equipment, the location is amazing & you'll have a big class to give your support
- The medical school + clinics are right on campus
- If you decide medical school is not right for you, you can switch into other dual degree programs such as dental, pharmacy, P.A..etc This is pretty popular and easy to do as just in my first year 5/6 of my friends changed from being B.S/D.O to other tracts.
- Full ride scholarships are offered & are not as competitive as most schools
- At max there will be 32 people in your class so the quality of your learning is better & teachers are pretty willing to take on research assistants if you're interested in their projects. You also have the option of doing research with the graduate school, which I recommend since grad schools PI's are more interested in getting published
Tips for those accepted:
- There are relatively uncompetitive full ride options for undergrad. Apply for them
-
Make sure to sign up for the honors program. I cannot stress this enough. You get to sign up early for classes which is well worth it to get the good organic chem & physics teachers. You do not have to complete the honors program, and thus do not have to take out of the way classes. You will get a $100 scholarship, and get to go for a lot of events for free like horseback riding, canoeing, theater shows..etc
-if out of state, try to get florida residency as soon as possible. All the institutional scholarships offered by NSU-COM require Fl residency. I just made sure to get a Florida driver's license & that's all the finaid office needed to process me as in state. It's not a bad investment to buy a condo or house if you can afford it either.
- Do Not do the CEP program. Take time to find doctors you can shadow on your own or ask your professors or the pre med faculty advisors (Such as Dr. Roopnarine, Dr.Loomis or Dr. Jaffe) if they know any doctors who are taking students to shadow. You'll get a better experience, be able to shadow for a year or more & ultimately form a better relationship + letter of rec
- There's also a leadership program which gives you money for books as long as you attend certain workshops called super sharks. You'll be able to cover most of your book costs. There is also a facebook NSU textbook exchange group where you can buy and sell books to other students. I would link it, but I already deleted it from my facebook groups
Finally, this program is amazing in the amount of flexibility it gives you. You can apply to different medical schools and are not restricted to only coming to NSU-COM, can change into another medical program if you wish, the scholarships are very good, and it's a respectable school (just check their match list). It offers you all the chance to succeed, but most students do fail to meet the MCAT requirement. Being a guaranteed program does offer security, but I think this sense of security hurt most of the people in B.S/D.O program
If you plan to apply out, try to keep being a competitive student. If you are out of state, in some case it might be better not to do this program. It's easier and less expensive to get into your state school & if you were a strong enough student in high school to get at least interviewed at other B.S/M.D or D.O schools, you should still have a good chance at getting into another med school.