Where did/do you all go to college?

[dvpouldar26]

Originally Posted by MattMD

I'm a high school senior thinking about where I'm going to go. My #1 school is Miami, #2 is Georgetown, and #3 & #4 are Maryland and Alabama. I'm sure I can get into Miami and Maryland and Bama are my affordable backup schools. I want to major in Economics and eventually go to Medical or Dental School.

Where did/do you go? Would you go there again?

Any of those schools are good choices. Maryland's advantage is that it is close to Hopkins, and you have the top medical school in the country to do shadowing at, do research etc, however, I would still probably go to UMiami or Georgetown. Really, what matters most is your performance in the school and what you do, not the school itself. I went to UCLA and majored in Physiological Sciences myself. An econ major might be a good choice since medical schools do like applicants who bring something else to the table other than science majors. (my 2 close friends who were Econ majors are at UCLA and UWash for med school). Again your performance in the school is what matters most.

Originally Posted by 1fastdoc

Advice worth considering. I'm 3 years into practice and still over $200k in debt. I went into med school with 20k in my pocket too.

Undergrad: UW Seattle, BS Biochemistry
Med School: Albany Medical College
Residency: Wake Forest

I agree with an Econ major (or similar). The Bio and Chem classes can be taken separately and as long as you have them, nobody will care if it wasn't your major. In fact, it can make you a more rounded candidate. Besides, Pchem was NOT good for my GPA. Got a 27 on the final and I think I had the 2nd or 3rd highest score.

Small world! I'm a 1st year med student at Albany Med.

[MattMD]

I was accepted to Barrett, The Honors College at ASU! Will likely receive a $13,000 scholarship for a total cost of ~$20,000. ASU is easy to get into, but Barrett is very selective. Just thought I'd give an update.

I picked my intended major as Economics. I will see if I can work out a minor in biochem and if I can get the pre-reqs in with this intention...if I actually choose to go to this school. A science major might be more appealing now as I'm 100% sure I want to go to medical school.

[1fastdoc]

Originally Posted by MattMD

I was accepted to Barrett, The Honors College at ASU! Will likely receive a $13,000 scholarship for a total cost of ~$20,000. ASU is easy to get into, but Barrett is very selective. Just thought I'd give an update.

I picked my intended major as Economics. I will see if I can work out a minor in biochem and if I can get the pre-reqs in with this intention...if I actually choose to go to this school. A science major might be more appealing now as I'm 100% sure I want to go to medical school.

Congrats!

If you stick with the Econ major then I'd look into the work of adding bio, chem, physics and biochem.

I'm not sure about a biochem minor but if it includes physical chemistry then you may want to skip that. Maybe it's taught better at other institutions but I remember 2 people who came out of that class without their ears bleeding at UW.

[ASBSECU E93]

University of South Carolina - Undergrad
Elon - MBA

[ASBSECU E93]

...Although I hear Florida Gulf Coast is a contender...you could major in Beach Volleyball

[rjd598]

Originally Posted by boostedTIAG335

My friend graduated with a degree in econ from a school ranked higher than all of those you listed. He also graduated from a school that has one of the best MBA programs in the country. It's been over a year now and he's still unemployed.

Go to med school.

He's doing something wrong then if he really graduated from "top" schools

[MattMD]

Originally Posted by 1fastdoc

Congrats!

If you stick with the Econ major then I'd look into the work of adding bio, chem, physics and biochem.

I'm not sure about a biochem minor but if it includes physical chemistry then you may want to skip that. Maybe it's taught better at other institutions but I remember 2 people who came out of that class without their ears bleeding at UW.

That's what I'd be concerned about. With the new MCAT having all these varied topics, I may as well just pick a science major. Econ has zero overlap with medical school requirements (besides English) so it might not be possible. I will discuss this with the advisor at whichever school I attend. I know if the cost is only $20k per year (as opposed to $60k), I'm not going to be hard pressed to major in something with a high starting salary. I can put all my effort into mastering the sciences for becoming a Dr. in the future.

Biochem BS & BA major includes 1 pchem class from quick glance at the major map. It's called "Elementary Physical Chemistry" and is a pre-req for "Biophysical Chemistry."

ASU has tons of options for majors: chem, bio, biochem, biophysics, physics, microbio, molecular biotech, global health... Global Health sounds interesting, all of these are the "recommended pre-health" majors.

[Never Convicted]

Originally Posted by MattMD

I was accepted to Barrett, The Honors College at ASU! Will likely receive a $13,000 scholarship for a total cost of ~$20,000. ASU is easy to get into, but Barrett is very selective. Just thought I'd give an update.

I picked my intended major as Economics. I will see if I can work out a minor in biochem and if I can get the pre-reqs in with this intention...if I actually choose to go to this school. A science major might be more appealing now as I'm 100% sure I want to go to medical school.

First, congrats and best wishes on your acceptance to ASU. Next, just a life experience word about your plan. I went to Boston College, economics and business admin double major. Then got my MBA in marketing from BC as well. My first night in the dorms I met 3-4 guys who were Pre-med. NEVER saw them again until graduation. All those guys did was study. That was 20 years ago, when Med School was less competitive.

Just my opinion, and you're 18 and it's a big decision, but I think you're going to have to commit one way or the other. In B School there were 4-5 MD's who were going for MBA's. I don't think it works the opposite way. Either way, hope you stay focused and kick major ass.

[MattMD]

Originally Posted by Never Convicted

First, congrats and best wishes on your acceptance to ASU. Next, just a life experience word about your plan. I went to Boston College, economics and business admin double major. Then got my MBA in marketing from BC as well. My first night in the dorms I met 3-4 guys who were Pre-med. NEVER saw them again until graduation. All those guys did was study. That was 20 years ago, when Med School was less competitive.

Just my opinion, and you're 18 and it's a big decision, but I think you're going to have to commit one way or the other. In B School there were 4-5 MD's who were going for MBA's. I don't think it works the opposite way. Either way, hope you stay focused and kick major ass.

Thanks for the insight. That's quite a resumé. I know my dad completed all of the pre-reqs while getting a bachelors in Mechanical Engineering at a big state school. He never went to med school, but wanted the option. He didn't know what he wanted to do either, he also did ROTC because he wanted to fly F-14s. All he did was study and it worked out very well for him.

Picking one of the sciences seems like the best option. Another option is to major in Global Health, biochem, or something, then study for the GRE and apply for MD/MBA programs in addition to MD programs. Another option would be to see the work needed to get a minor in something like Business Admin or Entrepreneuership.

[MattMD]

Originally Posted by DevJ

I got my BS in biochemistry with honors and got into med school. I guess I'm one of the few who enjoyed physical chemistry..PM if any questions arise..

Good luck!!

You've heard it a million times but congrats! What would you say in regards to a BA vs BS in biochem? Both are offered and take similar classes, BA seems to have more electives and has a foreign language req. You can PM your thoughts if you want.

[RedBarron]

Undergrad at Florida State University, Economics, Go NOLES!
MBA at the University of Central Florida.

[1fastdoc]

Originally Posted by DevJ

I got my BS in biochemistry with honors and got into med school. I guess I'm one of the few who enjoyed physical chemistry..PM if any questions arise..

Good luck!!

I learned a lot in college and I tutored many of the classes I had just completed. However, I don't think I learned a damned thing in Pchem. I still have nightmares from the final 15 years later. But, at least it wasn't Art history.

Matt, regarding the MD/MBA, it was a common thing for docs to do in the past when they ran their own practices. That day has passed and whereas 80% of docs were single specialty private practice 20 years ago, that number now is about 20% and dropping. The overhead is too great and it's going to get much worse as reimbursement drops. Most wind up in hospital owned or multispecialty groups. I don't mean to say that an MBA isn't a good degree, but it's not what it once was in the medical field, assuming you want to practice medicine vs run a practice.

Also, be careful with majors that are very focused. When I graduated with a BS in Biochem, my options were med school, grad school or get a lab job in Seattle starting at $9/hour. Always have a back up plan; I know a lot of people who had to try multiple times to get into med school. Choose a field that interests you and you'll find it easier to study and master the material. Because, as was stated, you're going to spend more time studying than most of your peers.

[MattMD]

Originally Posted by 1fastdoc

I learned a lot in college and I tutored many of the classes I had just completed. However, I don't think I learned a damned thing in Pchem. I still have nightmares from the final 15 years later. But, at least it wasn't Art history.

Matt, regarding the MD/MBA, it was a common thing for docs to do in the past when they ran their own practices. That day has passed and whereas 80% of docs were single specialty private practice 20 years ago, that number now is about 20% and dropping. The overhead is too great and it's going to get much worse as reimbursement drops. Most wind up in hospital owned or multispecialty groups. I don't mean to say that an MBA isn't a good degree, but it's not what it once was in the medical field, assuming you want to practice medicine vs run a practice.

Also, be careful with majors that are very focused. When I graduated with a BS in Biochem, my options were med school, grad school or get a lab job in Seattle starting at $9/hour. Always have a back up plan; I know a lot of people who had to try multiple times to get into med school. Choose a field that interests you and you'll find it easier to study and master the material. Because, as was stated, you're going to spend more time studying than most of your peers.

That's interesting. One would think an MBA would be more beneficial. I'm sure it varies a lot by specialty. Of course I'll look into it more when the time arises, it could definitely be too much work for too little reward.

Luckily, my dad is committed to funding any kind of grad school I wish to pursue. I plan to put myself in a position to not need a contingency plan. The most appealing contingency option would be to go for a JD; if med school doesn't work out, I could be a very good prosecutor... Staying in the healthcare field, I could go for an MHA. But of course, medicine is my driving force and desired career path.

I have enjoyed taking AP Bio (got the highest score possible on the AP exam) and am enjoying AP Chemistry this year. I like history and government/politics a lot, but those have even worse career options. I'm good at math, but don't necessarily enjoy it. Maybe learning about healthcare policy would be a good path, since I could combine science and history/gov/politics. Would be a specialized, but decent, background if I had to act on the contingency plan and go to law school.

Thanks for your input! Great to have some actual Dr.s to talk to.

[DevJ]

Originally Posted by MattMD

You've heard it a million times but congrats! What would you say in regards to a BA vs BS in biochem? Both are offered and take similar classes, BA seems to have more electives and has a foreign language req. You can PM your thoughts if you want.

For sure, will PM later this evening

Originally Posted by 1fastdoc

I learned a lot in college and I tutored many of the classes I had just completed. However, I don't think I learned a damned thing in Pchem. I still have nightmares from the final 15 years later. But, at least it wasn't Art history.

Matt, regarding the MD/MBA, it was a common thing for docs to do in the past when they ran their own practices. That day has passed and whereas 80% of docs were single specialty private practice 20 years ago, that number now is about 20% and dropping. The overhead is too great and it's going to get much worse as reimbursement drops. Most wind up in hospital owned or multispecialty groups. I don't mean to say that an MBA isn't a good degree, but it's not what it once was in the medical field, assuming you want to practice medicine vs run a practice.

Also, be careful with majors that are very focused. When I graduated with a BS in Biochem, my options were med school, grad school or get a lab job in Seattle starting at $9/hour. Always have a back up plan; I know a lot of people who had to try multiple times to get into med school. Choose a field that interests you and you'll find it easier to study and master the material. Because, as was stated, you're going to spend more time studying than most of your peers.

1fastdoc,

I know what you mean. I really think it varies on schools/professors. Pchem might have been better taught at my school. I'm sure you had a better time with other classes I might have had difficulty in

I definitely agree with the career options associated with majors. Don't narrow yourself down, I was looking at the same options when I was in undergrad. I have friends who had difficulty getting into medical school who are now completing top residencies (such as ENT )

Glad to see a lot of good, sound advice in this thread.

Best of luck Matt

[1fastdoc]

I don't know what Universities are offering these days regarding health care policy but that may not be a bad thing to have under your belt. Most of that crap is written and interpreted by lawyers who have no concept of the practice of medicine. However, in the future our health care system is going to undergo some radical changes. Those who figure out which way it's going (or guess) and position themselves correctly are going to do very well. The rest of us are going to get fucked. But I'm not bitter.

[Rockette]

Clarkson University for my Bachelors and Masters in Chemical Engineering. NYU/Stern for my MBA which I only did part time.

I'm not sure I'd pick Clarkson University again. While it is an amazing school with a great reputation and a class size in which you can know nearly everyone, I can't even describe how much snow and cold we got. I should have gone to school in Hawaii.

I spent way too much time in school, and I kind of regret picking Chemical Engineering over a standard engineering program as it limited my job selection choices out of school.

[CJ421]

Originally Posted by MattMD

I was accepted to Barrett, The Honors College at ASU! Will likely receive a $13,000 scholarship for a total cost of ~$20,000. ASU is easy to get into, but Barrett is very selective. Just thought I'd give an update.

I picked my intended major as Economics. I will see if I can work out a minor in biochem and if I can get the pre-reqs in with this intention...if I actually choose to go to this school. A science major might be more appealing now as I'm 100% sure I want to go to medical school.

Congrats on being accepted, it's the first big step.

Here's some advice:
--Meet with a student adviser each semester; I'd probably have been able to avoid some challenging schedules in my junior/senior years if I had some guidance.
--Find local bookstores in the area that buy/sell books. Amazon is cheap but local stores are more convenient and may be even cheaper.
--Networking. Take the time to know your professors - meet with them out of class if possible to ask questions &c. Show you care. This will [really] come in handy when it comes time to get a job or apply to post-college education.
--If you find the material in your field to not be your cup of tea, then ditch it immediately. Figure out what interests you. The "I already took x number of classes, might as well take the rest to earn the degree" rational is dumb.
--Take some fun classes. There were a few really neat recreational classes at my college (like fly fishing) that I regretted missing out on - might have been possible had I met with a college adviser.

I got my B.S. in Management Information Systems at Rochester Institute of Technology in NY. I had multiple job offers and was hired several months before I graduated. University of Rochester next door to us was popular for people in the medical field. Best of luck wherever you go.

[Cuz5150]

College?

[MattMD]

Originally Posted by CJ421

Congrats on being accepted, it's the first big step.

Here's some advice:
--Meet with a student adviser each semester; I'd probably have been able to avoid some challenging schedules in my junior/senior years if I had some guidance.
--Find local bookstores in the area that buy/sell books. Amazon is cheap but local stores are more convenient and may be even cheaper.
--Networking. Take the time to know your professors - meet with them out of class if possible to ask questions &c. Show you care. This will [really] come in handy when it comes time to get a job or apply to post-college education.
--If you find the material in your field to not be your cup of tea, then ditch it immediately. Figure out what interests you. The "I already took x number of classes, might as well take the rest to earn the degree" rational is dumb.
--Take some fun classes. There were a few really neat recreational classes at my college (like fly fishing) that I regretted missing out on - might have been possible had I met with a college adviser.

I got my B.S. in Management Information Systems at Rochester Institute of Technology in NY. I had multiple job offers and was hired several months before I graduated. University of Rochester next door to us was popular for people in the medical field. Best of luck wherever you go.

Thanks!



Update #2:

Received a $52,000 scholarship! ($13k /yr over 4 years) All I need to do to renew it is maintain a 3.0 GPA; I'm aiming for 3.7+ anyways. Total cost over 4 years will be roughly $75k including everything, travel, books, etc.

[Whostheboss]

Congrats OP.

BS - Computer Science. Central Connecticut University - 2008

[1fastdoc]

Originally Posted by CJ421

--Networking. Take the time to know your professors - meet with them out of class if possible to ask questions &c. Show you care. This will [really] come in handy when it comes time to get a job or apply to post-college education.

--Take some fun classes. There were a few really neat recreational classes at my college (like fly fishing) that I regretted missing out on - might have been possible had I met with a college adviser.

That first point is a great one. It helps with letters of recommendation and can also help in class.

An example: I spent plenty of time in Organic Chem class and lab and knew the professor well. I tutored a lot in college including some of the students in my own classes.

We had an exam towards the end of the year and the prof usually deducted 1/4 point if you miss showing electron transfers during reactions. On one of the problems I forgot to put them in at a step and he marked them in for me. Another student, who was less than studious, saw that and noticed that he got docked points for the same offense. So after class he asked about it. The prof replied that it was clear this student didn't know what he was doing and he knew that I knew the material and it was just an oversight. The other guy was pissed. lol. Sometimes it's the little things.

And as he also said, don't forget to have fun. Work hard, play hard. Work hard enough and you'll get to live your life that way.

[SaMaster14]

Currently a junior at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.

I haven't had my car there yet, but I'll have it my senior year. Don't really need a car in Baltimore, but it would have been useful...