#combined programs

Hello! I’m a student in a combined and accelerated bs/md program and I haven’t graduated yet but I have noticed a few things that have helped me succeed so far and would like to share them with you. Here they are:

1. Time Management. There is a post called Under Pressure that discusses this. How many hours do you really spend studying per day? Sometimes we’re in the library for a said amount of hours but only spend half of that time studying. This is something that I’ve noticed. I might be in the library for 7 hours but take an hour long lunch break or take 10 minute study breaks that extend to 30 minutes. It is important to manage the time that you have wisely, in order to gain the most out of studying. To help with this, pay attention to your attention span. How long into reading a textbook do you have to fight to stay focused? This way, you’ll know the approximate amount of time that you’re actually contributing to studying. In addition, it is important to dedicate a specific amount of time to strictly studying.

2. Organization. Do you own a planner or a calendar? I advise that you get one and write in test dates, assignment dates, etc. Planners help with time management as well. If your program is accelerated like mine, assignments and tests tend to be in the same week or in circumstances where you’ll have a test one week and another one the consecutive week. As a small anecdote, last semester, I was in a situation where I had Genetics and Organic Chemistry exams in the same week with an assignment due the following week. It was tough. But having a planner helped me tremendously. It helped me to manage my studying time, everyday up until the exam and assignment dates. Sometimes just having dates of assignments in my head can make one seem farther from another one when they might just be a few days or a week away.

3. Passion. You have to want to be a doctor. You must be dedicated and resilient. With that being said, there will be days when you’ll question yourself. Those days are important. I think that TNQD puts it best in the post “There will be days.” It is important to stay connected to why you want to be a doctor and to make friends with people who are equally as passionate or even more passionate. I know that my passionate and encouraging classmates, family and friends are part of the reason I kept pushing even on days when i felt unmotivated, or stressed out. Also, talk to other people in your program who have either already graduated or are farther ahead in the program. My program is 7 years and I always ask people who are farther ahead in the program for advice and about how classes were for them. Yet, take their advice with a grain of salt as their experience and their experience won’t be exactly the same.

4. Self-reflection. It’s important to have a way to reflect on your self after a year or a semester. Maybe you can start a journal or write a blog about your experiences. You can reflect on the things that you have learned in a previous semester, things you want to improve on or habits that you want to stop. Self reflection has helped me in learning from my mistakes, and thinking of how to make the next year or semester better than the previous one. This helps my self-esteem in that I’m concentrating on making myself a better student instead of comparing myself to my other classmates. Try not to compare yourself to others as you can’t be like everyone else and nobody can be like you.

These are just a few suggestions that are based on what I have learned so far in my own program. I don’t know everything as I am still learning as I move on in this journey to become a Doctor. If you have any other questions, do not hesitate to ask!

A reader from Europe, cloudedcrimson, chimed in about the BS/MD program since it is similar to how medical school is run in many European countries.  With out specifics on where she is from, here is some of what she had to say:

I'm not in US, and something close to how I understand the BS/MD program is the only actual option here. And no, there's no time for 'non-science' courses, especially that in my country it's been changed from 6 years to 5 (and hardly any material was cut). I'll be on wards at 21. It's very hard, but perfect.

After talking to her a bit more really enjoys her program because she can go straight into medicine.  However she also feels like it is very condensed and lots of material is cut out.

As for the program, it definitely feels too compressed...it’s already visible how much more exhausted we seem in general, how many basic courses had to be seriously cut down...almost all the more general or side courses suffer, while the important ones are often crammed together.... I’m all thrilled, for sure, but sometimes it’s so exhausting that I fall face-down after I’m back from classes and need a nap to go on.

However, the general consensus from Cloudedcrimson is that she loves it.  She enjoys the patients and the art of practicing medicine.  And for her, it works.  I think it comes down to the individual.  If you are definite about wanting to be a doctor, then there is no reason to wait.  There is also no reason to rush.  

Thanks Cloudedcrimson for your input!

What is your opinion on bs/md or similar programs? Also, how do you feel about living at home while attending med school?

I have mixed feelings about the BS/MD programs.  They are good if you are sure medicine is what you want to do.  But I think even so, by going straight into a rigorous program you miss out on some vital life experiences.  Your first couple years of undergrad should be about exploring the world of adulthood, which you can't do if you are thrust into an intensive program.  I have talked about people getting on the "pre-med train" and not knowing how to get off.  The BS/MD programs are trains at max speed.  

I am 26 now and barely able to handle the stresses of being a doctor.  With a BS/MD program you are a resident physician by 24, which is young.  You are on the wards by 22, if not earlier, which is super young.  For some people this is doable, certainly this type of system works in other countries.  However I think that this type of program forces you to grow up extremely fast.  

You also face the problem of being one dimensional.  Medical schools are heavily promoting the humanities as pre-reqs.  In a BS/MD program everything will be so crammed together that I doubt you will have time to explore those "non-science" courses.  By cutting that stuff out you will lose the opportunity to be a more well-rounded doctor, and human-being.

Finally, if you decide medicine isn't for you then you are in rough waters.  Most of the courses at BS/MD schools won't transfer because they are abridged and/or accelerated.  The chemistry you learn in a BS/MD school does not equal the 2 years worth of chemistry you would take during a traditional pre-med pathway.  And these schools are usually extremely expensive.  So if you get two years in and decide you don't want to do medicine (which 100s if not 1000s of students do every year in traditional pre-med programs) you have no transferable credits and a huge loan burden.

For all the bad things I have to say, I know some good physicians who went through combined programs.  I also know students who are currently in BS/MD programs and seem to be doing well.  I guess it all comes down to how confident you are that you are going to be a doctor.  I had no idea that's what I wanted to do at 18, nor would I have wanted to make that decision.  But perhaps you do know and feel comfortable with that decision.

As far as living at home, do whatever saves you money!  As long as you won't be distracted and have a good relationship with your family I say stay there as long as possible!  The less you have to pay for now, the less you have to pay back later.

Best of luck,

Hey! So I have some questions about accelerated/combined BA/MD programs. Basically, I’m worried that I would go to the undergrad school (which I don’t really like) and then they wouldn’t accept me into the medical school, so is it even worth applying to the program? Also, planning way ahead, if I were to go to a combined program, is it looked down upon by residency programs that I’d have had all of my education at the same place? Do you know any people who did combined programs? (edited for length) k-m-a-r-i-e

These programs don't make much sense to me. They require you to maintain >3.6 GPA, get a 30+ on the MCAT, volunteer, shadow, and do research, i.e., all the things every other pre-med is trying to do. The thing is, if you do all this, regardless of an accelerated program, you're bound to get into medical school somewhere.

The benefit of these combined programs is that as a pre-med, you know all your stressing and hard work will pay off. You're not gambling, as every other pre-med is. And of course, if you meet all the requirements, you're guaranteed a spot at your top choice school. It's basically the same thing as doing Early Decision applications, which is what I did.