Bs/md vs. Tradicional path

As a senior in high school interested in going into the medical field, you may be wondering whether you should apply for BS/MD programs or take the traditional route and do four years of undergrad followed by medical school. In this post, I’ll help you determine which route will be more beneficial to you, as everyone is different.

BS/MD programs offer an accelerated route to becoming a physician. Between these six to eight years, students finish both their undergraduate degree and their medical school degree. Most people choose this path as they save time, and in the end, become a doctor sooner! Not having to fill out the dreaded medical school application is appealing to many students, including me! However, you need to understand what your getting yourself into. The path is very rigorous, and hardly leaves any time for flexibility. Therefore, there is no time to pursue other areas of studies which may be interesting to you.

On the other hand, the traditional route to becoming a physician can cause more stress later on as filling out applications will be the only thing on your mind. But doing so will allow for more flexibility. You will now have the option to pursue the other classes you're interested in. Doing this traditional path also allows you to have a backup plan. In case you change your mind about being in the field, you have a career lined up for the future.

In the end, both of these paths are extremely good, and what you choose should be what’s best for you. Don’t choose a path because it will be easier or save you time.