TWO STUDENTS TALK ABOUT THE TWO-DEGREE PLUNGE
Just who are the students taking the two-degree plunge? And what drives them to add on the coursework and planning that accelerated programs require? To find out more, Business Week Online's Dennis Berman spoke to combined-degree students from across the country. Here are excerpts of his interviews with two of them: St. John's University biology senior Stephanie Terzulli, 21, and University of California at Riverside's Monica Randery, 22, who has entered her first year of med school after three years as an undergraduate in the school's Biomedical Sciences Program.
BW: When did you decide to take on the extra work? Why?
Terzulli: I decided to do it my senior year. I went during a lot of summers. I figured if I could work on two degree simultaneously, why not do it in five years instead of six. I also figured: Why not? I love bio, and I planned on going for my master's anyway.
BW: How much did saving money affect your decisions?
Terzulli: Saving money was definitely a factor. I know that undergrad classes are about $100 less per credit. And for this year, I'm paying undergraduate rates for graduate classes.
BW: What advice would you give to someone considering a combined-degree program?
Terzulli: It's an excellent idea. But make sure you're really dedicated and willing to persevere.
BW: What's your opinion on attending the same school for undergraduate and graduate work -- do you feel less exposed to new ideas?
Terzulli: I think it's a benefit, actually, going to the same place. From what I see, the professors treat you on a different level as a grad student. You can learn more about them.
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BW: How competitive is your program?
Randery: It has its good parts and bad parts. It does tend to be very competitive, and there tends to be a stigma that the people who go through the program don't have a chance to mess up.
BW: To whom would you recommend a combined program like Riverside's?
Randery: It's worked out well for me. If you know at the beginning you want to get into medicine, then it can work out really well, too. It's also nice because you don't have to throw out thousands of dollars for medical-school applications.
BW: But you still have to get accepted to Riverside medical school, right?
Randery: You do have to take the MCAT [the med-school boards], put in an application, and go through three separate interviews, which are very important. At the point where they make the final decision, everyone has excellent records. For someone who is personable and has their head on right -- if that's your strong point, it tends to help you.
BW: All of this does sound very competitive.
Randery: There were about 250 who started, but it halves each year. Most people leave the program because it's not for them. In my year, there were 48 students vying for 24 spots. One good thing is if you don't make it into medical school after your third year, you can apply out [to other medical schools] again, without having to wait a year after graduation.
BW: Did you look at any other medical programs?
Randery: I considered other seven-year programs at Northwestern and Brown. I wanted to be close to home. It was a tough road, though. The whole time you had this thought in the back of your head that you don't know if you're going to make it [into medical school.]
BW: Do you feel you've missed out on a "classic" college education, where you might be exposed to a lot of liberal arts or switch your major three times?
Randery: It is easy to become real focused. I did a minor in psychology and got a taste of other things, but I did tend to be very focused and very academic. I still was very lucky to have a good time while I was at college. These programs tend to push you pretty hard, so you've got to be pretty sure you want to do this. The one thing I wouldn't recommend is the stress.
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