If you’ve always been programmed to think that attending medical school is a long and arduous journey, well you’re right, because it is. However, there are ways to speed up the process a bit and get out into the workforce faster.
Accelerated medical school programs have been all the rage in recent years, and more and more students are taking advantage of what these fast track programs have to offer.
Overview of Fast Tracking Medical School
While there’s simply no way to cram all you need to know to become a doctor into a few months or even a year, accelerated medical schools take the four years usually required to complete your courses and condense it into three. Accelerated medical schools accomplish this by eliminating electives, summer vacations and residency search. This allows students to both finish school faster and become primary care physicians quicker.
The recent uptick in accelerated medical school programs is being supported by both the Association of American Medical Colleges and the American Medical Association, who are both in favor of reshaping the way students get their education. Due in part to an alarming shortage of primary care physicians, the groups would rather see students advance in their studies as a result of their competency, not a specified time frame.
Another benefit of accelerated medical programs is reduced cost. In some cases, students can save as much as $60,000 by going the accelerated route.
Schools That Offer Accelerated Medical School Programs
There are a number of schools all over the country that offer accelerated medical school programs. The prestigious NYU School of Medicine offers prospective students a three-year MD degree program. The curriculum for the three-year program at NYU is the same as the four-year program save for a few minor modifications. The three-year program at NYU begins six weeks earlier than the four-year program.
Other schools that offer accelerated programs include:
- Texas Tech University (Health Sciences Center/Lubbock, TX)
- Columbia University (College of Physicians and Surgeons/New York, NY)
- University of California at Davis (Sacramento, CA)
- Mercer University School of Medicine (Savannah, GA)