BSMD/BSDO Applicants Undergrad and Medical School experiences

[srk2017]

@Mom22DDs

I want to share my thought that if you have connections in medicine, e.g. the parents is a doctor or research MD, then traditional route is likely the better option. For those like us, without medical field exposure, getting those research opportunities or even being able to shadow a doctor in California with its strict HIPPA rules, is quite challenging. Medicine is one place where nepotism seems more prevalent than elsewhere and it really matters who you are, where you work and what connections you have. Every doctor wants their kid to be in and is able to help them get better opportunities than they could by themselves. It is not necessarily a bad thing but it does put kids without those ties at a distinct disadvantage in being able to go after the top admissions on their own.

I have to disagree with you on this. In fact what you say is true for BSMD applicants i.e. HS students since most get the opportunities to connections. As per traditional path, most students do shadowing, volunteering and research at their UG school or near by. Most T20 UG schools have medical schools and they have programs to provide shadowing and volunteering opportunities. So BSMD is more cooked for those with connections than traditional path.

Even though my wife was a physician she couldn’t get him clinical volunteering since her hospital was strict about age and she didn’t want to pressure anyone since BSMD is not top priority for him (or us).