BSMD/BSDO Applicants Undergrad and Medical School experiences

He did not get in. His heart has been with SUNY Upstate and responded to them so nothing else matters. As a father, I try to make sure he understands different options, but he really likes SUNY Upstate when he interviewed with them. I was also impressed with the way SUNY Upstate director runs her program, but after all, it is about him and his future. I think he made the right decision by choosing SUNY Upstate.
Thanks for you feedback and support.

Good luck to your S at SUNY Upstate.

After an interview with LKSOM in March 2020, D has received a letter of conditional acceptance to LKSOM subject to terms and conditions of the Temple Health Scholar linkage program between Temple University and Temple LKSOM. The last step will be to submit an official AMCAS application when it opens probably in June 2020.

@grtd2010 congratulations to your D and family. :heart:

@biomeds - Not applying to BU.

@grtd2010 Congrat to your D/family! do you feel the Temple PPHS interviews with LKSOM is simply a formality as long as you meet GPA/MCAT requirement?

@srk2017 All the best, looks like your S made the wise choice for himself/your family few years ago.

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@biomeds Too early to tell.

@biomeds
Thanks. To get an interview, Temple PPHS submit a special application to LKSOM first. MCAT can be taken after the interview. No, it is an actual medical school interview along with those interviewing for LKSOM via regular route on that day. There is one open and one blind interview on that day for every one including regular route interviewees.

Thanks @PPofEngrDr

Temple PPHS are required to take Casper test on one of the assigned dates as regular route MD applicants do. Basically, all the formalities of a regular route MD applicant just earlier.

DS spring semester ended today with same GPA trend. Waiting for next application cycle to open on Monday. He will be home this summer working on app and continue his computational research remotely.

all the very best @srk2017

D completed S 2020 with a 4.0 GPA and is working on her research remotely. D is looking forward to a relatively stress-free senior year as she needs 22 more credits to complete two majors - CS and Neuroscience which includes 6 credits of neuroscience research


The unexpected (Covid) eventful year (MS1) got over today with finals and passed all exams. Mar went week by week announcement on virtual and finally in April school made virtual for the rest of the semester and child came home. But my spouse got stranded in another country and have no clue if can join us in summer. Definitely they will miss each other knowing future summers are going to be busy for a medical student.

So far she is happy with her education and school. Though she says there is so much to read / listen and studying all the time. Now able to understand why GPA/MCAT playing a critical role in admission since the students need to study so much in a short time. In my child school it is 1.5 years pre-clinical. Some schools have 1 year pre-clinical. But in SDN I read many students prefer that, though I am not convinced on the need and don’t prefer.

Due to Covid, many of her classmates summer internship got cancelled. Luckily her program is on but virtual, so she will be busy again with 1 week break. Though she will miss the final paid presentation trip to Nashville since that alone got cancelled.

Few changes are bound to happen and school informed. Raising MS3 are not taken few rotations (Covid) and hence raising MS2 will be asked to take the allotted time for Step-1 and research activities in second semester first (before you can do it any time) before starting rotations so that MS3 will catch up missed rotations. Many students prefer few rotations before taking Step-1 but it may not be a choice now for MS2.

Well, accept what ever happens and be happy.

@srk2017 do you mind reflect back on your son’s decision of forgoing BSMD a few years ago? I am sure he will do well with MCAT and get into MS, but is all the extra stress worth it? Look back, would he make the same decision again? Also, does he have any hook or URM for medical school? I heard it’s hard for ORM to get into MS without a gap year?

There is a myth that one has to do a gap year to get into medical school via regular route. Have known students who matriculated to medical school without any gap year recently (ORMs). Some may have to take gap year to do medical related ECs (including research) since they could not do it during 4 years. It depends on individual risk tolerance whether to give up a bsmd seat and go for a regular route MD. Most risk averse persons will choose a bsmd option. A bsmd option at any cost may not a better than a regular route option IMO. Check statistics provided by aamc on their website( regular MD route).

Folks

Sharing for D - in the last Quarter of sophomore year (undergrad) at HPME.
Online classes and course load seems high. D is focused on studies even in this Pass/Fail environment - it seems tests and course expectations are higher considering online classes. Example, in one of her computation class, the average scores dropped by 50% from the first to second mid-term.

D is enjoying the NU culture and support and her group of friends.

No regrets so far, but it’s too early. DS is getting ready to submit application for next cycle.

He is having good time at Vandy and is not too stressed out but I won’t say its too easy. Take classes conservatively ie no double majors and triple minors and plan out ECs carefully is the plan we came up and implemented. He got 100 percentile in MCAT and close go 4.0 gpa with good ECs. He has active social life and spent last two summers abroad.

His hook is he ORM male ftom CA, aka toughest category :slight_smile:

You may need gap year if you go to schools like JHU snd UCB or got lazy in first year (sudden freedom) or went to an easier HS and think you can get As easily in college also.

@srk2017 Since you all planned very well, I don’t anticipate any surprise during MD admission and may get offer from CA including the T20. But would like to find out next year, if he gets any merit aid from any T20 or any school, knowing you are ORM.
Does he have any preference on school list?

Being a CA native, UCSF will be one of the favorities. However, given the unpredictability of the process I told him not to focus on one school. We never expected him to end up at Vandy (which was his last application) for UG.

Since I started this thread, I will keep posting the updates :slight_smile: