Hey guys! So far, I have been adimitted to UCF and the honors college, and I was wondering if any of you could provide more insight about the Burnett Medical Scholars program. Looking at the UCF webpage, the information is fairly vaugue. I’d like to know more about the application process for the program as well as any insight from current BMS students on their experience. Thank you!
Hey! I don’t have any info for the burnett medical program BUT I am also applying for the honors college this year… what were some of your stats? I’m insanely worried about my application (which I’m submitting tomorrow!) and would like to know where some of those (like you) who have already gotten in lie 
@ucf2018 I’m not sure if my stats will be any help since I’m a National Merit Semifinalist and I think we are accepted automatically but here you go!
GPA: 4.00 UW; 4.6 W
SAT: 1500
SAT Subject: Math 2-750; Chemistry-800
AP Classes: Euro (4), US History (5), Chemistry (5), Language & Comp (5), Calc Ab (5)
Current Classes: AP Bio, AP Gov, AP Calc BC, AP Psych, AP Lit & Comp, Advanced Choir (Madrigals)
Volunteering: about 250hrs
EC’s: VP of a health related club and founder/Pres of an animal related club
Awards: National Merit Semifinalist, AP Scholar with Distinction
That’s all I can think of for now. I was accepted a week or two ago. Good luck!
I’d still really appreciate feedback about Burnett Medical Scholars! If any of you have any info/experience/know someone in the program please tell me!
Hope this will help.
Don’t ask or compare stats. Getting in is not that hard. Just need to make that SAT/ACT cut.
If you are National Merit, school gives you a full ride. If not, no big deal, they will give you a scholarship about $32K, plus your Florida state scholarship, will cover your tuition/ room-board. No student end up forking family money for his undergrad at UCF going through this program.
Maintaining GPA 3.75 @ college graduation is not hard, but not easy either. But most people get into medical school get 3.8 or above now a day . So that is a must. One B every semester is perfectly fine. Don’t stress yourself out.
You can major pretty much in anything. Just graduate with major honors.
Some students will extend this into a 5 year college experience due to their low GPA/ MCAT bench mark. But stretching out one extra year is much better than not getting in.
Interview at 3rd year is just formality. Not stressful.
For the past 2 years, about 5-8 students each year stay on to UCF med. Last year, besides the students staying at UCF, 4 went to UM med. So you are welcome to apply out if you want to.
MCAT 512 IS the MAJOR DETERMINATION factor. 512 is not super high, but it is a barrier. If you get 511, they might let you slide. Anything less, you are really welcome to apply elsewhere. Two of the students who went to UM scored 510.
@SteyrFWB Thank you so much for your response! (For what it’s worth, I wasn’t planning on sharing/comparing stats; I only listed them to help ucf2018 with the Burnett Honors Program.)
I’m glad to hear that the interview is just a formality. I saw on a past thread people were debating this, so good to know! Of course, it’s understandable that they’d want to interview just to make sure everyone was still fit for the program. I also didn’t know you could extend the program to 5 years! That’s not the plan, but it’s good to have options.
I’m really looking for a tight-knit group that shares the same goals, and it sounds pretty good so far!
It is not a tight-knit group. It is more like a French Foreign Legion.
Each recruit is capable of getting the job done.
You don’t know if they kill, rape, or murder people before.
The very good thing about the program is you are welcome to apply out if you want to.
But it is very nice to know there is a security net with set bench marks for performance. If you are struggling, there is no shame to extend your college experience into 5 years.
UCF is such a big school, most of your friends will be non BMS students.
Even BMS students do not know the true number of students in the program. Every semester there is an informal meeting at Lake Nona medical complex. Students showing up at the meeting fluctuate.
Since the admission is pretty much by the high SAT cut off, there are a few fragile students who will drop themselves out over the years.
The requirement is pretty straight forward, and also pretty flexible. You go at your own pace. It is very much smorgasbord.
If you maintain the required benchmark, continuation to medical school is set. You will bypass the horrid medical school application experience of applying to 20 medical schools and hoping to get accepted by one school. Medical school application is just too competitive now a day, even for the high school super stars. Nothing is for sure in this competitive medical school application game.
But if you have the goods, and want to give the medical school hunger game a go, you are welcome to try. But you do have that BMS safety net.
Again, all things considered, the rate limiting step in the BMS program is the MCAT.
You got to put in that proverbial 300 hours of study for this MCAT. It is like an 8 hour exam of taking 7-8 tough finals back to back to back.
I would recommend any one studying for MCAT or any exam to get this “Forest by seekrtech” app from apple store. It is a timer app that measure your true time studying, non affected by iPhone distraction. It shut your iPhone off for a preset time. It tabulates your total uninterrupted studying time. Very, very helpful app. You try to built a forest. Every time you plant a tree, it will grow. If you use iPhone before your set study time, the tree dies. You need to put in solid time to built that forest. Very satisfying studying app.
@steyrFWB Thank you so much for your comments regarding FCU BMS program!! We have learned a lot very important information regarding Florida BSMD programs through your comments!!
The only BSMD program my son was admitted to is FAU’s Med direct (we didn’t know about FCU’s BMS before so he did not apply). Just thought I should confirm that you would also recommend this program (FAU) as well for someone who is very sure about medicine?
Is he assigned to FAU main campus or Honors College @Jupitor.
Honors College is a very small campus, total 400 students (freshmen to seniors), main campus is bigger with more activity.
Honors College’s professors are excellent and caring. But it is just a very small isolated campus. Next to Scripps/ Plank Institute.
Main campus is probably more fun. Their football is doing well. Boca has more activities.
But overall, medical school is excellent. Good choice for your son.
Where are you from? Florida or out of state, big city or small city?
We are from Northern California in a mid size suburban town. He picked Boca Raton campus to attend.
Thank you so much for your recommendations! It is so good to get confirmation from someone who is knowledgeable.
Are you still considering other options, or pretty sure about coming to FAU Honors Medical program?
Yes. He is pretty sure about going. Since all the other options are with traditional pre-meds: Rice, U of Rochester, U of Washington, U of Michigan. FAU is also the least expensive with full ride to the undergrad portion and Boca Raton is such a great location with great beaches and weather…etc.
There are many very nice condo near campus, close to beach. They always resell well.
You might want to look into them. Nice way for the whole family to come down for family breaks. Also he does not have to move in and out the dorm with semester starting/ ending.
How are you going to solve the out of state tuition for medical school?
Thanks for the tips - we will take a look.
The full ride includes room and board, not sure the school can give him money in lieu of room an board so he can rent off campus. If they would give him the cash then that would be ideal…less hassle with move in and out every summer.
We got money saved toward his undergraduate education… since now we don’t need to pay that, it can go toward the medical school. Also there is 4 more years to save up more…I don’t think he will have much debt from medical school.
OOS medical school does seem more expensive in Florida but it will be worth it. Also the weather trumps northeast US and CA is probably impossible.
Just curious - are there specialties (in medicine) you would recommend to your own D?
Thank you so much!!
I been wondering the following topics:
I had heard that many of anesthesiologists’ jobs will go to nurse practitioners. Will this still be a good field for MDs in in the near and far away future?
Also I heard that artificial intelligence can replace Radiologist’s jobs. Is this also a real threat?
Any thoughts you have will be appreciated! Thank you again!!
I think both fields anesthesiology and radiology are adapting. They both are still very popular among graduates this year.
Radiology is not simply reading scans. Even scans read by computer still have to be approved by man. Besides, radiology is branching into interventional radiology.
AAA abdominal aortic aneurysm used to be a big surgery, now it is a simple radiology procedure. Things are always changing.
By the way, are you Asian from northern California? FAU roster for the past three years are all Asians (Indians & Far East Asians).
Agree that California is just too crazily tough for medical schools.
Thank you for your insights! Again very helpful!!
Yes. We are indeed.
Although maybe not this year…I think there are a few who are not.
The program really take good care of their students. Great research opportunity at Scripps and Max Planck. Great research opportunity in neuroscience.
I known quite a few of the FAU Honors Medical students personally. Great place, no worry for parents. School takes good care of students.
SteyrFWB, would you recommend that someone who did extremely well in AP biology, chemistry, physics, micro, organic, etc retake those classes in college, or should they take credit for the classes and jump to something like BME? In other words, do you focus on MCAT and GPA, or do you dive into new studies?
Enjoy college.
Most student in honors medical program at UCF and FAU take stuff that are well known to them in high school, gen. chemistry/ biology/ possible physics. Make the transition smooth.
Enjoy college, go to football games, go to 24 hour dance fund raising party, etc.
College academic stuff will take care of itself. No need to forge ahead. Kids in honors medical program have no problem maintaining the GPA. You can take a laissez-faire attitude about GPA. It should not be a problem to meet the benchmark of 3.7 FAU 3.75 UCF
MCAT is a different animal. You got to treat it with great respect. You got to have taken biochemistry/ psychology/ sociology in addition to the gen chem, orgo, physics, and bio. You need free time to study for this exam. Best not to take it together with regular semester classwork. But do finish biochemistry before you start tackle MCAT prep.
There is no need to take MCAT too early, i.e. before end of 2nd year. There is really no need.
Known a few brilliant honors medical students who took MCAT too early. They did OK, but nothing to brag about.
There is really no need to take it too early. It is a different exam from traditional exam. Most students don’t know how to prepare for it properly. If they prepare for it like for an AP or AICE exam, they are studied for a very different exam, they might be traumatized. It is an exam in par with medical school UMSLE Step 1 & 2. You got to be a very STRONG reader. After reading tons of exam passages, be able to see what is important and zero on that info. Much like practice of medicine. No more simply regurgitate book information back.
It takes some time to develop those skills. So approach MCAT prep carefully, give it time, don’t forge into it too quickly.
When its time to prepare for MCAT, email me. I will give you my preparation protocol.
I think a general good college education is all that is needed for medical school. I haven’t notice any particular major students do better than the others.
But I do notice one thing. Good students always go out of their way to do things. Do things for patient’s family, not timid in operating room prepping the patient, etc.
Good ones, they can sing, they can dance, and they can talk. They are good at public presentation.
You need that “IT” factor when speaking in front of attending, in front of your student group. Able to be able to give good oral presentation, using humor. Know when to give a short, no nonsense, presentation. Know when to give a detailed "they say, I say’ all corners covered didactic excursion.
Talk, talk, talk. Be playful.
Taking higher level science really does not help you that much in medical school. Much of medical school is very foreign to students. Just be able to tackle new stuff quickly and not get flustered is the essence.
I am not sure whether taking tons of upper level classes is really that helpful in the application process or in actual doing well in medical school. But if doing that gain you confidence, do that.
Do whatever to keep your outlook positive. Be playful in college.