Guidance For BA/MD Programs

<p>Hi, im currently a high school sophomore and im really interested in the BA/MD combined program, not nescessarily the accelerated ones, but that would be nice to.
I was wondering if you could guide me on bettering my stats and what i need to improve on to become a good candidate for these programs.
My school: Magnet program for Science Math and Comp Sci, in which there was a about a 9% acceptance rate for my county. My school doesnt offer ranking. My GPA is slightly lower right now because im just getting accustomed into the rigorous program that I have.
Stats:
currently 3.65 cumulative GPA
AP Comp Sci, AP US Gov</p>

<p>Will do before graduating:
AP Calc, AP World Hist, AP Statistics, AP Biology, AP Chemistry, AP English Lang, AP Englis Lit, AP Economics
PSAT score high so looking forward to a high SAT score
Applying for NHS, may get in
Varsity Swimming
Varsity Cross Country
Debate Team
Invent Team
Internship at a science program (Required my my SMCS Prog with a research paper. Most likely NIH or NCI)
SSL Hours to pass 500
Doctor shadowing
Volunteering at a hospital</p>

<p>What else do I need to do and what do I need to work on?
Thank you so much in advance!</p>

<p>Well, you really need to work on that GPA. A 3.65 is almost unacceptable for bs/md programs (though that doesn’t mean you won’t get into one). You need to bump that up to close to a 4.0 by the time you apply.</p>

<p>what do you think is the minimum that is expected to stand a fair chance (for the GPA)?</p>

<p>Your ECs (especially the research and doctor shadowing!) are great for BS/MD programs. As for GPA, I think you should really try to get it up to at least a 3.8. Ideally, you’d get As for the rest of your high school career. Just get that GPA as high as you can. The higher the better!</p>

<p>Note: I havent done the research yet, its a Junior requirement for my program, though the school works with NIH to get us internships there.
What do you think would be the best subject or topic to do a research paper/internship on?
Anything in science, or something specific?
PS: What are the SAT subject tests that I may need to take?</p>

<p>Well, right now what medical field are you looking to go into? Are you interested in neuroscience? Bacteriology? Do your research/internship on what you’re interested in right now. It can either spike your interest or lead you in a different direction. I’m doing an internship on microbiology and immunology. As for SAT Subject tests, most BS/MD programs require Math II and Chemistry. You can do more, of course. If you are, I recommend Biology and maybe something that isn’t related to math/science to show that you’re well rounded. I’m taking the Spanish test in June because I’m most interested in Global Health. :)</p>

<p>I am a retired pediatrician who had a previous career as a college lecturer (PhD in history and literature). I would recommend that you not be in such a hurry to get to medical school. Use a four-year liberal arts/science emphasis program to broaden your background. You’ll never have the opportunity again. Medical school is a grind and it is followed by a minimum of three years of residency. When you finish you will have a huge load of debt to pay off. Don’t miss the opportunity that a full undergraduate program can give you.</p>

<p>Im content with a gauranteed 8 year program, which would be the same time as the traditional path. As per the interest in the medical feild, I prefer anatomy or orthopedics, but honestly, I would just love to get through the medical program and pass the residency tests, being a physician would satisfy me. Can someone who as been accepted into a guaranteed med program or something similar please give me a brief overview of what their ECs looked like? Also what are the easiest colleges with such programs to get in to with my current ECs, Brown, VCU, etc? Thank you all so much for your replies!</p>

<p>“honestly, I would just love to get through the medical program and pass the residency tests, being a physician would satisfy me”</p>

<p>Make sure this is 100% what YOU want. No, not what your parents want. What you want. IDK how anyone knows they would want to be a doctor with the limited exp that you have (unless you have >300 hours shadowing 3 different doctors or something, i did). I feel like this is so narrowminded that everyone just wants to go into med these days for gosh knows what reason.</p>

<p>Anyways, assuming that your choice was a rationally made decision, i’d say that theres no harm in trying. That GPA is going to kill you, but um that sucks for you? Sorry dude, I was honestly in the same boat, and it slaughtered me. Try your best to bring it up; bs/md’s dont care if you’re from the toughest magnet school out there or the middle of kansas (at least from my impression). idk, i go to a public school ranked top 50 in the nation, though its comparable to magnet schools average sat/ap test wise (the average upperclassman at my school takes 4 ap tests. A year.)</p>

<p>That being said, i had a 3.5 unweighted and i was still a competitive applicant at some places. Apply smart. Im going to a bs/md program in the fall, but i had good stats other than my GPA. Like, seriously, my GPA was the ONLY part of my application that was even close to bad. Sucks for me i guess.</p>

<p>So basically im screwed, but can someone answer the question about the acceptance chances in the different colleges, I want to get an idea for which one to early decide for. Thanks.</p>

<p>There is definitely no way you can get into Brown with the current GPA, let alone PLME.</p>

<p>With your current level of accomplishments, it is very hard to predict an admission into BS/MD programs. Basically, you need to start backwards and ask - can I get into a specific undergrad school with my current progress. The answer is who knows. </p>

<p>Shadowing doctors, volunteering at hospitals are all mundane tasks with little value for an application other than to show your interest in medicine. Volunteering hours may matter if you can get a presidential award or congressional gold medal or something like that. </p>

<p>You should come back and ask the question when you have improved your GPA, have SAT I and II scores, APs completed and ask the same question.</p>

<p>3.65 is very low. If you know kids in your HS who are planning to apply to Ivy’s, try to be better than them. Sorry, I do not know other way.</p>

<p>Why is this thread Featured?</p>

<p>Well im still a sophomore, so I guess I can probably work my butt off and get it in the neighborhood of 3.8 or 3.85, but assuming I can do this, again what are the easiest to get into, i.e. can you rank the difficulty of getting accepted for each of the programs that offer BA/MD?</p>

<p>I am considering Western Governor’s University for MA Secondary Education in Biology. Is there anyone who is currently in the program and can advice me on their experience? Thank you much.</p>

<p>OP,
The easier ones are at state schools in your own state (not easy at all, easiER, you still need to be somewhere in line with those who are planning to apply to Ivy’s). None of them are easy and number of spots are diminishing. D’s program used to have 50 spots at 5 UG’s, down to 14.</p>

<p>LOL *** why IS this thread featured.
Okay, just FYI, it IS possible to get in with a 3.65 GPA. Its difficult, but its possible. I did it with a lower GPA. Were the chances good? No. Doesnt make it impossible.</p>

<p>Yeah, BS/MD programs are crazy competitive, and the GPA isnt goign to help. But you can still do it, and its worth a try.</p>

<p>I would like to second the comment that four years of undergraduate won’t hurt you, so don’t worry too much about getting into a BS/MD. It seems combined med programs are slowly being eliminated or the number of seats offered is being reduced. Partly, it’s because medical schools are becoming more competitive, so they don’t feel like they need to entice outstanding applicants with early admission. As they become more competitive, there also begin to be questions about the fairness of allowing these programs to exist (high competition tends to make non-BS/MD students demand all candidates be placed on an equal footing, and question that one can make decisions about who should go to medical school based on high school performance only). This means more competition for fewer seats!</p>

<p>Of course, there are exceptions, to the very competitive nature of BS/MD programs. NEOUCOM (U. of Akron, Ohio) is a six year medical program that isn’t very hard to get into. It is great if you want to be a primary care physician, but bad if you plan on being a medical specialist. I have heard of other combined med programs that are geared more towards finding students who want to be family doctors. Of course, this hinges on whether or not you really want to go to medical school. Medicine isn’t the holy grail of professions, and perhaps there is something else you would rather do.</p>

<p>There are many programs where the UG schools are boosted by more reputable/more competitive medical programs (Brown, GWU to name a few).</p>

<p>What is your State and what State BS/MD programs are available to you?</p>