Hi
I am getting conflicting information on how I should structure the AP classes into a 4 year high school schedule. Some say just concentrate on the science AP classes and others say a good mix. The school offers 18 AP classes with a ton of honors courses.
Can someone give some guidance?
Thank you.
You need to take the most challenging courseload your school offers…but also one where you will get top grades. Acceptances to BS/MD programs are as competitive or MORE competitive than acceptances to elite colleges…so think about that as you plan your courses.
But also, if you are applying BS/MD, you need to look at the other things you should be doing to convince these programs you know what being a doctor really takes…and means.
I’ll let the experts on these programs comment.
Just want to note that taking the most challenging courseload does not mean you have to take every AP the school offers. Work with your guidance counselor to create a rigorous schedule that makes sense for you.
Edit…sorry @thumper1 I meant to respond to the thread not to you.
@usc1 - Like @happy1 mentioned, ideally you need to work with your guidance counsellor to create a rigorous schedule. Like @thumper1 mentioned, admissions to BS/MD programs are very competitive and successful BS/MD students tend to take the most challenging course-load possible.
College admissions are holistic and there are many factors that are important -
OP- training someone in medicine is an extremely labor intensive and expensive process. So a college evaluating a teenager for a program which will spit out a physician in 8 years needs to check a LOT of boxes.
1- Academic rigor and high performance
2- Hands on experience with actual sick people- not a statistical analysis of advanced diabetes in the homeless (which is fantastic experience, but isn’t the same as realizing- close up- that some of the people you will be seeing as a doctor or even a med student have gross, smelly, horrible conditions and you can’t be grossed out if you are going to get an accurate medical history).
3-Demonstrated maturity- a BS/MD program is not for emotional late-bloomers
4- Evidence of ability in math and science, coupled with the readiness to work really, really hard at mastering these subjects even if they don’t come naturally. So having your AP Chem teacher talk about how motivated you were and how hard you worked to turn your first semester B into an A is great-- you don’t need to be brilliant at everything.
Don’t get caught up in the “8 AP’s are better than 7” game. 8 AP’s are great if you do well in all of them and have paced yourself appropriately and have left time to explore what being a physician really means AND being an actual person (eat, sleep, exercise).
But you don’t need to kill yourself in HS to become a doctor. Plenty of people do a normal 4 year college, major in music or philosophy or history while taking the med school pre-req’s, and that’s perfectly acceptable. Especially if it will expose you to other career paths you don’t know much about, and might prefer to medicine.
Do you know what biostatisticians do? Very cool field. And does not require getting thrown up on every day during your ER rotation…
I emailed my counselor and he is not familiar with BS/MD programs!
I would say I am not completely taken back as it is not well known among numerous students as well. Most people only know about the traditional route.
I do not think he will be a good resource unfortunately.
Your counselor will absolutely know what courses constitute a STRONG courseload.
He got back to me and stated 7 APs and rest honors. Again, he is not familiar with BS/MD programs. Seems like a weak schedule if a total of 18 APs are offered.
Create the most rigorous schedule that you can comfortably manage. There is no “magic number” of APs you need to take.
OP- you can stretch yourself with more AP’s and find yourself with no time to sleep, eat, think, or have fun. Or you can stretch yourself with more AP’s and discover you don’t need much sleep; eating can be done on the fly, and thinking is overrated. There are all kinds of people in the world and none of us know how you operate and whether you get energized by being busy/busy/busy or whether you find it stress inducing and anxiety producing.
We don’t know you. But if you are going to approach BS/MD AND medical studies in general as one giant race where the faster you go, the better the result, you are going to burn out before your residency. You likely don’t even know what actual physicians do all day- you’ve seen doctors of course, and maybe you have a family member or two. But before you get jazzed up about taking as many AP’s as you can possibly squeeze into your schedule, you need to take a deep breath.
A BS/MD program is not for everyone. It’s only appropriate for very mature, focused students who are absolutely sure that they want medicine - and have done shadowing, and some type of clinical contact work, like Red Cross blood drive ambassador (although I think the pandemic killed that) or high school CNA class, or EMT class.
If the person is one of those, I’d suggest that their AP load should include, if their school allows it, AP Bio, Chem, Physics C, Calc BC, Eng Lang, an AP history, AP Spanish (the most useful language in medicine in the US) and as many other of the serious APs as possible, while still achieving a very high GPA. The idea is that the person is demonstrating their academic maturity, and enters a condensed undergrad experience having already shown that they can handle high level work.
This is an extraordinary load, but these are the students against whom one is competing for entry to condensed BS/MD programs, assuming no preferential acceptances for non-academic criteria.
Sure, this is not the best course of action for most high school students. But most high school students don’t belong in a condensed BS/MD program.
I concur.
I think I have to say, “Hey, I am attempting to get into a top tier Ivy” and then multiply by 2.
I am going to stay away from stat padding APs like Environment and Human Geo type courses. Sticking with solid APs in science, history, and language.
Thanks everyone for the assistance.
I don’t agree with your approach.
I think you have to say- to yourself- I want to learn to be the best version of me that I can be. Most practicing physicians did NOT attend a BS/MD program, and you don’t have to either.
I suggest that you do not create a HS life where your sole goal is to gain admittance to a hyper-competitive program or school. Simply put, there will be more extremely well qualified applicants than spots available so many fine candidates will likely ultimately be disappointed.
Instead strive to learn, to get involved, and to be the best version of yourself that is possible. Remember that high school should be an experience in and of itself – a time of learning and personal development.
It is great to be ambitious-- and certainly do your best. But also be flexibile, create a program that works for you, and have some fun along the way.
Thank you for the advice.
My preference is go straight through. Only 28% of the med students have gone straight from undergrad going the traditional route. I do not wish to take a gap year.
From my perspective, partying and hanging out can wait after schooling. I am a pretty hyper-focused individual.
My plan is to apply mostly to BS/MD > highly selective UG > safety BS/DO.
You need to be realistic…a BS/DO program is NOBODY’S safety.
I worry that could burn yourself out by 17. Life is a marathon, not a sprint.
Temporarily closing thread for verification.
Why do you think you can’t be in 28%? Most BSMD programs are not worth the cost.