I’m a freshman in HS and I already know that I want to get into one of the top BSMD programs like Brown or Rice/Baylor…My “plan” for HS is something like this -
- Maintain high gpa and hopefully graduate 1st or 2nd in my class
- Do well on my SATs, work hard to do well on the PSAT, get 4s or 5s on my AP tests
- Clubs/Activites - Math and Science Club, HOSA (health science club), Band, Chess Club, Academic Octathlon/Decathlon, Piano
- Win awards at competitions for these clubs ex become UIL state champion in math and science by senior year, go to HOSA nationals and place top 10 in the nation.etc
- Volunteer at hospitals during the summer and continue working on nanotechnology research project
- shadow a cardiologist and neurologist during the summer
Also, I’m thinking of graduating HS early…I will have all the credits I need by my 3rd year (I’m pretty much a sophomore, I take PreCal, World history, chemistry honors, bio honors, band, span 2, and english 1)…should I stay an senior year?
Is there anything major that I’m missing? I want to start working early and don’t want to make any mistakes…do any seniors have any advice?
Thank you so much.
@shreyas0718,
I think it’s great you’re starting as a freshman looking into these types of programs. Just as an FYI, there are also combined Bachelor/DDS and Bachelor/PharmD programs as well, in case you realize after volunteering and shadowing that you do like healthcare, but don’t really like how real-life clinical medicine is practiced or the hospital environment for physicians, applying to the later programs are similar, although with different volunteering and shadowing in their respective fields, of course.
I think that’s a VERY VERY ambitious plan, although probably not realistic – i.e. see #1, #4. BS/MD programs don’t want “perfect” people who make no mistakes - because that’s not possible in medicine. I mean if you can do all SIX of those things, that would be great, but they’re not all critical to getting interviews at Bachelor/MD programs, and often times even getting into the top-tier BS/MD programs isn’t necessarily something that is formulaic and can involve a whole lot of luck. The top-tier ones also tend to want candidates to have research experience as well, as they tend to be more competitive, and often these med schools have a lot of research going on, as well.
Also I would say that BS/MD programs usually do not look at PSAT scores. They look at the SAT/ACT and maybe ask for some of the SAT subject exams. Prepping for the SAT/ACT relatively early does help to get it done and over with, so you have time to maybe finish by the end of your Junior Year, if not early Senior Year.
I would not graduate high school early. Many BS/MD programs are already accelerated as it is, and may not look too kindly on someone who tried to shorten the 4 years of high school.
Have you looked at the latest The Official Guide to Medical School Admissions released by the AAMC: http://www.amazon.com/Official-Guide-Medical-School-Admissions-ebook/dp/B00WLKKUXY/? They have a chapter on Bachelor/MD programs with descriptions of each program. You can also look at BS/MD lists online: http://www.■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/BA_MD_programs.html
@triumph1 i realize its been more than a year since you posted but i am sorta in ur situation right now and i was wondering how ur bs/md application/acceptance process went. i had about a 3.2 gpa my freshman and sophomore year primarily due to the over competitive nature of the high school (85% asian student body --> self explanatory) i attended those years which put me in a state of depression because no matter how much i worked, i did not get the results i expected and i felt like i was just a useless human being. (most of us refer to the school as “a hellhole”) anyway, in my junior year i currently have an uw gpa of 3.8…do you think i have a chance at such programs still? thanks in advance! 