BU is private university. They have the right to determine what’s equivalent to their courses. Did they tell you that they only gives him credit for Cal 1 (MA 123), not both Cal 1 and 2 (MA 123 & MA 124)?
He is taking Calculus at the local college, dual enrollment. It will be Calculus with Analytic Geo, 5 credits.
He had contacted the admissions rep at BU who told him for SMED he needs a whole year, but it seems crazy that the dual enrollment doesn’t translate to more. I know that the class at th college is significantly harder than the AP Calc at our high school
Our concern isn’t even transferring the credit so much as meeting min standards
@mom2boys1999 He should have had at least 4 years of math to have been in Calculus. HS transcripts should contain math credits from middle school. Did BU say that they don’t count credits brought from MS?
He will have:
Alg 1 Honors
Geometry Honors
Algebra II Honors
DE College Algebra
DE Trig
And next year will have
DE Precalculus
DE Calc
@mom2boys1999 For your reference, here are the math courses offered at BU:
https://www.bu.edu/academics/met/courses/mathematics-statistics/
I suspect that they didn’t give him the year credit since they don’t have anything equivalent to the Analytical Geometry and probably gave him credit for MA 123 only. That sucks, but if this Cal class is on your son’d HS transcript for a full year of math, BU has no business saying that the high school full-year credit is a faulty evaluation. Did you try another admission officer?
He definitely has more than four years of math. SMED requires a min of 4 years of math and must include Calculus. As long as he has Calculus, he should be fine. Make sure that the Calculus class he’ll be taking counts toward the DE credits and go on his transcript. Unless that BU rep told you specifically that the Cal credits don’t count and therefore your son is no eligble, I wouldn’t worry about it. BU is very specific about the min requirements on their SMED website.
@mom2boys1999 If you look at BU SMED program/class curriculum outline (https://www.bu.edu/academics/cas/programs/seven-year-liberal-arts-medical-education-program/), SMED itself doesn’t require any calculus, but your kid may need some calculus as part of BU regular undergraduate Hub requirement.
BU website states:
Eligible applicants must complete four full years of secondary school education and be a current senior when they apply. Students who have graduated from secondary school but have not enrolled in any college-level degree program may also apply.
English: 4 years
Mathematics: 4 years
(Must include Calculus)
Social Science/History: 3 years
Foreign Language: 2 years
Biology: 1 year
Chemistry: 1 year
Physics: 1 Year requirement
@junebug20
We are actually visiting soon so I will have him ask someone during the info session. DS has been corresponding with the adcom for our region and it’s worrisome if we are getting incorrect info.
He is already sad about their admissions program and not being considered for ug if denied SMED. He really loves Boston area.
Don’t forget the testing requirements. This program seems so strict with their specific requirements. One has to have spotted it out in 9th grade and planned the HS curriculum around meeting its requirements. Good luck to your son!
@mom2boys1999 yes, you take calculus level (i.e. AP Cal B/C) math during high school, then SMED doesn’t require your kid to take it again at BU.
I know- testing is so nerve wracking. He is meeting with a tutor for his Chem and Bio subject tests just to make sure there are no gaps in understanding despite taking these classes at both high school and college level.
Part of me wants to tell the kid to just chuck this whole BSMD endeavor as it is stressful!
@mom2boys1999 Yes, this whole endeavor is stressful. So, why does he take DE courses? Have some reserved energy for testing and EC, plus time for application essays. SAT II in Chem and Math prep - have him take practice exams (Barron books are good) and review the gap in knowledge. He should do fine. Let him try to apply BSMD but not to bet the farm on it. Gain a badge of honor! If he could get a research position over the summer, it’ll give him an edge. He sounds like a go getter. Good luck to him next year!
Reading all the comments and soaking them all in for my daughter who is a junior now. Thank you to each and everyone who come back and post their stories for newbies like us to read.
I am not following your issue completely. In HS 5 credits is 1 semester. So for 1 year Calc you need to do 2 semesters of that subject. It does not matter whether it is DE or not.
So what BU says is correct.
Research is not a MUST for BS/MD. Even for regular MD it is not true.
For BS/MD there are very specific programs research is critical, for example UPitt, UAB, RPI/AMC.
Different programs may have different emphasis. Union/AMC leadership, Sienna Service, OU Humanities etc
In regular MD, research is critical for T20 or MD/Ph.D or if some one plans to pursue academic medicine.
Not every doctor need or going to be doing research.
Also it is not that perfect test scores are needed or not really need to write SAT or ACT 2 or 3 times.
Since GPA or Test scores are quantitative unconsciously we tend to give so much important for that alone. It is a complete package, especially the genuine passion on few things students have done over a period of time (and not as a checklist / checkbox)
Considering DO for the reasons you have stated appears little too early.
BS/MD at the most offers 1 year saving in some programs and not all programs. If student plans carefully even in regular route can get it done in 8 years.
Considering DO makes sense only after knowing students GPA/MCAT scores or even after gone thru 1 cycle and not got any admission.
It is a different profession, tests does not stop, SAT/ACT now, later MCAT, later USMLE Step 1, Step 2, later board exams etc
Application process does stop, Now BS/MD, later regular MD, later Residency, later fellowship and each app cycle is another level of complexity and higher cost.
Even while doing MD, still need to apply for summer internship and that is another level of procedural complexity and it never stops. Even in MD, still students continue to go for shadowing, volunteering at various free clinics etc
Best apply for few BS/MD and regular UG. If you get that is fine, otherwise go thru regular UG and try MD later. This also helps the student to re-validate if the career path interests them or not in the next 4-5 years.
It is too early to conclude DO or CNU or Caribbean if the students are decent test takers and have reasonable GPA or genuinely like this path (and not because of parents desire)
One more interview to go next month and we will be done it has been exhausting month for us.
Child did not get a good vibe at REMS interview and was not interested to start with the school and location. We pushed him and two days were long and tiring.
It will be Either Stanford EA vs if we get BU NU or Upitt BS MD for us in April.
What folks think of Stanford premed vs Umich instate Premed ? Elder child went to Umich all the way from undergrad to med school with one gap year.
Stanford is full pay vs Umich is with instate tution.