***Thread for BS/MD/DO 2022-2023***

You can submit as many as you want but not sure if it is allowed.

If they do not explicitly prohibit it, you can submit additional LORs.
Just be reasonable about how many additional you submit.

In the instructions, they say 2 are required. Additional ones are not reviewed.

Hi. Upstate supplements by midnight local time or Eastern time?

If they do NOT review additional ones, is there a point in sending one?

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Eastern

Serious question why do applicants do the BS/ MD route at crappy schools , instead of attending the traditional route of a better UG and then med school

$65 is master or certificate fee? For upstate
Is that correct?

Hi. Did u pay $65 upstate?
Ready to submit now but it say master or certificate application fee.
Is that correct? .there is no other option

Because parents are afraid that either kids will change their mind about medicine or need 1 or more gap years which is stressful.

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That makes no sense. Why commit to a program if not 100% committed. Especially to a crappy school?

I am not sureā€” sorry my daughter did it today and I was at work all day so Iā€™m not sure. I think either one and it doesnā€™t matter as long as you paid the $65. The category doesnā€™t matter.

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People can try to articulate their arguments any which way but here are a few reasons why people choose 2nd tier schools to Tier 1/Ivys for BSMD programs:

Almost a guarantee to med school (not a 100% because there are still requirements to be met)

Freedom to enjoy their undergrad years rather than succumb to pressure (individual interpretation not everyonr may think this way)

Engage in EC activities that they really enjoy and like, rather than join the rat race and only work to build up their resume

Many students who go to high profile schools figure out that they will not get admission to med school based on their initial grades and competition and then have an epiphany that ā€œMy passion is actually something elseā€. There may be a few cases where they really have a different passion but then why try premed in the first placeā€¦

According to stats published by the schools themselves most students who go to Tier 1/Ivy schools have to take a gap year or 2 before they get admission to med school. Nothing wrong with that but people who dont want that prefer BSMD programs.
Also a gap year or 2 does not mean ypu will get admission to med school. So no gap year and an almost certain admission to med school can help reduce the uncertainty factor and stress.

More than half (actually more) students from top tier colleges (stats show) who successfully matriculate to med schools end up going to ā€œnot-highly-ranked-med-schoolsā€.

So BSMD students accept a mid ranked med school initially itself.
It is a compromise many students decide to make. It is like choosing a smaller lump sum amount for a winning lottery vs double the amount over 25 years (just an example not a direct corelation).

There is no wrong or right answer but here are some of the benefits that people see in BSMD programs.
Some students who do want to experience ivy at any cost and think that is more important to them for life experiences or to help them achieve their goals or whatever other reasons choose to go that path.
In the end - to each his/her own!!

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Thank you for your thoughtful response. I just donā€™t understand why students with high credentials go that route. My kid went to a tier 1 school and got 9 acceptances with no gap year. Her husband did 2 gap years working in the medical field, and they met at med school. Different paths, same outcome. Thanks again for your response.

ETA: my daughter majored in Classics. Her plan B was to teach High School Latin.

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As I said To each his/her own. Why do high credential students go that route? That is exactly what I explained!
Less stress
More uncertainty in the traditional route
Dont want to go through that process again
Yada yada yada

There r 2 school of thought and none can be considered wrong!

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Yes, those are the reasons for many parents to advocate for BSMD path except the two above.

Unless schools are accepting lot of credits you donā€™t have freedom to chose classes and needs to take classes in summer to finish UG in 3 years.

So called rat race ECs are needed by even BSMD students but fewer hours and lack of proper research experience is forcing several BSMD students to take gap year after M3 to try for competitive residencies like dermatology or surgery.

Also, do you really think all 18 year olds truly take advantage of so called freedom these programs offer in meaningful way.

As I said several times over last years kids who succeeded in competitive high schools without too much stress and done really meaningful ECs donā€™t need gap years. Only those who werenā€™t from competitive high schools and focused too much on ECs to get admissions or lost of focus from sudden freedom in college need gap years. Even then those gap years make them strong but cause lot of heartburn for parents.

Again, which path to take is an individual choice. I believe having honest discussion should be good for community bit not dismissing it as noise by some zealots :smiling_face:

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.I disagree with your assumption of stress at high schools, as well in UG. High achieving students are just that. They arenā€™t robots that have no ECā€™s that arenā€™t STEM focused, The majority of her med school interviews were about her ECā€™s.
She is a surgeon at a highly ranked hospital. She didnā€™t need to go the guaranteed route.As you said, to each their own

Nobody NEEDS to go through a guaranteed route. But many students WANT to. And I explained why. Your question was why would any high credential students want to go to a BSMD. They dont HAVE to go that route for med school admission but they WANT to.

Your D didnt want to but others want to. Sue them if you can! Lol
As we both agree ā€“ To each their own!!

Has anyone heard back from rpi after completing the amc supplemental application? I completed the supplemental on December 7, not sure when I should expect to hear back from amc on moving forward for interviewing or not.

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I havenā€™t herd about amc supplemental either. Should I be worried?