***Thread For BS/MD/DO 2023-2024 Applicants/Parents ***

Pre-Med & Medical School Multiple Degree Programs
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Please post here if you are applying during 2023-2024 season.

Courtesy @Roentgen

Questions you should think about for medical school selection

dornsife.usc.edu

New_Logo-35_Questions.pdf

452.62 KB

Results thread for last year until we have data for current year.

BS/MD/DO vs Traditional Path Discussions

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Thank you

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Wishing the current cycle applicants all the very best.

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Great video! Thank you for sharing! I sent you a message.

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If I recall correctly, Northwestern University cancelled the BS/MD program a couple of years ago. Is this correct ? Thanks.

Just checked. I am correct. Northwestern University is no longer accepting HPME applications.

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Thumper 1 and Kingsman115 pointed me here.

When do my kid have to do an application?
Is it Aug 1?

I am trying to find guidance for my introverted kid.
We moved to the US in the middle of their high school.

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I did NOT point you here. I asked what questions you wanted answered…and I would help you find the correct forum for your questions. So…what exactly do you want to know.

This particular subforum is for students considering apply to BS/MD or BS/DO programs. Is that your child! If not…you need to be someplace else on this forum to get your questions answered.

So…what do you want to know. What major is your kid considering?

@Lamdagamma

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Your student needs to look on each college website. The deadlines for admissions and financial aid are on every college website. They vary so make sure to check each college of interest.

If this isn’t about becoming a doctor, please let us know…and we can get you to the correct subforum.

@Lamdagamma

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I am looking for guidance on medical programs after high school.

Students who wish to become doctors can do more than one route to get to that goal.

  1. They can apply to regular undergrad colleges. Take all the required courses for applications to medical school. Take the MCAT. Get LOR, and such. Then apply for admission to medical school AFTER undergraduate school ends.

  2. Apply to BS/MD and or BS/DO programs. These programs have a lot of variation. Most are as competitive or more so than getting accepted to tippy top colleges. Some guarantee a seat in a medical school upon completion of the undergrad portion with a certain GPA. Some require the MCAT anyway. Some don’t. Lots of variation. I’ll let the experts on these programs weigh in. I’m not!

  3. For BS/MD or BS/DO…your student would need to have some medical shadowing, some volunteering (maybe at a skilled nursing facility or something like that). IOW, they would need to be able to demonstrate that they have some knowledge about what doctors do and why they might want to do so.

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@Lamdagamma

@Thumper1 has shared good background info.
Since you mentioned you are a recent immigrant, please do the following:

  • your child’s school will have a counselor assigned to him/her. Meet that counselor and ask your questions and get an understanding of the US college applications and “holistic” admissions process.
  • your child needs to make friends if he/she has not already done so. Ask those friends on what they are doing and how they can support his/her application.
  • Many colleges host information sessions at the school or in a hotel in your city. Go and attend 1-2 of those sessions. Ask questions and listen to what others are asking.

Other points:

  • Aug 1 is the start of the application process when Common Application officially allows you to start submitting applications to colleges.
  • You will need to understand the differences between Early Decision, Early Action, and Regular Decision. There will be different deadlines for different colleges.
  • Many BS/MD (also BA/MD) programs have a Nov 1 deadline.
  • Your child will have to write a lot of essays as part of the application process.
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There are also BS/DO programs and those should not be ignored.

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Hey, I was told to post my chance-me and info here so here it is…

vague to avoid doxxing, see comments for some more details

Demographics: asian male, large competitive school, no fin aid income but not enough to drop full at an ivy

Intended Major(s): neurosci/cog sci with cs minor

ACT/SAT/SAT II: 1580

UW GPA: 4.0

W GPA: 5.5X

Coursework: 14 AP’s by end of senior year

Rank: top 1% out of 450-500 kids

Awards:

AP Scholar with Distinction (lol)

NSDA Seal of Distinction

Top 64 in International Debate Comp (Semi-prestigious)

NSDA Nats Qualifier (Freshman year)

National Merit??? (hopefully)

Extracurriculars (no particular order, hours per week still needs to be updated)

Researcher at local state school (1.5 years, 500+ hours projected 800+): Niche subject within bioengineering, mid author and co-first pub (incoming). Was really cool and hope to continue work

Startup student developer: Working a bit with a doc’s biomed startup and doing some work that is very similar to the research above, just started but will hopefully have large contribution to code

Chief of Staff/HR at a large nonprofit, thousands of students have access to our services and makes a large impact. I manage all staff, help make sure staff is on task, check in with social media, outreach, and tech teams regularly. Recently help designed our newest initiative.

Chief of Operations at another nonprofit, not as large as first one but starting new summer program very soon regarding stem education

Volunteer (Medical Assistant, but can rephrase) (200 hrs): Act like an MA at a local clinic for the past few years (taking vitals and patient history)

Debate competitor for 1 year, awards listed above

Coach for middle school olympiad for past 6 years (medaled at state comp in 2019)

Class President and VP, lots of pep rallies, blood drives, school dances, etc…

In school orchestra for past 7 year, section leader for 3 and first chair (nothing big)

Sports official of high level multistate/regional tournaments for youth sport as well adult amateur level

Schools:

My in state schools (not saying due to doxx but not worried)

Mid-tier BSMD’s (t80 or higher med schools but not brown plme level, but still interested in chances?)

HYS

Duke, Vandy, Emory

Any BSMD that give full ride UG’s and then discounted med school?
My list so far for that includes: TAMU En2EnMed, OU MHSP, Wayne State, UAB EMSAP? Any others you can think of? If you know any others, please let me know

Please let me know if there is something missing that I could add to my app? (I am looking towards getting shadowing as well as some more volunteering?)

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Without telling your home state , it’s tough to give. You listed TAMU and Wayne State and I believe both are for instate. Hard to get full ride for UG at BSMD programs and don’t think any of them give scholarships for medical schools.

My advise, apply to few BSMD programs and schools like Vandy, Emory, Rice for scholarships.

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Here is the info about the Wayne State program. I don’t see anything about needing to be a state resident…but a simple phone call or email can clarify that.

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TAMU does a conditional offer where they admit people saying they would need to become a resident. It used to be primarily for national merit scholars but since Covid they changed the policy.

However, they are also changing most of the seats to be directed to EnMed which requires engineering. Not sure if they are cutting seats in other areas to accommodate.

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Is there anyone in the group who does advising for medical school applications or
can recommend of a good private advisor

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The purpose of this site is not to recommend private advisors, or indeed any service, and such requests or responses to such requests are not allowed.

Further details can be seen i.n the link to Forum Rules wich appeal at the bottom of this, and every, page.

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How to get into BSMD checklist (previously, I shared this in forums for the last 3 cycles)

I would recommend looking at stats/perspectives posted in the BS MD results cc forum for 2023/2022/2021/2020/2019/2018. The later ones (last 3) are better since the admission process in my opinion keeps getting more competitive year over year.

Based on the stats /perspectives shared by many students/parents in BS MD results forum, I have summarized the findings into ten points -

  1. For BS/MD admissions, strategy is very important for coming up with a college list (BSMD programs vs. UG college ratio).
  2. Soft factors (essays, interviews) are also important and many people have quoted this to be the deciding factor
  3. Medical ECs are more important than regular ECs. These provide material for essays and interviews. Some questions to think on - “Why medicine? Why BSMD?”
  4. BSMD programs seem to care for clinical research and patient facing volunteering.
  5. Stats such as GPA, Test scores, APs are all important and used for screening students. Once interview invite is received, all students are at the same level.
  6. STEM awards at national, state level for competitions (USNCO, USABO, AMC/AIME), Intel research, science Olympiads etc. are considered best for BS MD. Some students also have mentioned publishing papers or holding patents on their inventions. On the other hand, having a holistic, balanced profile with music, sports etc. cannot go wrong either. BSMDs are looking for very well accomplished students beyond their near perfect stats.
  7. Non-medical ECs such as varsity sports, Robotics etc. take up a lot of time. Kids need to strategize, pick and choose their ECs carefully at the beginning of the high school.
  8. Earlier Admission guidance (via CC or any other) could be important for coming up with a strategy, college list. Many people have quoted benefit and wished they look at CC earlier.
  9. Competition for BS MD is cut-throat (there are way too many qualified candidates). Apply widely to BSMD programs and some strong UGs (reach, match, safety). On an average, students interested in BSMD have ended up applying to 18 colleges not including the secondary medical college application/essays.
  10. Start working on applications early during the summer of junior year. Start with a resume, some staple essays (Why medicine, Why BSMD program, Why particular college) etc.
    Finally, there are two major ways of becoming a Doctor - 95% of the students apply to medical school via Undergrad route and only 5% via BSMD. So apply widely but keep an open mind about the various colleges.

Good Luck to all students who are applying to colleges in 2023-24 cycle!

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What activities to work on during high school is something people should be doing when they start high school and it is something may be we should have a thread on for future applicants.

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