Experts Thanks for Advice.
REMS seems to be a really good program for Mid and East US location even better than BU, PLME, Upitt and others. Any thoughts how competitive it is and how you compare this with other three.
@sam2024
Pleas post your D/S profile (stats etc) for others to make any recommendation. Please apply widely to BSMD programs to have a real chance of even a single acceptance. Once you have secured more than one admission offers, then come back to discuss the best option. Any comparison in abstraction is useless.
FYI, Thomas Jeffersonâs SKMC is a good medical school in the same league as Templeâs LKSOM, neither are like UPennâs medical school in Philadelphia.
@worryingabtcollege The simple answer is None. All bsmd programs are competitive and outcome is very unpredictable.
@sam2024, You would have know by now WASU has scraped its bsmd program. Univ of Cincinattiâs bsmd prefers in-state applicants. UPittâs GAP is better than PSU/SMKC IMO. Are you from PA ? Apply to all your in-state bsmd programs.
@sam2024 - I went through the REMS admissions process. They recieve about 1,000-1,500 applications every year for about 45-50 interview spots, out of which they then offer about 12 students a spot in the program. 10 is their ideal class size, so they take an extra few students in case some choose to go to other places. If more than 2 donât accept the offer they take from the waitlist until they are at or below 10. If you do the math REMS has an acceptance rate at or below 1% meaning it is one of the most competitive BS/MD programs.
As for how it compares to the other three, I think that REMS and PLME are the most similar. Both are more about enrichment than acceleration (both Brown and UR are open curriculum schools and both programs take the full 8 years). Pitt and BU are also on par with REMS but are more about acceleration and making you a doctor as fast as possible. The âbetterâ program is whichever one suits what you are looking for. If you want more exploration in undergrad then PLME and REMS are the best programs, but if you want to shave off a year then Pitt and BU are the better programs. I personally wanted to take the time to explore and that is why REMS is the best program for me. However, I know a friend who is going to Penn Stateâs medical program and is mostly oriented towards becomming a doctor as fast and as streamlined as possible, so that program is a great fit for them. Obviously with BS/MDs you rarely have the option of choosing which type you want, but it is something to keep in mind when comparing them.
For REMS, we asked the question in one of UR virtual sessions we attended and they said last year they received around 1300 application and they take 10 students for which they extend offer to around 12-15 students.
Ok so Iâm a rising senior and am applying to a good variety of BSMD programs.
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is the washu bsmd program cancelled? Iâve heard rumors but am not sure.
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Is an SAT score of 1540 good enough for an ORM? Should I try retaking/try for the ACT?
Also, I got an 800 in SAT II chem, and a 700 in math II (obviously not submitting that one) and was planning on retaking math II in august but it might get cancelled. Should I re register again (the fourth time) for September or just give it up and focus on other essays/actual applications.
please help me! 
AlsoâŠ
Iâm an indian girl and I do Indian dance and piano. I feel like those are really typical so should I not include them? I donât want to fit into a stereotype.
also would it maybe help if I just didnât mention my race? I feel like my name might give it away thoughâŠ
Iâm also from california. Are there any specific programs I should steer clear from because they prefer in state applicants? I donât want to waste time applying to schools that wonât accept CA kids.
Donât have the latest figures for BU, if anyone has them and can share it would be helpful to others here. But in the interim, as per a poster from the 2018 cycle, 2000+ applicants to BU SMED (with apparently 1000+ among them with perfect or near perfect gpa, SAT/ACT and SAT lI subjects), 81 called in for interview, 38 offered admissions, 31 enrolled. The poster was one of them and he/she chose to enroll in opting it over Stanford undergrad.
That year the program was over subscribed and enrolled beyond the expectations of even the program administration, but generally the expected class size is 20-25 at most.
Your SAT 1540 is towards the lower range for an ORM but still good enough for some bsmd programs. Why would you not want to mention dance and piano ? They all know how easy is it to figure out âIndian Ethnicityâ from various clues. Apply widely but do not expect much. This whole process is very unpredictable. If you can take another SAT II test, it may look good on your application. Check yourself and call Washington University.
Pitt is not accelerated either, you may be alluding to Penn (State/Jeff) here âŠ
The accelerated ones are only Penn State/Jeff, RPI/AMC, NU HPME, BU SMED, GWU, NJMS as far as I know.
Donât worry and overthink about all that, just be yourself whether when filling applications or during the interviews.
@rk2017 - You are right, that was my bad. Pitt isnât accelerated. Thanks for that correction.
I wouldnât advise donât apply, but put these on low priority list. If you have spare time after tackling other applications you may want to consider these but keep low expectations.
UAB (in state preference followed by regional), Cincinnati (in state). Connecticut is in grey area.
HPME website still not updated- any ideas on what is going on there?
I am currently working on my penn state application and I was wondering if anyone knew where to attach my resume in the application. On the penn state common app it says that I can put it in the activities section but there is no activities section for penn state and the common app section doesnât have a place to attach a resume either.
The website says:
â The required resume and letter of recommendation can be mailed, emailed or faxed to Penn State Undergraduate Admissions, 201 Shields Building, University Park, PA 16802-1294, admissions@psu.edu or 814/863-7590.â
You will not find âactivities sectionâ for individual colleges/universities but a common âActivities Sectionâ accessible to all in the Common Application. A resume placed there will be seen by all colleges/universities you send you application.
Perhaps I am not looking hard enough but I canât seem to find a spot to attach a resume on the Common App and I have also found that some schools (NJIT for example) do have a school-specific activity section to attach a resume.