@NoviceDad and others- Thanks for your insights.
I used to think establishing TX residency is the easiest route if kids want to get into Med schools -just based on the 90% instate stat. Apparently it’s not the case.
Its most likely inexpensive, but definitely not easiest.
Infact easiest are the states less preferred to settle for life.
Look at what percentiles the scores correspond to and decide.
My advice would be to leave them out, they can potentially spoil an otherwise strong track record and credentials.
@aniiiiiii
Congratulations on your GAP acceptance.
I see UPitt COM class 2020 has 149.
From AAMC: there are 14 accepted, and 30 matriculated . Is you’s acceptance in the group 30?
Thanks much
@love4bsmd The mantra for BSMD is apply widely even with a great resume. The whole process is a crapshoot. You will understand after you have gone through it. Some one can get into NU HPME but is rejected by Temple Health Scholars BSMD ( IIRC, it happened in @NoviceDad’s D’s case).
There are no guaranteed BSMD programs. You are living in an illusion. Every BSMD program has certain associated conditions which can vary among them.
So by simple logic, there is no risk-free BSMD program. The risk associated with each program should be considered by an individual when one is lucky to have an admission. One should first assess one’s risk appetite. Match your risk appetite (ability to take risk ) with the available options.
The UCF, FAU and Temple programs offer generous merit based scholarships for UG. For some one it may well be worth the risk profile of the BSMD program . Every one’s risk appetite is different. For Temple, the risks is an interview with LKSOM during junior year along with regular medical school applicants after meeting a GPA 3.6 ( both cGPA and sGPA >= 3.6, no grade below B- in first 3 years in ay course and all medical school pre-requisites to be taken at Temple) and a minimum MCAT score and a minimum score in each section of MCAT. IMO, these conditions could be easily met by some one who is a strong applicant for BSMD programs. Temple gives full tuition scholarship for UG for most outstanding students.
UCF needs teacher evaluations and med school interview in 3rd year. On this forum its referred as Hybrid.
FAU is guaranteed program. We removed it from our list because it has lowest UG rank( among the schools that offer combined programs. It prefers NMSF and NMF students. Also heard bad things about class availability in Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College offered on the Jupiter Campus (Wilkes Medical Scholars BS/MD).
Don’t know about “Med Direct” BS/MD program offered on the Boca Raton Campus.
Experts: Any comments on the two programs at FAU?
P.S: Do not know anything about the area or the schools personally. Never been there!
@love4bsmd, @rk1235rk
These are useless classifications and are subjective reflection of risk profile of individuals. There is no risk less BSMD program.
If one is scared of an interview with a medical school committee, you are going into a wrong profession. Without strong communication skills, one can not practice medicine. IMO, do not apply to BSMD programs if an interview with a medical school scares one.
Thank you for the insight. I definitely understand that there is no likely/target school for BS/MD; all are super reach and beyond. Thanks to this forum, else it would be disappointing during the results time. We are totally prepared for that.
We are going with large list, but the list has become too large (for example we are going with 5 or 6 feeder schools for Upstate) and hence has to cut out some schools (such as UCF and FAU). Temple is still on our list.
Out of those 35% who are successful in getting into a medical school with Texas residency, only 5% get into an out of state medical school since they fail to get many interviews from out-of-state medical schools ( via regular route).
As @Vicky2019 pointed out, you need to consider the whole undergrad and med school combination. A weak undergrad may not adequately prepare for a competitive footing in med school.
If it may help shorten your list, I have known students in past cycles who gave up full rides at places like Temple to go elsewhere with no rides including Penn State/Jeff, TCNJ/NJMS and BU. Just FYI.
IMO, BU BSMD is an overpriced and an overhyped program. BU gives only NMF presidential (25k) scholarship for UG, not to all BSMDs. Folks who are risk-averse( with a zero risk appetite by definition) will take any BSMD program to have a bird-at-hand option.
IMO, Keep Temple BSMD and leave out BU and TCNJ/NJMS (OOS have a low probability). PSU/Jeff is in the same category as Temple/Temple LKSOM.
@aniiiiiii
Congratulations on your GAP acceptance. Can you post your reflections on the results thread…
Its not because the scare of interview or anything. Why would one prefer to go BSMD route if you have to go through interview hurdle, unless you like the school itself. Interview is uncertain thing like the “holistic” admission process. Additionally, one can’t apply to all 70+ BSMD programs out there and hence need to cut out some of them based on individual’s preference/criteria.
DD is prepared to go pre-med route, if none of the desired BSMD programs works out, as she is totally clear in her head on the career path she chose irrespective of we discouraging early on.
What do you mean my they are same category?
As far as I know- Penn/SKMC-Jeff is guaranteed 7 YR program whereas Temple/LKSOM is not.
And Penn State is much more reputed for undergrad and Jeff is said to have good match results.
No comparison in either segments of the program.
Prospective students-
I do agree that students opting for BSMD are choosing the best chance of becoming a Doctor. This is risk averse in that sense considering that the students gave up their better/riskier option (top ranking Undergrad admission or perhaps a full ride to their in-state public university etc.)
At the end of the undergrad, the BSMD students have a easier option in a direct 7 or 8 year medical program with lower bar on GPA & MCAT scores.
This is again risk averse option compared to a student who took the risk and worked a lot harder in their UG and applied via regular admission and got into a top ranking medical school.
These are a few result scenarios -
and so on and so forth…
Ultimately, risk is relative since it depends on what you were willing to give up. Every person has a different bar on risk taking and different criteria which they are willing to give up. Life is full of choices and each choice comes with risks or returns. If you work hard, you can achieve success!!!
Over last year or two this has been one of the main planks of the critics, that the students choosing this path are mostly incapable of scoring high in these metrics and hence choosing this option because they are scared, and that they will inevitably do bad in the step exams and whole nine yards.
Reality is just the opposite. These low bars have been set just as a safety net for any “outlier” cases. The caliber of students who get chosen to these direct programs is so high, that they easily measure up to or even better than their traditional route counterparts in their respective med schools 3 years down the road. Without the gap years, enrichment, maturity, time for preparing and whatever advantages the advocates of traditional route may claim. As I mentioned few days ago, in one of the batches at a prestigious accelerated programs who have just matriculated to med school, most scored > 95% ile on MCAT, taken after sophomore year, with most preparing very casually and informally for 3 or so months. Some scored in the 99-100% ranges too.
Compared to their peers in the incoming class coming from traditional route, the percentage rate of those from this batch winning the dean’s (medical school’s) scholarship must be 50% higher by a conservative estimate and can be as high as 75% higher. As someone said in last year’s thread “it’s in their DNA”.
Here is another perspective and some pointers.
For some students going in to BS/MD reduces some stress. But believe, even those students don’t slack at all during UG.
Ex: There is a OU BS/MD student who did double major (BioChem and Bio) and deferred MD admission by a year and went to Europe on Marshalls scholarship.
Another OU BS/MD student decided to do the 4 year UG in to 3 years on his own and save 2 years of IS MD fees, may be finance is a critical issue in his situation.
Interestingly it does not matter, whether BS/MD or direct route, believe it, once your are in MD, fire hose is in your mouth. 3 or 4 weeks each subject / module and all that they do is study. First semester is horrible but later students figure out and adjust but tight. Medicine profession is exams after exams. Then rotation starts and another level jam packed life.
For any one extremely tight in finance. Don’t assume getting any aid / free ride at MD education. It is extremely competitive and mostly for URM or folks with gap years and/or have done outstanding things and competing colleges want to lure that student. So if a BS/MD gives some aid for UG and allows for IS fees for MD, take it. Or non BS/MD but UG gives a generous aid, take it.
If you like, it is nothing bad. It is not that some other profession is easy. It may look CS and a highly paid job in Tech after 4 years. So you ask them how is life there. Same thing lawyer or finance professional, and see the number of hours put in early stage in life.
One should ask themselves where they stand w.r.t core competencies required by AMCAS for entering medical students at time of UG admission. Here is link https://students-residents.aamc.org/applying-medical-school/article/core-competencies/. Who will have those most checked, a high school kid or a kid with few years of life experience in gap years? That is the reason why UMich incoming class, IIRC, 75% are non-traditional, i.e. atleast one gap year. Ofc, they ranked higher for reasons.