@NoviceDad actually I was asking for my son he is freshman at Upenn so was looking into this as making decision for my other son rt now with PMM BSMD vs Princeton vs MIT. And saw this on Princeton website as how I found out you can apply. And only thinking for regular UG and not BSMD. Thank you
1 Like
Couple of kids (seniors to him) my S know got it but my S didnât apply since his focus was on T5.
@rk2017 Thank you and as I see is only one which Mt. Sinai is open to all UG and Toledo all others you have to come from certain UG colleges and lets say if you get accepted to this program, can you decline your spot at all.
Yes, you can decline. I didnât look at the requirements but probably needs LORs.
1 Like
i have a question, is it okay for students applying next cycle (fall 2022) to not have hospital volunteering? iâve been trying for past couple months but no one is accepting high schoolers. congrats to everyone!
There is a key point you need to note. EAP programs in general when you are doing UG in that school. There are few exceptions and I know Mt. Sinai and U of Florida. Donât know if any other school. So if you are son is going UG at UPenn, he can not apply to all the schools mentioned in the above list. Also even in U of Florida if you accept, you need to transfer there. Are you willing to move from UPenn to UofL in 3rd year? It is ultra competitive since any school UG students apply. So the order of trying is 1. BS/MD, 2. Join UG where EAP offered 3. Regular MD route.
2 Likes
@GoldenRock @rk2017 @srk2017 @grtd2010 @Vicky2019 @novicedad and especially @dblazer - thank you for sharing your views. It is very useful.
1 Like
@medman16 Congratulations for phenomenal success in this application cycle. You are blessed with options!!
You chose NJMS over UPenn, Duke and BU SMED.
If I may ask, would be able to share
(1) Do your family have any medical background?
(2) What is the reason for picking NJMS over BU SMED? Is it cost? Grade deflation at BU?
(3) NJMS is a solid med school. At the same time you are letting go UPenn/Duke/UChicago. It may get you into T5 or T10 med school. What was your reasoning to let go UPenn or Duke? (UChicago might be grade deflation, if I have to guess)
(4) You are waitlisted at Harvard, Columbia, Princeton - will any of these acceptance tip your BS/MD decision? if yes, what will be the reasoning?
(5) Are you interested in clinical practice OR academic medicine? Will NJMS get you in academic medicine?
I am interested in knowing your reasoning and possibly many in this forum will benefit from your reflections/reasons. If you donât feel comfortable sharing in this forum, would you be able to PM me?
Hey! Great questions.
-
My dad is a physician-scientist. He still sees patients, has gotten NIH funding, has been published, and has been nominated top doctor numerous times. He went to a top-tier fellowship and a mid-tier residency. All of this was accomplished while being a business major and going to medical school in the Caribbean. To me, he is proof that the name of an institution is not as important as the individualâs motivation, especially in the medical field. Nevertheless, the name of the hospital you complete residency/fellowship is fairly important. I am confident that NJMSâs reputation, paired with my internal motivation, will allow me to match into a reputable residency.
-
Numerous reasons as to why NJMS over BU SMED. 1. NJIT/NJMS allowed me to have an extremely flexible curriculum where I could study biomedical engineering (perhaps even finish in 2 years!). At BU, the curriculum is fairly rigid and your whole major is basically designed for you before you start. 2. Grade deflation at BU. Although the GPA req at SMED is low (3.2), students in the program have said the first year of the program is incredibly stressful. I did not want to have extreme stress just to study something I did not want to study (no BME). However, if your interest is not in something like BME, I think SMED is a great program and provides an amazing academic experience in terms of pure science. 3. Cost. I received no financial aid from BU and a full ride from NJIT. NJMS is also my in-state med school.
-
My decision of letting go of UPenn/Duke boils down to one thing. At NJIT/NJMS, I would be able to do things that I want to do rather than need to do to reapply to medical school. I am excited about NJITâs research opportunities, proximity to the med school, and proximity to NYC. Although UPenn/Duke are great options, they would force me to have to tailor all my time/efforts/ECs to get into med school rather than growing as an individual and exploring all my interests. That being said, if I was not 100% set on medicine, I would have taken those undergrads over BSMD. Name of undergrad definitely matters more outside of the medical field.
-
No, for the same reasons as in #3. Duke BME is ranked higher than Princeton, Harvard, Columbia, etc.
-
While I am not 100% sure about doing clinical or academic medicine, I know that I am interested in ortho/sports. NJMS routinely has an over 10% match rate to DOPEN specialties, with 9 in orthopedic surgery this year! Once again, I think NJMS provides the best of both worlds. Because of its location in Newark, I will see a lot of different diagnoses in the clinical setting. NJMS has a level 1 trauma center. Because it is the state school of NJ, NJMS also has a huge amount of research funding. The numerous opportunities for research open the door to academic medicine. Students in the 7 yr program can actually start doing research at NJMS from their first yr of undergrad!
I hope this helps future applicants! If anyone else has more questions, feel free to PM me.
12 Likes
We knew about it but did not apply because it would be a distraction from current BSMD and âno MCATâ was not an attraction.
@medman16 Thank you for the detailed response and for explaining the reasons.
Hats off to you⌠Once again congratulations and best wishes for your future journey⌠I donât have any doubts as motivated person like you will succeed with flying colors⌠Please do come back in 3-5-7 years and share your experience on this forum!
1 Like
Great post and congratulations. While I agree with you 90%, but I think #3 is overblown by lot of people. You do need to do certain things each step of the way, i.e. UG, medical school, residency and fellowship but smart kids like you should be able to do in 4 years of UG while growing and exploring all your interests. I have seen what my S and several other kids accomplished. Only thing you truly need to do is 100-150/hrs in clinical and non-clinical volunteering, so 300 hours over 3 years (including 2 summers) is not too much to ask 
I believe even BSMD programs need you to engage in these activities but fewer hours.
1 Like
Listen to @medman16, There is no need for a prestigious institution name behind you, for being a successful MD. NJMS can get you your desired residency if you work on it. BME is a tough major and may not be possible to finish in 2 years.
1 Like
I agree. Iâm happy to hear your child had an enjoyable UG experience while still getting into a great med school! Speaks volumes about his dedication and foundations. I believe that there are ways to be successful in both the traditional and BSMD path
2 Likes
@muscarf Yes, LORs are required and there are other requirements (whole list of courses needed). It is like applying to another BSMD except now one has college courses on the transcript.
⢠Proficiency in Spanish or Mandarin encouraged
One may have to ask for LORs from your professors and research PI. If selected, one may have to opt out from the current BSMD.
This is basically bird-in-hand 2.0, After 1 year of UG if you want to play it safe, you apply to these programs.
3 Likes
@medman16 - Kudos to you for knowing what you want and for coming up with your decision confidently. You are clearly the poster child for the bsmd option and role model for future applicants who want to pursue bsmd. You are also saving a lot of money - full ride in UG and instate medical school fees - which is an icing on the top.
My S gave up his T10-20 seats for bsmd for similar reasons as you. Personally, I feel success in career comes with lifetime achievements and not by studying in one particular college/selective school. It is important to take on activities that will make you happy and do your best continuously, all your life. I am happy to see that you understood this at such a young age!
Declaration of independence talks about the right to "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. This is so different for different people.
2 Likes
Last I checked NJ in-state tuition for SOM is high so not sure I consider that as an icing on the cake. I agree that there are so many different paths to medicine but pushing one narrative and linking it to independence declaration 
1 Like
I had zero hospital volunteering and got REMS
1 Like