UMKC 6-year BS/MD Program

Pre-Med & Medical School Multiple Degree Programs
6241

To add to above, @midwestFem, you definitely can very much still do testing credit during the first 2 years of the program. We did it all the time, but it has to be done in Years 1 and 2, when you’re still considered an undergrad student for financial aid purposes (so you can’t do it in like Year 3 or 4 when you’re officially a “professional” student). The easiest way to do this is through the CLEP program (of which Sociology 101 is an option to CLEP out of): http://www.umkc.edu/testingservices/admission.asp

So don’t worry at all if you don’t have all the testing credit you want, before enrolling in the fall (which is apparently Aug. 21. Yikes, didn’t realize how close it was!). You have time during the first 2 years to still test out of stuff that applies to your undergraduate degree.

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Thank you @Roentgen. Appreciate it.

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How do I improve my leadership qualities ? I am a senior. ACT 35 GPA 3.96. I have
Decent EC activities and volunteer hours

6244

Hello all,

I went through the BS/MD application process the previous year (for the class of 2021). I will be starting school in the Fall of 2017 at UIC’s GPPA Medicine Program. College Confidential really helped me throughout my application process, and I hope I can be of some help to the future BS/ MD Applicants.

Overall, I would say that there is no one thing that determines whether you are qualified for the BS/MD programs. Each program has its own focus and mission; its most likely that you won’t be fit for all those programs.

I believe that if you are truly committed to medicine and really want to pursue your academic career through a BS/MD program, you can truly do it. I started off my application process by making a list of the BS/MD programs I would apply to (there are a lot of websites online that provide a full list of the colleges that have these kinds of programs). After filtering based on residency and average ACT/GPA, I narrowed it down to about 35 colleges. (I ended up applying to about 20 colleges - including undergraduate programs only)

Unweighted GPA: 4.0
Weighted GPA: 4.6
ACT Score: 34
SAT Subject Math 2: 800
SAT Subject Biology: 790

AP Classes:
AP Biology- 5
AP Chemistry-5
AP Calculus BC- 5
AP Macroeconomics-5
AP Microeconomics- 5
AP Art History- 5
AP Human Geography (self studied)- 4

I moved to the United States in the Junior Year of High School. I live in Naperville (West suburbs of Chicago). I had maintained all A’s in my 9th and 10th grade (completed in India), and continued to maintain straight A’s in my Junior and Senior years of high school in the US.

Professional Experience:

  • Dr. Rubin's Mini Medical School- Student (winter of 2015)
  • Teaching Assistant (summer of 2016 & winter of 2016)
  • Research at the University of Illinois at Chicago in the Molecular Biology Research Building (2 months- Summer of Junior Year)
  • Shadowing
  • Dentist (50 hours)
  • Gynecologist (20 hours)
  • Non Invasive Cardiologist (20 hours)

Volunteer Experience: (throughout Junior and Senior year)

  • Hospital- Emergency Room
  • Vibha Chicago (Non Profit Organization)
  • Buddy Break

EC’s:

  • Model United Nations- Mentor
  • Aspiring Medical Professionals Club - Executive Board Member
  • HOSA- Executive Board Member
  • Student Council- Executive Board Member
  • Indian Instrumental Orchestra - Mentor and Harmonium Player

Awards:

  • DPSSL Model United Nations Conference- Best Delegate Award
  • Zeste Model United Nations Conference- Special Mention Award
  • DPSN Model United Nations Conference- Special Mention Award
  • Greenwave Model United Nations Conference- High Commendation Award
  • Scholar Badge/ Academic Achievement Award consecutively for 9 years
  • Wildcat Pride Award
  • Honors Award
  • Sandesh Speech Competition- 2nd Place
  • Sandesh Music Competition - 3rd Place

Essays:
My essays were my ORIGINAL ideas and reflected my thoughts. and my own passion for medicine. I think your essay should have something that conveys something unique about you. My Junior friends often call me asking for help, and they always say, “…but I don’t have anything unique. I’ve never had anything unique happen to me.” Trust me, that’s what EVERYONE thinks during the essay writing time. Give yourself some time, and you will find the “unique and interesting” parts of your “mundane-seeming” life. I was sitting at a party, and the idea for my Common Application Essay just hit me. Look into the details of the big events of your life; you will find something that will make you smile, something that makes you unique.

Letters of Recommendation:

  • My teachers absolutely loved my determination and passion that I displayed in their classes. No one ever felt that I had moved from a different country so recently. I seemed to fit in really well, and the teachers really appreciated the efforts that I put in to succeed in their classes. Multiple teachers nominated me for various awards at the school level within my first year.
  • I also received a letter of recommendation from the professor with whom I worked with at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
  • Another letter of recommendation was provided by Dr. Rubin.
  • The dentist I shadowed also provided me with a letter of recommendation.

Interview:

  • For the UMKC interview, the format was the MMI format, which involved 10- 11 short interviews with professionals and faculty at UMKC. I prepared for the MMI's by watching mock interviews online and reading and learning about medical ethics. I loved all the questions the interviewers asked me! I made sure that I left the "me element" in all the short interviews.
  • At the UIC GPPA interview, I had a wonderful time! Most of our conversation revolved around my perspective on things and my values. I had a lot of funny stories about how I adjusted in the United States. I had so much to say in such less time.

Even though I applied to a lot of BS/MD programs, I only got accepted into 2 programs- UMKC and UIC. However, UIC was my number 1 choice from the very beginning as it is very close to home and is very well reputed.

I wish all of the aspiring BS/MD applicants a very good luck! BE YOURSELF throughout the application process! Let me know if you have any questions: I would love to help!

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I applied and got rejected this year?Am i eligible to reapply again in fall?

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@houstu, yes, you very much can reapply as a freshman in college: http://med.umkc.edu/bamd/admission-requirements-eligibility/, see under “Additional Requirements for Current College Students”.

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@medskooloneday, Have you joined any school club organizations and run for an officer position? That’s a leadership position. Same for sports teams – being team captain, etc. The section in previous years has been called, “High School/College Activities and Leadership”:
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/discussion/comment/19875290/#Comment_19875290

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Congratulations to the entering Year 1 BA/MD class (Class of 2023)!! They’re starting classes at UMKC today.

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Congratulations to BA/MD Class of 2023! Good luck to you all!

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@collegeready101. I read your posting. After studying 9 and 10th grades in India, it is incredible that you maintained the same level of academic acheivement in USA without any transition issues. Have you studied in a school in India that had American AP exams etc or you studied in a state board ?

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@midwestFem Thank you! No, I studied in the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE Board), which is the most common board in India. I did not take any AP exams.

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Hey guys, the UMKC School of Medicine Online Supplemental application is now up!!!
<:-P <:-P http://apply.bamd.umkc.edu/ <:-P <:-P

The BA/MD supplemental application is just ONE part of your entire application to the 6 year program so please make sure to follow all the steps listed here: http://med.umkc.edu/bamd/apply/

The deadline for your entire application (meaning they have to have all of these things in their hand) is November 1, 2017. All applications and application materials must be received by this date.

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Class of 2023 - 1450 applications received; They narrowed to 900 and 352 were actually interviewed and 106 admitted/accepted (As per the Medical school admission officer). Good luck to all class of 2024 applicants!

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Thankyou very much.
I am a Red Cross core leader.
I can use that.
I have had unsuccessful runs at NHS election ? Can I mention that ?

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@Roentgen . With regards to supplemental prompt what motivates you a career in medicine, are they expecting to write about events and research happening in the field of medicine that excites you to pursue a career or is it about a personal experience that made you to chose medicine ?
Hope my question is clear.

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@medskooloneday, they’re referring to your personal experiences and motivations that have motivated you to pursue a career in medicine. It’s not a relisting of your CV, but it’s more to understand your overall thought process.

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Thanks Roentgen

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Perspective from a current BA/MD student what it takes to succeed in the BA/MD program…
http://info.umkc.edu/news/accelerated-m-d/

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@Roentgen again regarding that prompt for UMKC that asks what is my motivation for pursuing medicine, would saying that I have a desire to serve underdeveloped areas be acceptable

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@medskooloneday, you definitely could. I would personalize it to the healthcare activities you’ve done so that it’s more genuine. It’s not a “trick” question and there isn’t a perfect answer here or buzzwords they’re looking for. Just think of if a school career counselor was asking you why you want to do medicine, & you wanted to show evidence and your thought process of that to convince the other person. If you talk about practicing in an underserved area, it’s much more powerful if you happened to have a healthcare experience/activity in an underserved area.