r/bsmd

Title. I've been looking into the Flexmed Program at Icahn Medical School at Mount Sinai (the Early Assurance Program), and just wanted to see if I would be a competitive applicant.

Stats:
College GPA: 4.0, High School GPA: 3.94

SAT: 1570

Extracurriculars (by time of application submission):
Wet-lab research - 850ish hours (one pub mid-author, one poster mid-author)

Translational research - ~600 hours (one pub first author, two posters first author (school symposium + international conf)

Clinical

Hospital volunteer (unit secretary + visit patients and spend time with them in unit): ~130 hours

Patient Care Tech (Paid): ~270 hours

EMT (volunteer): ~300 hours

Shadowing ~100 hours (4 specialties)

Nonclinical volunteering

volunteering at a nursing home (painting with them, part of school club): 61 hours

stem tutoring to 3 underserved children: 140 hours

volunteering at homeless shelter: 30 hours

brain awareness at local elementary schools: 20 hours

volunteering as part of american red cross club: 20 hours

Leadership

Treasurer of 200 member club - 150 hours

Vice president of nursing home club - 20 hours

founder of niche interest club (my flex factor, don't want to dox lol): 50 hours

Treasurer of American Red Cross Club chapter at my school: ~40 hours

Letters of rec: don't have any high school ones, but my 2 extracurricular letters will be really good, and my college professor one will be good too

Let me know what y'all think!

I’m entering the NSU 4+4 BS/MD program, where I need to maintain a 3.7 GPA and a 510 MCAT. NSU accepts AP credits pretty generously (scores 4+). I took AP Chem, Bio, Calc, Psych, English, plus dual enrollment Anatomy & Physiology 1 & 2 and English. I’m planning to use English, Psych and Anatomy credits but not sure about Chem/ Bio/ Math.

I’m getting mixed advice on whether to use AP credits for premed requirements. Some say retaking courses like Gen Chem and Bio in college helps build a stronger MCAT foundation and may look better if applying out to other med schools since the program is non-binding. Others say using AP credits frees up time for upper-level sciences, research, volunteering, etc.

For those with experience, would you recommend using AP credits or retaking the courses?

Also, for math requirements, is Calculus or Statistics more useful/recommended for premed? Math isn’t my strongest skill, is statistics easier to score high GPA compared to Calculus?

How do med schools like Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, etc. generally view AP credits for premed requirements? TIA!

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I have a passion project for dance, which is a nonprofit, where I help little kids whose families are underprivileged and give them some classes. And I also have done research with Lumiere and published a research paper as well, and that was about senior health, because I lived with my grandparents for so long and also volunteered in senior homes and realized how so many seniors struggle with similar issues. I have a 3.7 unweighted GPA and a 4.3 weighted GPA, and I am co-president of a medical club in my school, and my SAT score was 1510. Im taking AP psychology in grade 11 as well as AP pre-calculus and AP chemistry and AP English, and in grade 12, I'm going to be taking AP bio, AP environmental sciences, and a few other APs. I have over 500 hours in volunteering and shadowing, and I also worked as a clerk for a clinic. And I'm also gonna be getting a college counselor, so my essay is gonna be chef's kiss(I hope). Thanks for reading this and dont hold back. Also, if you believe I dont have a great chance, what can I do to make it top notch? Thanks!

I recently got cleared off the waitlist for the 3+4 BS/DO program at SUNY Old Westbury 🙏🏼is there like a gc for accepted students or anything like that? I’m currently deciding between this and another program so please reach out!

hii, everyone I am currently 22, just started a job in bpo but i this is not something i want to do my entire life. so i am looking to make a change as soon as possible. I want to become BA, so to be accepted by industry please tell me requirements and also sources or certifications relevant for the same...

1. What shoud my academic profile look like? (GPA W and UW; rank; AP scores)

Everytime I see anyone host a Q&A , the most common question is how high of a GPA do you need? But this answer, especially for BSMD programs requires a little more perspective.

If we are talking about class rank, in the larger context they probably have the least impact (unless if a BSMD has a specfic requirement). This is because of the fact that your class rank might serve as an indicator of where you stand, but does not factor at all the methods of studying how hard you worked, etc...

For example, in my school our valedictorian has a GPA (weighted) of a 4.83- which sounds impressive until you realize that this score was achieved by taking an incredible amount of dual enrollments and AP courses. Even more ironically, our val cannot recall much of what he learned and has openly admitted to taking classes just for the GPA boost and sometimes just BS through it. My point being that Rank 1 vs who understands/grew the most academically are very two different things. Even more insane is the distribution. While 4.83 might be the highest, I have seen people with 4.71. You would think that being close, the ranks are somewhat similar, but even a small gap has put these people around the Rank 15-20ish places.

Overall, ranks alone do not matter. Some OOS schools, merit scholarships, and SOME programs like to use them but do not overload yourself for the sake of your "class rank". In fact more and more schools are removing it simply because of the grade inflation it causes, which indirectly also increases cheating (this is a whole other tangent that if I went into, would make this post at least x3 as long). Work for your rank, but don't make it your entire profile!

GPA-wise most BSMD's want a minimum between 3.5-3.7 (UW) and weighted I'm guessing a minimum of (4.1-4.2). This also has some context as well. While BSMD's see these as minimum requirments, a lot of the people that get in are usually 3.8-4.0 (and an even higher weighted GPA). This doesn't mean that you shouldn't apply if your GPA is not insanely high, but it just means your going to have to work a little harder in your essays, interviews, and EC to justify a lower GPA

Unweighted-wise, you typically want to have no more than 2 B's throughout your highschool career. This is because (and this is not entirely confirmed but I have heard of similar things happening) colleges will call you an academic risk if you have more than 2 B;s, which won't mean a total rejection but once again you'll have to show more in other areas of your application. Likewise, throughout highschool you want earn grades in classes that aren't just barely (A's) or flat out 90's. Unweighted calculations like to see 93's and above (4.0) whereas bare 90's MIGHT be calculated at a 3.7 instead. Finally among grades, if you do happen to mess up a year in high school (IT IS OKAY) the best thing about messing up is that you have chances. If you can show an upward trend in grades with increasing rigor, it speaks more volumes than the B's you had initally.

So we've talked about grades and how much they matter but what about AP courses? The short answer is TAKE AP'S BASED on YOUR INTERESTS. I made the mistake of taking around 18 AP's in total. IT WAS HELL- I didn't like most of them; only a ocuple let me opt out of courses; and overall exam season had me sleep deprevied just for the rank/GPA boost. Taking anywhere between 3-5 AP's in your highschool career is great, and I think that spending so much time fighting for the top spot made me realize that 10 AP's and more is often insanely above average. AP's are meant to intrigue you and guide you into intro level colelge courses and while you may have to take some AP's to appear comp- IT IS NOT REQUIRED. In fact a lot of colelges, espiecally BSMD programs some prefer if you retook their bio and chem courses again from the start. My point is that do not take AP's and overload yourself to the point where it is unhealthy. Often times, taking around 1-3 a year is more than enough, shows you can handle rigor, and gives you some bonuses like opting out of intro classes. This equally applies to dual enrollments, although from my expierence they have been much easier than AP's

ACT and SAT? If you want to play it safe, 34+ or 1530+ because these are the top 1% of scores and doesn't matter after that. Minimum for BSMD programs, some like to take 32+ and 1450+ around these schools. Be CONFINDENT in yourself and decide whether to keep/take your score based on the programs and other parts of your app (although it doens't hurt to keep on trying)

And one more thing- BSMD programs (at least what I believe) barely reference your academic profile once you meet the minimum requirements. If you do- great now they look more into your EC's, essays, and your character as a whole because they know that if you applying to the BSMD, most of the time you are already academically-talent/gifted/hardworking enough that they won't challenge you/have to compare each and every grade with others.

2. What should my EC's look like?

This question is kinda based off the same concepts as the grades in which you have to look at this differently because of the program your applying too.

At the bare minimum, most BSMD just want to see some volunteering, shadowing, and well rounded activities. THEY know that you are just a high schooler so they DO NOT expect the average applicant to have research (I'll make another rant/post about this dw) nor do they expect them to do anything crazy. I hate buzzwords like "passion project" and "having to impact our community to seem like an ideal applicant"

Obviously beyond the bare minimum "shaodinwg' and "volunteering" do EC's that work for you because the number 1 thing colleges look for is character and how well you carry yourself. For example, this is unrealted to medicine in any way, but I am a freelance animator, and I've been working as one for years (it's always been a small dream of mine). I've always found out that(in interviews and whatnot) that both my interviewer and I love to talk about this EC. It was never about some "cracked medical EC" but more of "why did I do it?" "what has it taught me". Thats what EC's are all about, doing one shouldn't work like a checklist but should

1. Actively challenge and grow you

2. Make you feel more curious/insighted into a topic

3. Makes you feel passionate

4. (Not required) but gives a sense of responsibility and an urge (werid word) to help others (not just for the resume but genuinely)

As a highschooler (graduating!!) I am extremly happy that alongside doing theaverage checklist medical EC's I was able to explore my passion (building, animating, and music production) through my highschool years. I've ALWAYS, ALWAYS had friends (graduating, or graduated) that have always wished they could do that but they never did because they were scared that if they never had a related EC to what they were applying too, they would get rejected. Get creative with how you spend your time, and follow your passions! Of course every now and then you will have to follow some basic checlist, but don't let that be what makes you ordinary. I know that everyone has sometime unique within them, and part of highschool is finding out what makes you special. Even if your a junior rn or a rising senior and thinking "oh its too late for me" NO! Part of changing yourself for the better is starting now, it doesn't matter if you cant fit it onto a resume or college app (you have essays and interviews) because at the end of the day, when you pursue something for the sake of a personal goal and without the influence of everyone, it builds you far more than anything else. That being said, if you feel more comfortable following a checklist, go ahead but please PLEASE open your eyes and be open to everything every now and then.

3. How do I write my essays? Why medicine?

Writting your essays solely depends on the expierences you have had and who you are. The best thing I can say for essays is to be brutally honest and be yourself. Don't change your vision/goals just because a school has a slightly different mission. Believe me, Admissions can see right through that BS and you don't want to be on the recieving end of a fat rejection. Speak your mind (at a legal standpoint of course) but don't feel like you have to "think one way or another". When writting essays the biggest rule to udnerstand is that most of the time, there is no wrong answer. Questions like "tell me about yourself" or "future goals" or "name a conflict/resolution" all rely on elements of good story telling and writting, but the answer for everyone else should be different. There is no correct answer.

For example one uestion I've always een is tell me about your biggest achievement

What NOT to do is to boast about some "insane name title" or whatnot but talk about something that you genuinely worked for, and forced you to grow as a person. Some of the best writting from essays comes from self reflection.

Who are you?

Why do you waant to do this?

Why did you choose this topic?

How has it changed you?

How can you explain this to others?

Questions like these that force you to think deeper are the ones you should be asking. BE VULNERABLE but don't throw out a sob story. Your essays are a reflection of who you are and in BSMD admissions are one of the most importance parts of your app that will be consistnetly looked back and compared.

So what if your mission doesn't align with a school? BE HONEST and BRUTAL

So what if you never had an insane EC to talk about? BE down to earth and describe ANYTHING

So what if you think you're never interesting? If you were never interesting, then you wouldn't be a different person entirely. Everyone has their qnie goals and expierences

One thing I liked to point out, is that the poeple reading your essays are sometimes 20's y/o. They know exactly what you mean by writting and livd through the same essay writing epxierence before. Don't be afriad to be relatable, humuorous, and happy just like you would be with them in person.

That being said some of the most common essays are things like

- Tell me about yourself

- Tell us about a activity/award your proud of why?

- Tell us about a time you had a conflict/how did you resolve it

- Tell us about a time yout ried something new...etc..

- strengths/weaknesses

- diverity (in my opinion this is the essay that requires the most self relfction)

(I will probably make future posts breaking down these questions, if I have the time my fingers are getting tired man)

Finally (sorry for the wait) the Why Medicine

This answer entirely depends on a couple of things

- What was the first spark? How did it make you feel? How did it impact you

- Instead of why medicine? Are you enirely sure that this is the route for you? Your a kid, how do you know that another career is/is not better for you?

This answer is 100% unique and personal to you. The why medicine can only be answered through YOUR words. Answering it means that you have to look at what exactly pushes you to feel curious andpassionate about medicine? What excites you about it? What do you look forward too? What do you hate (remember HONESTY!)

It's okay to initallu start with " I want to help people" or " I like science" but DIG DEEPER

1. I want to people people

- Well, WHY?

- What gave you this spark?

- Was it family traditions, your culture, history with something that gave you this trait? Not everyone wants to help each and everyone they see, so obviously something must havehappened that pushed you to become who you are

- HOW? THere are so may ways to help people both agreed and disagreed upon. Where is your stance? How do you fit?

Your why medicine should be a mix of a love letter and a statement of dediation (I like to phrase it that way) It should represent what exactly you did/went through to like a feild that while it pays well (sorta) has a high suiicide rate/mental problems rate.

your young, so why?

Keep ASKING these questions 24/7 was it a physican that helped you? was it seeing a physican help someone else in a way that connected the dots? Was it a funny moment; was it a sad moment; was it something unreleated but somehow pushed you to it?

There are hundred of answers, and it all starts with you. Before answering why medicine answer why are you, you? Why are you like this? Why do you think like this? Why are your actions like this? What happened in your upbringing that made your character?

It's hard, I know it is. I've been through it, you've been through it, everyone has. But its these questions, self reflection that You need to have to grow and know yourself.

Conclusion

Yeah so I wrote this in one sitting and my finges are aboslutly shot lmao. I will be making future posts about EC's, breaking down essays and whatnot just to give a little more context

Of course if you have any questions/want more elborate feel free to dm or ask a question here in this forum. As per BSMD counseling- I do it for free, yes. HOWEVER, I won't write your essays or amke your profile. I]ll be here to point you in the right direction mainly because I want to reiterate that I am just a senior and while I may know some things about these programs, I have no idea what 100% got me in and what didn't so I won't charge and infringe too much into anyones application

GL yall!

Did anyone here take the path of High School(9th & 10th) + Community College(11th & 12th) → Pre-Med/MD or BS/MD?

I’m currently deciding between:

1. Staying at my traditional high school and taking a very heavy AP schedule, or
2. Joining an Early College program through a local community college, where I could graduate with both a high school diploma and an associate degree.

The Early College route would let me take advanced STEM coursework like:

• Vector Calculus
• Calculus-based Physics
• Organic Chemistry
• Upper-level biology electives (Microbiology, Immunology, etc.)

I’m interested in pursuing either a BS/MD pathway or the traditional Premed → MD/MD-PhD route, so I’m trying to figure out which option would be viewed more favorably by competitive colleges and eventually med schools.

A few questions I had:

• Are community college STEM courses viewed similarly to AP classes in terms of rigor?
• Could participating in an Early College program hurt an application compared to staying at a traditional high school with many APs?
• How do admissions officers at T20 colleges generally compare Early College students to traditional high school applicants?
• Would taking advanced college-level science courses in high school significantly strengthen preparation/applications for BS/MD programs?
• Is there any downside to completing prereqs like Organic Chemistry early before entering undergrad?
• For med school admissions later on, are there any disadvantages to having many prereqs completed through community college during high school?

I’d especially appreciate hearing from anyone who did Early College/community college during high school and later applied to highly selective universities, BS/MD programs, or med schools.

hey guys! i’m currently in a bsmd program at my 1. choice with a full ride and get paid in a stipend to attend this program! honestly, i was never “the smart kid” and kinda mediocre like intellect wise and started thinking about bsmd pretty late because i used to think it was just so out of reach for me. but, flash forward to now, i learned alot of lessons and it was alot of hard work and a difficult journey to get here but i want to be a resource for anyone here which i wish i had! im ngl i spent a lot of time on this subreddit as well :) ask me anything yall are interested in! if i can do it, you can do it!!! bsmd is so so stressful and hard of an admissions process where the odds are just not in your favor but lmk if i can help with anything! want to eventually create content (long form+shortform) for bsmd specific related stuff for like hopefully putting out some helpful info and my own experience so also lmk if there’s any questions i could help answer in that format.

Hey!

I'm a rising senior and starting the EAP application process- couple of questions:

1. Is EAP binding? Am I still allowed to apply in the ED round to binding schools if I have already started the EAP process?

2. What is the timeline for the interview after I submit the orginal application?

I am also deciding on what affiliated campuses I want to choose as my top three; what are some of the biggest factors I should consider?

3. Is it still important to look for research opportunities/proximity to a medical center if I know I am going to LECOM after if I keep up certain requirements?

4. Are certain undergrad campuses more selective (I'm only doing the 4+ year plan)?

Thank you so much and I appreciate any help!!

Hey everyone,

I am currently building my college list and focusing on premed and BS/MD programs. My goal is to come up with a solid, realistic balance of reach, target, and safety colleges.

If any current undergrads or fellow high school applicants have a spreadsheet or school list they previously used (or are using now), would you mind sharing it?

Alternatively, could you point me toward any reliable databases or resources that allow you to filter BS/MD programs or premed choices based on stats, acceptance rates, scholarships, fees etc..

Any general recommendations for the following would be incredibly appreciated:

• Schools with excellent premed advising and high medical school acceptance rates.
• "Hidden gem" BS/MD programs that fly under the radar but offer fantastic medical school guarantees.
• Undergraduate colleges with strong, built-in clinical or research partnerships.

Thank you so much for the help!

hi! I just got off the waitlist at Brown. I am currently committed to Michigan State’s direct admit program to their DO school. I live in Michigan and the tuition is probably around $30K a year. Brown is, obviously, extremely expensive. although I can afford both Brown is a massive financial commitment and I still have med school after.

I have been really involved with MSU’s program through camps and workshops- I know the program is amazing and really supportive. they say it’s not guaranteed acceptance but it kind of is unless you do not meet the GPA requirements or you turn into some awful person throughout the 4 years 😂

I don’t know so much about Brown except that it’s an Ivy League and the open curriculum and such…basically everything I wrote about in my application. note: I am not in PLME!

any advice or thoughts or suggestions?? let me know!

I’m so confused. I want the undergraduate big school experience but I also want the guarantee. I don’t know what I don’t know! Can people in both these schools chime in with their experiences for me please

I’m currently committed to Case Western but recently got opportunities to go to both BU or Lecom 2+4 and I’m having a lot of trouble deciding. This seems like a pretty good problem to have though.

The 6 year lecom program is such a good opportunity, I feel like I’d have to stress less about getting into med school, and I’d graduate med school by 24! I do want to be a doctor but I am more inclined towards harder specialties like plastic surgery, anesthesiology, and derm.

Case western has so many hospitals within walking distance and I feel like I’d end up being really successful there, however a lot of people there told me the social scene isn’t great and there’s not much to do.

I’m a little worried about my chances of getting into med school without a gap year if I go to BU. But there’s still plenty of opportunities and the city itself seems to be a really lively and upbeat opportunity that’s more young person friendly. Plus BU is just a great school too.

Idk, any advice would really be helpful! :))) thank you!

Do BS/MDs accept superscores on the SAT? I score 1450 the first time I took it, 760 reading and 690 math, and scored 1470 the next time with 710 reading and 760 math. My superscore would be 1520. Should I take it again?

I want to get into LECOM, it doesn’t have to be at Elmira, but any college that is affiliated with LECOM.

Here are my stats:
3.92 unweighted gpa
5.6 weighted gpa
1560 SAT
Certified Medical Assistant
(Only problem is a C in my freshman math class, but everything is a A)
A total of 5 AP Courses by senior year: AP Calc AB, AP Statistics, AP PreCalc, AP Bio, AP Chem

Ec’s

Writing club
HOSA, competed on national level
Science club that tutors middle schoolers
National Science Honors Society
National Honors Society
Shadowed gynecologists at a clinic (100+ hours)
Volunteered at a hospital (70+ hours)
Volunteered at Red Cross and food pantry
Key Club Member
Helped around research at a local university

Planning on doing more summer stuff but that’s all it for about now! (I know my ec’s are pretty weak but I plan on doing more clinical volunteering and shadowing).

I read a prior post that was the opposite to this. I read often that the prestige of your undergrad is only a small factor in med school admission and is far less important than your GPA which in turn can be lowered by rigorous/competitive undergrad. I would leave to hear some feedback from people who started off as premeds and decided to do a competitive undergrad over BSMD and whether it ended up the right choice or not? Thank you all.

Hiiiiiiiiii

Idk how to explain this but I'm stuck between applying for bsmd or just regular bs (I want to be a surgeon in the future)

I'm applying to these schools in the fall: UMass Amherst, UMass Lowell, MCPHS, Northeastern, BU, WPI, UConn, UChicago, UToronto, UOttawa, QCC

My plan was to do bs then apply for md-phd at top schools

And now I'm hearing abt bsmd but top schools like Harvard won't accept me if I go down that route

Hi everyone! I have been so incredibly anxious about my chances of getting into a B/MD program, especially because my GPA is certainly not perfect... After looking through my profile, would I get automatically rejected or do I still have a shot? (Only asking because I feel like I look like EVERY other applicant, but with a lower GPA)

Background (Currently a Junior, so weighted GPA will only increase)

Upper Middle Class - Midwest

Extremely large, competitive high school (5000+ kids)

36 ACT

4.35 W, 3.77 UW

9 APS taken currently: all 4's and 5's -> will take 13 by graduation, PLTW Biomed pathway

Aiming for neuroscience/public health

Extracurriculars

1. Bioinformatics cancer research

Conducted independent bioinformatics research, presented at both a national and statewide conference, won statewide competition ($1500!!)

1. Independent dopamine signaling paper

Another bioinformatics paper, working on publishing, will be presented at state competition again

1. Public health lab intern

Research intern at a public health lab with a large research university, working on project that will (most likely) be published within the year

1. Hospital volunteer

120+ hours -> still going up! will have about 175-200 by application time

1. Physician shadowing

Around 130 shadowing hours in over 5 specialities

1. HOSA

3rd year member (hopefully chapter officer next year), qualified for ILC all 3 years, 1st place state for team event, and 7th for individual -> really working towards an ILC podium

1. School newspaper

Editor, will be editor-in-chief for sister mag next year (very excited about this!!)

1. Science & wellness blog founder

Created a blog that connects science with wellness, mostly focused on neuroscience and public health

1. Book drive

Working on a citywide book drive for an organization that promotes early childhood literacy in underfunded hospitals

1. Hospice nonprofit

Founded a nonprofit that helps patients' families by making memory scrapbooks with hospice patients, currently working with one local hospice center, but planning on expanding over the summer

1. State STEM/science youth council leadership

Working towards expanding STEM education access to underfunded areas. I work with the actual state council as well!

Letters of Rec

AP Chem teacher (possible) -> Terrified of her.. but she likes me enough and I got a B in her class so maybe this could show that I actually did care..
AP Research teacher -> Would write a great rec, she loved my entire research project
Academy of science director (possible) -> Was with me during national conference, seen my research + STEM passion

Final thoughts

If not a B/MD program, do I still have a solid shot at a T50 or an Ivy? Please be as honest as you can without completely breaking my heart (lmao) :)

96 UW gpa
1360 sat trying to get above 1450 or 1400
5 ap classes
I did 200 hours of volunteering in hospital and 50 hours of shadowing
Summer internship in hospital
Doing a research with the professor
8 years of martial arts
8 years of playing instruments
I was in a varsity track team
Founder of medical club in my school
Should I give up early and just look for different path? I’m Junior right now

can’t decide both have so many pros and cons