BS/MD joint programs offer exceptional high school students the opportunity to secure a
spot in medical school even before they begin their undergraduate studies. If you're a hundred
percent sure that you want to pursue medicine at such a young age this might be the right program
choice for you. So today I want to talk about the pros and cons of choosing BS/MD programs and
I'll give you a list of all the BS MD programs available in the US with their acceptance rate.
At the end of this video I'll tell you the five easiest BS/MD programs to get into so you can
maximize your chances of acceptance.
Hi, I'm Nadine Evans with BeMo Academic Consulting! Make sure
you subscribe on whatever social media channel you're watching this from now so you don't miss
any of our upcoming videos. If you'd like us to help you get into medical school click on the
link either above or below this video to schedule your free initial consultation. Students pursuing
the BS/MD program stream will be able to obtain either a Bachelor of Science or a Bachelor of Arts
and will then be able to proceed directly into medical school to obtain a Doctor of Medicine
degree. Medical schools will essentially reserve a place in medical school for these students which
makes competition into these programs very high and the available positions very low. Depending
on the school, both degrees are completed at the same school while in other cases the bachelor's
degree and the MD degree are completed at two different but partner schools. Most programs are
eight years in length but there are fast-track versions of these programs which allow students
to complete both their bachelor's and MD degree in six to seven years. So how do you know if this
program is right for you? Well the pros of the program are obvious. You would have a guaranteed
spot in medical school early on meaning that you would skip the expensive time-consuming process
of applying to medical schools the traditional way. While many students will be stressing over
applying to multiple schools, writing personal statements, completing secondary applications,
taking the CASPer test, and writing the MCAT, as a BS/MD student, you'd skip most of that hassle.
In some cases you might actually be able to skip the MCAT altogether as some of these
programs allow for this bypass. I should clarify that this guaranteed spot is only held if you
maintain your grades and test scores throughout your studies. So you can't just get accepted
and not do any work and still hope to get into medical school. You still have to work hard but
you're just streamlining the process, allowing you to devote any extra time into your studies.
The other benefit is that in some cases you can fast-track your bachelor's degree completing it
in just three years instead of four. So overall this means that you can save an entire year of
tuition and other fees and get into the practice of medicine sooner. A lot of these programs offer
very good scholarship or grant opportunities for students. Some pay for the entire undergraduate
degree and a few of them even cover your tuition once you're in medical school. BS/MD programs are
generally small, admitting on average anywhere between five to sixty students. This allows for
intimate connections with professors, mentors, and other students. Plus, if you're in a program where
your BS and MD are both completed at the same school, it allows you to build strong ties in your
community and provides you with both stability and familiarity. All good pros but it's important to
also consider the consequences of applying to BS MD programs. The biggest issue with these programs
is that they require you to commit to a career as a medical doctor at only 17 or 18. This can stunt
the opportunity for students to consider other fields, gain different experiences, and have the
option of changing their mind. While it's true that you can drop out of these programs it's definitely
not a great option and you may have already gone so far down the line that you're just left feeling
lost and unsure of your future. These programs don't just require a commitment to the career,
they also require a commitment to the school for up to eight years. While other students have the
opportunity to choose their medical school based on prestige, curriculum, scholarships available,
match rates, etc., students and BS/MD programs are stuck with the medical school that's linked to the
program. Now this doesn't have to be a bad thing but it just eliminates other options that may have
been better suited for you. Finally the difficulty, competitiveness, and amount of coursework required
for these programs is immense. Most BS/MD programs receive hundreds if not thousands of applicants
for their joint program, but many of them offer fewer than twenty available spots. The average
acceptance rates for these program is between one to five percent but some extremely competitive
schools have acceptance rates below 1%. These programs often set strict requirements in order
for students to apply so students usually have to be in the top five to ten percent of their
graduate class, they need to have excellent GPAs, and must score extremely well on the SAT or ACT.
Schools that are offering completion of both BS and MD degrees in six or seven years do you have
the benefit of gaining time and saving money but they also come with a cost: intense coursework.
Often requiring students to complete courses over the summer to finish on time. So with all
this competition how can you get into a BS/MD program? First you need to have a GPA as close
to 4.0 as you can, ensuring that you'll be in the top five to ten percent of your graduating class.
Next you need to score in the top percentile for the SAT or ACT. Now even though grades and
scores are weighted heavily, they are not the only factors the admissions committee are looking for.
Most actually want a well-rounded individual that can demonstrate maturity, independence, and service
to others. This can be demonstrated through the letters of recommendation that you'll need to
gather and when you enter your extracurricular activities and volunteer participation. You
can also expect to submit personal statements answering why you want to be a doctor and other
supplementary essays. These all need to be very strong and unique to ensure that your application
stands out. Make sure that you participate in extracurricular and volunteer experiences that
can show your dedication and passion for medicine. For example shadowing a doctor is extremely
beneficial. First in your quest to determine if you truly want to become a doctor, and second it will
show the admissions committee that you're serious about pursuing medicine. Participation in research
and tutoring are also great ways to prove your dedication to medicine. I want to note that not
all of your experiences or activities have to be in the medical field. Whether you've played
volleyball for years or have been part of the student council since you started high school,
the important thing is that you demonstrate a deep commitment and interest in your activity. Use these
experiences to reflect on what you've gained from them, what you've learned moving forward, and how
the activity or experience will help you as you become a medical doctor. I've included a link in
the description where you can find a full list of all the BS/MD programs in the US. Under each
school name I've included the program acceptance rate, the number of available spots, the minimum
required test scores, and the program length so you'll have everything you need to get started
and see how your scores match out. Now for the five easiest programs to get into. Well we have
information for many programs not all programs are willing to provide their acceptance rates.
Also keep in mind that each year these programs likely get more competitive as they receive more
and more applicants but the number of available position stays the same. So currently these are the
five easiest programs to get into: at number five, we have St. Louis University School of Medicine.
On average they receive a thousand applications to fill 90 available positions. This is one of
the larger programs and they have a nine percent acceptance rate. Number four is the University of
Colorado School of Medicine's program. They receive roughly a hundred applications for ten available
positions giving them a ten percent acceptance rate. Number three the University of Minnesota
Medical School. Each year they receive on average 50 applications to fill 10 positions into their BS/
MD program so their acceptance rate is 20 percent. At number two there's the Rutgers Robert Wood
Johnson Medical School. In the previous year they received 25 applications for their six available
positions making for a 24 percent acceptance rate. And number one we have the Rutgers New
Jersey Medical School. Last year they received only seven applicants for the two available
spots given the program a 28 percent acceptance rate. Okay so that's all I have for you! Hopefully
you enjoyed watching so please subscribe, like, and leave a comment if you have any questions. If you
would like us to help you get into Medical School, click on the link either above or below this video
to schedule your free initial consultation. Thanks for watching and see you next time!