Aug 2, 20206 min read

An Insight into BS/MD Programs

By: Megan Wang

Introduction

As students, we are still in the process of self-discovery, so our interests can gradually change over time. For many students, college is a time to try out different things and figure out a suitable career path. On the flip side, some students know exactly what they want to do— sometimes even before high school! If you are interested in pursuing medicine, one option to expedite your process of becoming a future doctor is a BS/MD program.

What are BS/MD programs?

BS/MD programs allow high-achieving students to obtain a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree followed by a Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree without needing to go through a separate admissions process for medical school. This is a huge advantage as students will not need to go through the medical school admissions process, which saves a great deal of time and money. In select programs, students do not even have to take the MCAT (Medical College Admission Test) in order to move on to medical school. By participating in a BS/MD program, students will be simultaneously committing to an undergraduate institution along with its partner medical school; the medical school is part of the institution or is a school in the college’s region.

During their undergraduate years, a BS/MD student will have to fulfill their pre-med course requirements, including, but not limited to, biology, general chemistry, organic chemistry, physics, and math. Students’ majors do not necessarily have to be in the sciences, but this varies with the school they attend. Another important thing to note is that the BS/MD student’s medical school acceptance is conditional. While students will be less stressed than regular pre-meds as they do not have to go through the medical school admissions cycle, they will still have to complete their prerequisite courses, maintain a certain GPA, and in most cases, meet a baseline MCAT score. If a student fails to meet these requirements, they will usually be allowed to graduate with a BS degree, but will not be able to move on to medical school without applying through the regular admissions cycle.

How long are BS/MD programs?

The length of a BS/MD program varies by school. Traditional BS/MD programs are 8 years long, which is the same amount one needs to obtain a BS degree and an MD degree separately. In contrast, some programs are 7 or even 6 years long. In order to complete an accelerated BS/MD program, students will have to study year-round in order to fulfill all of their prerequisite courses in time. The material is also compressed, which may not suit everyone. That being said, if you are an aspiring doctor who wants to enter the job market earlier, then an accelerated BS/MD program might be a good fit for you.

Is a BS/MD program right for you?

What are some of the pros and cons of a BS/MD program? Below are some key ideas to help determine if a BS/MD program is right for you.

Pros

If a student is accepted into a BS/MD program, they will not need to go through a separate medical school admissions process. Since students will not need to go through the stress of applying for medical school, they can devote more time to their academics and extracurriculars. For some institutions, students are also able to bypass the MCAT, which gives them even more freedom in their studies. With this freedom, students are able to pursue other interests such as the humanities and arts, which are beneficial as doctors need a well-rounded education.

Another perk to BS/MD programs is that students will be able to form a close-knit community with their peers and faculty. Since students will be studying in the same area for a long period of time, it will allow them to truly integrate themselves into their school community and be more familiar with their professors.

In some cases, BS/MD students will gain access to valuable resources that regular pre-med students may not. For example, students in Brown University’s Program of Liberal Medical Education (PLME) will have the opportunity to take preclinical electives, exclusive international exchange programs, as well as a plethora of unique research grants and fellowships among others.

Finally, attending a BS/MD program may help students save money, which is a huge bonus as medical schools cause students to rack up a lot of debt. Many BS/MD programs offer generous scholarships or financial aid to high-achieving students. In particular, accelerated programs are only 6 to 7 years in length, which means that attending students pay less in tuition fees compared to the traditional 8-year long BS/MD program.

Cons

The most obvious drawback of pursuing a BS/MD program is that students must be certain that they want to go into the medical field. It is hard for teenagers to commit to a career path at the age of 17 or 18 as aspirations change as we mature. That being said, if you are not 100% committed to medicine, you would be better off applying to a traditional undergraduate institution and then applying for medical school if you wish.

Another crucial aspect of BS/MD programs to note is that students are bound to the medical school of the program they are attending. This is a double-edged sword as the student is assured a place in medical school, but is stuck in a binding agreement meaning that they cannot apply to other medical schools that may be more prestigious or offer better financial aid. In exceptional cases, students may be able to apply to other medical schools, but this usually means that they will lose their guaranteed spot in their original medical school. Furthermore, according to Shemmassian Consulting, there are only around 70 BS/MD programs compared to approximately 7000 undergraduate institutions in the United States. This means that students cannot be as picky about the fit of the BS/MD program compared to solely applying for an undergraduate institution.

One other thing to keep in mind is that committing to a BS/MD program means that a student has to stay in the same geographic area for 6 to 8 years. If you are someone who likes to travel or would like to move to a different location after getting your undergraduate degree, BS/MD programs may not be the right fit for you as they require you to commit to one location for all of your schooling.

Last, but certainly not least, the acceptance rate at BS/MD programs are notoriously low, usually ranging from 1 to 5 percent. This is because there are thousands of applicants for very few spots. Most programs have less than 100 students per incoming class and small BS/MD programs only accept 5 to 6 students per year.

How do you prepare to apply for BS/MD programs?

As competition for acceptance into BS/MD programs is fierce, prospective students should take note of the following components of the BS/MD application to ensure that they make themselves as competitive as possible.

Firstly, a high GPA is a must-have for a strong application. While many BS/MD programs set their minimum GPA at 3.5 or so, applicants should aim for a 3.8 to 4.0 unweighted GPA. Students should also take the most rigorous math and science courses possible, like AP and honors courses if they are offered at their school. In addition, applicants should have high SAT or ACT scores, high SAT subject test scores (preferably one in math and one in biology/chemistry/physics), and high AP scores.

Strong teacher recommendations are also crucial to gaining acceptance into a BS/MD program. One of the recommendations should be from a math or science teacher who has taught the applicant in their junior or senior year of high school. Having a strong recommendation from a teacher who knows you well will allow the admissions committee to understand your academic capabilities and get to know you better as a person.

Extracurriculars are also a great way to show your interest in the sciences, specifically in medicine. Some amazing extracurricular activities to consider are volunteer work in a hospital, shadowing physicians, and participating in a research internship. Not only do these activities show demonstrated interest in health sciences, but they also allow applicants to experience the work-life of health professionals. If you know which specialty you would like to pursue in the medical field, try to participate in activities that cater specifically to that specialty to show an even greater understanding of the range of medical professions.

Finally, a compelling supplemental essay and interview (if given one) show the more “human” aspect of your BS/MD application. While we are not here to tell you how to write your supplemental essay or how to prepare for your interview, it is vital to show your interest in medicine and the program you are applying for through your essay and interview.

What are some schools that have BS/MD programs?

The following list of BS/MD programs is categorized into 8-year, 7-year, and 6-year programs. That being said, this is not a full list of all the BS/MD programs available and the following programs are only located in the United States.

8-year programs