Premed 101

Jun 08 2018

Pre-Med 101: What are BS/MD programs?

We all understand the traditional route of getting into medical school. Complete four years of undergrad, do your pre-med required coursework, take the MCAT, do extracurriculars, apply for the medical schools you would like to attend, interview at those schools, and hopefully get accepted. But what if there was a faster and more guaranteed route into medical school? That’s what we will be talking about in this pre-med 101 article.

What is a BS/MD program?

A BS/MD program is exactly as it sounds. It is a combined BS (Bachelors of Science) and MD (Medical Doctor) program. A BS/MD program allows you guaranteed acceptance into a specific MD program after completion of your Bachelor’s degree. This guaranteed acceptance into that medical school does require that you meet certain requirements while in the BS/MD program. Often these programs have specific minimum GPA and MCAT score requirements that you must meet while in the program if you are to obtain acceptance into the medical school. So while it does make life easier to know that you have guaranteed acceptance into medical school upon completion of your Bachelor’s degree, it is still no walk in the park. The BS/MD program is good for high school students who know they want to become a doctor early on. If you are certain that medicine is the career you want to pursue then this could be a great option for you.

There are accelerated BS/MD programs that allow you to complete your Bachelor’s degree and get your MD faster than the traditional path. It normally takes 8 years to complete both a Bachelor’s and MD. However, there are some BS/MD programs that let you complete both programs in 7 years or even 6 years. In order to do this, you will have to take a more condensed and packed curriculum and will have to sacrifice more free time during those 6 or 7 years.

What about if you are already in college and still want to get guaranteed acceptance into medical school? Well you are in luck, because there are also programs which are known as early assurance programs (EAP). These are not the same thing as a BS/MD program but serve a similar function. An early assurance program is one where you are already working towards some degree at a university and you apply for early assurance of your acceptance into their medical school. An early assurance program is for university students who want the guarantee that they will get accepted into medical school upon graduation. For most early assurance programs, you will be able to apply when you are a sophomore in college. These programs are for highly qualified college students who know they want to pursue a career in medicine. Just as a reminder, high school students will be applying to a BS/MD program and college students will be applying to an early assurance program.

How do you get accepted into a BS/MD program?

Getting into a BS/MD program is not an easy feat. This is because most BS/MD programs are very competitive, with most only offering 20 to 30 spots per year. And there are many programs that offer less than 10 available spots annually. To get into a BS/MD program requires a very competitive college application. With most students who get admitted having a 4.0 GPA and SAT/ACT scores that are around the 95th percentile. The best way to get accepted into these programs is to not only have the grades and standardized test scores needed but also show your commitment to pursuing a medical career through extracurricular activities. Such as doing summer research programs, volunteer work, and even shadowing. The more well rounded your application is the better your chances of getting into the program. Take a look at the programs you are interested in to know the exact requirements for getting accepted.

What schools have BS/MD programs?

Accelerated BS/MD programs: (Seven years)

Normal BS/MD program: (Eight years)

BS/MD programs provide a great opportunity to high school students that know they want to pursue a career in medicine and become a Physician. One of the main benefits is knowing that you will get accepted into medical school as long as you meet the program’s requirement’s during college. Another benefit of the BS/MD program is that you will not have to deal with the medical school application process like traditional pre-med students do. If you are a high school student with the grades and a strong desire to pursue a career in medicine, I would recommend applying for a few BS/MD programs. And if you are a college sophomore or freshman with good grades, I would suggest looking into an early assurance program.

I hope this helps! Tell us what you think by leaving a comment down below! For more pre-med tips and advice, make sure to subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on Facebook, twitter, and pinterest!

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Mar 16 2018

Pre-Med 101: Does joining an honor society help me get into medical school?

I’m sure by now many of you have received invitations to join an honor society. After all you are some of the best and brightest students around! But given that most of these honor societies require you to pay an initial membership fee, is it worth it to join? Will joining some of the “elite” honor societies help your chances of getting into medical school? Thats what we are going to cover in this Pre med 101 article!

Will joining an honor society help me get into medical school?

The short answer is no. Most honor societies aren’t that exclusive and hard to get into. Each honor society is a bit different but in general they will invite anyone who has above a certain GPA. And often this GPA isn’t that high to begin with! Joining one of these societies on its own does little to nothing for your chances to getting into medical school. After all, the medical schools will already know your GPA and what kind of student you are from your grades and MCAT score.

Being part of an honor society does nothing for your chances of getting into medical school. I was part of six different honor societies when I applied for medical school, and it had absolutely zero impact on me getting accepted. In fact it was never even brought up once during my interview. The truth is medical schools have a bunch of other things they care about when considering an applicant, and these are the things you should be focusing your time on. When I first started getting invitations to join honor societies I was very excited as a pre med. I would do whatever it took to get into medical school so I accepted almost every honor society I was invited to at first, even though it cost alot of money. I learned the hard way that being part of an honor society (or even six!) wont improve chances of getting accepted. Many honor societies cost ALOT of money to join, usually in the range of $70-100. So I would highly recommend against joining multiple honor societies if you think that it will improve your chances of getting accepted to medical school, because it wont.

Honor societies can provide some benefits however…

I would like to mention that there are some benefits that you can obtain from being part of an honor society that may interest you. These benefits vary between honor societies but most honor societies provide similar benefits. Some of these benefits include..

scholarships for its members
study abroad programs
networking opportunities
the opportunity for leadership positions.

All of the benefits from honor societies are opportunistic in nature and thus require you to act on them to get their benefits. Once again, simply being a part of an honor society does nothing for you. But finding use out of some of the opportunities it offers may be worth the effort. If you were to join an honor society and wanted to make the most out of it for getting into medical school then I would recommend trying to achieve some leadership position in the organization. Possibly your school has a local chapter that you can be the president of. Also if they offer a study abroad program that is suited for pre-meds, I suggest taking part of that if you can afford it.

Summary

Being part of an honor society will most likely not affect your chances of getting into medical school. It can improve your chances of getting into medical school if you make the most out of the opportunities it may offer you. However, for the amount of money that most honor societies require for membership, I would recommend against joining them. There are many better and cheaper (usually free) alternatives out there to help boost the quality of your medical school application.

I hope you found this advice helpful! Tell us what you think by leaving a comment down below! For more pre-med tips and advice, make sure to subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on Facebook, twitter, and pinterest!

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Dec 01 2017

Pre-Med 101: Are Caribbean Medical Schools bad?

Pre-med 101: Are Caribbean Medical Schools bad?

Getting into Medical School is hard, in fact only about 40% of applicants get accepted into American medical schools each year. Those who don’t get in are left without options or to apply again the next year. That’s where Caribbean medical schools can come into the picture. But are Caribbean medical schools bad? There are a lot of myths about them and also a lot of stigma surrounding them. Hopefully by the end of this article some of those myths and stigma surrounding them. Let’s jump right into this!

Myths about Caribbean Medical Schools:

Caribbean medical schools aren’t as good as American medical schools
You cannot get an MD and practice as a physician in America

Myth #1: Caribbean medical schools aren’t as good as American medical schools

The first myth about Caribbean medical schools not being as good as American medical schools has some truth to it, but is not true across the board. While it is true that there are many lower quality Caribbean medical schools out there that you should avoid, there are several Caribbean medical schools that provide a medical education that is around on par with those of American medical schools. Caribbean medical schools will not hold your hand during medical school and are not an easy path to becoming a physician. They are second chances for dedicated and hardworking students who are determined to put in the work to become a physician. Caribbean medical schools such as Ross follow a basic science curriculum similar to those of American medical schools and even allow you to do your clinicals in the US. At the end of the day you are going to get a high-quality education at any good Caribbean medical school, just be prepared to work for it.

Myth #2: You cannot get an MD and practice as a physician in America

Another common myth is that you cannot get an MD from a Caribbean school and you can’t practice in America. This is definitely not the case. Caribbean medical schools will give you the exact same MD behind your name as any American medical school. The curriculum is very similar to those of American medical schools. You have to do basic sciences, clinical rotations, and take the USMLE. Some of the Caribbean medical schools such as Ross allow you to do your clinical rotations in American hospitals. At the end of the day you will receive your MD and be able to practice as a physician just like your American medical school counterparts. No one will be able to tell the difference between an MD obtained from an American medical school and a Caribbean medical school.

“Truths” about Caribbean medical schools

Now that we have debunked a few myths, lets talk about some of the “truths” about Caribbean medical school. The main two are that it is easier to get accepted into a Caribbean medical school and it is often harder to place into competitive residencies.

Caribbean medical schools let in a far higher percentage of applicants than American medical schools. This is often because they usually don’t use your metrics as the main qualifier for acceptance. This is good for students who have a low GPA or low MCAT score as this allows them a second chance at getting into medical school. Because the Caribbean medical schools don’t value these metrics as much, they take a look at you in a more holistic way. So students who demonstrate they really want to be doctors through other aspects of their application such as extracurricular activities, letters of recommendation, clinical experience, shadowing, etc. are the ones who often get accepted into the Caribbean medical school.

The class sizes of Caribbean medical schools (Avg. class size of around 400-600 students) are often around two to three times that of American medical schools (Avg. class size of around 150 students). This also helps contribute to it being easier to get accepted into a Caribbean medical school. While it is easier to get accepted into a Caribbean medical school, that does not mean it will be easier during medical school. Caribbean medical schools are just as hard as American medical schools in many ways. They will not hold your hand and help you through medical school, you must be a very self-motivated student to succeed in a Caribbean school. Although the class size starts off much higher than those in American medical school that number often dwindles down as students are weeded out during the program. The main point I am trying to make is: Even though it is easier to get accepted into a Caribbean medical school, don’t think it is an easy path to becoming a doctor. You will still have to put in the work and effort to get that MD.

The next thing to know about going to a Caribbean medical school is that students often have a harder time getting into competitive residencies. Caribbean medical schools are known for having a lower match rate for residencies. If you want to be a heart surgeon or plastic surgeon you will have a hard time getting a residency from a Caribbean medical school. But if you just want to be a doctor of any kind then you still have hope at a Caribbean medical school. Know also that Caribbean schools in general have a lower match rate than American medical schools across the board. Make sure to check the match rate for the schools you are applying to. Take your time to learn about how well that school does at placing you into residencies.

Fun fact: The doctor I shadowed graduated from the Caribbean medical school, Ross. He is a successful Nephrologist who is soon to become partner for the practice he works at. Every day I shadowed him he was highly respected by all of his colleagues and patients. He always told me that no one cares about where you went to medical school at the end of the day. That was the truth as he was every bit as good of a doctor as anyone else at the hospital. So don’t think that going to a Caribbean school will be something that will haunt you. It can be a great opportunity if you make the most out of it.

What are considered the top Caribbean medical school?

In general, there are four Caribbean medical schools that are considered the best. These are:

There are other good Caribbean medical schools, however, these would be the better ones that you want to apply to. Make sure to thoroughly check each school you are applying to before sending in the application.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Caribbean medical schools can be a great back up plan for students who couldn’t get accepted into an American medical school. But don’t expect the Caribbean medical school to be an easy path to becoming a physician, they make you work just as hard as the American medical schools. The top Caribbean medical school will provide its students a high-quality education that mimics what one will get from an American medical school. The major downside of going to a Caribbean medical school is the lower match rate for residencies than American medical schools. However if you are a strong self-motivated student, at the end of the day you will get your MD and be able to practice as a physician in America.

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Jun 19 2016

Pre-Med 101: Should I give up on pre-med because of one bad semester?

Being pre-med is tough! It is expected if you want to become a doctor you will have a hard road ahead of you. And with that, things will not always go your way. But what happens if you have a bad semester? Does that mean your dream of getting into medical school stops here? Let’s talk about that in this article.

Medical school is tough to get into. There are tons of competitive applicants fighting for the same spot you are. This means that having a bad semester could make the difference between getting accepted or not. This is why it is best to avoid the situation and stay on top of your studies, however life happens and that things don’t always go your way. So what if your semester doesn’t go the way you want and you made some bad grades? Is there still any hope for getting accepted?

The short answer is.. Yes!

While it does make it more difficult if you had a bad semester, it does not have to be the end of your medical career. Think about how many other pre-med students have had a bad semester or two and still can get accepted. It goes without saying that many pre-meds have had a few hard semesters and not every student makes straight A’s. It’s worth noting that you are not the only one in this situation, there are many in the same boat as you. So take a deep breath! There is definitely still is hope!

What you can do to improve your chances of getting accepted into medical school:

So now you are probably wanting to know how you can boost your chances of getting accepted despite having a bad semester or two. There are two main ways to compensate for doing poorly academically. The first is by making sure all the other aspects of your application shine. Such as having extra shadowing experience, more clinical experience, more volunteering, research experience, strong letters of recommendation, high MCAT score, etc. Medical schools want someone who is well rounded and has what it takes to be a doctor, this is more than just having good grades. The second method, which can be combined with the first, is finding a post-bac program to help you and/or considering going to a Caribbean medical school. For help finding a post-bac program, click here.

If you have a bad semester as a pre-med it doesn’t mean that it is game over. It means that you will have to work a bit harder and make other aspects of your application shine. Really focus on getting a lot of clinical experience and you will find many medical schools are still interested in you. There have been plenty of people who have had a bad semester or two and still got accepted. Don’t give up hope. Instead, focus on trying extra hard to make up for it. Also, consider looking into post-bac programs and going to a Caribbean school. If you give it your all, you will be surprised with how well you can do!

For more information check out our other article:

5 Ways to stay competitive with a low GPA

More helpful premed resources:

Get our free ebook, “The Pre-Med Beginner’s Guide”, which summarizes everything that a Pre-med must know!

Bonus:

Also get free access to our comprehensive lists of medical school rankings! Click here to download

Good luck on your journey to medical school! Premed Community is here to make that a reality!

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Jun 02 2016

The Pre-med guide for finding a physician to shadow

Finding a doctor to shadow can seem like an impossible task at times. Many pre-meds don’t know how to find a doctor who would be willing to be shadowed. Shadowing is super important for having a strong and competitive application. Medical schools want to see that you understand what it is like to be a doctor, how the medical environment is, and you are still willing to proceed into medicine despite seeing and hearing first hand the hardships a physician will face. The difference between getting accepted into medical school or not could depend on whether you have shadowing experience. So how do you find a doctor who will let you shadow them? What are the best methods for finding a doctor to shadow? We will go over all the best methods to help ensure you find that physician to shadow!

Methods for finding a doctor to shadow:

Ask your personal physician. Or get a referral from them.

Network with family and friends to see if they can contact a physician they may know

Volunteer at a hospital or clinic and build connections with physicians there

Work as a scribe

Ask your personal physician. Or get a referral from them:

This one seems like a no brainer. You already have access to a doctor that knows you pretty well, your general practitioner. Why not start there? Tell them that you are a premed and you want to learn what it is like to work as a physician. Since you are one of their patients and they already know you, they might be more likely to agree. If they don’t then ask them if they know any other doctors that wouldn’t mind you shadowing them.

Network with family and friends to see if they can contact a physician they may know:

You might be surprised to learn that your family or friends know several physicians that may let you shadow them. Ask your friends and parents if they know any doctors that might let you shadow them. Doctors are still regular people who make friends with non-doctors, so it shouldn’t come as no surprise that your family or friends might know one or two! If you ever go to a formal party with your family, you could casually mention that you are a premed and looking for a doctor to shadow. If the other person happens to know a physician they will try and help you out.

Volunteer at a hospital or clinic and build connections with physicians there:

If you want a place where you know there will be doctors then there is no better place than a hospital or clinic. This is a pretty tried and true method for finding a doctor to shadow. Volunteer at a hospital or clinic and try and network with the physicians and nurses there to see if they know anyone who will let you shadow them. Remember, its important to let people know your intention of finding a doctor to shadow so they can help you! Try and build a relationship with the people who work there so they are more likely to help you.

Work as a scribe:

This is another great method for finding a physician to shadow. Working as a scribe has merits of its own. But this is another highly effective method as it allows you to work closely with a doctor and build a relationship with them. To become a scribe you must go through training first. But on the plus side you get paid! Getting paid, getting medical experience, and potentially finding a doctor to shadow isn’t too bad!

Click here to learn more about being a scribe.

The most important thing to remember when it comes to finding a doctor to shadow is the word, “networking”. Building connections is the best method for finding someone who will let you shadow them. Ask anyone who might know a doctor that will you shadow them and ask for contact information. I was able to find a doctor to shadow because my dad met a doctor while playing soccer and told him that his son was a premed! It can all happen in the most unexpected circumstances! You will have an even easier time if you are networking in a hospital or a clinical environment. Immerse yourself into the medical environment and start asking around and building connections and I assure you that you will find a physician to shadow in no time!

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