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)

• Boston University (BA/MD program)
• California Northstate University
• City College of New York School of Medicine
• Drexel University
• Florida Atlantic University
• Florida Gulf Coast University
• Florida State University College of Medicine 
• George Washington Columbian College of Arts and Sciences
• Northwestern University/Feinberg School of Medicine
• Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute/Albany Medical College 
• University of Nevada
• University of South Florida

Normal BS/MD program: (Eight years)

• Baylor University / Baylor College of Medicine
• Brooklyn College / SUNY-Downstate Medical Center
• Brown University 
• California Northstate University
• Case Western Reserve University / CWRU School of Medicine
• Drew University / Rutgers
• Florida Atlantic University
• Georgia Regents University / Medical College of Georgia
• George Washington Columbian College of Arts and Sciences
• Hobart and William Smith Colleges
• Hofstra University
• Indiana State University
• Rice University / Baylor College of Medicine
• Rutgers
• Siena College / Albany Medical College
• St. Bonaventure University / George Washington University School of Medicine
• St. Bonaventure / SUNY 
• Stony Brook University
• Union College / Albany Medical College
• University of Alabama
• University of Cincinnati
• University of Colorado
• University of Evansville
• University of Connecticut
• University of New Mexico
• University of Pittsburgh
• University of Rochester
• University of the Sciences
• University of Southern Indiana 
• Virginia Commonwealth University
• Washington University in St. Louis
• Wayne State University

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.