Insights From The 2022-23 BS/MD Admissions Cycle

As the application cycle winds down, students likely have already started committing to their top choice schools. This cycle has continued to change from the past years, particularly for students applying to BS/MD or direct medical programs. These programs, typically seven or eight years in length, allow a student to secure a spot in a medical school while still in high school. Ulta-competitive, these BS/MD programs aren’t offered at every university, but instead at a select few universities around the country.

Because of the competitive nature of these programs, the smallest changes in requirements can determine whether or not a student is qualified for the program. This cycle brought about many changes as schools continue to navigate the pandemic. Here are the insights from the 2022-2023 direct medical school admissions cycle.

Some Schools Remained Test-Optional

BS/MD programs typically have stringent requirements for GPA and standardized tests, but some schools have broken with tradition and don’t require students to submit an SAT or ACT score. As students make their BS/MD lists, they should carefully review the application requirements for each BS/MD program because they could change from year to year. Just because a school is test-optional doesn’t mean that a student can apply to the direct medical program test-optional.

The BS/MD and BS/DO programs at the following schools did not require students to submit an SAT or ACT score:

• Brown University
• Case Western Reserve University
• Massachusetts College of Pharmacy Health Sciences
• Pitzer College
• Penn State University
• Sophie Davis Biomedical Education Program
• Temple University
• University of Arizona
• University of Connecticut
• University of Pittsburgh
• University of Rochester
• University of California-Merced

New Programs And Program Cancellations

Each year, we see new programs popping up while other programs have been discontinued. One program that accepted its inaugural class was the University of California-Merced’s SJV PRIME+ | BS to MD Pathway. This program, which gives preference to applicants who are residents of and have ties to the San Joaquin Valley, California, will consider high school seniors with a minimum GPA of 3.6 and have selected a major in Biological Sciences, Bioengineering or Chemistry.

Another new program will open its doors in 2024: “Pathway to Medicine” with Indiana University-Indianapolis and IU School of Medicine. The BS/MD program will have seven- and eight-year options for students.

Conversely, two popular programs discontinued or paused their programs: Rice University and Boston University.

Changes In Requirements And Application Procedures

The pandemic disrupted many things, and the BS/MD application procedures were no exception. The interview process was one of the most significant changes we saw during this admissions cycle. Last year, almost all interviews were virtual; however, this year, we saw a mixture of in-person and online interviews. For example, Nova Southeastern University’s BS/DO required students to come to their campus to interview for its program. Students interviewing for Temple University’s Pre-Med Health Scholar Program went through a virtual interview.

There were other changes to the interview format: all of the partnered programs through Suny Upstate Medical School followed a Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) format this year. In the past few cycles, they followed a traditional interview format.

Other programs changed their SAT, ACT, or GPA requirements. The College of New Jersey’s BS/MD program lowered its requirements from a 34 on the ACT to a 31 and 1500 on the SAT to 1400.

Increased Interest In BS/DO Programs

There are options for students interested in joining the medical field: osteopathic medical school and allopathic medical school. Traditionally, allopathic, which leads to an MD degree, have been more popular and seen as more prestigious than an osteopathic (DO) degree.

However, this stigma is beginning to lessen, especially in light of the ACGME merger, which combined MD and DO residencies under one application service. That means more osteopathic graduates are seen at traditionally allopathic residences, further reducing the dive between osteopathic and allopathic training. This will hopefully continue to reduce the bias against osteopathic applicants.

Because of this, more students are considering osteopathic medical schools, such as Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medical School, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medical School and Nova Southeastern University College Of Osteopathic Medicine.

More Competitive Than Ever

BS/MD programs are incredibly competitive, with many accepting just 5-20 students per admission cycle. Programs like the University of Pittsburgh got more than 2000 applicants for just ten spots; Penn State had more than 900 for 20 spots.

Each year, it becomes more challenging to get accepted to a direct medical program. For the 2020-21 cycle, BA/BS+MD Early Assurance Program at Drexel University had nearly 2300 applicants, with 65 ultimately accepted. However, for the 2021-22 cycle, more than 2700 applicants were competing for a seat in the program.

Brown University’s Program in Liberal Medical Education saw a similar increase in applicants. In 2021, 3500 students applied, and in 2022, more than 3,800.

Because of these increases, students have been applying to more direct medical programs than ever. Many students are applying to 10-15 programs hoping to be accepted to one or two. As the programs become increasingly more competitive, students will likely apply to more programs to increase their chances.