Multiple BS/MD Program Acceptances: How To Choose?

Forbes

02-04-2025

For months, students who applied to BS/MD programs have been anxiously awaiting their application results. Highly competitive, these programs often accept just 1 or 2% of their applicants. Students might feel lucky to be accepted to just one program, let alone multiple. However, each year Moon Prep high school seniors are faced with the difficult choice: how to choose between BS/MD programs?
Choosing the right college can depend on many different factors.
One driving factor in choosing between schools is how much the education will cost. BS/MD program undergraduate costs will vary greatly. For Rutgers-Newark, the total cost of attendance—before scholarships—is $33,324 for in-state students and $52,836 for out-of-state students, while Case Western Reserve University costs $88,686 annually. These differences can have a major impact on a family's financial planning, especially when they factor in the cost of medical school.
Some BS/MD programs offer attractive financial aid options for their undergraduate years. For example, Drew University awards $35,000 scholarships for the student's three years in the undergraduate program. University of Alabama at Birmingham and Texas Tech University offer full scholarships to National Merit Scholarship finalists.
When comparing financial aid, pay close attention to the terms: are the scholarships renewable for all undergraduate years, or are they only for the first year? Understanding the total cost over all academic years, including medical school, is crucial for making an informed decision.
When deciding your school, consider what type of environment you learn best in. Some BS/MD programs are tiny—Caldwell University typically enrolls 1,500 total undergraduate students, which is smaller than some high schools. On the other hand, some BS/MD programs will be at universities that enroll more than 30,000 undergraduates, like the University of Arizona or the University of Oklahoma.
Beyond university size, investigate the class sizes and faculty-to-student ratios. Think about what type of environment you would thrive best in: do you thrive in smaller, discussion-based classes or do you prefer larger lecture halls? Understanding how you learn best will help you decide which program is right for you.
Once again, consider your personal preferences: what type of location would fit your lifestyle best? Think about a rural, city or college town that might give you access to the opportunities you seek during college. While academics are the priority, your happiness outside the classroom is also important and will be influenced by your location.
Additionally, consider travel logistics. How far is the school from home? Is there a nearby airport and how expensive and convenient are the flights? For students attending college far from home, these factors will affect how often you can visit family or friends.
Every BS/MD program will have requirements to stay in the program and progress to medical school, but those requirements will vary widely from program to program. For example, for students in Drexel University's BA/BS+MD Early Assurance Program, the students must:
On the other hand, Brown University's Program in Liberal Medical Education requires students to remain in good academic standing, with no requirement to take the MCAT before matriculating into The Warren Alpert Medical School.
While the ability to skip the MCAT might seem like the most appealing factor for a program, remember that as an aspiring physician, you must take many licensing exams; the learning does not stop! Getting to skip one exam can be a bonus, but taking it might also help you prepare for future exams properly.
Because the requirements can vary so much, it is important to discover what the different requirements are and what will be expected of you before you matriculate into the program.
Some BS/MD programs require students to declare a specific major. For the University of Missouri Kansas-City's BA/MD programs, students must pursue a BA in Biology. In contrast, Hofstra University and George Washington allow students to take any BA or BS major as long as they meet the science requirements.
If you have a strong interest in a non-science field, such as business, public health, or humanities, a program with more flexible major options might be a better fit for you.
The path to become a physician is long and arduous, and some students prefer to take a gap year between undergraduate and medical school. In 2023, according to the Association of American Medical College's (AAMC) 2023 Matriculating Student Questionnaire, 73.2% of students of the traditional pre-med path took at least one gap year, pushing the median age of first-year medical students up to 24 years old.
For BS/MD students, not every program will allow the luxury of taking a gap year, but it is worth looking into if this is a priority for you. Brown University's PLME students can take up to two years of a gap year to pursue opportunities "in other fields such as education, research, public service, government, health care and business." Other programs, like the ones at the University of Illinois at Chicago and Hofstra University, allow students to do a gap year if they finish their undergraduate requirements early.
The undergraduate program isn't the only environment you should be considering as you make your choice. The partnered medical school will have implications on what residency program you will match into after graduation. As you look into medical schools look into the following:
Considering the fit of the medical school is just as important as the undergraduate portion. If possible, talk to current students in the medical school (even if they were not in the BS/MD program) to get a better sense of the school.
Ultimately, choosing a BS/MD program is a highly personal decision, with different factors having more weight than others. A program that is perfect for one student might not be the right fit for another. Consider holistically all the factors, from financial costs, school size and location, major flexibility and medical school fit before you make your final choice. Where you spend the next years of life will influence your happiness and career, so take the time to think critically about this choice to choose the right option for you.