Mentioning a BS/MD Program When Applying Elsewhere

[PB&Jam]

My senior year of high school, I applied to my state school's Combined BS/MD program and was accepted. We are allowed to apply out without penalty, and I plan on doing so this upcoming cycle. My initial inclination would be to mention it on a resume or application, as it is a very competitive program and (I think) shows a lot about my achievements and passion for medicine. However, I am concerned that this would put me at a disadvantage at other medical schools. I'm worried that they would see that I'm in this program and wonder if I would really leave a very good, significantly less expensive school to go somewhere else. I'm aware that, if I mention it, I will probably be asked about it in my possible interviews. I plan on saying something along the lines of "The program has opened a lot of doors for me, and given me research, clinical exposure, and shadowing opportunities, which I am grateful for and which would have been more difficult to obtain otherwise. However, I believe that staying in [small state, rural area] for this next step in my life would not be the most beneficial option for me. I would love to attend [insert medical school here] because it would offer me the chance to leave my comfort zone, interact with a more diverse population, and have access to clinical and research opportunities that would not be available in [small state, rural area]."

Does anyone have advice or experience with this? Can I convincingly swing this so that I'm not at too much of a disadvantage? Should I add/remove something from what I'm planning to say, or should I not mention it at all?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[order66.exe]

I wouldn't mention it, honestly. This would make you a really low yield applicant in the eyes of a lot of adcoms. The same dilemma is experienced for TX applicants applying OOS: "why would you come here when you have a cheaper, easier and high quality option in your home state?"

I don't think the slight boost you'd get from mentioning it would outweigh the sudden "low-yield" label.

Edit: Thinking about it now, you might have to mention it regardless. If I remember correctly, AMCAS asks if you have ever been accepted to a medical school so the BS/MD might count

 

[PB&Jam]

I wouldn't mention it, honestly. This would make you a really low yield applicant in the eyes of a lot of adcoms. The same dilemma is experienced for TX applicants applying OOS: "why would you come here when you have a cheaper, easier and high quality option in your home state?"

I don't think the slight boost you'd get from mentioning it would outweigh the sudden "low-yield" label.

Edit: Thinking about it now, you might have to mention it regardless. If I remember correctly, AMCAS asks if you have ever been accepted to a medical school so the BS/MD might count

And/or my school's pre-med office may mention it in their committee letter.
However, I talked to my pre-med advisor and he said that they lose a few students (out of 15) from this program to Harvard and Yale almost every year. He told me it will be looked on favorably. He's not generally the most helpful advisor, but that students from this program apply out, get accepted, and matriculate into Harvard and Yale kind of seems to speak for itself...

 

[redferrari]

I mentioned an acceptance in an interview when the interviewer asked if any of the other schools I applied to had interviewed me. He proceeded to call me a showoff. Don't list it unless the application specifies you have to (didn't have that problem when I submitted my primary so I can't remember).

 

[PB&Jam]

I mentioned an acceptance in an interview when the interviewer asked if any of the other schools I applied to had interviewed me. He proceeded to call me a showoff. Don't list it unless the application specifies you have to (didn't have that problem when I submitted my primary so I can't remember).

I'm inclined to think a BS/MD program is a bit different than an acceptance to another medical school. Especially one that freely lets its students apply out. Just my gut feeling.

 

[redferrari]

I'm inclined to think a BS/MD program is a bit different than an acceptance to another medical school. Especially one that freely lets its students apply out. Just my gut feeling.

Be that as it may, its a very similar situation. Remember, its the opinion of the admissions committee, and their opinion may not be the same as yours.

 

[Sgucci]

Don't mention it because your narrow-minded interviewers will just see it as another BS reason to reject you. You don't want to give interviewers more reasons to reject you. The less you say is the better

 

[differentiating]

I applied out as a member of a non-binding BS/MD program, and did not mention that in my application. However, our program had us apply to the affiliated school via AMCAS and would accept us only after our final semester's grades were in, so I never technically had a medical school acceptance on AMCAS; I would check with your program's staff to see how yours works in terms of whether you'd technically have an acceptance. If it is similar to mine in that it doesn't count as a real acceptance, I wouldn't mention it at all.

I do know someone from the program who applied out and wasn't successful, and one of the schools he called for feedback from mentioned that they were turned off by his mentioning of the BS/MD program. They said they wouldn't have known had he not mentioned it, though obviously who knows if they would've accepted him otherwise.

 

[redferrari]

Don't mention it because your narrow-minded interviewers will just see it as another BS reason to reject you. You don't want to give interviewers more reasons to reject you. The less you say is the better

X1000

If you had another S.O. lined up and were dating somebody else, would you want them to know? I feel like applications/interviews are part of a courtship process, so the analogy is 100% relevant.

 

[Sgucci]

X1000

If you had another S.O. lined up and were dating somebody else, would you want them to know? I feel like applications/interviews are part of a courtship process, so the analogy is 100% relevant.

It really is. Interviewing is a worse and less rational version of dating.