I'm an alumnus of the program from a few years ago and am in a USMD program now. I don't think a SMP is for everyone, especially those with average matriculation stats, but I would recommend the program to those who really needed help improving their academic history.
Pros:
- Well-organized curriculum. The coursework, lectures (all recorded for you to watch at home), exams, etc. are all easily assessible and reflective of M1 material (e.g. histology, embryology, and physiology). It helped me figure out what study strategies work for me.
- Program is designed to help you get into med school, including having you pre-write your PS and mock up your AMCAS primary app for review with your advisor. They suggest multiple timelines on when to apply/take the MCAT/etc. They offer mock interviews once you get invites. I had no issues getting my LORs (letter packet) submitted or in meeting with advisors.
- Very reputable program. I got multiple MD IIs afterwards even with a blackhole uGPA.
- It's not loudly advertised, but there is free weekly tutoring for students who are struggling in coursework.
- Unlike some programs (*cough* Georgetown), there is no expiration date for your linkage to BUSM, meaning your app will still be reviewed separately from genpop across multiple cycles.
- Unlike some programs (*cough* RWJMS), there is no uGPA screen to get an interview at BUSM once you complete the program.
- It does not appear that you need a specific MAMS GPA (e.g. >3.9 or whatever) to get an interview at BUSM.
Cons:
- The price tag, obviously. Boston is an expensive city, MAMS is an expensive program, and most people do choose to do the two-year track. (There is little/no price difference between the 1/2 year track because all the required class work is in the first two semesters. The only difference is when you apply and if you need to re/take the MCAT. Most people do the two year program because they take the MCAT after the first year of the program and would need a gap year anyway.)
- It is a HARD program. There is a bit of a curve but not much. The class exam average was often a high C/low B. I'm not sure what the final stats are but a good number of my classmates did not get into any med school.
- Not a ton of support for helping you find ECs if that's something that's missing in your app. No shadowing/clinical connections. Some research connections, but not guaranteed for those in the program. (Boston is a GREAT city for medicine though. Many find scribe positions or find research outside of BU easily.)
- BUSM loves a high MCAT. You can do well in MAMS and not get accepted if your MCAT is too low.
- There is no magic formula for getting accepted into BUSM. I wish there was better transparency about what it takes, but outside of my earlier comment about the MCAT, there doesn't seem to be a major commonality in accepted students.
Overall, I would do the program again. Many of the cons I listed are not specific to MAMS and would occur at many other programs too.
Personally, I would ask myself if I could raise my GPA by doing a DIY post-bacc classes within the same timeline at a cheaper cost before committing. I would also try to round out my ECs so that by the time I enter MAMS, I just need to focus on grades+MCAT. Lastly, I would figure out my **** before entering the program. This means taking care of any mental health issues, family stuff, SO stuff, etc. before going into the program. It's just SO expensive--you can't get distracted while you're doing it. I know it's hard to not just grind forward mindlessly as a premed, but taking a breather year is really good sometimes to recenter, refocus, etc. Not to get all woo but a bunch of people in the program came directly after undergrad and burned out fast under the course load. Just my 2c of course!
