Hey all,
I'm currently an M2 at CMS and a former BMSer. The BMS program went through some changes since my two years out so I'll have to check on those changes from when I was a student. Here's the link for the actual program to knock off any questions about numbers or the program itself:
http://www.rosalindfranklin.edu/Degreeprograms/BiomedicalSciences.aspx
Here were my stats going into BMS applications:
General story: I switched majors from ChemE to something more attuned to my skills/career interests. You could say that I couldn't cut it as a ChemE, and that'd be true. But you can also say that I hated my major and it never really "clicked" with me. Either way, ChemE didn't work out and my GPA took a hit. Long story short, going into my Junior year, Health care was on my radar and Med School was a longshot but I thought, "Why not? I'll give it a shot". My adviser told me, "The road to Medical School is always open until you decide to close it". Well the door was barely open, so I went through a window --> SMP Route, BMS Program at RFUMS.
Application Stats: I applied really early and got wait-listed actually around April/May 2012, but the admissions person I talked with said that's OK because the bulk of acceptances including mine came June (Memory is hazy here but that was roughly the timeline).
Stats (I cringe when I see these lol):
cGPA: 3.3
sGPA: 3.0 (Might have been 2.9 something, I can't remember...point is these were LOW)
-Note, this was low due to my ChemE troubles, after I made the switch to MCB semester GPAs ranged from 3.66-4.00 and I just really got into my major's content
MCAT1: 26M (PS 8, V9, BS9)
MCAT2 + Princeton Review: 31Q (PS10, V10, BS11)
Other: Volunteering 100+ hrs, Research post-undergrad for the Summer in a Phase 2 Clinical Trial (this was the highlight of my AMCAS and application), 5K/10K runner, A few exec positions in student organizations, random service acts through organizations etc.
As you can see, the stats were the big reason why SMP was really my only option. And it worked out well. The BMS program was the most challenging and most rewarding academic year I've ever had. I got in in the 2nd round of acceptances during BMS 2013 (and I honestly believed I should've been accepted in the 1st round, but cardio-pulmonary physio destroyed me haha).
I want to highlight that I'm not a bad student; I'm actually an excellent student when I'm learning stuff I actually care about lol. The most important thing to end this lengthy post on for you guys and gals is this: BMS was worth it for me. In fact, I feel that the SMP route was the only way Med school or even any professional health school would've happened. Personally, I feel like that intense year helped me cultivate a higher level of critical thinking that took me to the level where I needed to be for Med school or for a professional health school, in general. I'm an M2 on Fall Break, and I'm happy to report that I'm getting straight A's (if you give me the 15% mandatory practical sessions in path lol) and I got back onto this forum because I started making my USMLE Step 1 schedule for Dec-Jan. I say this because a former BMS grad with half a med school course load CAN be as successful as a traditional med student that second year. I feel that I transitioned very well myself.
General advice:
-Is SMP/BMS the best route for you? Can your application skip this extra year of tuition and time to get into a med school as a "traditional" student?
-If so, get your application in early to better your chances of getting in.
I hope to help you gals and guys out with my experiences as former BMSer, but please take whatever I say with a grain of salt. My experience was different from say a person that got in the 1st round and a person who didn't get in at all. Best of luck to you all!
