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WPI BME program good for grad school and industry but what about med school admisions?
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Medical school admissions is based more on GPA and MCAT scores than the school attended or major taken. Generally, it is almost necessary to have a 3.6+ GPA and a 32+ MCAT if one wants to be competitive for US allopathic (MD) medical schools. One can generally major in any rigorous disciplines that interests them as long as they fulfill a required curriculum (which typically includes biology, chemistry, organic chemistry, physics, and some mathematics).
Having attended WPI as opposed to another university (or vice versa) will not likely make a student more qualified for medical school although the projects at WPI, if done very well, could be a significant plus on a student's medical school applications. The pre-med curriculum here is fairly well structured and covers the required material (and more) for medical school admissions.
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Does the no record grading system put the WPI grad at a disadvantage in med school admission.. Any thoughts on BME vs BIO as a major selection for premed?
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The grading system doesn't really put WPI at a disadvantage although having a +/- could further distinguish stronger students form slightly weaker students. Virtually nobody here takes advantage of the NR system to benefit his/her GPA. Students who get NR's are either lazy or genuinely struggling a lot. If a student gets more than 2 NR grades a year, he/she loses scholarships and/or financial aid. Furthermore, the faculty who write recommendations for the student would likely be aware that they took advantage of the system.
The major does not really matter as long as the student performs strongly in the major; doing a major you like typically helps you to do well. BME involves some Mechanical Engineering, ECE, or other engineering as well as concepts of biotechnology while biology/biotechnology focuses more on an understanding of the basic science and laboratory applications.
