Chance Me/Match Me: Brown PLME

Chance Me / Match Me
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Demographics

  • US Citizen
  • State/Location of residency: MD
  • Public, with STEM program

Intended Major(s): Pre-med, maybe computer science

GPA, Rank, and Test Scores

  • Unweighted HS GPA: 4.00 at the moment
  • Weighted HS GPA: around 4.95? I take all honors classes except for P.E
  • College GPA: (for transfer applicants) N/A
  • Class Rank: N/A
  • ACT/SAT Scores: Haven’t taken it yet, I think maybe a 1560 at best

List your HS coursework

(Indicate advanced level, such as AP, IB, AICE, A-level, or college, courses as well as specifics in each subject)

  • English: Hon English 9 and 10, AP Lang and Lit next 2 years
  • Math: (including highest level course(s) completed) Magnet Precalc, Magnet Calc, Magnet Multivar and other math electives (discrete, etc.) next 2 years
  • Science: (including which ones, such as biology, chemistry, physics) Magnet Physics, Magnet Chem, Magnet Bio, other bio and chem electives in the future, AP CSA equivalent, other CS electives in the future
  • History and social studies: APUSH, APGOV, APWORLD in the future
  • Language other than English: (including highest level completed) Spanish up to level 4
  • Visual or performing arts: orchestra
  • Other academic courses:

aps: gov 4, ush 5, csa 5, calc bc 5
future: bio, chem, psych, lang, stat, world, (senior year:) lit

Awards

Extracurriculars
Paid coach for summer swim team, hospital volunteering, hospital donation nonprofit, girls math competition nonprofit leader, violin + orchestra

this year: HOSA, sci oly, tri m, other music nonprofit in senior center, research on a medical topic, internship, math competition awards (hopefully)

Essays/LORs/Other
maybe 2 strong ones from math teachers?

Schools
ED Brown PLME (dream)
Johns Hopkins (reach)
Rochester BSMD (reach?)
UMD (reach/target)

In general, I know I should get way more experience in medicine, so I’d appreciate any advice on what to add, other schools to consider, and how to get more opportunities thanks!

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It’s definitely difficult to determine if you want to become a physician without having worked directly in patient care. (It’s also difficult to be admitted to a BS MD/DO program without that experience.)

Some potential opportunities (you have to check education and age requirements in your state) include assistant CNA, assistant EMT, dietary aide. Look for volunteer roles not only in hospitals but also clinics for underprivileged patients, nursing homes, through non-profit healthcare agencies, and the like. You might talk with the people you worked with in your hospital volunteer role to get their ideas.

As for schools, you can take pre-med classes at many colleges and major in just about anything provided you take the courses that med schools require. As I’m sure you know, most BSMD programs have acceptance rates in the low single digits. Also, the vast majority of those in medical school did not attend a BSMD program.

I am curious why you categorized UMD as a possible reach? I would ask your counselor how they would categorize your school.

Do you have any financial constraints?

Consider also LECOM BSDO programs at the various schools they partner with.

If you have only two LoRs (which is plenty) both should not be from math teachers.

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It’s hard to chance anyone without a test - when applying to such difficult programs - even UMD.

Keep up the great work.

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You may be aware that UMD has recently introduced a BS-MD program. This should be a much easier acceptance for you, as a Maryland resident, than other BSMD programs.

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Agree that someone (your supervisor?) at the hospital could be a great source of information to find more patient-centered opportunities. Recent successful med school applicants I know have worked at the following:

Hospices
Homeless shelter/soup kitchen
Boys Club/Girls club with a program focused on special needs children
Sexual Assault counselor/volunteer
Food pantry-- sitting in on meetings with social worker and clients to better understand their nutritional needs and challenges

So single opportunity will get you in to med school. But having a broad understanding of the social/health challenges people face and how to listen without judgement to figure out how to help them-- can only help your application.

And the vast majority of physicians in America did NOT do an accelerated program. You can become a fine and caring doctor by going to undergrad, working or doing research for a year or two, and then going to med school. There is LITERALLY no rush. The more maturity before you start working with actual sick or suffering people the better. No extra points for being young. This isn’t gymnastics…

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If you are serious about medical school, then you should budget for a full 8 years of university. You do not want to take even half of this cost as debt if you can possibly avoid it. As such you might want to find out how much your parents can afford over a full 8 years. If it is less than “the full cost of 8 years at private universities” (which might be $800,000 or even $900,000 by the time that you finish) then you need to take the cost of your undergraduate education into account.

And you are in-state for UMD, and it is a very good university and is very good for premed students, and it is also very good for computer science.

If you continue to hold a 4.0 unweighted throughout high school, and if you do get 1500 or better on the SAT, then this might be slightly (and only slightly) better than you need to get into UMD. However, that is okay. The main point of doing so well in high school is not to get into the highest ranked university possible for a bachelor’s degree. Rather, the main point, at least for any student who is likely to be premed, is to be very well prepared to do well in the tough premed classes. Part of this is learning whatever they are teaching in each class, but part of this is to learn very good study skills and to get into the habit of doing very well in every class. This is going to pay off down the road. Also, if doing very well in high school brings in a merit scholarship, this can help you save money that you can use in medical school.

Medical school is a very long path that takes a variety of skills, including academic skills, empathy for your patients, and a strong level of determination. To me it looks like you have a good start on this path. Best wishes.

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After read the link, it seems to be different from traditional BS/MD programs aiming for high school students.

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