<p>Does a lack of national awards such as Intel finalist, semifinalist, etc. seriously hurt your application for a BS/MD program? So many students who apply to these programs have similar top-notch SAT scores, AP scores, GPA, and extracurriculars. Nearly all have been involved in volunteer, shadowing, and research. Therefore, the only distinguishing factors left are the essays, interview, and major awards like these. </p>
<p>I know someone who got into Brown’s program who didn’t have any of those awards, so not having them doesn’t disqualify you. But anyone who is truly competitive for a BS/MD program will, in all likelihood, have no problem getting into med school the old fashioned way.</p>