I’m not sure what has been shared on CC outside of this and a few other threads, but I’m happy to give further info on new info that might be helpful:
Summer Bridge Program: (6 weeks long)
Apparently it’s really strict, you wake up at 6:00am and have full days planned until a three hour study hall ends at 10:00pm (that’s the earliest you can go to sleep). According to current students, you will often work past 10:00, so sleep is minimal. Also, they got in trouble for falling asleep in class and one girl gave me advice to take short power naps in the restroom during class to get in more sleep lol. You can’t bring your phone, you cant have too many spaces in the lines used to walk around campus, and dress code is strict. They told me that consequences for just one person breaking the rules was everyone getting their 1 hr of free time per day taken away or having to write a 10 page paper (yes, everyone). You can’t roam campus as you please, you can’t bring a car. Overall, it sounds very intense, but every person said that it really created strong friendships and was worth it for the program.
Summer internships after freshman year and on:
They talked a lot about REU’s (Research Experiences for Undergrads) which can start after their freshman year. People in the past have been able to study at Vanderbilt, UPenn, Brown, UC-San Diego, UMichigan, and in South Africa, Germany, and Japan (I cant even remember all of the places). With all the people that have been to those schools for research, it is only easier for other MSP students to get placement at them. A huge plus is that they pay for your transportation, housing, dining, and all your basic needs during these REU’s. Plus they give you a stipend (about $5,000).
MSP Graduation Requirements:
-Write a thesis
-Get a 3.5 GPA (If your GPA drops below a 3.5, they will provide a lot of academic counseling and support and may not take away scholarship money immediately)
-Apply to 5 PhD or MD/PhD programs (they offer application counseling all throughout college)
(there are some others, but I forget)
MD/PhD:
-If you are applying to the program and only want to get an MD, you should say that you want an MD/PhD because the program is really geared towards PhD students
-They will not provide support to study for the MCAT or apply to only Med School, so you will need to do that on your own time on top of applying to PhD programs.
-I would avoid saying that your intended major is Pre-med, because it basically let’s them know that you’re not really interested in the PhD part and intend to finesse them throughout college.
What is an MD/PhD?:
-First of all, the benefit is that you don’t have to pay for graduate school because the PhD part covers all costs (including getting your MD), plus MSP has a great reputation for getting people into grad schools like Yale, UPenn, and other top schools.
-When pursing an MD/PhD, one will be simultaneously trying to get both degrees. From what I understand, a person does the first 2 years of medical school, then completes 4 years of a PhD program, then returns to medical school for their final 2 years in practice…so a total of 8 years in grad school verses your normal 4 for an individual MD or PhD program.
Decision Notification: 1.5-2 weeks after interview weekend.
Other Program Info:
-Apparently they have a meeting every Monday with all MSP kids during the school year.
-You cannot join a sorority/fraternity
-you must live on campus for 3 years in an MSP dorm (no-air conditioning)
-you get honors preference when choosing classes
-Their program is modeled after the UMBC meyerhoff program (there is also a program offered at UNC modeled after it)
-You go on field trips during the summer to UNC, hershey park, and some other places.
-Some kids in MSP are also in Schreyer honors college
That’s all I can think of. Again, if anyone has any further questions, I am happy to answer them.