Thank you!
You might also want to add some BS DO schools to your list. Check out the LECOM program. You must apply to a partner school, and get accepted, and to LECOM. I donāt know all the details, but @WayOutWestMom probably knows some as does @momsearcheng whose daughter is currently studying at Rhodes and will be a LECOM DO student as well.
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A counselor is guidance.
In the end, apply to programs of interest. If you get in, great. If not, you can apply after undergrad like most everyone.
You disagree with the guidance. Itās fine. Complete the apps putting forth your best effort, have parallel four year options, and youāll see what happens.
Not really an issue. Their opinion doesnāt match yours. It happens.
Thanks, planning to apply BSDO too.
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And hopefully also planning to apply to some great undergrads where this student can do well and then apply to medical school later. Good to have that plan in the works too. This is especially true because those BSMD and BSDO schools are really so competitive for admissions.
Premed is an option, yes.
Swimming takes A LOT from his experience. 3 hours a day 6 times a week, year round. Honestly it may be the reason why he will not make BSMD. But we do not want him to live his life to please an admission officer. He loves swimming, weāll take a shot. If not, there is always premed.
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IāM sure thatās how most become doctors and Iām sure some BS/MDs donāt make it.
Check this site for other health related careers. All premeds should have a Plan B and a Plan C!
No, it is not useless as it shows commitment, transferable skills, and is something you enjoy. I do not think it will help for BS MD programs (which is fine, imo).
Does the student have shadowing, volunteering, working in underserved communities etc?
The lesson here may be that hiring a BSMD-specific counselor is overkill and saddles you with people who are in the business of monetizing young peopleās ambition.
Perhaps best to work with a general college counselor who is knowledgeable about premed. You canāt put all of your eggs in the BSMD basket anyway, and letting someone negate the value of your commitments and passions and tell you to re-brand your entire life, based on a myopic BSMD lens, is folly.
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I think this is very common. I also think that 2 days of shadowing isnāt enough.
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It is important for your student to work with people in underserved/disadvantaged communities, with people who are different than they are, etc.
Not only is this important for medical school, but it is also necessary for many other careers in health careā¦should they go that route.
it is unclear to me how much of this your student has for a BS MD.
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Music is a common subject taught in general or liberal arts colleges, so why would it not be considered āintellectualā or āacademicā?
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Is he competitive (athletically) for academic D3s? Does he want to swim in college? If so, recruitment to a SLAC might be an option.
Sounds like the counselor is using a cookbook.
Why is a Special Olympics volunteer ānot good?ā
While I canāt speak directly to BSMD programs, I can say that the ādo this, donāt do thatā approach is not necessarily a great plan for many other competitive programs.
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It is not useless, but it wonāt make/break the deal. I assume, your child didnāt do it for the sake of college applications. If he/she is not a recruited athlete then it is a great EC, but not much more than thatā¦
PS. My student is in a similar boat (holds state championship title). It will obviously be listed in her Common App: 4 years of school varsity sport in Activities section and State Championship title in Honors/Awards section. She is proud of this accomplishment, but it is not better than any other activity that shows prolonged commitment and achievement. She has no plans to be recruited (even though a few coaches already reached out to her) but hopes to make a team as a āwalk-inā if it works out with her future college. The plan is also to gain acceptance to a combined medical program (bsmd or bsdo). Yes, sport is part of the resume (definitely not useless!), but healthcare activities are much more important.
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Wow. Itās crazy. I would somewhat get it if your son was in 9th or 10th grade and she was making suggestions on how to strengthen his applicationā¦ But he is about to apply, and those comments seem useless at this pointā¦ Yes, full year of hospital volunteering is better than summer, but this is what he hasā¦
Time to change counselor for sureā¦.
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A counselor is our choice, I am looking for the best fit.
I agree with you