Hey everybody,
I have briefly browsed through all 20 (twenty!) pages of this thread, and as a former BMS and about-to-be current M1A student, I naturally have my "two cents" to through into the discussion. I think that the most important thing to keep in mind when reading about testimonials from former BMS students is that everything is extremely subjective. Those who have received an acceptance are going to be more willing to say that this program is great...blah blah blah. Those who haven't received an acceptance are more likely to accentuate the negatives. Yes, it is true that a smaller amount of people were accepted this year than was historically the norm (albeit it was 10-20 fewer people). However, I would like to emphasize to everybody who is about to start their BMS year the true purpose of a post-baccalaureate Master's program, such as the BMS year. A program like this will not hide deficiencies in extracurricular activities, clinical experiences, a proven desire to become a physician, or a poor MCAT for that matter. A post-baccalaureate's purpose is to prove to medical schools that you can handle a medical school curriculum and to show that some poor grades you earned during your undergraduate years do not adequately reflect your true potential. I think that some people lose sight of that core purpose, and then when they do not get accepted they get salty about it. Therefore, I can not emphasize enough the importance of your AMCAS application. PLEASE spend more time than you think you need to on reading through and editing everything. I honestly think that the amount of time and editing I spent on my AMCAS application was the difference in me getting four interviews in total for the application cycle as well as the difference in me getting an acceptance to CMS (check out Case Western Reserve's podcast on the AMCAS). Everybody gets an interview for CMS, and many people are going to have similar grades as you. So, the only thing that will eventually set you apart will be your AMCAS. Although there have been some negative things said about the BMS program (and I know I'm feeding into my own statement as I have been accepted), the BMS program truly is a great opportunity for those who just "messed up" one or two semesters in undergrad but just know that, if given a chance, he or she could prove that he or she would make a great physician. In closing, my advice to all of you new BMS'ers is thus: don't get discouraged, painstakingly work on that AMCAS, and study hard (harder than you have ever imagined).
