BS/MD Programs, Explained

A BS/MD program lets you apply to college and medical school at the same time. If you get in, you skip the separate medical school application process most students go through later. You're conditionally on track for med school starting freshman year of college. In exchange, you commit early, but keep in mind that spots are limited! Most programs admit a class of ten to thirty students a year out of thousands of applicants.

What is a BS/MD program, exactly?

A BS/MD program combines a Bachelor of Science degree with a Doctor of Medicine degree into one continuous track. Some schools call theirs a BA/MD program instead. Same basic idea — you just earn a Bachelor of Arts before medical school, instead of a Bachelor of Science. A handful of schools offer a BS/DO or BA/DO program. These pair the same kind of undergraduate degree with a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, not an MD. This guide uses "BS/MD" as shorthand for the whole group. Just make sure to check exactly which version a school offers before you apply.

Programs generally fall into one of two structures:

Guaranteed (direct-entry) programs lock in your medical school seat once you're accepted. You just need to keep a minimum GPA and remain in good standing. Brown's PLME is a well-known example. It doesn't even require the MCAT for students who stay in good standing.

Conditional programs are less certain. You'll need to hit specific benchmarks along the way — a target GPA, sometimes a minimum MCAT score — to keep your seat. If you don't hit those benchmarks, you'll re-enter the regular medical school applicant pool like everyone else.

A guaranteed program buys you real peace of mind. A conditional program can still be worth it, especially at a school you'd want to attend regardless. Just go in knowing your seat isn't locked the day you're accepted.

How many years is a BS/MD program?

A BS/MD program still delivers a full bachelor's degree along the way — the same roughly 120 credits every college requires for accreditation. Shorter programs don't cut that requirement. They compress the timeline instead.

Six-year programs ask the most of you. You'll take classes almost every summer, not just fall and spring. Many students also come in with a lot of AP or dual-enrollment credit already on the books, which helps offset the lost semesters. Some upper-level science courses can even double-count toward both your bachelor's degree and your future medical coursework.

Seven-year programs work the same way, just with a little more breathing room. You'll likely still take summer courses most years, but the pace during the regular semesters is closer to normal.

Eight-year programs run the traditional four-plus-four timeline. You get a normal four-year undergraduate experience, and your medical school seat is guaranteed from the start.

How is a BS/MD program different from other paths to medical school?

There are really three main ways to become a doctor, and BS/MD is just one of them.

BS/MD and BS/DO programs work the same way. You apply as a high school senior, and your undergraduate and medical school admission happen together. The only real difference is the degree you end up with. BS/MD leads to an MD (Doctor of Medicine). BS/DO leads to a DO (Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine). Both are fully licensed to practice medicine in every U.S. state. The degree itself doesn't limit what kind of doctor you can become.

Early Assurance Programs (EAPs) work differently. Instead of applying as a high school senior, you apply partway through college — usually sophomore year — after you've already started at that school. Georgetown's EAP is a real example. Eligible sophomores can apply and skip the MCAT, as long as they meet the program's course and GPA requirements.

The traditional pathway is how most future doctors actually get there. You complete a normal four-year college degree. You apply to medical school during junior or senior year, like most applicants do. You take the MCAT along the way. It's the most common path by far, and it keeps every option open the longest.

If you're not sure which path fits, that's normal at sixteen or seventeen. All three are legitimate routes to becoming a doctor. The right one depends on how certain you are, and how much uncertainty you're comfortable carrying through college.

How competitive are BS/MD programs?

BS/MD programs are some of the most competitive tracks in medical school admissions, but the exact number depends a lot on which program you're looking at — even among the largest ones.

For example, UMKC's six-year B.A./M.D. program is one of the largest BS/MD programs in the country by cohort size. It admits a much bigger class each year — 105 to 110 students. Even so, it still only accepts around 7% of its applicants. A bigger class doesn't mean an easier path in.

However, along the traditional path to medical school, only about 43% of applicants who apply after college are accepted. That's a real, wide gap. Getting into one of the largest BS/MD programs is still several times harder than getting into medical school the traditional way.

However, two things are true at once. Most applicants won't be selected by admissions committees. And a strong traditional premed path — good grades, real extracurricular activities, a well-timed MCAT — gets you to the same destination just as reliably. It just takes a slightly longer timeline, sometimes including a gap year. A BS/MD program, often offered alongside an honors college, is one route to becoming a doctor. It isn't the only one, and it isn't a referendum on whether you'll make it. Moreover, students applying to BS/MD programs should still apply broadly to other undergraduate programs to keep their options open.

Once you have a BS/MD seat, can you still apply to other medical schools?

Sometimes. Some guaranteed programs do let you "apply out" to other medical schools later in college. However, doing so typically means giving up your reserved seat at the original school. Some programs don't allow it at all. If keeping that door open matters to you, it's worth asking directly during your research. Policies vary a lot from program to program, and they change over time.

What are some BS/MD programs I should know?

Below are 20 of the largest and most notable BS/MD programs in the country. Between them, they cover every real type of program you'll run into. Some are ultra-competitive Ivy League pathways, others are strong research-focused programs, and some are larger regional programs, which admit bigger classes each year.

Each entry below covers the trade-offs that actually matter when you're comparing programs. Some waive the MCAT entirely; others expect a score above 515. Some let you apply to other medical schools later without losing your seat, and others don't. Read the fine print before you build your list around any one program.

Some students can get caught up in being accepted to the "best" program. "Best" isn't necessarily the right question, but rather, "what is the best fit for me?" Four things tend to actually separate one program from another, and they don't always move together.

How much freedom you get over your major. Some programs, like Brown's PLME and the University of Rochester's REMS, let you study almost anything — no fixed pre-med course load eating up your whole schedule, no required major. Others are more structured about what you take and when.

Whether the MCAT is required at all. Brown and Rochester both waive it entirely for students in good standing. That's a real, specific benefit worth asking about directly for any program you're considering, since it isn't universal.

What happens if you change your mind about the school. This is where programs differ the most, and it's worth reading the fine print rather than assuming. Brown lets you apply to other medical schools later on, but doing so means giving up your PLME seat (see the section above). Case Western's PPSP is more forgiving. Students are explicitly free to apply elsewhere or change their career plans without losing their standing at Case Western itself. Every program handles this differently, so this is a real question to ask, not something to guess at.

How small the cohort is. This is where the range gets extreme. Rochester's REMS admits around ten students a year, out of roughly two thousand applicants — an acceptance rate under 1%, even narrower than Brown's. UMKC's six-year program, by contrast, admits over a hundred students a year (see the competitiveness section above). A smaller cohort isn't automatically "better" — it just means fewer seats and a more concentrated peer group.

These programs can be very hard to get into. The more applications you send, the better your odds. Consider how many options there are: Penn State's combined program with Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, as well as options affiliated with Howard University College of Medicine, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Florida Atlantic University, the University of New Mexico, or Albany Medical College… All of these and more are worth knowing. It's a good option, especially if a seven-year timeline or a specific institution like the University of Connecticut medical school appeals to you.

Should your student apply to a BS/MD program?

Your student doesn't need to have everything figured out to start exploring it. What actually helps at this stage is logistics, not pressure. That means understanding what each program requires — course load, standardized tests like the SAT or ACT, letters of recommendation, a personal statement, usually an interview. Early planning is absolutely key to these programs and admissions. It means knowing the application deadlines, which mostly follow the regular college timeline. And it means helping your student build a realistic college list that includes both direct medical programs and strong traditional pre-med options.

If your student decides a BS/MD program isn't the right fit, or doesn't get in, nothing about their path to medicine closes. It just runs through college first, the way it does for most future doctors.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is a BS/MD program?

A combined undergraduate and medical school track that admits students straight out of high school, conditionally securing a medical school seat before they've even started college.

How many years is a BS/MD program?

Most run six, seven, or eight years, depending on the school. Shorter programs compress the timeline; longer ones preserve a fuller college experience while still guaranteeing the medical school seat.

What's the difference between a guaranteed and a conditional BS/MD program?

A guaranteed acceptance program locks in your medical school seat once you're accepted, as long as you stay in good academic standing. A conditional program requires you to hit specific benchmarks — usually a GPA and sometimes an MCAT score — to keep your seat.

How competitive are BS/MD programs?

Very. Brown's PLME, for example, admits around 2% of applicants — comparable to some of the most selective outcomes in undergraduate admissions.

Can I apply to other medical schools if I already have a BS/MD seat?

Sometimes, but it usually means giving up your original seat. Policies vary by program, so it's worth confirming directly.

What are the best BS/MD programs?

It depends on what you're looking for. Brown's PLME, Case Western's PPSP, and the University of Rochester's REMS program are among the most frequently discussed currently-active options.

What happens if I don't get into a BS/MD program?

Nothing closes. If you don't get a BS/MD acceptance, depending on the undergraduate program you choose, you may have an EAP option and you always have the traditional option of applying.