May Medical News

By Michaela May 18, 2022 BS/MD Admissions Consulting Newsletter

College decisions are behind us, APs are wrapping up, and college applications are ahead of us. May is a busy month in the college admissions cycle for both graduating seniors and rising seniors with all of these tasks! 

Summer Planning

Did you know? Annually, May is the time of year when the height of our families register with Moon Prep counselors for their expert advice. This allows rising seniors to fully utilize their summers and get a head start on their application essays. The counselors at Moon Prep are here to guide you every step of the way and make the college application process as streamlined and organized as possible. 

Schedule a free consultation to learn how your student can work with an experienced counselor one-on-one, as well as tackle applications in a peer environment with fellow rising seniors at our summer application boot camp – Application iQ.

Summer Programs

Application IQ

Make the most of your summer and start senior year ahead of your peers by joining our virtual application camp.

The college application can be stressful, but getting an early start can make a big difference and give you a competitive edge in the application process. 

Spend your summer at Application iQ working on all the elements of your college applications, including the essays, and start the school year with a head start over your classmates.

With two versions of this application boot camp, a 3 week option for traditional college applicants, and a 5 week option for BS/MD applicants, students are guaranteed to start the application season off on the right foot. 

By the end of the camp, students will: 

  • Create a balanced college list 

  • Write a captivating personal statement and supplemental essays

  • Build an activity list highlighting your achievements

  • Develop organizational skills to help the student stay on track and effectively manage the application process 

Course syllabus and learning objectives can be found here. 

Hurry! Seats are extremely limited and filling up fast. Apply now to secure your spot. 

 

Rising Researchers

At Moon Prep, we are focused on helping our students maximize the items on their resumes to stand out to their top colleges. Our counselors are available to help any students in your household pursue meaningful summer planning. Schedule a free call with Moon Prep to see how we can help!

Are you looking for a resume booster for this summer? Want to earn 2 college credits while completing hands-on research? 

Rising Researchers is a virtual, interactive, research-intensive program where high school students work directly with a scientist from UMass.

This 4-week program is a research experience like no other. This research program offers 2 college credits (transferable to a university of your choice), a certificate of completion, and publication in UMass’s research journal.

By the end of the program, students will have a publication to add to their resumes and include this accomplishment on their college applications. Our experienced team will guide the student through the entire process. 

You can have your research featured in this publication – UMass — High School Research Journal, Summer 2021 

Ready to get started? Don’t wait! Space is limited for the remaining seats- apply now

Admissions News

New Test for Medical School Applicants

Right on the heels of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) introducing a new Situational Judgment Test, PREview, to the medical school application process, the traditional Situational Judgment Test, the Casper test, announced changes of its own. The Casper test has added three questions for a total of fifteen questions, adding length to the time the test takes, but it will still be comprised of both video and word prompts. The biggest change comes in the form of the video questions, where applicants will be expected to record a video answer to six of the questions, where there were only typed responses previously. 

To review the complete list of schools requiring or suggesting the Casper test, visit the Altus Assessments site.   

Osteopathic Schools of Medicine Information Sessions

At Moon Prep, we help students navigate between choosing between the two paths to medicine: allopathic (MD) and osteopathic (DO). Both types of medical school result in graduating as a licensed physician. Osteopathic medicine is less well known and takes a more holistic approach than the traditional route of allopathic medicine. However, both DO and MD physicians are licensed in all 50 states to practice medicine, perform surgeries and prescribe medication. The DO route can be a great addition to the college lists of future doctors. Read more about the differences between these paths to medicine in Moon Prep’s article on Forbes

If you are considering a career in medicine and want to learn more about osteopathic schools, virtual Information Sessions are the perfect place to have all of your questions answered. The University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine is hosting a General Information Session on May 16th, 12pm-1:00pm EDT, and The Campbell University School of Osteopathic Medicine General Information Session will be held on May 18th, 4pm-5pm EDT.

Direct Medical Essays

If BS/MD programs are on your college list, it’s no secret that these programs are competitive, often with as few as five or ten available seats. In fact, students who have done their research on attending a BS/MD program recognize the importance of increasing their odds of admission to these competitive programs, often applying to 12 or more programs in addition to their list of traditional undergraduate programs. It’s also no surprise that these programs require more essays than most traditional undergrad admissions requirements – Rice University’s Medical Scholars Program requires SIX supplemental essays!

Essays are always one of the most stressful components of the college admissions process and many of the rising seniors at Moon Prep have begun work on their Personal Statements with their counselors. If you are looking at a long list of essays ahead of you, schedule a free consultation with a Moon Prep counselor to see how we provide expert help with every step of every essay on your list, and download our Supplemental Essay Brainstorming Guide.

A Diverse Future For Medical School Openings

To meet the demand for doctors highlighted during the pandemic, more medical school openings are being announced each quarter. While we have seen very few announcements for new direct medical programs in the past two years, notably Albion University, traditional medical schools are certainly recognizing the need to produce more doctors in the near future. Recently, we have seen the announcement for the opening of multiple medical schools: 

  • Mercer University School of Medicine opened a new campus in uptown Columbus, expanding its access to primary care in rural and underserved areas. The first incoming class of future physicians arrived on campus in January. There are currently plans of 60 seats in each graduating class.  
  • Xavier University of Louisiana has announced its plans to open its own medical school, the Graduate School of Health Sciences and Medical School. Its goal is to meet the need for greater diversity in the medical profession, following a strong high-ranking tradition from their College of Pharmacy in graduating African-American pharmacists.

Webinars

Thursday, May 26, 8:00 PM ET: How To Get Published in a Scientific Journal While Still In High School

Getting recognized for your scientific research while still in high school might seem like an impossible task.

Moon Prep Counselors will cover how students can build their scientific resume and impress college admissions counselors by completing research, writing a research paper, and getting it published in a scientific journal… all while still in high school!

Register here

Thursday, June 9, 8:00 PM ET: What BS/MD Candidates Need To Do This Summer

Direct medical programs—also known as BS/MD, BA/MD, BS/DO, or BA/DO—are some of the most competitive programs in the college admission process, with some programs only accepting 6 applicants a year. Students accepted into a BS/MD program can finish their undergraduate studies and go directly into medical school thanks to a partnership between the two institutions.

For high school students who already know that they are 100% committed to becoming a doctor, a direct medical program might be the right choice. Students can get accepted into a medical school at the same time as undergraduate programs, giving them a distinct advantage over their peers.

In this webinar, we will cover everything you need to know about BS/MD programs, including:

– Advantages and disadvantages of applying to the program

– When to start preparing

– Building your academic profile

– Extracurricular activities

Register here

 
 

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