Here are a few interview tips that may be particularly useful for high school students applying to a direct medical degree program:

1. Research the program: Be sure to thoroughly research the direct medical program you are applying to, including its curriculum, faculty, and any unique opportunities it offers. This will not only help you understand what sets the program apart from others, but it will also give you a better sense of whether the program is a good fit for you.
   
2. Prepare for common interview questions: Familiarize yourself with common interview questions that may be asked during a direct medical program interview, such as "Why do you want to become a doctor?" or "What do you see as the biggest challenges facing healthcare today?" Practice answering these questions out loud with a friend or family member to feel more comfortable and confident during the actual interview. Use our resource (see Interview Course tab above) to best prepare for the interview!
   
3. Emphasize your passion for medicine: Direct medical programs are highly competitive and often seek students who are deeply committed to pursuing a career in medicine. During the interview, be sure to articulate your passion for the field and explain why you are motivated to become a doctor.
   
4. Demonstrate your readiness for the program: Direct medical programs are demanding and require a high level of academic and personal commitment. During the interview, be sure to highlight any experiences or achievements that demonstrate your readiness for this type of program, such as advanced coursework, research experiences, or leadership roles.
   
5. Ask thoughtful questions: In addition to answering questions during the interview, it's important to also ask thoughtful questions of your own. This will show the interviewer that you have done your research and are genuinely interested in the program. Some examples of good questions to ask might include: "What opportunities does the program offer for clinical experiences?" or "How does the program support students in balancing their academic and personal lives?"
   

In collaboration with InterviewMD, the Direct BSMD Program Interview Mastery Training Series was created in December 2018.

The goal is to prepare a prospective direct medical program applicant, ideally senior in high school, to get ready for what is likely his/her first interview. This training series goes over all the types of questions typically asked and how to prepare for them.

Hundreds of hours were spent in collaboration to perfect the content and to create the video series suitable for any learner: those that need to see the information, read the information, or hear the information. InterviewMD is composed of BS/MD graduates, many of whom have participated in medical school admissions committee process, so are well aware of what is looked for in an applicant. 

We are confident this interview series will improve your performance. Afterward, a mock interview coaching session can help to polish and refine your skills so you are ready to impress on Day 1! This interview series is just one additional step of creation to help facilitate your dream of becoming a physician.

Application season is under way! If you are a high school senior, you should be focusing on these 3 things:

1) Narrow done a list of programs you will be applying to.
2) Ask your letter writers for letters! You want to ask them early so they have time to prepare something well thought out and meaningful.
3) Start writing your essays! One essay will be for the Common App, and the other(s) will be for the BS/MD program’s supplements.

Narrow down
We already provide a list of all the programs on this website, as well as all the important factors that you must keep in mind when applying. However, we recommend creating you own unique list, and double-checking the program’s individual website for all these factors. Create an excel sheet or word document to keep track of this.

Letters:
Ask your letter writers NOW! You want to give them enough time to write a quality letter, and want to ensure that they will have it ready on time.

Essays:
Arguably one of the most important parts of this stage is the essay. You want to make it picture perfect so you can maximize the chances of obtaining interviews and convey who you are to the committee.

This year, I will only be offering 10 seats to senior high school students who want to have their essays reviewed. If you’re interested, email me at hello@directbsmd.com and we can discuss more.

Meanwhile, feel free to browse through the site and all the resource/information provided that we work hard yearly to put together.

As a BS/MD applicant, you are stating at a young age your intent and desire to become a physician. However, many young adults (even students in undergrad or beyond) don't know what they want to pursue. How can I know at the young age of 15 or 16 that this is something I want to commit to for the rest of my life? Great question.

This is a decision not to be taken lightly as you are committing to year of schooling and subsequent training. By the time you are out of school and training (residency), most will be at least 30 years old whereas many of those you went to high school with may have been working for the past 8 years. Some will say the pay differential will be worth it. Many studies indicate this may not be the case, especially with the high level of student debt many students take on.

The purpose of this post is to encourage you to discover if medicine is right for you. First and foremost, you have to have a desire to help others. It has to be an innate desire. Enjoying science also helps. 

1) Start with volunteering at various community service events where you can build and understand your desire to help those that are less fortunate.
2) Then, begin volunteering at a local hospital where you can become engaged with sick patients and help serve them and learn from them. You'll also hopefully be able to interact with physicians and see how meaningful a physician-patient relationship is.
3) Shadow. Contact local physicians or those associated with academic centers to shadow them. Try to shadow in different fields because medicine is a very diverse field. If you don't enjoy working with your hands but then shadow an orthopedic surgeon,  you may not like it, and vice versa. Shadow different doctors to truly gain an understanding for the field and talk to them about the career. More on this in the next post!

I hope this helps give you an understanding of how to decide as a young high school student if medicine is a career for you! Do community service, volunteer, and shadow!
​Questions? Email at hello@directbsmd.com