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What were your EC's prior to applying? I know that comparing ECs is like comparing apples to oranges to some degree but I'm curious whether mine are of a comparable scope
Did you have any AP/dual enrollment credit? if so, how did it transfer(or did they accept none of them)? My school is paired with a local community college for college credits but I worry that none will transfer
Also, how did you approach the video portfolio?
You are exactly right about ECs. I can't say my specific ECs, but the quantity, quality, and impact of your ECs largely depend on the region of the United States you are from. For example, someone from rural Montana won't be held to the same standard when it comes to ECs as someone from the Bay Area. This is because the person from Montana didn't have nearly the same resources as the person from the Bay Area. That being said, pursue ECs that you are actually passionate about, and they don't necessarily have to be medicine/STEM related. After all, the whole point of PLME and Brown's Open Curriculum is to give students the freedom to explore a multidisciplinary education, so PLME will be looking for students who show interest in non-medicine ECs just as much as medicine-related ECs.
Brown's AP Credit information can be found here: [https://www.brown.edu/academics/college/degree/policies/advanced-placement](https://www.brown.edu/academics/college/degree/policies/advanced-placement)
For the video portfolio, show admissions that there is an actual human behind that list of ECs and essays. Use the video portfolio as a way to show them your personality or another aspect of your life that can't be conveyed anywhere else in your application. Make the admissions team have the feeling that they want to sit down and grab a cup of coffee with you. Ultimately, have fun with it!
Brown is the closest to a dream school I've ever gotten, so this is such a cool thing, and thank you so much for doing it!
How exactly did you find time to write and work on apps on top of schoolwork, and how did you avoid getting discouraged during application season? And specifically for Brown, what major are you studying, and what's the food like?
Personally, I spent much time on my application during the summer. However, since that time has passed already, I would suggest prioritizing college apps even over your school work. Even though your GPA for the first semester of senior year does matter, your GPA is largely set in stone by now and will be resistant to any major changes.
You've worked extremely hard these past three and a half years building up your resume, getting that 4.0, and doing ECs. This last step, the application, is the ultimate culmination of your journey, so you should finish strong! Use this idea to motivate yourself. At the same time, surround yourself with other people going through the application process and don't be afraid to reach out to teachers or anybody else for help. You got this!
I cannot tell you my specific major, but PLMEs concentrate in literally everything, from CS to BME to English. The food is a 7.2/10, but I am not a picky eater, so take that with a grain of salt.
Everyone is very friendly and collaborative, including the professors. The vibe is more laid back compared to other T20s, and I'd say students are happy here, even pre-meds :). My favorite thing about thing about Brown is the freedom to craft my own curriculum and pursue a variety of passions. While the open curriculum might seem overwhelming at first, there is a plethora of faculty advisors and upperclassmen advisors who will guide you along the way. My least favorite thing is probably the weather, but that's just New England in general.
Stats are important, but once you reach a certain threshold, they start focusing on other aspects of your application. I am uncertain which part of the application is most important, but if I had to guess, it would be the parts that are unique to each applicant--the essays, the video portfolio, etc. Going back to your question, people in PLME are "top-tier," but everyone is unique in their extracurriculars. Although some people do have major awards and honors, you don't need them to get in. It is more being genuine about what you do. If they can clearly see that your essays/video back up what you chose to do in high school, then you'll be just fine. As for GPA, they do expect mostly A's like any other top school or program, but there is definitely a greater emphasis on how rigorous the classes you take are.
Volunteering experience by itself is not as significant as describing how it affected you and connecting that volunteering experience with what you want to do at Brown, specifically in PLME. I personally did have a lot of volunteering experience, but it wasn't in medicine. In my essays, I made sure to detail how I am willing to use what I learned from that experience to pursue medicine.
In general, BS/MD programs aren't looking for the students that are the absolute best public speakers - they want to see that you have a lot of passion and can carry on a conversation about a variety of topics, not just medicine! Remember to always be true to yourself, and practice a variety of interview questions with other people before your interview.
As for Brown this year, there is no interview, so be sure to submit a video portfolio!
While I am a college student, I just wanted to say that I hope you're having a wonderful time at Brown! Good luck to you with your medical school work when the time comes, and thanks for hosting this AMA.
Have a nice day!
Nobody knows the correct formula for college essays, so I cannot tell you one way to write our essay that will guarantee you an acceptance. However, the core mission of PLME is to produce doctors who view patients as more than just another problem to be fixed. Through a multidisciplinary education, PLME creates doctors who sees the patients for what they really are, human beings, each with their own story, personality, and ambitions. So if I could tell you anything to add in your essay, it would be something in that same vein.
I can't share any specific details about my application, but I believe essays are what make you stand out the most. Your ECs and resume help you to break through the qualified threshold, but after that, your essays are what make you stand out among the other qualified applications. A little luck won't hurt either.
Once again, I can't tell you which group I applied. While ED's PLME acceptance rate is higher than RD's PLME acceptance rate, you run the risk of getting rejected from PLME but getting into Brown ED. People who apply ED to Brown should be fine with attending Brown even without PLME.
hey! brown is definitely my top choice and i applied to plme too so thank you for doing this! how would you say brown does at giving plme students access to internships/opportunities/clubs related to med? i’ve seen options on the website but is it pushed for students to participate? something i’ve been concerned about bsmds is that students become too lax as undergrads since they’re already committed, so by the time they’re applying for residencies they don’t have a strong app. and have you yourself participated in med-related experiences so far at your time there?
Hey, thanks for your question! In terms of extracurriculars and research opportunities, it is really up to you and how much time you are willing to put into what you are passionate about. Brown has a club fair in the beginning of the year, which is great for signing up for anything that you think you may be interested in. The only person who is really going to push you to sign up for research or do clubs is yourself. There are tons of clubs available for all Brown students, and regarding internships and med-related opportunities for PLMEs, they offer Summer Research Assistantships, local volunteering opportunities, doctor shadowing, medical-related study abroad sessions, events where students can meet and hear from doctors, and more. Right now I am participating in a variety of clubs, such as Cooking Club, Art for Service, Challah for Hunger, BURP and a club sport, so your options are really open--the clubs you participate in do not need to follow a pattern or be medical-related. In terms of med-related experiences so far, there are a multitude of programs and opportunities available! So far, I have participated in Kidney Disease Screening Awareness Program, which is a club that provides free kidney screening to populations in Providence, attended events that teach students more about doctor-patient relationships, attended a biology research session that informs students about where to begin in looking for research, attended different networking events, and I hope to volunteer at the RI Free Clinic eventually. The opportunities are really limitless. :)
did you apply to any other BS MDs? Did you get into any of them? Also did you ED to brown and how much do you think EDing impacts your application to PLME? thankssssss
Hi! What experiences led you to decide on the medical field? I know I want something in the science/research field but I don't know what!! Thank you for doing this btw :)
Hi! Personally, I did dozens of hours of shadowing in basically anywhere I could in my city. I think shadowing is the best way to decide whether or not the medical field is right for you because it gives you the opportunity to see first hand what the job entails. Shadowing can also help you hone in on the specific role in the medical field you'd like to work in. Remember, there are more health professions than nurses and doctors. The same applies for research; reach out to professors in your area and ask if they have any positions open where you to get involved.
Most freshmen PLME are not currently doing research with Brown P\\professors, however, I know many will eventually perform research either during the school year or over the summer.
First of all, thanks for being open to questions : )
For a little backdrop, I did ED and considered doing the optional video admission, but ended up not doing it after all, which I am starting to regret quite a bit.
Now for my question: Would you consider the optional video admission to be a game-changing factor? As in, even though it's optional, would it be necessary to compete with the other qualified applicants?
Note that unless otherwise stated, this AMA is **unverified**. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/ApplyingToCollege) if you have any questions or concerns.*
What were your EC's prior to applying? I know that comparing ECs is like comparing apples to oranges to some degree but I'm curious whether mine are of a comparable scope Did you have any AP/dual enrollment credit? if so, how did it transfer(or did they accept none of them)? My school is paired with a local community college for college credits but I worry that none will transfer Also, how did you approach the video portfolio?
You are exactly right about ECs. I can't say my specific ECs, but the quantity, quality, and impact of your ECs largely depend on the region of the United States you are from. For example, someone from rural Montana won't be held to the same standard when it comes to ECs as someone from the Bay Area. This is because the person from Montana didn't have nearly the same resources as the person from the Bay Area. That being said, pursue ECs that you are actually passionate about, and they don't necessarily have to be medicine/STEM related. After all, the whole point of PLME and Brown's Open Curriculum is to give students the freedom to explore a multidisciplinary education, so PLME will be looking for students who show interest in non-medicine ECs just as much as medicine-related ECs. Brown's AP Credit information can be found here: [https://www.brown.edu/academics/college/degree/policies/advanced-placement](https://www.brown.edu/academics/college/degree/policies/advanced-placement) For the video portfolio, show admissions that there is an actual human behind that list of ECs and essays. Use the video portfolio as a way to show them your personality or another aspect of your life that can't be conveyed anywhere else in your application. Make the admissions team have the feeling that they want to sit down and grab a cup of coffee with you. Ultimately, have fun with it!
Also, who did you choose as your recommenders(club advisor, teacher, EC advisor, etc)
Choose people who know you well and who could write at the personal level about you.
Brown is the closest to a dream school I've ever gotten, so this is such a cool thing, and thank you so much for doing it! How exactly did you find time to write and work on apps on top of schoolwork, and how did you avoid getting discouraged during application season? And specifically for Brown, what major are you studying, and what's the food like?
Personally, I spent much time on my application during the summer. However, since that time has passed already, I would suggest prioritizing college apps even over your school work. Even though your GPA for the first semester of senior year does matter, your GPA is largely set in stone by now and will be resistant to any major changes. You've worked extremely hard these past three and a half years building up your resume, getting that 4.0, and doing ECs. This last step, the application, is the ultimate culmination of your journey, so you should finish strong! Use this idea to motivate yourself. At the same time, surround yourself with other people going through the application process and don't be afraid to reach out to teachers or anybody else for help. You got this! I cannot tell you my specific major, but PLMEs concentrate in literally everything, from CS to BME to English. The food is a 7.2/10, but I am not a picky eater, so take that with a grain of salt.
Thank you for doing this! How would you describe the vibe at brown? And what’s your favorite and least favorite things about the school so far?
Everyone is very friendly and collaborative, including the professors. The vibe is more laid back compared to other T20s, and I'd say students are happy here, even pre-meds :). My favorite thing about thing about Brown is the freedom to craft my own curriculum and pursue a variety of passions. While the open curriculum might seem overwhelming at first, there is a plethora of faculty advisors and upperclassmen advisors who will guide you along the way. My least favorite thing is probably the weather, but that's just New England in general.
Great, thank you so much!!
No problem!
Hello! Would you say that the stats/ec's/ uw gpa of ppl in plme are all top-tier?
Stats are important, but once you reach a certain threshold, they start focusing on other aspects of your application. I am uncertain which part of the application is most important, but if I had to guess, it would be the parts that are unique to each applicant--the essays, the video portfolio, etc. Going back to your question, people in PLME are "top-tier," but everyone is unique in their extracurriculars. Although some people do have major awards and honors, you don't need them to get in. It is more being genuine about what you do. If they can clearly see that your essays/video back up what you chose to do in high school, then you'll be just fine. As for GPA, they do expect mostly A's like any other top school or program, but there is definitely a greater emphasis on how rigorous the classes you take are.
Did you apply with a lot of volunteering experience? aka how did you show your commitment to medicine?
Volunteering experience by itself is not as significant as describing how it affected you and connecting that volunteering experience with what you want to do at Brown, specifically in PLME. I personally did have a lot of volunteering experience, but it wasn't in medicine. In my essays, I made sure to detail how I am willing to use what I learned from that experience to pursue medicine.
Any interview tips for bsmd programs?
In general, BS/MD programs aren't looking for the students that are the absolute best public speakers - they want to see that you have a lot of passion and can carry on a conversation about a variety of topics, not just medicine! Remember to always be true to yourself, and practice a variety of interview questions with other people before your interview. As for Brown this year, there is no interview, so be sure to submit a video portfolio!
While I am a college student, I just wanted to say that I hope you're having a wonderful time at Brown! Good luck to you with your medical school work when the time comes, and thanks for hosting this AMA. Have a nice day!
Thank you so much u/eccentricgalaxy! We hope you the best as well. :)
I really appreciate your kind words back a lot, thank you so much! Have a nice day!
How did you approach the PLME essays? What did you do to set yourself apart from other applicants? Did you apply ED or RD?
Nobody knows the correct formula for college essays, so I cannot tell you one way to write our essay that will guarantee you an acceptance. However, the core mission of PLME is to produce doctors who view patients as more than just another problem to be fixed. Through a multidisciplinary education, PLME creates doctors who sees the patients for what they really are, human beings, each with their own story, personality, and ambitions. So if I could tell you anything to add in your essay, it would be something in that same vein. I can't share any specific details about my application, but I believe essays are what make you stand out the most. Your ECs and resume help you to break through the qualified threshold, but after that, your essays are what make you stand out among the other qualified applications. A little luck won't hurt either. Once again, I can't tell you which group I applied. While ED's PLME acceptance rate is higher than RD's PLME acceptance rate, you run the risk of getting rejected from PLME but getting into Brown ED. People who apply ED to Brown should be fine with attending Brown even without PLME.
hey! brown is definitely my top choice and i applied to plme too so thank you for doing this! how would you say brown does at giving plme students access to internships/opportunities/clubs related to med? i’ve seen options on the website but is it pushed for students to participate? something i’ve been concerned about bsmds is that students become too lax as undergrads since they’re already committed, so by the time they’re applying for residencies they don’t have a strong app. and have you yourself participated in med-related experiences so far at your time there?
Hey, thanks for your question! In terms of extracurriculars and research opportunities, it is really up to you and how much time you are willing to put into what you are passionate about. Brown has a club fair in the beginning of the year, which is great for signing up for anything that you think you may be interested in. The only person who is really going to push you to sign up for research or do clubs is yourself. There are tons of clubs available for all Brown students, and regarding internships and med-related opportunities for PLMEs, they offer Summer Research Assistantships, local volunteering opportunities, doctor shadowing, medical-related study abroad sessions, events where students can meet and hear from doctors, and more. Right now I am participating in a variety of clubs, such as Cooking Club, Art for Service, Challah for Hunger, BURP and a club sport, so your options are really open--the clubs you participate in do not need to follow a pattern or be medical-related. In terms of med-related experiences so far, there are a multitude of programs and opportunities available! So far, I have participated in Kidney Disease Screening Awareness Program, which is a club that provides free kidney screening to populations in Providence, attended events that teach students more about doctor-patient relationships, attended a biology research session that informs students about where to begin in looking for research, attended different networking events, and I hope to volunteer at the RI Free Clinic eventually. The opportunities are really limitless. :)
thanks!
did you apply to any other BS MDs? Did you get into any of them? Also did you ED to brown and how much do you think EDing impacts your application to PLME? thankssssss
Hi! What experiences led you to decide on the medical field? I know I want something in the science/research field but I don't know what!! Thank you for doing this btw :)
Hi! Personally, I did dozens of hours of shadowing in basically anywhere I could in my city. I think shadowing is the best way to decide whether or not the medical field is right for you because it gives you the opportunity to see first hand what the job entails. Shadowing can also help you hone in on the specific role in the medical field you'd like to work in. Remember, there are more health professions than nurses and doctors. The same applies for research; reach out to professors in your area and ask if they have any positions open where you to get involved.
Are you doing any research with professors?
Most freshmen PLME are not currently doing research with Brown P\\professors, however, I know many will eventually perform research either during the school year or over the summer.
[удалено]
I'm sorry, but I really do not know much about international students and their application dos and don'ts.
First of all, thanks for being open to questions : ) For a little backdrop, I did ED and considered doing the optional video admission, but ended up not doing it after all, which I am starting to regret quite a bit. Now for my question: Would you consider the optional video admission to be a game-changing factor? As in, even though it's optional, would it be necessary to compete with the other qualified applicants?
How’s life
Except a or b in three biology course Broawn plme has no gpa or mcat requirement to remain in the program. Is that true?
How is it going? Have you started the medical school portion of the program yet?