This page serves as a high-yield resource for Boston University Medical School. The information from this page is a GOLDEN resource. We’ve compiled it from Boston University (BU) medical school acceptance rate data, the Boston University med school website, and most importantly, from Boston University med students themselves! You will have facts such as admissions statistics, but you’ll get an insider perspective about the curriculum.
Whether you’re comparing medical schools that you have been accepted to, preparing for an interview, or wanting to learn more about BU med school, this keep reading!
If you have questions about Boston University Medical School, contact us down below.
WHY CHOOSE BOSTON UNIVERSITY MEDICAL SCHOOL?
The most common reasons we’ve heard from students:
- Serves a very diverse patient population
- Students are interested in community health and the communities they serve
- Diverse physician and student body
- Research environment
- Work with the underserved. As the Boston University medical school secondary application asks, why are you interested in working with a safety net hospital?
Applications
The Boston University Medical School Secondary Application consists of several long essays. The BU secondary essay prompts are different than other medical schools, because they place an emphasis on serving the underserved community around Massachusetts, particularly Boston. Boston Medical Center is one of the main hospitals that serves Boston’s underserved, and BU Med School wants to recruit like-minded students. It’s important to read this blog post to gain more insight about BU Med’s unique curriculum and opportunities.
For the Boston University School of Medicine secondary application essays, we want to note that you should definitely answer the optional question. We knows it’s already a long, draining secondary in the middle of a grueling secondary application cycle. But, we want to encourage you to keep going – it’s important! Answering the optional BU secondary essay gives you yet another opportunity to express passions and to give more examples of your interactions with patients.
Read more of our Boston University medical school secondary app tips.
Boston University Medical School Secondary Application Essay Prompts:
Essay 1) Are you expecting to go on to medical school directly after completing your undergraduate degree? (1,400 characters)
Essay 2) If you have spent more than 4 years as an undergraduate, please explain below (1,400 characters).
Essay 3) Please provide a narrative or timeline to describe any features of your educational history that you think may be of particular interest to us. For example, have you lived in another country or experienced a culture unlike your own, or worked in a field that contributed to your understanding of people unlike yourself? Or, have you experienced advanced training in any area, including the fields of art, music, or sports? This is an opportunity to describe learning experiences that may not be covered in other areas of this application or your AMCAS application. It is not necessary to write anything in this section. Also use this section to explain any impact that COVID-19 may have had on your educational/research/volunteering or employment plans (2,000 characters).
[Cracking Med School Admissions tip: Read our blog post How To Write An Autobiography For Medical School]
Essay 4) Boston Medical Center is the largest safety net hospital in New England, serving primarily people who are publicly insured, people of color, immigrants, and low-income people in the Greater Boston Area. Why are you specifically interested in beginning your medical education in this environment, and how do you feel that your previous experiences will prepare you for this unique learning environment (3,000 characters).
Essay 5) (OPTIONAL) Use the space below to provide additional information you feel will provide us with a comprehensive understanding of your strengths as a candidate for a career in medicine. This should include only information NOT already included in your AMCAS or other sections of the BUSM Supplemental Application. Most applicants leave this blank (3,000 characters).
If you have questions about the Boston University Medical School’s secondary application, email us at info@crackingmedadmissions.com or contact us.
NEED HELP WITH EDITING YOUR
BU SECONDARY ESSAYS?
Get the Cracking Med School Admissions team’s expertise through our secondary essay editing packages. If you have questions, email us at info@crackingmedadmissions.com or contact us.
Boston University Medical School
Interview Format
BU Medical School interviews are one-on-one traditional format.
To ace your traditional interview, you need to know how to answer common medical school interview questions. It’s important to practice, practice, practice.
Cracking Med Resources for Interviews:
- How to answer “Tell me about yourself” Medical School Interview Question
- How to answer “Why this Medical School?”
- 43 Questions To Ask Your Medical School Interviewers
- Download our Cracking Med School Admissions interview guide below
Contact us if you want to schedule a mock interview with our Cracking Med School Admissions team! Take a look at our interview packages.
download your interview guide
If you are prepared, the interview gives you the perfect opportunity to standout and shine by sharing with people what you are passionate about.
Boston University Medical School Acceptance Rate
Boston University Medical School Admissions Statistics:
- Boston University Medical School Average GPA: 3.74
- Boston University Medical School Average MCAT: 517 (130 chemical & physical / 128 critical analysis / 129 biological & biochemical / 130 psychological, social)
How did Boston University Medical School Students Do on Their USMLE Step Exams?
- Average Boston University Medical School USMLE Step 1 Percentage Passing Rate: 97%
- Average Boston University Medical School USMLE Step 2 Score: 250
Source: U.S. News
Your medical school application Coaches, Mentors, & Cheerleaders
We Personally Advise Every Student We Work With
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Awards & Scholarships
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Each year, the Cracking Med School Admissions team
helps students get accepted to top medical schools.
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The Insider's View on Boston University Medical School's Pre-clinical years
How to Get Into Boston University Medical School – Know the Curriculum
Boston University Medical School Curriculum Overview:
As a BU med student, your first two years are spent as a pre-clinical student, mainly learning through lectures. You start learning clinical skills through the “Introduction to Clinical Medicine” course. The 3rd and 4th years are spent in clinical rotations.
Outside of the classroom, BU medical school students are extremely engaged with the Boston community. Many work with Boston Medical Center to help decrease healthcare disparities within the BMC’s patient population. Others volunteer for various organizations around Boston.
Boston University Medical School Pre-Clinical Curriculum:
The first year at BU Med School focuses on foundational science and normal anatomy & physiology.
The blocks during the first year of med school are:
- Gross Anatomy
- Histology
- Human Behavior in Medicine
- Biochemistry
- Physiology
- Genetics
- Neuroscience
- Endocrinology
- Immunology
The second year at BU med school are organ-based classes.
Unique highlights about pre-clinical years:
- Pre-clinical curriculum is 1.5 years instead of 2 years
- Scholarly project opportunities
- Ability to work with the New York City community and several non-profits around the area
Unique Degree Programs Offered at BU:
- MD/PhD
- MD/MPH
- MD/MBA
- MD/MSCI
- MD/JD
Taking Time Off:
Most MD candidates at BU graduate within 4 years. There is less flexibility in the curriculum to take time off, even in the 4th year, because of the large work-load of clinical requirements. Some med students to pursue an MPH or MBA while they are med students by taking an extra year to graduate from medical school.
What students are saying about Boston University Medical School
The Insider's View on BU Medical School's clinical Years
Boston University Medical School Clinical Curriculum:
During the 3rd and 4th years of medical school, students are in clinical rotations.
The third year curriculum consists of:
- Internal Medicine (8 weeks)
- Surgery (8 weeks)
- Pediatrics (6 weeks)
- OB-GYN (6 weeks)
- Psychiatry (6 weeks)
- Family Medicine (6 weeks)
- Elective (4 weeks of radiology, emergency medicine, or research)
The fourth year curriculum consists of at least 36 weeks of clinical courses.
- Selective (4 weeks, ambulatory medicine or surgery)
- Geriatrics (4 weeks)
- Sub-Internships (4 weeks)
- Clinical electives, including international health (24 weeks)
To check out more details about the BU Medical School curriculum.
Main Clinical Rotation Sites:
- Boston Medical Center
Other Clinical Rotation Sites:
- Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital – Plymouth
- Cape Cod Hospital
- Beverly Hospital
- Boston VA Healthcare System
- Framingham Metrowest Medical Center
Unique highlights about clinical years:
- Diverse patient populations and clinical settings
- School places emphasis on primary care. As a result, there are several types of opportunities related to primary care. Most of clinical curriculum is based at Boston Medical Center.
- Ability to do international clinical rotations in your 4th year.
What students are saying about clinical rotations at BU Med
Housing
Where do students live?
Students mainly live in apartments near Boston University or Boston Medical Center.
Hear from other BU medical school students here!
Getting around:
There’s great public transportation in Boston. You can actually walk from BU’s main campus to Boston Medical Center. For almost all your clinical rotations, you walk a few blocks.
financing
Financial Considerations:
- Boston University Medical School Tuition: ~$69,806 plus ~$14,600 room and board
- Average indebtedness of graduates: ~$223,012
Source: U.S. News
Cracking Med School Admissions Resources
Here are useful Cracking Med School Admissions resources:
- How To Write A Personal Statement For Medical School
- Download Cracking Med School Admission’s FREE AMCAS Activities Workbook
- Premed Timeline: Planning For Medical School Applications
Read our other popular school blogs here: