ABOUT
Our Mission
Our counselors are all current or former students in top-tier medical schools and BS/MD programs. Each of us has been through the exact same process of crafting a viable resume, expressing interest in medicine, and interviewing across the country for programs. These programs are arguably the most competitive in the country, with some of the lowest acceptance rates around.
The process is hard – with acceptance rates ranging anywhere from 1-20% and each school having its own unique process and requirements. The niche nature of these programs requires specific standards for acceptance. Unfortunately, there is a slew of misinformation and a lack of evidence-based guidance for competitively applying to these programs.
These daunting obstacles often prevent brilliant and deserving students from applying or being accepted to these programs. We know exactly how you may be feeling. Fortunately, we know precisely how the process works and have already charted these confusing waters so that you don't have to.
What are BS/MD Programs?
BS/MD (Bachelor in Science/Medical Doctor) programs offer students conditionally-guaranteed acceptance to medical school directly from undergrad based on their high-achieving performance in high school; they seek to accept well-rounded high school students who have demonstrated life-long interests in a career in medicine through exposure to medically-related activities such as research, shadowing, human service, and community volunteering. These programs are often accelerated (6, 7, or 8 years) and may require MCAT or GPA requirements. However, their requirements are much lower than those expected of a traditional student applying to medical schools from undergrad. The programs go by various names, including: GMED, Guaranteed Medical Programs, Accelerated Medical Programs, Joint Degree Programs, Combined-Degree Program, Medical Scholars Program (MSP), Honors Program in Medical Education (HPME), Program in Liberal Medical Education (PLME), etc.
Who are our students?
Our students come from across the country at all stages of education - from high school, to undergrad, to post-baccaleareate programs. They are highly driven, academically excellent students engaged in their communities and looking to take their education to the next level via acceptance to prestigious BS/MD and medical school programs. Some students join at the beginning of high school or college, looking for guidance on how to find passions and opportunities, plan out timelines for key milestones like SATs, etc. Other students join nearing the start of their application cycles to fix up any holes in their resumes. And some students start with us in the midst of their applications to perfect their essays or interviews before important deadlines. Wherever you may be, BS/MD Prep can help you maximize your chances of success.
A Harvard Medical School Founder
Experience:
Kaushik Venkatesh is pursuing an MD at Harvard Medical School. He received an MBA from the George Washington University, where he also received his MPH in Health Policy on a full-ride scholarship. He was originally in the Guaranteed Admissions Program at the University of Pittsburgh (Pitt GAP; acceptance = 0.5%), before which he attended Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Virginia. After interviewing at virtually every top and mid-tier BS/MD program in the nation during high school, Kaushik was accepted into several top BS/MD programs in the country, including Pitt GAP, Rice/Baylor MSP, Brown PLME, REMS, etc. After leaving Pitt GAP, Kaushik was accepted to several top medical schools in the country, e.g. Harvard, Yale, Johns Hopkins, NYU Grossman, Duke, Vanderbilt, etc. Together, Kaushik has been accepted to nearly 30 medical schools, including the Top 3 medical schools in the US.
Kaushik has been counseling students into top-tier BS/MD and MD programs for over 7 years. He has personally coached over 100 students in longterm resume strategy, essay writing, interviewing, and gaining acceptance to a wide range of programs. He has also coached public speaking for almost a decade. He founded BS/MD Prep after his own experiences struggling to find affordable and flexible coaching for the admissions process. His mission is to provide high-quality, dynamic, and creative coaching to help his students find their passions and present their best selves for admissions committees. To ensure quality of service, he limits the students he takes per year.
Personal Successes:
Kaushik has personally been accepted to over 20 medical schools via direct MD or BS/MD pathways. His successes include a wide range of schools. This includes
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Elite medical schools like Harvard, Yale, Johns Hopkins, Duke, NYU, Vanderbilt, Michigan
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Elite BS/MD programs like Rice/Baylor, Pitt GAP, Brown PLME, Boston SMED, Rochester REMS
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Mid-tier programs like UVA, Boston U, Rochester, Northwestern, Case Western, UConn
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And third-tier medical schools like GWU, Penn State BS/MD, NJMS (Rutgers, TCNJ, NJIT), Temple, UMiami
From each of these specific experiences, Kaushik documented the approaches that worked for essays and interview days. He also catalogued interview questions and answers after each interview. He has also talked to members of admissions committees across the country in the process of applying to schools and afterwards during his counseling experiences. With this information, he has been able to analyze the most successful strategies in gaining acceptances into each program, and how to optimize any application with that in mind.