We’ve written before about BS/MD programs; these are dual degrees which allow undergraduates to proceed directly into medical school, without having to apply again or take the MCAT in many cases. These are extremely competitive programs for admission, often as much as or more so than Ivy League schools.
We’ve also taken time to cover some exciting BS/MD opportunities before, and today we’re going to do that again, looking at Tulane’s Pathway to Medicine program. We’re going to cover what this program is, how it works, and how you can apply. We’ll also discuss whether or not it’s the right choice for you, and some other joint degree programs Tulane offers. Let’s get started!
Tulane’s Pathway to Medicine
This is an automatic acceptance program; students who enroll in Tulane and meet the requirements of the program for their full four years of undergrad are automatically enrolled in Tulane’s School of Medicine. They do still need to fill out an application and take the MCAT, but these are formalities.
The program has the following requirements to remain eligible:
- They must maintain an overall GPA and a science GPA of 3.5 or above. This is the primary requirement of the program.
- They must take two semesters each of general biology, general chemistry, organic chemistry, and general physics.
It is expected, but not required, that students will also partake in the standard pre-med activities; gaining research experience, working in a clinical setting, volunteering, and generally honing the hard and soft skills they will need in medical school. While these are not strictly required for admission, it will only help you in the long run to do these things.
We will discuss admissions requirements more in the next section. This program, like all pre med programs, coordinates best with a major in the sciences, but you may major in any subject at Tulane. You are still expected to complete the full pre-med track of courses at Tulane.
Unlike some programs, this one does not shorten your time in school at all. There is also no direct financial benefit from enrolling in this program; the primary benefit is the guaranteed admission to medical school, which is quite good.
How to Apply to Tulane’s Pathway to Medicine
Unlike many BS/MD programs which are open to applications broadly, Tulane’s program is only open by invitation. They review applications they receive, and then send out invitations to apply solely to students who they believe would be a good fit for the program. These invitations are sent out in January, and are based on applications reviewed to that point. This means that in order to be considered for this program at all, you need to apply to Tulane early action or early decision. (For more on how those programs work, see our article here).
In order to be considered for this program, you must have selected your primary major interest in one of the sciences, engineering, or public health, or indicated interest in the pre-medicine or pre-health track. Their goal is to only consider students for this program who seem likely to go to medical school. It is possible to major in a subject outside of these (or pursue a double major), but you should apply as one of these majors if you want to be considered. There is no separate interest form you may fill out to indicate interest in this program.
There are no firm academic requirements, but students selected show a strong record of academic performance. These include scores of 1540+ on the SAT, or 35+ on the ACT (though Tulane notes that students who apply test-optional are also considered for the program).
Once finalists are selected and notified, they are interviewed directly by the Tulane School of Medicine. This interview is facilitated by Tulane Admissions, but as with most BS/MD interviews, is carried out by the medical school, and more closely resembles a medical school interview than a standard undergraduate one. For more information on how these interviews are conducted, and the kinds of questions they ask, see our article here.
If you are admitted, you are required to enroll immediately in Tulane as a freshman; you may not defer your acceptance to take a gap year. This program is also only open to freshmen applicants, transfer students are not eligible for this program.
Tulane’s Other Joint Degree Programs
Pathway to Medicine is not Tulane’s only joint degree program worth noting. These other programs may also appeal to you, or have other benefits.
Creative Premedical Scholars Program
This is an early assurance program for medical school. These allow students to gain acceptance to medical school early, but not while applying as freshmen. Instead, this program is open to current Tulane students in the School of Liberal arts who want to apply to medical school. Specifically, this is for students who want to major in humanities, arts, or social sciences while still pursuing a pre-med course of studies.
You must apply to this program in the spring of your sophomore year. The program has the following eligibility requirements if you want to apply:
- Have a GPA of 3.6 or above
- Complete 60 credits of work by the end of sophomore year (or rather be on track to do so when you apply)
- Complete the course requirements with a B- or better in each; these may be taken at Tulane, over the summer, or as transfer credit from another institution (though transfer students are not eligible to apply).
- General biology with lab
- General chemistry with lab
- Organic chemistry with lab
- Physics with lab
- Plan to earn a BA or a BFA in the School of Liberal Arts. Students majoring in the Business School, Engineering School, School of Science, or School of Public Health may not apply for this program (though you may if you are minoring in one of those schools).
These are minimum requirements to be eligible; simply meeting them does not guarantee you will be accepted to this program. If you have completed more than two years of undergraduate coursework, or have transferred into Tulane from another school, then you are ineligible to apply to this program.
Applications must be submitted to the pre-health office by April 1st. The application requires the following components:
- Two waivers, to allow the admissions officers to access confidential documents and evaluations.
- Two letters of recommendation, one from a science professor and one from a non-science professor.
- A resume
- The application form; this requires answers to the following essay questions:
- Write about an activity, job, or volunteer experience that best reflects you as a person.
- If you had to choose an honors project today, what would it be?
- What is a creative medical scholar? How are you exemplary of your definition?
- If you could invent any course of study for yourself, what would it be? What would be its mission and goals? How would you know if you’ve reached them?
- What do doctors do?
- This wraps up your application to Tulane Medical School. What else would you like the selection committee to know about your application?
Top ranking candidates are invited to interview with the committee at the end of April. Students who are selected for this program are notified by mid-June. If you are selected, you must carry 15 credits per semester, and maintain a 3.6 GPA. You are also required to complete an honors thesis during your senior year.
3+3 Joint Degree Program
This is a program for eligible Tulane students; during their junior year they apply for admission to Tulane Law School. During what would be their senior year, they begin taking law courses alongside their standard courseload; they receive their BA or BS at the end of this year, then go on to complete their Juris Doctorate.
This does still require a standard application to the Tulane Law School; there is no special form required. You do need approval from your college advisor in order to be able to apply for this program.
Are These Programs Right for You?
These are three different programs, aimed at three different kinds of students. That said, they all offer a similar benefit; getting into graduate school early, and being sure of a place there. Since the application process for graduate school is quite difficult, and quite competitive, getting an early assurance of admission is something many students will benefit from, just as a way to reduce stress.
If you are interested in medical school, then this may be a good choice for you. Due to the nature of the program however, we only recommend it if Tulane is one of your top choice schools anyway. Because early decision programs lock you into attending a school if you are admitted, and the program only admits students by invitation, there is even less of a way to know your acceptance odds than at other schools.
If you want to consider this program, but don’t want to be locked into attending Tulane, then we recommend applying Early Action. This can also allow you to apply to a large number of other BS/MD programs, and not be locked into attending Tulane. The other programs are worth considering if you want to pursue these graduate options, and also have Tulane as one of your top choice schools.
Final Thoughts
We’ve written before about how you can gain early access to medical school; through both BS/MD programs and early assurance programs. These are great options to avoid the stress that comes from applying to medical school, and can be a great choice if you are already certain of your desire to become a doctor.
We hope that this article has given you full insight into how this program at Tulane works, and who will benefit from taking part in it. As with all BS/MD programs, this is very competitive for admissions, even if they are only looking at your Tulane application. If you are looking for help with this application, or in finding the right BS/MD program to match your needs, then Ivy Scholars can help. We have a long history of helping students along the road to medical school; schedule a free consultation today to learn how we can assist you.
