Modular Medical/Dental Integrated Curriculum (MMEDIC)

• Applicants must have achieved at least 3.30 overall and science undergraduate GPAs (including BU and external coursework) at the time of application.
• Two semesters of general chemistry with lab.
• Two semesters of organic chemistry with lab (applicants are expected to be enrolled in their second semester of organic chemistry at the time of their application).
• Two semesters of biology (lab not required) or equivalent (e.g. ENG applicants satisfying this requirement simply by taking their regular recommended ENG curriculum, Neuroscience majors may satisfy this by taking NE 102 and NE 203 or another recommended BI course like BI 203/213 or BI 315, etc.).

Advanced credits (e.g. AP, IB, etc.) cannot be used to satisfy MMEDIC prerequisite requirements.

Before applying, we strongly encourage you to schedule an appointment with a pre-health advisor to discuss your candidacy. 

Do applicants need a certain GPA to be eligible to apply?

Yes, applicants must have achieved at least 3.30 overall and science undergraduate GPAs (including BU and external coursework) at the time of application.

Are students who transferred to BU eligible to apply?

Yes, as long as you have all of the required components of the application including:

• sophomore standing
• successful completion of the required prerequisite courses
• three letters of recommendation (including one science faculty)
• the minimum GPA (3.30 overall and science, including BU and external coursework)

Are international students eligible to apply?

Yes. Both our school of medicine and school of dental medicine accept international applicants.

Can I use advanced credits to satisfy the program’s prerequisite requirements?

No. Students cannot use AP, IB, or other advanced credits to satisfy the program’s prerequisite requirements.

What courses are students in the Modular Medical/Dental Integrated Curriculum required to take?

Students in the MMEDIC program must enroll in at least 16 course credits in each semester of their junior and senior years. Four courses from a prescribed list of medical/dental school-related courses must be completed prior to entry into the Schools of Medicine and Dental Medicine. All students must take GMS BI 751 Biochemistry and Cell Biology, GMS PH 730/731 Human Physiology (two semester sequence), or GMS AN 722 Cellular Organization of Tissues. Courses are selected in consultation with the director and co-director of the MMEDIC program.

Should I save a copy of the information that I submit in my application for the Modular Medical/Dental Integrated Curriculum?

Yes.

We strongly encourage you to save a copy of all materials that you submit in this application, including your personal statement. After submission, a copy of your application (not including attachments) will be sent to the email address you submitted with your application.

How many letters of recommendation should I request be submitted to the Preprofessional Advising Office?

We require three letters of recommendation, one of which must be from a Boston University faculty member in the sciences (biological sciences, chemistry, physics, or engineering). We prefer that the science letter be from someone who has taught you in the classroom. Although there is a minimum requirement of three letters of recommendation, you may submit more. All letters of recommendation must be received by the stated deadline.

Unless the Preprofessional Advising Office is notified differently in writing, all letters of recommendation in your file at the deadline will be considered part of your application. If you would like us to include a different selection of letters, you must inform the Preprofessional Advising Office no later than February 15, 2023 (5:00PM ET).

Whom should I ask to submit letters of recommendation on my behalf?

It is important to request letters of recommendation from individuals who know you well, since a vague and noncommittal letter is of marginal value. The Admissions Committee is interested in evaluators who are knowledgeable and experienced in assessing your academic abilities, character, interpersonal skills, and professional potential. The most useful letters are those related to your academic work, experience in clinical settings, community service, research activities, leadership roles, and employment. Letters of recommendation from faculty (at least one in the sciences is required), research mentors, volunteer supervisors, and employers play an important role in your application. Although you may solicit additional letters of recommendation from teaching assistants, discussion leaders, or laboratory instructors, letters from faculty are usually afforded more weight.

The most effective letters of recommendation are those that stress the context in which the writer knows you, the duration of his or her acquaintance with you, and your performance level as compared to other individuals in similar settings. Your communication skills, interpersonal skills, cultural competence, teamwork, initiative, integrity, resilience, and capacity for improvement are among the areas that your recommenders may discuss. Cited examples of these qualities make for effective letters of recommendation. Letters from employers or supervisors of volunteer work carry the greatest weight when they include a description of duties, demonstrated initiative, capacity to assume responsibility, and identification of strengths and weaknesses.

Regardless of the health profession to which you are applying, excellent guidelines that you may wish to provide to your recommenders are available on the Association of American Medical College’s website.

If your file contains an old letter of recommendation from someone with whom you have continued to work or with whom you have taken additional courses, we strongly suggest that you request an updated letter from that individual.

Do not submit letters of recommendation from high school teachers, administrators, or guidance counselors, unless you have completed additional projects with them as a college student.

We strongly discourage personal letters from clergy, family physicians/dentists, public office holders, peers, or friends of the family, as they are generally not helpful.

How can a recommender submit a letter of recommendation on my behalf to the Preprofessional Advising Office?

Letters of recommendation must be written on letterhead stationery, must include a signature, and must be accompanied by the Preprofessional Advising Office’s Letter of Recommendation Waiver Form. We strongly encourage recommenders submit their letters and the waiver form electronically as PDFs to hlthrecs@bu.edu. Alternatively, physical copies of recommendations may be mailed to:

Boston University
Preprofessional Advising Office
100 Bay State Road, Room 428
Boston, MA 02215

The Preprofessional Advising Office does not accept letters of recommendation and Letter of Recommendation Waiver Forms that are hand-delivered or emailed to us by applicants. You are responsible for determining that your letters of recommendation are received by the February 15, 2023 deadline. In some cases, you may need to apply tact and diplomacy to remind your recommenders to submit their letters. You may call our office at 617-353-4866 during regular business hours (M-F, 9am-5pm ET) or email preprof@bu.edu to confirm the receipt of your letters of recommendation.

Do I have access to the letters of recommendation in my file?

Under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, Boston University students are entitled access to letters of recommendation contained in their permanent educational records at Boston University. However, a student may waive this right of access to letters of recommendation. If this right of access is waived, letters of recommendation will be considered confidential and will not be available to the student. Schools generally prefer to receive letters for which applicants have waived their right of access. If you have questions about the waiver, please schedule an appointment with a pre-health advisor via Handshake.

What format should I use when describing my activities and experiences in the application for the Modular Medical/Dental Integrated Curriculum?

We ask that you use a narrative or paragraph-style format to provide a description of the experience, your key responsibilities, and the significance of the activity. It is important to provide thoughtful reflections of your experiences to demonstrate how they have helped shape your interests and motivation for pursuing your desired health profession. Remember, the clarity of the information you provide about your activities in your application, will help the admissions committee evaluate your preparedness as an applicant.

How long should my personal statement be?

Your personal statement should be no longer than 5300 characters. Characters include spaces and punctuation.

Is there anything I should be aware of when writing my personal statement?

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, a federal law, requires that the Preprofessional Advising Office report to the University’s Title IX Coordinator any form of sexual misconduct that advisors learn about through discussion with or from written material provided by students who have been targets of sexual misconduct. Sexual misconduct includes, but is not limited to, incidents of rape, sexual assault, coercion, harassment, domestic and dating violence, and stalking.

How do I send an official electronic copy of my Boston University transcript to the Preprofessional Advising Office?

Instructions on how to electronically send your Boston University transcript are available on the Registrar’s website. You should have your official Boston University eTranscript sent directly to preprof@bu.edu.

Is the MMEDIC application subject to a rolling admissions process?

No. We will not begin to review applications until after the February 15th deadline.

When will I be notified about the status of my application for the Modular Medical/Dental Integrated Curriculum and whether I have been granted an interview?

Interviews take place in April. By the end of March, you will be notified by email whether or not you have been granted an interview. If you do not receive an interview, your application will not receive further consideration.

If I am granted an interview, when will I be notified about the Admissions Committee’s decision?

Decisions will be announced by email no later than July.

How else can the Preprofessional Advising Office help in the application process?

Pre-health advisors are available throughout the academic year and during the summer to offer guidance and answer questions about the application process. Because this is an internal application, pre-health advisors are unable to assist applicants with their personal statements. However, we recommend you utilize other resources on campus such as:

• ERC Writing Assistance 
• COM Writing Center

Carefully read these frequently asked questions and the “MMEDIC Application Instructions” for the application for the MMEDIC program.

Instructions for Applying to the Modular Medical/Dental Integrated Curriculum

Carefully read these instructions and the instructions on the application for the MMEDIC program. You must read the “MMEDIC Application Frequently Asked Questions” and listen to the recording of the MMEDIC Application Meeting (if you were unable to attend it) before completing the application.

We encourage you to provide us with detailed information in the application for the MMEDIC program. Take the necessary time to provide complete answers and to write a thoughtful essay. We anticipate that it will take you several hours to complete the application.

For a step-by-step video overview of the application, register for Pre-Health 101 on Blackboard and select “MMEDIC Application Overview.”

Deadlines

Your completed application, transcripts, and the three required letters of recommendation must be received by February 15, 2023 5:00 pm ET.

It is your responsibility to determine that all the required material and letters of recommendation have been received by the Preprofessional Advising Office by the stated deadline. You may call our office at 617-353-4866 during regular business hours (M-F, 9am-5pm ET) or email preprof@bu.edu to confirm the receipt of your letters of recommendation. The deadline for the application for the Modular Medical/Dental Integrated Curriculum is firm!

Personal Data

Provide the requested identifying information. It is critical that you inform the Preprofessional Advising Office if any of your contact information changes, especially your email address, to ensure that you receive updated information about the status of your application and the application process during the spring semester and summer.

Academic Summary

Standardized test scores are a way to help us understand your academic strengths.  Although not required, please consider uploading your SAT, ACT, and/or SAT II test score(s).  If reporting your SAT II test score(s), please indicate the subject(s) and score(s).

College Coursework

List all institutions at which you have completed college courses (this includes coursework completed in high school if it appears on a college/university transcript, as well as coursework you have transferred to Boston University). It does not include AP, IB, Level A, or other advanced credit coursework.

Activity and Experience Since Coming to Boston University

In chronological order (oldest to newest), list school, employment, community, clinical, research, or other activities. Include the dates (months and years) of each activity, describe your responsibilities and accomplishments, and include thoughtful reflections for each experience (e.g. if you list a community service program, state what you did in the program. If you list research, describe the goals of the research). Use the format described in the application and adhere to the 1,000 character limit.

Activity and Experience Before Coming to Boston University

In chronological order (oldest to newest), list school, employment, community, clinical, research, or other activities. Include the dates (months and years) of each activity, describe your responsibilities and accomplishments, and include thoughtful reflections for each experience (e.g. if you list a community service program, state what you did in the program. If you list research, describe the goals of the research). Use the format described in the application and adhere to the 1,000 character limit.

Spring Courses

List the courses in which you will be enrolled in the spring semester of your sophomore year.

Institutional Action

As part of the application process to health profession schools, you are required to report any institutional action resulting from unacceptable academic performance or conduct violations. For example, the AMCAS application has previously asked, “Were you ever the recipient of any institutional action by any college or medical school for unacceptable academic performance or conduct violation, even though such action may not have interrupted your enrollment or required you to withdraw?” And it further states, “You must answer ‘Yes’ even if the action does not appear on or has been deleted or expunged from your official transcripts due to institutional policy or personal petition.”

If you were the recipient of any institutional action by Boston University for a conduct violation, you must submit a sanction letter from the Office of Judicial Affairs to the Preprofessional Advising Office.  Allow sufficient time (2-3 weeks) to receive the letter, so you can upload it to your Portfolio.   To submit a request for a sanction letter, complete a Judicial Affairs Records Release Form and a copy of a photo ID to Judicial Affairs judws@bu.edu.  If you do not receive the letter in time to upload it, you may submit the letter directly to the Preprofessional Advising Office.

If you were the recipient of any institutional action by Boston University for a violation of the Academic Conduct Code or unacceptable academic performance leading to a grade penalty, probation, suspension, or expulsion, you must submit documentation from your school/college to the Preprofessional Advising Office. Allow sufficient time (2-3 weeks) to receive the letter, so you can upload it to your Portfolio. If you do not receive the letter in time to upload it, you may submit the letter directly to the Preprofessional Advising Office.

In addition, we strongly encourage you to meet with a prehealth advisor to discuss any institutional actions you may have incurred, even if you consider them to be minor violations. If you do not have anything to report in this section, you must indicate “Not Applicable.”

Personal Statement (5300 Character Limit)

One of the goals of the personal statement is to enable us to understand who you are. You may wish to consider what it is about your personal journey that brings you to the point of applying to the MMEDIC Program.  Why do you want to pursue a career in medicine/dentistry?  What do you expect to give to your profession and derive from it?  If you consider yourself a disadvantaged applicant due to social, economic, or educational factors, you may wish to discuss this.

Please be aware that Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, a federal law, requires that the Preprofessional Advising Office report to the University’s Title IX Coordinator any form of sexual misconduct that advisors learn about through discussion with or from written material provided by students who have been targets of sexual misconduct. Sexual misconduct includes, but is not limited to, incidents of rape, sexual assault, coercion, harassment, domestic and dating violence, and stalking.

The 5300 character limit includes spaces and punctuation.

Optional Additional Information (500 Character Limit)

If there is anything else about your education or background that you think will be helpful for the admissions committee in understanding your preparation for this program, please tell us here.  If COVID-19 negatively impacted your preparation, you may use this space to describe the impact.

Transcripts

Submit transcripts from Boston University and all other institutions at which you have taken college courses (even if the credits have been transferred to Boston University or the courses were taken as part of a high school program). Do not submit your high school transcript(s). Your transcript(s) must be sent directly to the Preprofessional Advising Office.  Allow sufficient time (3-5 weeks) for the Preprofessional Advising Office to receive your transcripts. Your Boston University transcript must be submitted electronically to preprof@bu.edu and include grades for your Fall 2022 courses. All other college/university transcripts may be submitted electronically to preprof@bu.edu or by postal mail to:

Boston University
Preprofessional Advising Office
100 Bay State Road, Room 428
Boston, MA 02215

Letters of Recommendation

You must have at least three letters of recommendation submitted to the Preprofessional Advising Office by the appropriate deadline. At least one recommendation must be from a Boston University faculty member in the sciences (biological sciences, chemistry, physics, or engineering). We prefer that the science letter be from someone who has taught you in the classroom. Although there is a minimum requirement of three letters of recommendation, you may submit more. All required letters of recommendation must be received by the stated deadline.

Unless the Preprofessional Advising Office is notified differently in writing, all letters of recommendation in your file at the deadline will be considered part of your application. If you would like us to include a different selection of letters, you must inform the Preprofessional Advising Office no later than February 15, 2023 (5:00PM ET).

Letters of Recommendation should be written on letterhead stationary and must be accompanied by the Preprofessional Advising Office’s Letter of Recommendation Waiver Form, which should be given to each of your recommenders and submitted by them to the Preprofessional Advising Office. We do not accept letters of recommendation and waiver forms hand-delivered or emailed to us by applicants. We strongly encourage recommenders to submit their letters and the waiver form electronically as PDFs to hlthrecs@bu.edu. Recommendations must include a signature and be submitted on official letterhead. Alternatively, physical copies of recommendations may be mailed to:

Boston University
Preprofessional Advising Office
100 Bay State Road, Room 428
Boston, MA 02215

Signatures

The application for the Modular Medical/Dental Integrated Curriculum requires an electronic signature.