MD Program

Information for Applicants

Outline of Fountain Outside the School of Medicine

Administrative Policies

Four-Year Program (MD)

Admission Requirements

Candidates for admission to the Boston University School of Medicine should apply to the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS). Information and application materials are available at www.aamc.org. Candidates may apply between June 1 and November 1, but early application is strongly recommended.

Applicants are expected to receive a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college of arts and sciences or engineering. Occasionally a candidate of unusual ability is accepted after attendance for three academic years in an undergraduate school if he or she has satisfactorily completed all of the prerequisites and the minimum entrance requirements of 90 semester hours. The following courses are required:

- English Composition or Literature (1 year)
- Humanities (1 year)
- Biology (1 year) with Lab
- General Chemistry (1 year) with Lab
- Organic Chemistry (1 year) with Lab
- Physics (1 year)

All prerequisites must be completed before a student can matriculate at BUSM. We generally prefer that applicants take these courses at 4-yr undergraduate institutions, rather than utilize advanced placement credits or community courses. If an applicant has placed out of a required college level course, we will also accept another course in that discipline at the same or a higher level.

A knowledge of quantitation in chemistry is recommended; usually these methods are taught in general chemistry or organic chemistry. A course in college level mathematics is recommended but not required; many students find that a course in statistics is more helpful than the traditional calculus course. The biology and chemistry courses should include laboratory exercises. Applicants currently enrolled in a professional or graduate school must be in the terminal year of the degree program to be considered for admission to the first-year class. Applicants are urged to acquire a broad experience in the humanities, as well as in the behavioral and social sciences during their college years, but they should follow their own interests whether in the arts or in the sciences. It is not recommended that applicants try to anticipate subjects that will be required in medical school. Throughout a student’s four years at Boston University School of Medicine, beginning with the Introduction to Clinical Medicine and followed by various clerkships, personal transportation will be required. While some of the sites are within the areas served by public transportation, others are not. The student will be responsible for providing his or her own transportation, although students frequently collaborate on this.

The Office of Diversity and Multicultural Affairs has a variety of programs and resources to support students from groups underrepresented in medicine. These resources may include financial aid provided through the need-based scholarship and loan programs of the school. These programs are described in more detail at the Office of Diversity and Multicultural Affairs web site.

All applicants must take the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) and should communicate directly with the Association of American Medical Colleges, for information concerning these examinations. Applicants who have not taken the MCAT by September 12, 2009 cannot be considered for entry in 2010. The oldest MCAT scores considered for entry in 2010 will be the April 2006 tests. Applicants are encouraged to take the MCAT in the spring of the year of application and to have most of the basic science requirements completed at the time of application. While we do our best to give equal consideration to all applications that are completed prior to our published deadlines, we have a very large applicant pool and early applications may be more likely to receive a favorable review.

Early Decision Plan

Some applicants may wish to apply under the Early Decision Plan. This plan is intended for applicants whose credentials are outstanding in every respect. Under this plan, applicants must file applications between June 1 and August 2. Applicants may apply only to Boston University School of Medicine and, if accepted, neither apply to, nor attend, any other medical school. All such applicants will be notified that they are accepted, deferred, or rejected on or before October 1, at which time, if not accepted, they will be free to apply to other schools.

Selection Factors

The Committee on Admissions chooses applicants who seem best qualified not only by scholastic record, college recommendations and involvement in college and community activities, but also by less tangible qualities of personality, character, and life experience. A personal interview is an integral part of the admissions process. There is no age requirement.

Boston University School of Medicine received over 10,000 applications for the 2006 entering class of 179. Since 44 students entered the class from various Boston University Liberal Arts Medical School programs, the 10,000 applicants were, in effect, applying for 135 places.

Students in the 2008 entering class had the following characteristics:
The mean undergraduate GPA in this group was 3.72 and the mean MCAT quantitative sub-test total was 33 compared with a national average of 28 for all test takers and 30 for matriculants.

The Board of Trustees has set the tuition rate for the academic year 2009-2010 at $46,488 and the student fees at $600 and subject to change. The application fee is $100.

Students in Post-Baccalaureate or Graduate Programs

Many students apply to medical school after post-graduate study or the completion of premedical requirements in a post-baccalaureate program. Students who are enrolled in graduate programs may apply in the terminal year of the graduate program for which they were originally accepted into graduate school. Students matriculating in the Graduate School of Boston University must complete all graduate requirements before receiving admissions to the Medical School. Students will be required to submit at least one letter from a thesis advisor or an equivalent which has been countersigned by the chairman of the department in which they are concentrating. Students in post-baccalaureate programs are urged to request a letter of recommendation from the Premedical Advisory Committee of the undergraduate college, or, if more appropriate, from the college or university where they are pursuing post-baccalaureate studies. A final transcript or other evidence of completion of degree requirements will be required by August 15. The transcript should be sent to the Admissions Office, Attention: Mrs. Catherine Wilder, Admissions Officer.

Students from Other Countries and U.S. Students at Foreign Medical Schools

Students from other countries or American students at foreign schools are not considered eligible for admission to the first-year class unless they have satisfactorily completed at least two years of study in a college of arts and sciences accredited by an American or Canadian agency.

Degree Requirements

Every candidate for the degree of Doctor of Medicine at Boston University must be at least twenty-one years of age and of good moral character. He or she must have fulfilled all the requirements for admission to the School; give evidence of having been enrolled in an accredited medical school for at least four full academic years, two of which must have been spent in the regular third- and fourth-year courses at Boston University School of Medicine; and have discharged all financial obligations to Boston University.
The degree of Doctor of Medicine is awarded on recommendation of the faculty and may be granted cum laude, magna cum laude, or summa cum laude in recognition of outstanding academic achievement.

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Guidelines for Students with Disabilities

Boston University School of Medicine has a long history of maintaining high standards while actively supporting and accommodating students with disabilities. The following define the policies and procedures for admission, matriculation and continuation leading to the degree of Doctor of Medicine at BUSM.

Admission

The Committee on Admissions chooses applicants who seem best qualified based not only on scholastic record, college recommendations, interview, and involvement in college and community activities, but also on the less tangible qualities of personality, character, and maturity. All students must possess the physical and emotional capabilities required to undertake the full curriculum and achieve the level of competence required by the faculty. It is expected that the student will act independently. Students with disabilities applying to medical school will be expected to meet all admission standards, with accommodations if necessary. Graduates of medical schools must have the knowledge and skills to function in a broad variety of clinical situations and to render a wide spectrum of patient care. Boston University takes very seriously its obligation to comply with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and Amendments of 1992 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. At the same time, the University and the School of Medicine recognize that prospective candidates must be capable of meeting certain minimum technical standards. Students who have been accepted by the Committee on Admissions are required to sign a document indicating that they understand the technical standards as well as whether they request specific reasonable accommodations to complete the curriculum. Requests for accommodation are evaluated on an individual basis. Technological compensation may be available to assist individuals with a variety of disabilities and may be permitted; but the use of human intermediaries, who may interject their powers of selection and observation in place of the student’s, will ordinarily not be permitted.

Technical Standards

A candidate for the MD degree must have abilities and skills in the areas of observation; communication; sensory and motor coordination and function; intellectual-conceptual, integrative, and quantitative abilities; and behavioral and social attributes as described below.

Observation

Candidates and students must be able to observe demonstrations and participate in experiments in the basic sciences determined essential by the faculty. They must be able to observe a patient accurately both at a distance and close at hand, noting nonverbal as well as verbal signals. Observation necessitates the functional use of the sense of vision and other sensory modalities.

Communication

Candidates and students should be able to speak intelligibly, hear sufficiently, and observe patients closely to elicit and transmit information; describe changes in mood, activity, and posture; and perceive nonverbal communication. They must be able to communicate effectively and sensitively with patients and with all members of the health care team. Communication includes not only speech, but also reading and writing; students and candidates must be able to communicate effectively and efficiently in both oral and written English, as well as possess reading skills at a level sufficient to accomplish curricular requirements and provide clinical care for patients. They must be capable of completing appropriate medical records, documents, and plans according to protocol, in a complete and timely manner.

Sensory and Motor Coordination and Function

Candidates and students are required to possess motor skills sufficient to perform palpation, percussion, auscultation, and other basic diagnostic procedures. They must be able to execute those motor movements reasonably required to provide basic medical care, such as airway management, placement of catheters, application of pressure to control bleeding, simple obstetrical maneuvers, and the like. Such actions require coordination of gross and fine muscular movements, equilibrium, and functional use of the senses of touch and vision.

Intellectual-conceptual, Integrative and Quantitative Abilities

These abilities include measurement, calculation, reasoning, analysis, and synthesis. Problem solving, the critical skill demanded of physicians, requires all of these intellectual abilities. Candidates and students must be able to identify significant findings from history, physical examination, and laboratory data; provide a reasoned explanation for likely diagnoses, prescribed medications, and therapy; and retain information and recall it in an efficient and timely manner. The ability to incorporate new information from peers, teachers, and medical literature in formulating diagnoses and plans is essential. Good judgment in patient assessment, diagnostic, and therapeutic planning is essential; students must be able to identify and communicate their knowledge to others when appropriate.

Behavioral and Social Attributes

Candidates and students must possess the ability to use their intellectual capacity, exercise good judgment, and promptly complete all responsibilities attendant to the diagnosis and care of patients under potentially stressful circumstances. They must also be able to develop empathic, sensitive, and effective relationships with patients. They must be able to adapt to changing environments and learn in the face of uncertainties inherent in the practice of medicine. Compassion, integrity, ethical standards, concern for others, interpersonal skills, interest, and motivation are all personal qualities that will be assessed during the admission and educational process.

Identification of Students with Disabilities

Pre-Enrollment Disabilities
In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, the Boston University School of Medicine makes no preadmission inquiry regarding disability. In general, students with physical disabilities are identified or self-identify before enrollment. Students who know that they have learning disabilities (including attention deficit disorder) may or may not self-identify before enrollment. If they do not self-identify, they will be expected to fulfill the curricular requirements without the benefit of accommodations. Once identified, students must complete the documentation process in accordance with University standards. Students are then interviewed by the Director of the Boston University School of Medicine Student Support Services, who reviews the diagnosis and the recommended specific accommodations. The Director of Student Support Services helps the student apply for approval from the Committee on Students with Disabilities. The committee is composed of faculty representatives of all four curriculum years and evaluates requests for accommodations necessary to assist disabled students in fulfilling the technical standards at a satisfactory level. Subsequent approval of the recommended accommodations from the Dean of Boston University School of Medicine is required. The student is encouraged to discuss the disability with the course managers, and the course managers are informed in writing, by the Director of Student Support Services, as to the nature of the student’s disability and the approved accommodations.

Students Who Become Disabled While at Boston University School of Medicine

Students who become disabled while attending BUSM and who wish to request reasonable accommodations are expected to notify the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs and the Associate Dean for Student Affairs, as well as to seek the assistance of the Director of Student Support Services in requesting accommodation. The Committee on Students with Disabilities evaluates the disability and formulates accommodations if possible. Approval of the recommended accommodations from the Dean of Boston University School of Medicine is required. The student is referred to the Director of Student Support Services for coordination of the specific accommodations within the curriculum. The student is encouraged to discuss his or her disability with the course managers, and the course managers are informed in writing, by the Director of Student Support Services, as to the nature of the student’s disability and the approved accommodations.

Students with Learning Disabilities Identified While at Boston University School of Medicine

In general, such students are not identified until they experience academic or behavioral difficulties. Identification may be self-identification or observation by course managers, promotion committee, the Director of Student Support Services, or the Associate Dean for Student Affairs. Students having academic difficulty are often directed to seek a meeting with the Director of Student Support Services, who reviews the nature of the problem, taking into account study-skill strategies, learning styles, and other possible causes for the difficulties. When appropriate, the student is referred for testing and/or counseling. Following testing and documentation of a disability in accordance with University standards, the Director of the Student Support Services reviews the diagnosis and the recommended specific accommodations. The Director of Student Support Services helps the student apply for approval from the Committee on Students with Disabilities. The Committee on Students with Disabilities evaluates the disability and the requested accommodations necessary to assist disabled students in fulfilling the Technical Standards at a satisfactory level. The student is referred to the Director of Student Support Services for coordination of any specific accommodations within the curriculum. The student is encouraged to discuss his or her disability with the course managers, and the course managers are informed in writing, by the Director of Student Support Services, as to the nature of the student’s disability and the approved accommodations.

All students are required to meet all academic and technical standards, whether or not they have identifiable disabilities and whether or not they request and use accommodations.

Available Resources

Boston University School of Medicine expects all of its students to become highly effective and competent physicians. A wide array of support services is available to all students. Students with disabilities are strongly encouraged to make use of these and other services.

Professional Services

The Director of Boston University School of Medicine Student Support Services conducts comprehensive intake interviews to screen basic skills, information processing, and achievement. If a complete diagnostic evaluation, psychiatric referral, or physical examination is warranted, students will be referred to the appropriate community resource person or agency. The Office of Financial Management can help the student make any necessary financial arrangements for payment.

Advisory System

Each student with a documented disability is given access to a member of the faculty familiar with the student’s history and disability. The faculty member acts as a student advocate when seeking services or appearing before promotion committees, offer advice as requested or simply act as a sounding board when necessary.

Study Skills

The Office of Student Affairs conducts a series of five workshops during the fall term of the first year. The program is made available to all first-year students. Students are introduced to and given the opportunity to practice different study skills.

Learning Resources

The Alumni Medical Library of Boston University School of Medicine has numerous software programs installed in easily accessed computers under the guidance of library support staff. Most of the programs are interactive and provide students with tutorials, self-tests, reviews, or supplemental material.

Tutorial Service

The Office of Student Affairs sponsors a tutorial service for approved medical students during the first two years. Students must be referred by the Director of Student Support Services to the course manager for approval. The course manager provides the student with the name and phone number of either the tutor coordinator for that course or of a tutor. It is incumbent upon the student to make arrangements for the tutorial sessions.

United States Medical Licensing Exam

Although Boston University School of Medicine cannot directly sponsor students or actively participate in petitioning for accommodations from the USMLE, the Director of BUSM Student Support Services assists students in their efforts to gather the appropriate documentation and advises students regarding the petition process. In addition, Boston University School of Medicine has a full series of review sessions open to all Boston University School of Medicine students during the semester immediately before the spring exams.

Accommodations

All students, regardless of the timing or identification of their disabilities, are required to present complete documentation of the disability when requesting accommodations. Students with physical disabilities should contact the Office of Student Affairs before the beginning of classes or as soon as possible after classes begin. The office coordinates course scheduling and lecture-facility accessibility with the course managers, facility administrators, and the physically disabled student. The Director of Student Support Services coordinates any approved specific accommodations with the course managers and Office of Student Affairs.

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MMEDIC Program (Modular Medical Integrated Curriculum)

General Information

In 1977 the faculties of the College of Arts & Sciences and the School of Medicine developed a combined program designed to integrate the liberal arts and the basic medical sciences. The MMEDIC program currently admits to the School of Medicine, subject to review as described below under Program Requirements, a limited number of qualified students who have completed two years of undergraduate study in the College of Arts & Sciences or other undergraduate colleges at Boston University. It offers an integrated curriculum composed of undergraduate and medical school courses, enabling those preselected students to fulfill portions of the requirements of the curriculum at the School of Medicine during the latter two years of undergraduate study. The MMEDIC program thus introduces certain of the preclinical subjects into the undergraduate program.

Portions of the junior and senior years are spent taking modular courses that not only enable the student to fulfill undergraduate requirements, but also allow for the completion of certain requirements ordinarily undertaken in the first year of the School of Medicine. In addition to the modular courses, students are expected to complete requirements for their field of concentration and pursue electives in the humanities and social sciences.

Eligibility and Admission

The program is designed to admit a limited number of students who expect to enter their third year of undergraduate study in September. Acceptances are determined during the preceding spring and summer. Admission into the program, and thereby to the School of Medicine, is based on academic record, letters of recommendation, and involvement in college and community activities, as well as on less tangible qualities of personality, character, and maturity.

Applications are evaluated by the Joint Admissions Committee composed of representatives from the College of Arts & Sciences and the School of Medicine. If deemed eligible, the applicant is contacted for a personal interview with members of the committee.

Program Requirements

MMEDIC students must demonstrate their ability to master the modules of instruction and must exhibit a high degree of maturity, integrity and emotional stability to be promoted to the medical phase of the program. Four modules of instruction must be completed prior to entry into the School of Medicine, at least two of which must be in biochemistry, physiology, or medical histology. At the conclusion of each semester, the faculty Committee on Promotions reviews the student’s progress.

Students are expected to maintain a 3.20 GPA cumulatively and a 3.00 GPA in the sciences for all courses taken after entry into the program to be eligible for promotion to the next curricular year and ultimately to the School of Medicine. Failure to meet the above criteria will result in appropriate action by the Committee, including academic probation, remedial coursework, or dismissal from the program. Students who have not achieved a 3.20 GPA cumulatively and a 3.00 GPA in the sciences for all courses taken after entry into the program are ineligible for promotion to the School of Medicine.

Students must take the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) in the spring of the third year of undergraduate study. It is expected that students will achieve a combined score of at least 30 on the three numerically scored sections of the MCAT. The results of the MCAT are considered by the Committee on Promotions when it makes the final decision as to whether to promote students to the medical curriculum. Before entering their first year in the School of Medicine, students in the program must also complete the usual required premedical courses (one year each of general chemistry, organic chemistry, biology, physics, English composition or literature, and humanities).

Students may not apply to other medical schools and remain in the program.

Students who for any reason (academic, motivational, ethical or emotional) are found to be ill-suited for the program may be transferred without loss of credit into their undergraduate college. Such students may apply for entry to the School of Medicine or any other medical school by the conventional premedical route. Students may transfer voluntarily out of the program at any point and continue their undergraduate education at Boston University.

Upon entering the School of Medicine, the student will continue the program approved in the Outline of Study that will best fulfill the student’s educational needs.

Application

Additional information may be obtained from the Boston University College of Arts and Sciences, Preprofessional Advising Office, 725 Commonwealth Avenue, Room B-2, Boston, MA 02215. Further information is available by phone at 617-353-4866 or at http://www.bu.edu/bulletins/und/item14.html#anchor18.

Early Medical School Selection Program (EMSSP)

Program Summary

The Early Medical School Selection Program was developed with a consortium of historically black colleges and universities in 1982. In order to make the program more diverse, it has been expanded to include students from colleges with large hispanic populations and the Indian Health Service. The program provides an early and more gradual transition into the medical school curriculum through provisional acceptance into medical school at the completion of two years of undergraduate study.

Students accepted into the program will remain within their undergraduate colleges through the junior year and must complete the maximum number of required science courses prior to entering the senior year at Boston University. During this senior year, students will retain their degree candidacy at their undergraduate institutions. Students will take MMEDIC courses and participate in individualized programs of study in the senior year which will satisfy undergraduate academic requirements while providing a gradual transition into the medical school curriculum.

The September following the granting of the baccalaureate degree from their undergraduate institutions, students who have performed at the prescribed level will matriculate into the School of Medicine at Boston University and pursue a decompressed medical school curriculum, having already fulfilled requirements for certain medical school courses. Upon completion of the School of Medicine requirements, the degree of Doctor of Medicine wil be granted by Boston University.

Requirements for Admission

United States citizens are eligible to apply during the sophomore year of college, upon the recommendation of their premedical advisors. Admission to the program is based on the academic record, letters of recommendation, scope and quality of college and community activities, and such factors as personality, character, and maturity of the applicant. Requirements include: Biology (1 year) with laboratory; and General Chemistry (1 year) with laboratory.
In addition to the normal distribution of courses in the humanities and social sciences, applicants are strongly urged to complete the equivalent of one full year of physics (with laboratory) prior to beginning the senior undergraduate year at Boston University. Students are required to spend the senior year in residence in Boston University housing. Students must take the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) no later than the spring of the fourth year of undergraduate study, and are required to file an AMCAS application in the fall of the senior year.

Applications for the Early Medical School Selection Program may be obtained from the Director, Early Medical School Selection Program, Boston University School of Medicine, 715 Albany Street, Room A-4, Boston, MA 02118.

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Seven-Year Program of Liberal Arts and Medical Education

The College of Arts & Sciences and the School of Medicine of Boston University offer a combined curriculum designed to improve the quality of medical education while shortening the overall period of study. Qualified applicants include students who are completing four full academic years of secondary education and who are currently high school seniors, or students who have completed high school but have not enrolled in any college-level, degree-granting program.

The first three years are spent in the College of Arts & Sciences, where the student takes premedical sciences and elective courses in the humanities and social sciences.In addition, the second summer is spent taking a required biology course and elective courses in the humanities and social sciences, so that the undergraduate requirements are completed by the end of the third academic year. Following completion of the required premedical courses in the first two years of study, students may enroll in certain modular medical courses in the third academic year. Many of these courses are equivalent to those taken in the first year of medical school. Completion of modular courses with equivalency credit will decompress the medical school curriculum. All students are required to complete a minor concentration in a discipline that is approved by of the College of Arts & Sciences.

Acceleration is made possible by the 12-week summer session. Although the program is accelerated, the student has three summers completely free for pursuing other interests. Students in this program must meet all liberal arts, residence, and course-distribution requirements for the Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree.

Additional information concerning this seven-year program may be requested by mail from the Boston University Office of Admissions at 121 Bay State Road, Boston, MA 02215. Further information is available by phone at 617-353-2300, by email at admissions@bu.edu, or at http://www.bu.edu/bulletins/und/item14.html#anchor01.

Combined MD/PhD Program

Combined MD/MPH Program

Combined MD/MBA Program

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ENGMEDIC (Engineering/Medical Integrated Curriculum)

General Information

The Department of Biomedical Engineering in the College of Engineering and the School of Medicine offer a joint, early selection program for the training of biomedical engineers interested in becoming physicians. Qualified sophomores will be admitted into the joint program, Engineering/Medical Integrated Currriculum (ENGMEDIC), that will integrate some preclinical medical training with undergraduate engineering education. The program leads to a BS in Biomedical Engineering after four years, and the MD after an additional four years at the School of Medicine. The early selection aspects of the program permit a decompression of the first year of medical school and avoid the expensive and stressful process of application to medical school. ENGMEDIC is designed to effect a better educational transition from engineering and undergraduate studies to medical education; it is not designed to accelerate engineering or medical training.

Admission

Students must be registered at the College of Engineering while pursuing the BS in Biomedical Engineering degree, and at the School of Medicine while pursuing their postbaccalaureate medical education. This requires a total of eight years of combined study for those students without significant AP credits.

Application

Additional information may be obtained from the Undergraduate Programs, College of Engineering, 44 Cummington Street, Room 107, Boston, MA 02215-2407.  Further information is available by phone at 617-353-6447 or 800-578-1223 or at http://www.bu.edu/eng/ugrad/engmedic.

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Alternative Curriculum

Students who have earned their bachelor’s degree and have been accepted to the School of Medicine may, at any time during the first sixteen weeks of the first year, apply to the Alternative Curriculum. This option is designed for students who wish to have the time to pursue other interests along with their medical studies or to reinforce selected aspects of their medical education. In the Alternative Curriculum the courses of the first year are divided between two years. A number of different schedule combinations are possible, all of which yield significant curricular decompression. Additional scheduling possibilities are available by substituting MMEDIC courses for their medical curriculum counterparts. Tuition is prorated. A maximum of ten students can be accepted into this program. If more than ten students apply, the school will select those students who appear best able to benefit from the program.

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Promotion

Promotions Committees

Promotions Committees are appointed from the faculty for the first, second, third, and fourth years. It is their responsibility to determine which students are to be promoted, which students require remedial work, and which students should be required to withdraw from the school. A Subcommittee on Appeals for the Promotions Committees is appointed annually through input of both faculty and students. This Subcommittee receives, reviews, and acts upon appeals filed by students.

Rules Governing Promotion

1. The faculty reserves the right to require the withdrawal of any student at any time when, in the opinion of the faculty, he or she is unfit to continue his or her course.

2. Departments or course instructors use methods of examining and evaluating students that are most appropriate to their course content. For the first year, the student’s record contains for each course the appropriate (P) or (F) designation and, if possible, a detailed written narrative. For the second year, the designations are (H) or (P). For the third and fourth years, the designations are Honors, High Pass, Pass, or Fail.

3. All medical students must take Step 1 of the United States Medical Licensing Examination in June of the second year. Passing Step 2 of the USMLE is a requirement for graduation from the School of Medicine.

4. If the student is unable to achieve a pass in any given course, the Promotion Committee determines the action to be taken.

5. Written guidelines concerning promotion to each academic year are distributed to each student annually and an outline of the due process of promotions and appeals is sent to each student in the first curricular year. Copies of these documents may be obtained from the Associate Dean for Student Affairs Office.

Click here to view the “General Policies and Procedures Governing the Evaluation, Grading, and Promotion of Students at Boston University School of Medicine”.

(Note that this is a PDF and requires Adobe Acrobat Reader. To download the latest version of the Reader for free, go to: www.adobe.com.)

Registration

The student receives detailed instructions from the School of Medicine concerning the procedure to be followed during the published dates for registration.

Every student must register during the official registration period.

A late fee is charged if a student does not register during the official period. In no event may a student register later than one week immediately following the official registration period without the written approval of the Dean or other authorized person of the School.

Residency Programs

Most state examining and licensing boards require a year of residency in an accredited hospital in addition to the regular four-year course. All fourth-year students are urged to participate in the National Residency Matching Program.

Transcripts

Each graduate or former student of the School of Medicine may request, free of charge, an official transcript of his or her academic record, provided that there are no outstanding overdue debts to the University with respect to such person. Official transcripts are confidential records forwarded to the agencies requesting them and not to the alumni. The name and address of the agency should be sent to the Office of the Registrar, Boston University School of Medicine, 715 Albany Street, Boston, MA 02118. Seven-year medical students must request a copy of the first two years of study at the College of Liberal Arts from the Office of the University Registrar, Boston University, 881 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02215. There is a charge of $3. The University reserves the right to withhold a transcript if the individual is in debt to the University. If a transcript is withheld, the individual requesting the transcript has the right to discuss this matter with a representative of the University empowered to resolve such disputes.

Absence

A student who is absent from school assignments must inform the Registrar promptly of the reason for the absence and its expected duration.

Administrative Policies Relating to Federal Guidelines

Veterans Information

In cooperation with the Veterans Administration, the University participates in numerous veterans benefits programs, including educational assistance, work-study, rehabilitation, deferred payment, and tutorial programs.
Students who are eligible for veterans benefits or who would like more information about VA rules and veterans programs should contact the Boston University Office of Veterans Affairs, 881 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02215, 617/353-3678.

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act ensures confidentiality of student educational records and restricts disclosure to or access by third parties, except as authorized by law. Parents of dependent students, as defined in Section 152 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954, are accorded full access by the University to their dependents’ educational records, with certain exceptions, and they may receive copies of their dependents’ grade reports each semester from the Office of the University Registrar. The University assumes that its undergraduate students are financially dependent unless a parent or the student informs the University Access Officer in the Office of the University Registrar that the student is financially independent. Students may provide this notification to the Access Officer via the Financially Independent Student Form, a copy of which may be secured from the Access Officer in the Office of the University Registrar.

Students have the right to inspect their educational records, with certain exceptions. If they believe these records are inaccurate, they may request an amendment and, if denied, have the right to a hearing and to place a letter of disagreement in their file if the outcome of that hearing is negative. Students are eligible under the Act to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education Family Policy and Regulations Office, Federal Office Building Number 6, Room 3021, 400 Maryland Ave., S.W., Washington, DC 20202, if they believe Boston University failed to comply with the requirements of the Act.

The University’s policies and procedures for implementation of this Act are enumerated in the Compliance Manual, copies of which are available to students at the Office of the University Registrar, 881 Commonwealth Avenue, Second Floor, Boston, MA 02215.

The University does not release personally identifiable information contained in student educational records except as authorized by law. Boston University has designated certain types of personally identifiable information as “directory information.” These include the student’s name; local or dorm address and telephone number; College of registration; degree program and major and minor; dates of attendance; part- or full-time status; degrees, honors, and awards received; and hometown for press releases. Students may restrict release of this information if they wish, and this data will not be released by the University except as authorized by law.

The Student Activities Office (Associate Director, GSU, 775 Commonwealth Avenue) and the Athletics Department (Director, 285 Babcock Street) may release or publish personally identifiable information on students who participate in officially recognized activities and sports. If students wish to restrict release and/or publication of this information, they should contact the Student Activities Office and the Athletics Department directly.

Students are informed of their rights under this law by the University Registrar. The parents of incoming freshmen and transfer students each year are informed of their rights under this law, and how to exercise them, by the Provost.

Equal Opportunity Policy

Boston University prohibits discrimination against any individual on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, physical or mental handicap, marital, parental, or veteran status. This policy extends to all rights, privileges, programs, and activities, including admissions, financial assistance, employment, housing, athletics, and educational programs. Boston University recognizes that nondiscrimination does not ensure that equal opportunity is a reality. Because of this, the University will continue to implement affirmative action initiatives that promote equal opportunity for all students, applicants, and employees. Inquiries regarding the application of this policy should be addressed to the Director, Office of Equal Opportunity, 25 Buick Street, Boston, MA 02215, 617/353-4475.

Grievance and Arbitration Procedures under Title IX

Undergraduate students who believe they have been discriminated against because of their race, color, creed, religion, ethnic origin, sex, age, or physical disability may file in writing a formal grievance with the Dean of Students. Graduate students file formal grievance directly with the dean of their school or college. The written statement should be as specific as possible regarding the action that precipitated the grievance: date, place, and people involved; efforts made to settle the matter informally; the remedy sought.
Within one week of receiving the statement, the Dean of Students forwards a copy to the appropriate person. If the complaint raises an academic question, the statement is forwarded to the dean of the school or college involved; if a nonacademic unit is concerned, the statement is forwarded to the administrative head of that unit. Individuals whose actions or inactions are the subject of the grievance receive a copy from their dean or administrative head and have an opportunity to respond in writing.

The dean or administrative head will try to meet with all concerned parties within two weeks of receiving the statement. He or she may receive both oral and written presentations and may make independent inquiry.

Within one week after such a meeting, the dean or administrative head makes a decision as to the merits of the statement and appropriate resolution of the grievance. Copies of this decision are sent to the student, the individuals whose actions are the subject of the grievance, the Dean of Students, and the Provost. If dissatisfied with the decision, the student may appeal to the Dean of Students, and from there to the Provost.

A record of all formal grievances is kept in the office of the Dean of Students, East Tower of the George Sherman Union, 775 Commonwealth Avenue. Copies of all written statements, letters, etc., relating to a grievance should be sent to that office.

Student Retention Information

Statistics for the student retention rate at Boston University are available on request from the Office of Analytical Services, 25 Buick Street, in accordance with the Education Amendments of 1976, Section 493A.

Selection Factors

The Committee on Admissions chooses applicants who seem best qualified not only by scholastic record, college recommendations and involvement in college and community activities, but also by less tangible qualities of personality, character and life experience. A personal interview is an integral part of the admissions process. All interviews are granted at the discretion of the Committee on Admissions. Boston University School of Medicine received over 11,000 applications for the 2007 entering class of 168. Since 54 students entered the class from various combined Boston University Liberal Arts Medical School programs, the 11,000+ applicants were, in effect, applying for 114 places.

Students in the 2007 entering class had the following characteristics:
G.P.A. mean = 3.72 and the mean MCAT quantitative subtest total was 33 compared with a national average of 28.

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of BU School of Medicine