The 3 Ways to Get into Med School

Everyone wants to be a doctor.

They want the white coat, the stability, the prestige, the income. And they want to get there in the shortest time possible, for the least amount of money, with the lowest possible risk.

So naturally, families fixate on Direct Med programs.

Because nothing sounds better than “guaranteed at 17.”

But here’s what almost no one understands:

There are actually three routes to becoming a physician:

• Traditional Pre-Med
• Direct Med (BS/MD or BA/MD)
• Early Assurance

Traditional Pre-Med

You go to college. You take the prerequisites. You grind research, clinical hours, volunteering. You take the MCAT. You apply junior or senior year.

Any major works. Sometimes you're more competitive if you're in the humanities!

This is the default. It’s flexible. It gives you room to grow. It also means four years of pressure and a national applicant pool breathing down your neck.

Any college offers this. While big names like Harvard and Hopkins dominate, Liberal Arts Colleges (LACs) like Amherst, Bowdoin, and Pomona often have higher medical school acceptance rates (often 80%+) because of small class sizes and personalized letters of recommendation from faculty who actually know you.

Some top picks:

Direct Med

You apply as a high school senior to a combined undergrad + med school program. If accepted, your seat in medical school is secured, usually contingent on GPA and sometimes a minimum MCAT.

These programs are brutally competitive. Think single-digit acceptance rates. You’re competing against students who’ve published research at 17 and shadowed surgeons since middle school.

It’s real. It’s impressive. It’s also not the only smart play.

The Signature Programs

Brown University (PLME), Case Western Reserve (PPSP), Rice University / Baylor College of Medicine, Penn State / Sidney Kimmel (Jefferson), University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC), RPI / Albany Medical College, University of Pittsburgh (GAP)

Smaller Programs

Adelphi University, Purchase College, Syracuse University, Temple University (Health Scholars), Hofstra University (4+4 Program), Stony Brook University (Scholars for Medicine), Seton Hall University (Joint MD), University of Toledo (Bacc2MD), Saint Louis University (Medical Scholars), Augusta University (Professional Scholars)

Unlike the "Top-Tier" programs (like Brown) that waive the MCAT, these regional programs almost always require it. However, they usually set a "minimum" score that is lower than what you would need for general admission.

Schools like Augusta, UMKC, and South Alabama have heavy "geographic" quotas. If you are an out-of-state applicant, your stats generally need to be well above the listed minimums.

Early Assurance

You enroll in a regular college first. Then, usually sophomore year, you apply to that school’s affiliated medical school. If accepted, your seat is secured early. Some programs waive the MCAT. Many dramatically reduce stress.

Available at: Tufts University, SUNY Schools, Wake Forest,  Boston University, Northwestern University, Icahn Mt. Sinai, Georgetown University, UC Riverside, University of Rochester, Michigan State (CHM), University of Florida (Med Honors), Loyola Chicago (Stritch)

Partner Schools that Offer It At Other Universities:  Syracuse University, Cornell University (Human Ecology), Colgate, Hamilton College, Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), St. Lawrence, Skidmore, Wells College, and Yeshiva University,  Hampton University, Morehouse, Spelman

The Best Route

The one most families barely talk about. Early Assurance.

Why? Because it combines what everyone claims they want, security, efficiency, and strategic positioning, without forcing a 17-year-old to lock into a hyper-competitive commitment before they’ve taken a single real college science class.

You prove yourself in college first. Then you apply early, often with a smaller applicant pool, sometimes with no MCAT, and with far more academic maturity behind you.

And if your actual goal is to become a doctor, not just flex early, we're here to help you navigate all three lanes.