1. What is the B.S./M.D. Program?

It is an accelerated route, in two phases, to become a physician. The program is a consortium at both phases. Phase I is two or three years at The University of Akron, Kent State University or Youngstown State University. Phase II is at NEOUCOM (in Rootstown, OH about 15 minutes via car from Kent) and is a standard four-year medical school. Students do their clinical clerkships at the hospitals in Akron, Canton and Youngstown.

2. Who can join this program?

High school students and people with no college credit after graduation from high school, who enjoy and excel in math and science. It is also important to be sure that you want to be a physician.

3. Is there a residency requirement?

    A. Students from any state may apply. However, since all of the consortium schools are Ohio Public Schools, we give absolute preference to Ohio residents. The mission of NEOUCOM is to train primary care doctors to practice in Ohio.

    B. Students must be permanent residents of the United States to be eligible for the program. Verification of permanent residency requires that you provide your alien registration number and a copy of your alien registration card at the time of your application.

4. How are the students selected for this program?

There are two steps in the admissions process:

    A. Selection of students to be interviewed.
    This selection is based on academic credentials and extracurricular activities. Typically students who are interviewed have exceptional high school GPAs, science GPAs, as well as exceptional SAT or ACT scores.  We accept ACT or SAT scores and will use the highest total/composite score despite the order or the number of times the exams are taken.

    B. Final selection into the program.
    The second part of the selection process is the interview. The interview is between 20 and 30 minutes and involves a two-person panel. The panel usually consists of one area physician and one Kent State University Faculty Person.

5. What should I do now as a high school student to increase my chances of being accepted?

    A. You need to be good in math and sciences and like people. The things to do now are to take as much math and science as your high school offers.  AP classes are always a tremendous help.

    B. You should develop your people skills. Take non-science courses and get involved in activities. These activities can be anything that interests you. Do not limit yourself to science type of activities. You want to be well rounded and have a variety of interests.

    C. Volunteer at hospitals, nursing homes and places such as summer camps or soup kitchens.

    D. Shadow your family physician or a physician you meet while volunteering at a local hospital.

    E. You need to want to be a physician and know why you want to be one.

6. How many students are in the program?

There are 35 students selected for the program each year at each of the consortium undergraduate universities.

7. Are there criteria to stay in the program?

Yes, you must have a 3.0 science/math grade point average after the first year to automatically continue in the program. You must have a 3.1 science/math grade point average to automatically take a third year in the program. You must have a 3.2 science/math grade point average, a 3.25 overall grade point average and earn the national average on the MCAT (usually 8 in each section) to be promoted to the medical school after two or three years. The sections of the MCAT are Verbal Reasoning, Physical Sciences (Physics and Inorganic Chemistry) and Biological Sciences (Biology and Organic Chemistry). The three sections are scaled on a 1-15 scale with 15 being highest. If you have both a 3.5 overall and science/math grade point average, you can earn a composite MCAT of 24 with only one score of 7.

8. When does the program begin?

The undergraduate program begins in June of the summer after graduation from high school. Students take three summer sessions. The entire program takes two years and three summers. If a student does the program in three years, the student still begins in the summer after graduation and it takes three years and three summers.

9. When should I apply?

For the 2006 class, there are two admission opportunities:

    A. For the Early Action admission, applications (including test scores) are due to NEOUCOM by Oct. 1, 2006.

    B. For Regular Notification admission, applications (including test scores) are due to NEOUCOM by Dec. 15, 2006.

It is the applicant's responsibility to make sure that all of the required admissions materials are received by NEOUCOM by the deadline. To check on the status of your admission materials, call NEOUCOM at 330-325-6270.

10. When are the interviews?

    A. Interviews for Early Action admission are usually scheduled the second or third weekend in November.

    B. Regular Notification interviews are usually scheduled for the second or third weekend in February .

11. Do I apply to each university separately?

No, there is one application to apply to all three undergraduate universities. Call NEOUCOM for an application at 330-325-6270. You may also download an application from NEOUCOM’S Web site (www.neoucom.edu). When the application is posted on NEOUCOM's website (generally around Aug. 1), you'll find it by starting at their home page; click on "Prospective Students"; "Admissions"; "High School Student". When available, there will be a link "Print BS/MD Application." The application fee is $195.

Credit for Web site design and substantial portions of content go to Dr. Martha Kory and Lin Danes. All efforts are made to keep this information current. However, all information is subject to change without notice.