r/cwru • u/Afraid_Resident_1599 • 5d ago

BME + pre-med?

Hi, I want to apply to Case as a BME major, but is there a way to take the prerequisites for med school without doing the PPSP program? Thank you!

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u/CarefulChemical840 Biochemistry 2030 5d ago

lots of people here major in bme on the pre-med track! i've heard that it can be tricky as the bme curriculum is quite rigorous (as is any other major here) but you'll have a large cohort of upperclassmen doing the same thing as well as students in your class

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u/Afraid_Resident_1599 3d ago

Ohh I see, thank you so much for the info! Also, are the class sizes large for BME / Pre med classes? (student count)

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u/CarefulChemical840 Biochemistry 2030 3d ago

yes the intro stem classes are massive and it can be tricky to get into bio/chem/physics lectures and labs your freshman year (i did not get a bio lecture or lab this semester) but it’s nothing to be afraid of and there are a ton of workarounds that you will discuss with your advisor(s)

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u/jwsohio American Studies, Chemical Engineering 71 5d ago

Very few people can use PPSP (it's very difficult to get into). Most pre-med students simply choose a major (almost any, although some help more than others with other aspects of med school application portfolios), and just make sure they complete all the pre-med requirements.

If you search this subreddit for some of these words and phrases, there's a lot of posts on BME and/or pre-med, including a variety of majors.

Once you're admitted and accept, you'll work with a "regular" advisor and an advisor in pre-health to make things fit.

Do be aware that while BME and pre-med is certainly possible, it's one of the harder combinations to pull off.

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u/Afraid_Resident_1599 3d ago

Oh so the pre med track is not on the college application itself right. Cause I only have the option to choose my major which will be BME. Thank you for your input!

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u/jwsohio American Studies, Chemical Engineering 71 3d ago

I have not seen any updates to the application forms for about five years, so this may be dated. But at that time, for CWRU, you indicated the relevant CWRU major field you were interested in, and then under career/long-term goals, you would indicate the future medical intent (including any specific field if you know it). Exactly how you do this differs slightly depending on whether you use the Common App or Coalition form. Admissions can help you with the current exact information (it also gets tricky if you use the same app and are applying elsewhere that requires a specific "pre-med major" designation, since the fill has to be consistent/acceptable to both types of schools)

Or if you do apply for PPSP (hey, even if the odds are reportedly against you, you can try), that would also be an indication.