Accelerated iBMS Program Paves the Way to Medicine
90 percent of Accelerated iBMS Students who Complete the Didactic Portion Matriculate into Medical School
For many aspiring physicians, gaining admission to medical school is one of the most challenging and defining steps in their journey. Enhancing one’s application has become a common and often necessary practice, such as improving one’s GPA. The highly competitive Accelerated Interdisciplinary Biomedical Sciences (Accelerated iBMS) master’s program offers a rigorous curriculum designed to strengthen applicants’ academic profiles and readiness for medical school. Since its inception in 2007, 90 percent of students that completed the didactic portion of the program have matriculated into medical school.
“The most rewarding part of the program was getting into medical school, but also seeing my growth as a student,” said Ian Ghasemian, Accelerated iBMS Class of 2025 and SOM Class of 2029. “During the program, I saw myself learn to lock back in, finding ways to stay motivated, engaged, and consistent with taking notes. I had lost that discipline during undergrad, but the Accelerated iBMS program really pushed me to regain it.”
With the goal of becoming an orthopedic surgeon and after frequently visiting his own orthopedic doctor for soccer injuries, Ghasemian saw the Accelerated iBMS program as the perfect program to strengthen his application and a pathway into the College’s medical school.
Over the 12-month program, Ghasemian attended pre-clinical courses alongside first-year medical students in the School of Medicine (SOM), gaining a foundation in the core sciences physicians need and acclimating to the most effective study strategies for medical school success. Students in the Accelerated iBMS program also have the opportunity to gain additional clinical experience through volunteer efforts at Westchester Medical Center and other hospitals in the neighboring communities.
In recent years, the Accelerated iBMS program adopted a conditional acceptance agreement with the SOM that allows students in the program who met certain benchmarks to be automatically accepted in the M.D. program after their completion of the didactic portion of the program. For the Class of 2025, of the 28 students in the Accelerated iBMS program, 25 applied and were admitted to the various medical doctoral programs around the country, with 22 of them matriculating into the NYMC SOM.
“The conditional acceptance does not bypass the stringent requirements for entering medical school,” said Brian Ratliff, Ph.D., program director of the Accelerated iBMS program and associate professor of physiology and medicine. “Essentially, students undergo two rigorous reviews to meet standards to first be admitted into the Accelerated iBMS program and second to be accepted into our medical school.”
“Meeting the criteria for the conditional acceptance agreement is like winning a golden ticket,” said Dina Modlin, Accelerated iBMS Class of 2025 and SOM Class of 2029. “You’re signing a contract that says that because you worked hard and succeeded throughout the program, you’re guaranteed a spot next year in the medical school.”
Now starting medical school, Modlin and Ghasemian feel well prepared and recommend this path to future students who want to strengthen their skills and readiness before starting.
“There’s really nothing that prepares you for medical school like essentially being in medical school,” said Ghasemian. “You’re taking the same courses and are surrounded by your future peers. If you feel you’re not quite ready or your application could use some work, there’s really nothing better than the Accelerated iBMS program. I would highly recommend it to anyone in that situation.”
