At seventeen years old, I received my first medical school acceptance. 

I grew up with an inkling that I wanted to be a doctor. As I navigated my science courses, laboratory work, and extracurricular experiences in the medical field, this inkling grew to a conviction, and I decided to apply to medical school during my senior year of high school through direct admit medical programs. Now a student in Northwestern University’s Honors Program in Medical Education (HPME), I know that applying to direct admit medical programs was the best choice for me. 

For highly motivated students committed to a career in medicine, direct admit medical programs are a great option. With over fifty colleges offering such programs, hundreds of high school seniors each year choose to forgo a traditional pre-medical experience for a combined BS/MD program, granting them a conditional seat at a medical school. Though all programs follow the general idea of early admission to medical school,...