Quick Definitions
- Direct medical programs: dual-degree programs that offer guaranteed admission to medical school to high school seniors; also known as BS/MD, BA/MD, BS/DO, joint degree medical, or combined degree medical programs
- Accelerated medical programs: specialized direct medical programs that allow students to complete their undergraduate and medical degrees in six or seven years instead of the traditional eight years (4 + 4)
- Six-year BS-BA/MD programs: accelerated medical programs that allow students to complete their Bachelor of Science (B.S.) or Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) & Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) degrees in six years (2 + 4)
- Seven-year BS-BA/MD programs: accelerated medical programs that allow students to complete their Bachelor of Science (B.S.) or Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) & Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) degrees in seven years (3 + 4)
- Early assurance medical programs: programs that offer early acceptance to medical school to undergraduate students; note: in a majority of cases, these are not the same as direct medical programs