OVERVIEW COMBINED BS/MD 7-YEAR PROGRAM
APPLICATION DEADLINE: POST-MARKED BY JANUARY 10
Q.
IS THIS PROGRAM THE ONLY PATHWAY TO MEDICAL SCHOOL AT TCNJ?
A. NO! For 34 years our rising seniors have been successfully applying to a wide
variety of US medical schools. The vast majority of our pre-meds are NOT in the 7
year program and, over the last 5 years, about 85% of our regular medical school
applicants have gained entry into one or more US schools (i.e. Duke, Dartmouth,
Johns Hopkins, U. VA., U. MD., U. Alabama, Tulane, Mt. Sinai, Einstein, SUNYSyracuse, Temple, NYU, Penn. State-Hershey, Columbia, and, of course, NJ Medical
School and Robert Wood Johnson Medical School – New Jersey’s only MD schools).
Many supports are available to our “regular” pre-meds, including personalized
advisement, a chartered AMSA (The American Medical Student Association)
connections to nearby hospitals for volunteer positions, a campus-based, student-run
Emergency Medical Service organization, availability of a wide variety of pertinent
off-campus internships/research opportunities, an in-house MCAT prep course, and
guidance through the application/interview process.
We also participate in the Early Assurance Program with SUNY at Buffalo School of
Medicine. Highly qualified students apply as sophomores (SUNY Buffalo students
are given preferential treatment, but our students are also eligible). Accepted students
finish the four-year degree at TCNJ without having to take the MCAT. New York
state residence status can be earned by the start of your second year at the medical
school (in-state tuition is significantly less). For more information, visit:
www.smbs.buffalo.edu/ome.
Our mission is not only to best prepare the pre-med. for success in the application
process, but, more importantly, to best prepare him/her for success in medical school
and beyond.
Q. WHAT IS THE COLLEGE OF NEW JERSEY (TCNJ) – UMDNJ/N.J. MEDICAL SCHOOL
(NJMS) 7-YEAR COMBINED BS/MD PROGRAM?
A. It is a joint undergraduate-medical program in which a student spends three years at
TCNJ in an approved major (e.g., Biology, Chemistry, Psychology, English,
Philosophy or History) and four at NJMS. You may also select either Mechanical or
Electrical Engineering majors if you enter the college having earned college credit
(by qualifying AP test scores or completing college courses) in: General Physics I
and II, Calculus I and II and one of these: General Chemistry I and II. Upon
successful completion of the first year of medical school, the student is granted the
BS or BA degree in the chosen undergraduate major from TCNJ. The M.D. degree is
then earned at the end of four years at NJMS.
Q. DURING THE 3-YEAR UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAM, IS THE CREDIT LOAD PER
SEMESTER GREATER THAN IN THE NORMAL 4-YEAR UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAM
AND ARE SUMMER COURES REQUIRED?
A. The semester load is the same as that for other TCNJ students and, for the Biology
majors, the only course taken earlier than normal is Biology Seminar, a two-credit,
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journal-based course usually populated by seniors. No summer classes are needed as
long as the curriculum is followed. There is a required summer research program at
NJMS or another research university completed no later than the summer
immediately preceding the first year of medical school.
Q. DOES AP CREDIT AND PREVIOUS COLLEGE COURSE WORK COUNT TOWARD THE
COMPLETION OF UNDERGRADUATE REQUIREMENTS AT TCNJ?
A. Yes to both of the above as long as (1) the AP credit and college course(s) are
equivalent to courses required by the college or major, (2) equivalency for
introductory, entry-level courses only is involved (i.e. not Themes in Biology,
Genetics, Ecology, etc.) and (3) at least 32 credits of approved science course-work
will be completed at the college.
Q. WHAT ARE MINIMUM ADMISSIONS REQUIREMENTS?
A. An SAT score of at least 1400 from 1 test date. No exceptions will be made.
High school rank within the top 10%. Again, no exceptions will be made regardless
of class size or competitiveness of your school. If your school does not officially
rank, we will call the head guidance officer at your school to obtain what information
is available about your rank or evaluate your transcript for performance and rigor of
curriculum.
High school senior status. It is not possible to transfer into this program from other
colleges or from any other 3 or 4-year program within The College of New Jersey.
If you meet the above criteria, you have had some service experiences and your
overall admission file is positive, you will be eligible to be interviewed. The first
interview is with a Medical Career Advisor at TCNJ (telephone interviews are
available only for applicants living far away). Assuming that is favorable, you will
interview with a medical school admissions representative in Newark (this must be
done in person).
Please note: your state of residence has NO bearing on your admission to the 7-year
program. You must, however, be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident by the time
you enter NJMS.
Q. IS THERE AN ADMISSIONS QUOTA? HOW MANY 7-YEAR STUDENTS ARE
CURRENTLY ENROLLED AT TCNJ?
A. Usually, up to 20 freshmen enroll in the 8 undergraduate institutions participating in
the 7-year program with NJMS annually. TCNJ usually has more than half of the
total number of enrollees.
Q. WHAT ARE THE RETENTION CRITERIA FOR THE 7-YEAR PROGRAM?
A. If you are admitted and participate, you must:
Complete the three-year undergraduate curriculum at TCNJ in an approved major
earning a 3.4 (B) cumulative and science average each semester.
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Earn a B or better in each of the basic science courses required by the Medical School
(Themes in Biology, General Chemistry I/II, Organic Chemistry I/II, and Physics
I/II).
Earn no grade below a C in any course.
Take the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) no later than the spring of the
third (and last) year at TCNJ. NO MINIMUM SCORE IS REQUIRED.
If you are not a U.S. citizen, or a permanent resident, you must obtain U.S.
citizenship or permanent resident status, by the time you enter NJMS.
Engage in a research experience at NJMS or elsewhere no later than during the
summer immediately preceding your first year of medical school.
Q.
WHAT IA A TYPICAL NUMERICAL BREAKDOWN OF THE HIGH
SCHOOL SENIOR APPLICANT POOL?
All 8 undergraduate
institutions combined
The College of New Jersey
# Students interviewed
N/A
70-90
# Students interviewed at
NJMS
< 100
40-60
# Students Accepted – 1st
and only round (April 1)
30-40
14-24
# Students Planning to
enter program Fall
12-20
7-12
N/A
ca. 1480 (1420-1600)
N/A
ca. 2% (valedictorian to top
10%)
N/A
15-30
N/A
ca. 1450 (1400-1570)
Average SAT (Range) of
all Accepted to 7-year
program (re-centered
scores)
Average (Range) Class
rank of all Accepted
# Students interviewed at
both TCNJ and NJMS but
rejected
Average SAT (Range) of
3
this group
N/A
top 3-4% (valedictorian to
top 10%)
# Students interviewed at
TCNJ only – no interview
granted at NJMS
N/A
30-40
Average SAT (Range) of
this group
N/A
ca. 1430 (1400-1570)
Average (Range) Class
rank of this group
N/A
ca. top 5-6% (valedictorian
to top 10%)
Average (Range) Class
rank of this group
Note: Please keep in mind that interview evaluations, SAT II and AP scores (which are
optional), nature and extent of extracurricular activities and other components of the
application files were also important criteria for admission.
Q. HOW DO I INITIATE THE APPLICATION PROCESS?
A. Obtain a TCNJ application packet (includes financial aid information.)* YOU NEED
NO OTHER APPLICATION FORMS.
On-line application via http://www.admissions.tcnj.edu/apply_online.html
Or
Admissions Office
The College of New Jersey
P.O. Box 7718
Ewing, NJ 08628 – 0718
Phone: (609) 771-2131
*The application packets are available by late July.
Note: Complete the general essay. (No other essay is required.) The major code for
the 7-year program is BIOM. If you plan a major other than Biology, notify Dr.
Shevlin after you are admitted, and we will facilitate your inclusion in any of the
acceptable majors.
Q. WHAT IS THE APPLICATION PROCESS TIMETABLE?
A. Submit the TCNJ application form, the fee, etc. to the Admissions Office at the above
address by January 10. Send no application materials, letters, transcripts, etc. to Dr.
Shevlin, as it will delay the processing of your application. One of the Medical
Career Advisors will review your completed file and, if appropriate, call you to
schedule your first interview by early February. We can interview you at TCNJ
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anytime after your admission file is complete. Your completed file, which is kept in
the Admissions Office, consists of:

application with the one essay required of all college applicants

application fee

official high school transcripts and SAT scores

one or more letters of recommendation from teachers, guidance counselor
and/or supervisors

Achievement Test (SAT II) and/or AP Scores (optional)
There is no early decision process for the 7-year program, but the college does have
an early decision program (ask Admissions about deadlines).
It is your responsibility to check with Admissions, (609) 771-2131 or online, on the
status of your application file. You cannot be considered until your file is complete
(postmarked by the January 10 deadline).
TCNJ will mail its offers of acceptance to the college in March. NJMS will notify
Dr. Shevlin of its acceptances to the 7-year program by early April. He will call those
accepted and write to all interviewed applicants as soon as possible. There is no
alternate list, nor are there subsequent rounds of admission.
Please remember that your admission to the college is handled separately from that to
the 7-year Program. Dr. Shevlin has nothing to do with admission to the college nor
financial aid.
Q. WHO MAKES THE FINAL ADMISSIONS DECISION ON ALL OF THE INTERVIEWED
APPLICANTS?
A. The NJMS Admissions Committee makes the final decisions based on the materials
in the applicant’s file and the evaluation of both interviews.
Q. IF YOU ARE NOT QUALIFIED FOR OR NOT ADMITTED TO THE 7-YEAR PROGRAM,
WHAT IS THE FATE OF YOUR TCNJ APPLICATION?
A. As stated before, your college application is handled separately from your 7-year
program application. You will be given your second choice of major that you
indicate on your application. You will be considered for admission to TCNJ and for
financial aid based on the college’s entrance criteria. Note that the average TCNJ
Biology freshman comes from the top 8% of his/her high school class and has about
1280 SAT total.
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Q. WHAT FINANCIAL AID IS AVAILABLE AT TCNJ?
A. Several merit-based scholarships as well as needs-based assistance packages are
available. The Financial Aid Office can provide you with detailed information on all
forms of financial aid (609-771-2211).
The maximum amount currently available as merit scholarship support is complete
room, board and tuition for both in and out-of-state applicants.
Note: To date it has been possible for every out-of-state student to become a NJ
resident by the time he/she matriculates at NJMS. In-state medical school tuition is
of course significantly cheaper than out-of-state tuition.
Q. WHAT ARE THE HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES AT TCNJ AND NJMS?
A. All students admitted to the 7-year program are guaranteed on-campus housing during
their entire three years at TCNJ.
As is the case with most professional schools, NJMS has no dormitories. Students
arrange their own housing, usually with other medical students. Ample, inexpensive,
safe rental properties are available close to the medical school.
Q. CAN I GET A TOUR OF THE COLLEGE AND BIOLOGY DEPARTMENT?
A. Call the TCNJ Admissions Office (609-771-2131) if you want to schedule a campus
tour and the Biology Department (609-771-2371) if you want to meet some of our
students, see our well-equipped labs and ask questions about the high quality,
personalized program we provide our students. A departmental tour will be a part of
your TCNJ interview if you have not previously seen our facilities.
Q. IF I AM ACCEPTED TO THE PROGRAM AND ATTEND TCNJ, MUST I ATTEND NJMS
(AT NEWARK)?
A. You are free to withdraw from the 7-year program at any time during your first three
years. The medical school, of course, will then withdraw its guarantee. During your
fourth year at TCNJ, you may apply to any medical school you wish. Your medical
school acceptance will be based on the regular criteria: cumulative GPA, MCAT
scores, medical school interview and composite letter of recommendation.
Our Medical Careers Advisory Committee consists of seven science faculty (Biology,
Chemistry and Psychology) who offer personalized advisement on all aspects of premedical preparation. In addition, we have an in-house MCAT prep course and a
Medical Careers Society, both of which are valuable resources for the pre-medical
student. The latter is a student club, which sponsors presentations by health career
students and practitioners, charity fund-raisers, tours of area health professional
schools, and offers peer and faculty advisement on all phases of pre-medical
preparation.
Note: Students in the 7-year program with good MCAT scores and grades have
successfully applied to other medical schools during their junior year (i.e. Temple,
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UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson, University of Texas-San Antonio, SUNY Syracuse
and Duke University). You must officially declare your intention to matriculate at
NJMS or withdraw from the 7-year program before December of your junior year.
Q. WHAT ARE THE PERTINENT PHONE NUMBERS AND E-MAIL ADDRESSES
CONCERNING PREMEDICAL EDUCATION AT TCNJ?
Admissions Office: (609) 771-2131 or deinhard@tcnj.edu
Financial Aid Office: (609) 771-2211 or osfa@tcnj.edu
Student Housing Office: (609) 771-2201 or mmanetas@tcnj.edu
Medical Careers at TCNJ: (609) 771-2021 or medcar@tcnj.edu*
*December through February is our busiest time. Returning phone calls and e-mail
messages often takes a week or more during this period.
This update: 10/6/03
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