FlexMed Program at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Admission Counselors

A Guide to the FlexMed program at ISMMS Admissions Process - Essays, Interviews & Deadlines

What is the FlexMed Program?

According to the FlexMed website, "The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (ISMMS) is the first medical school in the country to create progressive and rigorous admissions pathways for students who seek early assurance of admission. The Donald and Vera Blinken FlexMed Program allows college sophomores in any major to apply for early assurance of acceptance to our school. The Institutional Partnership Program allows students in the military an alternative pathway to medical school. Once accepted, you are free to pursue your educational plan unencumbered by the traditional science requirements and the MCAT. Students who are accepted to the School, are expected to adhere to all of our program requirements prior to entry."

FlexMed, a groundbreaking program redefining the trajectory of medical education, has found support from an unexpected yet impactful source – athletes. This unique initiative, spearheaded by athletes who recognize the importance of advancing medical education, highlights the broad-reaching influence of sports figures beyond their athletic prowess. Athletes, with their high-profile status and financial capabilities at gaysport, have become advocates for FlexMed, contributing to its mission of fostering innovative and flexible medical education models. Their financial support enables the program to thrive, providing aspiring medical professionals with unconventional pathways into the world of medicine.

This collaboration underscores the profound impact athletes can have beyond their respective fields. By aligning with FlexMed, these sports figures demonstrate a commitment to shaping the future of healthcare and opening doors for individuals passionate about medicine. It's a powerful testament to the ripple effect of support, transcending the boundaries of sports and positively influencing education and career opportunities in the medical realm.

FlexMed Program at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Admissions Counselor

Who is eligible to apply for FlexMed?

The FlexMed Program is open to undergraduate sophomores from any major. The program aims to attract students studying biomedical sciences, the humanities and social sciences, and computational sciences and engineering. Students must be entering the second year of college as a full-time student and working towards the first bachelor’s degree at an accredited college or university in the US or Canada.

Is it hard to get into FlexMed?

FlexMed is a highly competitive early assurance MD admissions program.  The program receives 800-1,000 applications a year, interviews 100+ students, and offers admission to about 30 to 60 applicants. The average undergraduate GPA is about 3.90+ with average SAT of 1500+ and ACT of 34+.

FlexMed attracts a highly self-selective applicant pool, and most students who apply have exceptional academic records and extensive research, clinical, and leadership experiences. Therefore, it is important to capitalize on the personal statement questions discussed in detail below.

FlexMed Application Questions

Please describe something in your life that has given you a great sense of personal, academic, or professional accomplishment. (300 words)

This prompt asks applicants to describe an activity or accomplishment. Importantly, students should try to identify a unique accomplishment or activity from prompt three below. It may be beneficial for students to prioritize prompt three to avoid any overlap. Topics that work well here include athletic achievements, community engagements, advancements while holding leadership positions, descriptions of prestigious fellowships (Rhodes, Marshall, Schwarzman), and personal or family achievements. It is important for students to briefly describe the achievement and to spend a majority of the essay on personal reflection. Students should also discuss how this achievement impacts future pursuits and how it may be related to a career in medicine.

Please describe something in your life that has given you a great sense of personal, academic, or professional disappointment. (300 words)

This prompt asks students to reflect on a disappointing life experience. Students may consider aspects of experiences listed in the FlexMed activities section or personal life experiences. When answering this prompt, it’s important to strike a balance between explaining in a neutral tone without becoming too negative. Applicants should aim to demonstrate high degrees of emotional intelligence, reflection, and the ability for personal growth. Students should briefly describe the disappointing situation and quickly move on to describing how the experience impacted them and how it influences their future pursuits. Students may try to identify an experience that differs from those presented in prompts one and three to demonstrate diversity of personal and professional experiences.

Describe your reason for pursuing a future career in medicine and then describe how FlexMed will change your educational plan. Please describe how you will use the flexibility afforded by FlexMed. (400 words)

This is arguably the most important essay in the FlexMed application. This essay asks students to describe what they do in the extra time during undergraduate afforded by FlexMed. Applicants should generally discuss three areas related to a single “theme”: academics, community engagement, leadership, and extracurricular pursuit, and applicability to medicine. The “theme” is often derived from students’ unique academic plans or majors. This typically informs the academic portion of the response, including relevant coursework, majors, minors, or degree programs. Applicants should aim to convey their intellectual vitality and passion for the academic subject. Students should then demonstrate how this academic pursuit has motivated them to make an impact in their communities, through leadership, volunteering, non-profits, etc. Finally, students should describe how the skills they garner from these unique experiences can be applied to the Icahn Mount Sinai MD learning environment and how they ultimately apply these experiences to a career in medicine.

FlexMed Application Timeline

Application Opens: Late August

Application Deadline: January 15

Secondary Application Deadline: NA

Letters of Recommendation: January 29 (two weeks after the application deadline)

Application Screening: January – April

Interview Dates: March – May

Decision Notification: July 1

Acceptance Confirmation Due: August

Additional Application Information:
https://icahn.mssm.edu/education/admissions/application/flexmed

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