Program Features
Our SMP students are supported both inside and outside of the classroom to help them achieve their goals.
Mentorship
All SMP Students get paired with a faculty Academic Advisor when they enter the program, who are members of the MA Committee. Academic Advisors assist in course selection and enrollment, research placement, and serve as a point of contact in case if anything challenging arises during their time in the program. Students frequently meet with their Academic Advisor during their first semester in the program, and then as needed throughout the remainder of their time.
MCAT Test preparation
SMP students will be provided with a subscription to UWorld in the months before they intend to take the exam. Students at similar levels of preparation will be invited to collaborate and form study groups and provided with a dedicated space to work through content and prepare together. Additional preparation may be provided, in the form of paid tutors and practice tests.
Community of Scholars
Join a community of roughly 60 students, who are highly collaborative, friendly, and like-minded in their pursuits. Students frequently form study groups, live together, practice seminars, and get together outside of the class and lab. Many students matriculate together into UB’s School of Medicine and Dental Medicine, and to other schools across the country. Alumni of the program are actively involved and assist current students with research, application preparation, and guidance.
Flexibility
Roughly 65% of SMP students are pursuing/exploring a pre-health track (MD/DO, DDS, PA), with the rest considering Veterinary, PharmD, Law, PhD, Teaching, Research, and many other tracks. The built in flexibility of the program allows students to create a curriculum that is tailored to their individual needs and interests and enables them to be competitive for the next chapter of their lives, whatever that may be.
Building skills
Students gain valuable presentation skills and professional development through their experience in MA Student Seminar. Workshops on personal statement generation, SMART Goals, presentation skills, and many others occur throughout the year, as well as opportunities to network with admission officials in terminal degree programs. Students build presentation skills by observing their peers present in seminar, and by presenting their own research seminar as they approach graduation. Students also gain writing skills through the creation of a final report called the Project Summary.
