Department of Surgery

Summer Surgery Program FAQs

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Who is eligible to apply?

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Applicants must be a currently enrolled undergraduate, pre-medical, college student interested in pursuing a medical career, preferably those completing their sophomore and junior years Students are required to have valid social security numbers and either US citizens or permanent residents. The program is not able to sponsor F-1 student visas at this time.

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Is there a minimum number of college hours or GPA an applicant must have to apply?

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There is no minimum amount of college hours or GPA requirement need to apply to the program.

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How are applicants chosen?

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Applicants are chosen on their well-roundedness, scholarly activity, and interest in medicine displayed through the personal statement.

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Is there a cost to participate?

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While there is no cost to participate, participants will be responsible for housing, meals, and transportation expenses needed throughout the duration of the program.

View the following links to learn more about transportation options:

Parking: Texas Medical Center Parking Information

Public Transportation: How to Ride METRO

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Is housing provided?

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Participants in the program are responsible for finding and funding their own housing. When you are accepted into the program, we provide you with a list of temporary housing in and around the Texas Medical Center to help with your search.

Learn more about housing and living in Houston from our Life in Houston page.

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Is there an application fee?

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There is no fee to submit a completed application.

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How should I submit my transcript?

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Save a legible unofficial transcript from your school’s online system. This transcript will be uploaded to the online application form. We ask that you do not send us transcripts that cannot be read due to watermarks.

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Who do the letters of recommendation have to come from?

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The three letters of recommendation that you are required to turn in to complete your application can be written by anyone you choose. They can be from personal sources, professional sources, school sources or from sources in the medical field. It is up to you.

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How do these letters need to be sent in?

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Recommenders must upload their letter to the online submission form (a link to this form will be sent to the recommender by email once applicant has submitted entire application). If the recommender is having issues uploading their document, they may email us at MEDstudentprogram@bcm.edu. Furthermore, there is neither a template nor a guideline that recommenders must follow when writing your letter of recommendation.

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Is there a prompt or format for the personal statement?

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No, there is not a specific prompt for the personal statement. The only format is that we request it be no longer than one page//single-spaced in length. Additionally, there is neither a template nor a specific set of questions that must be answered for your personal statement.