The Dual Degree Honors Program in Medicine (HPM) is offered to mature high school seniors with strong academic ability and achievement who seek careers in medicine or medical science. Students can earn both a Bachelor of Science (BS) and a Doctor of Medicine (MD) in 7 or 8 years.

Students undergo a highly selective screening process and are admitted simultaneously to the College of Arts and Sciences and to the Miller School of Medicine. Accepted students are assured of a place in medical school after 3 or 4 calendar years of undergraduate work.

Applicants to the Dual Degree Honors Program in Medicine must be US citizens or permanent residents of the United States with an alien registration receipt card in their possession at the time of application. Residents of any state may apply. Only students who are in their last year of high school are considered for admission. Students who have graduated from high school are ineligible to apply.

Application Requirements

• SAT 1 minimum score of 1400 (ACT 32)
• Class rank in the top 5% of their graduating class
• Unweighted GPA of at least 3.75 or its equivalent
• SAT 2 scores of at least 600 in math and either biology, chemistry, or physics
• Must complete the requisite University of Miami application and the Dual Admissions Supplemental Application and provide all requested documentation
• All applicants must have completed eight semesters of English and mathematics and two semesters each of biology and chemistry by the time they graduate from high school
• The application deadline is November 1

Selection Factors

Academic factors taken into account in the selection process include scores on standardized exams, the quality of the high school curriculum including the number and nature of advanced placement courses, and the amount and type of university-level work already completed. Of equal importance to all academic achievements are personal factors such as maturity of thought and action, common sense, empathy, interpersonal skill level, appropriate freedom from parental influence, and social cognizance. These are assessed in a personal evaluation interview conducted by a member of the medical faculty, which is an integral part of the admissions process. Most importantly, the applicant must have made a practical decision to study medicine based on self-initiated patient contact experiences. No preference will be given to applicants who have skipped grades or who are graduating early from high school.

Promotion to the Miller School of Medicine

To be promoted to the School of Medicine after three calendar years of undergraduate work, the student must have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.7, a science GPA of at least 3.7, and an MCAT composite score of at least 28. In addition to these requirements, students must participate in one or more of the following socialization activities during each of their undergraduate semesters: research (preferably at the School of Medicine), campus or community service organizations, patient contact experiences and hospital volunteering, and study abroad. These must be semester-long experiences and verification that the experience was done must be provided. Given the nature of the Honors Program in Medicine, students are greatly encouraged to gain as many patient contact experiences and hospital volunteer experiences as possible. Students can participate in additional socialization experiences during the summer but those experiences will not substitute for the experiences that must be taken during the fall and spring semesters.

To be promoted to the School of Medicine after four calendar years of undergraduate work, the student must have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.5, a science GPA of at least 3.5, and an MCAT composite score of at least 26. Students must continue acquiring socialization experiences during each semester of the fourth year.

All HPM students, regardless of the length of time spent at the undergraduate level, must accumulate at least 90 semester hours of credit including all of the courses required to start medical school, and satisfy the requirements for a major. All students must submit a verified AMCAS application to the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine to be considered for promotion. Students wishing to apply to other medical schools must inform the associate dean for admissions of their intentions before beginning the promotion process. All HPM students must also complete a secondary application for the Miller School of Medicine and supply letters of recommendation.

For further information about the Dual Degree Honors Program in Medicine and its sister program, the Medical Scholars Program, call the Office of Undergraduate Admissions at 305-284-4323 or visit the web site of the University of Miami for application information for the Dual Degree Honors Programs.