Some students dream of going to the Ivy League pre-med and then becoming a doctor since they were kids. If this sounds like you, you might have already heard about Brown’s PLME program. It’s a very popular program for students who just can’t wait to become doctors. It’s highly competitive and can be a little tricky to figure out, so we thought we would break it down for any of our readers who are dreaming of being MDs.
What is PLME at Brown?
PLME or The Program in Liberal Medical Education is an eight-year program at Brown that allows students to do their undergrad and then med school education. Pretty much students get a liberal arts undergrad degree and then go directly to Brown’s Warren Alpert Medical School. This is a great option for people who know they want to go to Brown undergrad and then want to go to med school. While undergrads can major in around 100 departmental and interdepartmental concentration programs, they also receive support in preparing them for what they will need as a pre-med. It is a really cool program, which also means it's hard to get into.
How hard is it to get into PLME?
Ok, let’s start with the acceptance rate. Brown is already hard to get into. For the class of 2025, Brown’s overall acceptance rate was 5.5% and we think that might go down this year. While we don’t know what their acceptance rate will be this year, their ED acceptance rate this year was a historic low of 14.6%. It should be said, that Brown’s ED rate has been at a historic low for the last 4 years. This is all to say, getting into Brown is no joke. But PLME is actually harder.
For the class of 2024, the PLME acceptance rate was 3.4%. That year they had 2,530 applicants and accepted 88 students. For the class of 2025, PLME had 3,516 applicants and while they did not release how many were accepted, they did have 53 enrolled. The PLME program usually has an incoming class of around 60, but the number of students who apply seems to only be going up. The TLDR it’s super competitive and we are most likely talking about a sub 3% acceptance rate.
There is a silver lining. If you apply to PLME and don’t get in you will still be considered for admission to Brown regularly. And while that might sound like a consolation prize, it’s still Brown.
Should I apply to PLME early?
We usually push our students to apply to their dream school early decision, especially if their dream school is in the Ivy League. The majority of our students apply to an ED school and the majority of them get in and go to that school. Pretty much we are all for ED. However, PLME complicates that a little bit.
Because ED is binding and Brown isn’t sure if PLME candidates that don’t get in will still want to come to Brown, they ask some candidates not to apply early. Their website says, “Some students may be selected for admission to the College but not the PLME. The Office of College Admission realizes that these students may not wish to be admitted to the College under a binding early decision program if they are not also admitted to the PLME. Hence, the office asks these PLME applicants to apply for regular decision.”
This doesn’t mean you can’t apply to PLME early, but it does mean if PLME is the reason you want to go to Brown, it might complicate your admission.
Brown keeps PLME numbers pretty close to the chest and doesn’t say how many students they take for PLME early vs. regular. Seriously, they haven’t released those numbers since for the Class of 2019… not in 2019, the Class of 2019. We hate that, but when it comes to super-specialized programs with small classes, sometimes it’s a reality.
What do I need to get into PLME?
First, you need all the things that would regularly get you into Brown. Perfect or near-perfect grades, amazing test scores, fabulous extracurriculars, and a killer common app essay and Brown supplemental essays, plus the PLME essays.
PLME has additional essays to the Brown supplement. Supplements can change year to year and we always cover the most recent supplement when they come out, so look out for that blog in the Summer. Historically Brown has had around 3 short answer essays as a supplement.
Last year, the PLME’s additional essays were:
Prompt 1: Committing to a future career as a physician while in high school requires careful consideration and self-reflection. What values and experiences have led you to believe that becoming a doctor in medicine is the right fit for you? (250 words) Prompt 2: Select one of the following to answer for the second essay: (250 words)
Health care is constantly changing, as it is affected by racial and social disparities, economics, politics, and technology, among other factors. How will you, as a future physician, make a positive impact?
How do you feel your personal background provides you with a unique perspective of medicine?
Prompt 3: How do you envision the Program in Liberal Medical Education (PLME) helping you to meet your academic personal and professional goals as a person and as a physician of the future? (500 words)
They are pretty deep questions. We will publish a how-to after it’s confirmed that these are still the questions for next year’s applicants, probably in the late summer, but we believe they will be similar this year to the above.
PLME is no joke. If you are serious about going, you have to be a super-competitive candidate and make sure you have the strongest application possible. We can help with that.
If you are serious about PLME and need some help, reach out! You can always contact us here.