Early Opportunity Program in Medicine

The Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at UB recognizes the importance of inclusion and diversity in achieving excellence in the training of competent physicians. To meet these goals of excellence the Early Opportunity Program in Medicine (EOPIM) serves to identify and recruit qualified applicants at an early stage in their undergraduate development. 

The EOPIM is a pre-admission program that if completed successfully will lead to entry into the MD program at the Jacobs School. Students accepted into the EOPIM are provided the opportunity for professional interaction and career training at the Jacobs School before their graduation from college.

The EOPIM is designed to expand the pool of underrepresented, economically and educationally disadvantaged students in medical school. Additionally, there is a preference for candidates who have a commitment to improving health disparities in underserved communities and have demonstrated this through service activities. 

• Application to EOPIM occurs in the SOPHOMORE year for students currently enrolled in an EOPIM partner institution (this includes UB). 
• Applicants must have an overall and science GPA of a 3.5 at the time of application.
• UB's medical school does not accept international applicants.
• Students cannot apply directly to the EOPIM, but must first be nominated by the partner institution where they are enrolled. 
• Eligible UB students can apply to be nominated by UB's Prehealth Nomination Committee as outlined below. 
  
• For more information, current UB students should contact Amanda at alp25@buffalo.edu. Students at other institutions should contact their school's Prehealth office. 

The nomination application closely mirrors the EOPIM application for the medical school and will need to be submitted by December 11, 2024 at 12 noon. You will be asked about your:

• Motivations for medical school and EOPIM
• Commitment to improving health disparities in underserved populations
• Academic record
• Clinical experiences
• Community service
• Non-clinical employment
• Research
• Extracurricular activities
• Awards and honors
• Plans for letters of recommendation
• Honor statement/academic integrity

Should you receive a nomination, you will then be provided with the EOPIM application materials, which Prehealth will help walk you through. We will reach out to schedule a meeting with one of the Prehealth Advisors so that we can get to know you better in order to write a detailed nomination letter on your behalf. 

You will also need to secure letters of recommendation to be submitted to Prehealth. As you would have about a month between receiving a nomination (mid-January) and when letters would be due to Prehealth (February 14), we strongly recommend discussing this in advance with potential evaluators so they will be prepared for the timeline.

Finally, you will be asked for transcripts from all colleges where you have earned credits and, if you have taken them, SAT and/or ACT scores.

After receiving an EOPIM nomination, we will email you the link to the UB PrivateFolio account. Make sure you follow all directions below.

• Follow the link to the UB PrivateFolio account.
• Enter your information, choose your password, and press Submit to create your account.
• You will receive a confirmation email. Click on the confirmation link in this email and then log into your account using your email address and password.
• !!! IMPORTANT !!! You will be asked to choose your account term. Choose the option for one free year. If you pay PrivateFolio directly, we cannot refund you.  

• Under the Recommendation Letters section, click on Request a Letter.
• Fill in the name and email address for your letter writer.
• You will provide a Document Title for this letter. Please title it with the recommender’s name and the year you are requesting it. For example, Dr. Jane Doe 2025 or John Doe 2025.
• You have the option of putting in a due date. Should you choose to do so, please make sure you are choosing a reasonable date that you have previously discussed with your letter writer.
• You have the option of modifying the text of the request that will go to your letter writer. We recommend personalizing it. This is also a good place to remind recommenders that letters should be signed, dated, and either on letterhead or include all contact information. Additionally, you can add the link to our web page with information for letter writers.
• Check off the box indicating that the letter must be signed.
• Check off the box indicating that you are waiving your right to access the confidential letter. Professional schools strongly prefer confidential letters.
• When everything is ready, click submit and your letter writer will receive the request in their email.  
  

• Once your recommender successfully uploads their letter to PrivateFolio, you will receive a confirmation email.
• However, consider your letter to be in “quarantine” for a week so we can screen it to make sure it meets all guidelines.
• If the letter is missing anything, we will contact you so that you can ask your letter writer to resubmit it.
• If you don’t hear from us after a week, you can assume your letter was acceptable. Please understand that we are unable to send confirmation for every letter. 

• ONLY DO THIS STEP AFTER ALL OF YOUR LETTERS HAVE BEEN RECEIVED AND YOU ARE CERTAIN OF WHICH LETTERS YOU WANT INCLUDED IN YOUR LETTER PACKET.
• After all of your letters have been submitted, you will confirm the recommendations you want included in your letter packet by creating a Word document of your final list.
• Please include each recommender’s full name and the year the letter was submitted.
• In PrivateFolio, click on Upload Documents under Manage Dossier.
• Click on the Add Document button.
• Please title it with your full name and the year. For example, Judy Smith 2025.
• In the drop down menu, choose Letter Writer List.
• Click the Choose Document button and attach your file. 

• You do not need to use any other functionalities in PrivateFolio (deliveries, portfolio, referrals, etc).
• We will handle letter packet deliveries to the medical school.
• Do not request delivery through PrivateFolio or they will charge you. We are unable to refund any money paid directly to PrivateFolio.
• Once you have uploaded your final letter list, your final step will be to fill out our release form for EOPIM.  
  

• Shannon M. Brown, MS, EdM, Neuroscience Coordinator, Coordinator Jacobs School Curriculum &   Assessment, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences  
  
• Kayla Goodman, Senior Academic Advisor, Exploratory and Pre-Professional Advising Center
• Connie Hanel, MSEd, Senior Academic Advisor, Exploratory and Pre-Professional Advising Center
• David Hoekstra, PhD, Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Biological Sciences
• Danielle Johnson, PhD, Program Coordinator/Advisor, Daniel Ackers Scholars Program
• Amanda Sauter, MSW, MS, Coordinator Pre-Professional Health Advising, Exploratory and Pre-Professional Advising Center 
  
• Troy Wood, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Chemistry