Does Boston University’s Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine Require CASPer? (Boston University CASPer Requirements Explained)

Does Boston University Medical School Require CASPer? Boston University School of Medicine CASPer exam as part of its admissions process. It does not, however, require the Duet and Snapshot assessments.

Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) is a historic social justice medical school built on the front lines of urban healthcare. Earning admission to such a selective institution is an extraordinary accomplishment. BUSM seeks students whose character matches their academic excellence. Boston University School of Medicine uses the CASPer exam to evaluate the empathy and altruism central to its mission. To help you stand out in this competitive pool, this guide provides the essential strategies and insider tips needed to navigate CASPer and effectively articulate your unique fit for BUSM’s transformative community.

If you’re applying broadly, it will be helpful to review a full list of Medical Schools That Require CASPer so you can plan your testing timeline strategically.

This blog will cover:

• Boston University Medical School CASPer
• What is CASPer and Why Do Medical Schools Use It?
• Boston University Medical School Admissions Overview
  
• Boston University CASPer Requirements: What Applicants Need to Know
• What Kind of CASPer Answers Fit Boston University’s Mission?
• Frequently Asked Questions About the Boston University Medical School and CASPer
• Final Takeaway: Should You Worry About CASPer for Boston University?

Boston University Medical School CASPer

CASPer, also known as the Acuity Insights Assessments (and formerly known as the Atlas Suite), is a set of standardized, digital evaluations used by medical schools to assess situational judgement and personal attributes. The suite consists of three assessments:

• CASPer: The primary and longest portion, which examines ethical and moral reasoning through video and typed responses to given scenarios.
• Duet: A shorter, untimed assessment in which applicants rank sets of characteristics to identify what they prioritize in a medical education environment.
• Snapshot (Phased Out): A one-way video interview tool previously used to record answers to pre-set questions.

While CASPer and Duet both aim to capture a more holistic view of an applicant, they differ significantly in their format and content.

For a deeper look at the CASPer admissions landscape, check out this guide.

What is CASPer and Why Do Medical Schools Use It?

CASPer (the Computer-based Assessment for Sampling Personal Characteristics) is an online, open-response exam that tests applicants’ situational judgement. Administered by Acuity Insights, it examines how students react to various ethical dilemmas to determine if they possess the maturity and discernment needed for clinical practice. Through both video and typed-responses, it captures applicants’ soft skills in morally ambiguous situations, ensuring that applicants can both act compassionately and articulate their thoughts clearly under pressure.

CASPer is designed to measure nine key traits essential for careers in healthcare, based on the AAMC’s core competencies of ethics, professionalism, communication, empathy, and judgment.

Highly competitive medical schools like Boston University School of Medicine use CASPer as part of a holistic review process. It allows admissions committees to understand the person behind the numbers, complementing GPA and MCAT scores with an assessment of your character and interpersonal skills. Unlike most tests, CASPer doesn’t have right or wrong answers, but rather focuses on how applicants think through complex situations to arrive at those answers.

In addition to CASPer, many medical schools encourage applicants to submit Duet. This short, untimed assessment examines how an applicant’s personal values and preferences align with a specific program’s mission and culture. Applicants are given several pairs of characteristics and asked to choose which one they value more. This can help admissions committees see if an applicant’s priorities (e.g., research vs. clinical experience, or preferred teaching style) match the school’s environment, ensuring a better potential for success in that program.

Boston University Medical School Overview

Boston University’s Medical School provides one of the most distinctive medical educations in the United States. For students passionate about social justice and seeking hands-on experience, the school offers an unparalleled opportunity for engagement through its partnership with the Boston Medical Center (BMC). BMC is one of the largest safety-net hospitals in the country and serves a highly diverse population, uniquely preparing students to address the complex social and medical needs of underserved communities.

Located on the same campus as the Boston University School of Public Health, BUSM is highly involved with local community health initiatives. As part of their training, medical students are expected to engage directly with underserved populations. Examples of student opportunities include:

• Outreach Van Project: a student-run initiative that brings resources such as food, clothing, and basic medical care to unhoused populations across Boston.
• Black Women’s Health Study: the largest ongoing study of African American women’s health, designed to address diseases that disproportionately affect this population from an interdisciplinary framework.
• Boston Homeless Healthcare Program: an elective program that integrates hands-on clinical experience in unhoused populations with community outreach and academic lectures under the supervision of physician mentors. The program aims to help students better understand the social and structural factors driving homelessness and unequal access to healthcare.

This social-justice-oriented mission is also reflected in BUSM’s recently restructured curriculum. The MD program now uses a flipped-classroom style, allowing students to learn content on their own and focus on applying that knowledge in class to projects and real-world case studies. Students are given access to clinical experiences from their very first week of medical school, reinforcing this expectation of learning by practice. Layered onto this structure is the LEADS curriculum (Learn, Experience, Advocate, Discover, and Serve), which integrates health equity into formal training rather than treating it as an elective. Through this program, students can specialize in specific advocacy areas, such as LGBTQIA+ Health, Refugee Health, or Racism in Medicine.

Engaging with these opportunities shapes how BUSM students approach their clinical work and research. By working directly with marginalized populations while navigating the systemic limitations of a safety-net environment, students develop empathy and judgment grounded in lived experience. These same qualities are central to CASPer, where BUSM looks for applicants who can reason thoughtfully within imperfect systems without compromising their commitment to service. As you prepare for the CASPer exam, think about how you manage complex dilemmas, engage with diverse perspectives, and communicate effectively under pressure – traits that are essential in BU’s frontline training environment.

At the same time, BUSM is equally a top-tier research institution, and the majority of its students engage in research during medical school. MD students have access to nationally recognized centers, such as the Grayken Center for Addiction, and landmark initiatives like the Framingham Heart Study to pursue life-changing science in the lab in addition to their clinical work.

But perhaps the defining feature of BUSM is its identity as a social justice medical school, with direct access to the BMC and a long institutional history of inclusion and public service. BMC is BUSM’s principal teaching hospital and a large safety-net system with deep community-health ties, giving students frequent, early exposure to underserved patient populations. Historically, the school traces its roots to the New England Female Medical College, the first of its kind in the world, and trained the nation’s first woman and Native American physicians. Throughout its history, BU has repeatedly positioned itself as a liberal, access-focused institution – a legacy that still shapes its emphasis on equity, advocacy, and interdisciplinary training.

Boston University Medical School Admissions Overview

As a social-justice-oriented program, the Boston University Medical School experience demands a unique blend of academic rigor and social advocacy, and the admissions committee seeks students who embody those qualities. This is reflected in their admissions process, which holistically reviews each applicant. BUSM does not publish minimum GPA or MCAT cutoffs; instead, they expect applicants to have completed standard premedical coursework (English, biology, chemistry, physics, etc.) while demonstrating a commitment to clinical exposure and community service. Like other holistic-reviewing programs, BUSM requires the CASPer exam to assess professionalism, empathy, and decision-making in real-world scenarios.

Because BUSM does not prescreen primary applications, all applicants receive supplemental essays. This Boston University secondary application is relatively concise and focuses on expressing fit with the program and reflecting on past experiences. Prompts commonly ask applicants about their gap years (if any), to reflect on their experiences working with underserved populations, and to contextualize their academic record. This is not a place to repeat your personal statement; it is instead where BUSM looks for additional information about your unique experiences and perspective. For the most up-to-date tips on and strategies for the BUSM supplemental essays, check out this guide.

        BUSM’s application process culminates in a virtual interview with a faculty member who has reviewed the candidate’s file. In these approximately 45-minute meetings, students should expect questions about their motivations, prior experiences, and specific interests in BUSM. Interview days also include a required virtual information session. A detailed guide to preparing for the BUSM interview can be found here.

Boston University CASPer Requirements: What Applicants Need to Know

The Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine requires CASPer submission as part of its admissions process. The admission committee reviews these results alongside academic metrics, letters, and essay responses to develop a complete picture of a candidate. Importantly, BUSM requires CASPer only, not the full Altus Suite; Snapshot and Duet are not required.

The CASPer exam is a scenario-based assessment designed to evaluate how applicants reason through complex, real-world situations. BUSM wants to know if candidates have the emotional maturity and interpersonal skills necessary for a healthcare career. The test consists of short video-based and written prompts to ethical dilemmas and professional challenges relevant to healthcare and teamwork. After each scenario, applicants respond to a set of questions using typed, open-ended responses within a limited time window. There are no “right” answers; instead, evaluators look for clarity of thought, ethical awareness, empathy, and the ability to make challenging decisions – traits BUSM explicitly values given its clinical training environment.

From a timing standpoint, CASPer must be taken during the same application cycle in which you apply, ideally as early as possible. While specific questions may vary each cycle, the key takeaway is simple: treat CASPer as a core component of your application, not an afterthought. Strong performance comes from clearly communicating logical and thoughtful reasoning (as opposed to just memorizing scripts) and from grounding responses in professionalism, respect, and patient-centered judgment.

What Kind of CASPer Answers Fit Boston University’s Mission?

Boston University Medical School’s mission is firmly grounded in its identity as an urban, social-justice-oriented medical school. As a result, it seeks students who are motivated not only by academic excellence, but by the responsibility that comes with caring for diverse and underserved populations. While taking CASPer, it’s important to remember that the admissions committee is not looking for a single “perfect” response. Instead, BUSM values applicants who show clear ethical reasoning and empathy, and can communicate that effectively to coworkers to resolve conflicts. Strong CASPer answers should first focus on identifying the core dilemma, then explain why it is important, and finally justify that decision clearly with respect for patients and colleagues. CASPer answers that resonate with BUSM should reflect the school’s commitment to delivering “exceptional care without exception,”[1] by showing how applicants think and act when ideals collide with reality. Rather than offer rigid solutions, successful applicants demonstrate an ability to seek guidance, consider multiple perspectives, and prioritize compassion when dealing with challenging crises.

A complete breakdown of what evaluators look for in CASPer responses, along with strategies to strengthen your performance, can be found here.

Final Takeaway: Should You Worry About CASPer for Boston University?

For those applying to the Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, CASPer is more than just a requirement: it’s a window into the “soft skills” BUSM values most, such as empathy, integrity, and curiosity.

Because BUSM operates within a complex urban environment, the admissions committee looks for students who can navigate ethical gray areas with maturity. Rather than viewing CASPer as another hurdle, approach it as a way to demonstrate your readiness for clinical work in a diverse city. Before test day, make sure to familiarize yourself with the test’s unique format through CASPer practice exams and timed scenarios to ensure your unique perspectives and insights shine through.