OFFICIAL Harvard Medical School Class of '09 Thread [Archive]

CarleneM

03-12-2005, 06:38 PM

I am probably going to go on one of the pre-orientation trips- the community service one. At harvard, i did the first year urban program which was a pre-orientation thing and someone of my best friends (and roommates) from harvard came from that week so i'd highly recommend it.

I am definitely not going to live in Vandy. While it is a great option for some, you can get an apartment for the same price and there are lots of transportation options to HMS (including the free for students M2 shuttle that runs from harvard square to central square to mit to HMS in a 30 minute loop very frequently).

Regarding research- i'm planning on doing <10 hours/week with my current PI, depending on how my schedule works out. I bet some research can be fit in and its great to keep it up.

Now that I've calmed down a bit and the reality of going to HMS has started to set in, I have some real questions:
-Do they pay for second look weekend by any chance?
-Are all the tutorial type classes only with students in your society?
-About what hours are NP students in class?
-What percentage of first year students live in Vandy? I thought I recalled ~80? Would you really recommend this?
-Whose going on those pre-orientation trips? Sounds like fun!
-I'm a research nut. Is it realistic to try to get involved in research right away? I'm looking up labs on the web right now and the options are overwhelming!
-What cell phone companies work well in Vandy? I've got Sprint right now.

Thanks!

sra26

03-13-2005, 11:11 AM

Does anyone have any UCSF vs. Harvard NP advice?
I just really want to go to both!
Thanks!

GuyLaroche

03-13-2005, 01:28 PM

I've always wanted to start one of these official threads....

let's get this party started. if you are definitely going (I know I am) post and if you are unsure, post as well. I'll be in the new pathway program.

also, for those not too excited about living in vanderbilt hall, i know a lot about different boston neighborhoods and the commutes associated with them so definitely shoot any questions my way about housing. you can get a great place for the same price as vanderbilt hall. boston real estate is pricey but you can get some great deals. I live in central square in an awesome 2br apartment and only pay $600 for my share, which is what vanderbilt costs, i think.

Part of my healing process is making the following observation:

And I expressed sympathy and good will to those who not too long ago were miserable. I had hoped the favor would be returned in my hour of need. Alas! No! Instead, the party proceeds and we forget those who had nursed our pain a mere few days ago before Harvard happened. I just had to let this be known.

Thanks, Runmimi for the thoughtful PM. To the rest of you, enjoy Harvard. :mad:

Tra La La

03-13-2005, 01:38 PM

Does anyone have any UCSF vs. Harvard NP advice?
I just really want to go to both!
Thanks!

Cold Boston? Or sunny San Francisco?

For the past two weeks here in Northern CA, it's been warm and very comfortable, with an avergae temperature of 70F. Most of the winter time, its slighty colder (around 60F) and only partly sunny. :laugh:

But I'm biased. ;)

Come to Cali. :thumbup:

Congrats to everyone here for making it into HMS! :D

Sparky Man

03-13-2005, 01:49 PM

Does anyone have any UCSF vs. Harvard NP advice?
I just really want to go to both!
Thanks!

Wow, that's a tough one! Maybe you will have an easier time contrasting the two after revisiting the schools. Harvard does that, right? Does UCSF? Maybe you can get a better feel for the atmosphere the students create and which one suits you best.

Sparky

PMinty44

03-13-2005, 06:22 PM

Wow, that's a tough one! Maybe you will have an easier time contrasting the two after revisiting the schools. Harvard does that, right? Does UCSF? Maybe you can get a better feel for the atmosphere the students create and which one suits you best.

Sparky

Congrats to those of you who have been accepted to HMS!!! I grew up in Boston (which is part of the reason I didn't apply to HMS...just need to be away from the city I may eventually settle down in). If you have any questions about the city, ask away. I can give you some tips about neighborhoods to live in (if you can't stand the thought of Vandy).

Also (this is not so altruistic), if you are holding Cornell acceptances and are sure you won't go there, please drop them like it's hot (I'm waitlisted there if you couldn't already tell). :D

Bear1220

03-13-2005, 09:21 PM

Wow, that's a tough one! Maybe you will have an easier time contrasting the two after revisiting the schools. Harvard does that, right? Does UCSF? Maybe you can get a better feel for the atmosphere the students create and which one suits you best.

Sparky

Yes, UCSF also has an Accepted Students Weekend. Hopefully it won't fall on the same day as Harvard's like it did last year...
Anyway, congratulations and you won't go wrong with either school! Good luck making your decision.

krelian

03-14-2005, 12:40 PM

Does anyone have thoughts/advice that would be helpful for choosing between NP and HST? I interviewed during winter break at HMS, and most students were home for break so I only received a few opinions about NP vs. HST.

Changaroo

03-14-2005, 03:05 PM

hey everyone!

i'm new to this whole forum deal, but i came across this thread and thought i'd say g'day. i just got my acceptance for NP, and right now i'm just really thankful to be able to go to HMS - it's such a stellar school.

out of curiosity, are any of you international students or are you all U.S. citizens/residents? i'll inquire with the office later, but just wondering if any of you know the timeline for organizing visas etc.

congrats to those who were accepted, and comiserations to those who were overlooked during this application cycle. i'm excited to meet those of you who will be in boston!

have a good week!

Jennifer25

03-14-2005, 03:27 PM

Congrats to those who got in! Yea!
I also did and I'm absolutely ecstatic.

However, when making decisions, I think it's also helpful to hear about the negatives of a school. Please post some negatives you thought about the school.

I'll start:
-Its freaking cold
-The "T" sucks
-Rumors that you are not clinically trained very well

CarleneM

03-14-2005, 03:55 PM

I'll start:
-Its freaking cold
-The "T" sucks
-Rumors that you are not clinically trained very well

I can't really argue with the weather criticism. New England weather ain't socal.
However, I disagree with the T being a reason not to come to HMS. Some lines on the T are slow and unreliable(notably, the B green line but that doesn't serve HMS/longwood so unless you plan on hanging out at Boston University, it shouldn't be a problem) but most are fine. If you lived off campus, there are a ton of buses serving the Longwood area and many are good, including the free to students M2 shuttle. A bigger problem would be the lack of parking in the Longwood area and parking situation in Boston in general. You aren't going to be driving to class the way you would at, say, Duke. I just got a car and am having a tough time finding a new apartment that has reasonably priced off street parking. You don't need a car in boston but if you have one, it can be challenging plus boston drivers are terrible.

krelian

03-14-2005, 05:37 PM

CarleneM

03-14-2005, 07:47 PM

When I was in Boston, I was very impressed by the T. It isn't as great as Chicago's subway system, but it sure beats most of the other cities (i.e. New York, Philadelphia, DC). The only downside is that the slower green line is the one serving the Longwood Medical area.

As for clinical education, Harvard may not be the best, but I have heard that it's quite good--that is HMS grads perform well in residencies. Whether this is due to the caliber of the student body or due to the school's education is unclear.

The reason the Green line gets a bad rap is that much of it goes over streets rather than strictly being underground. However, the D branch of the green line, which serves Longwood, does not go over streets (or if it does, it is just a very little bit compared to others) and is therefore pretty good. The red line is the fastest of all the lines but I have never had a problem with the D green line. I guess one complaint would be that the T doesn't run overnight and stops at 1am on weekends. This could be a problem for the party animals out there and for some clerkships 3rd and 4th year if you are getting out really late.

Jennifer25

03-14-2005, 09:01 PM

I went to school in Boston for 4 years. I lived in NYC for a summer. I currently live in DC (for the past 7 months) and I've used the systems in Philly. Based on experience, I can honestly say that the "T" sucks! It's slow, it's inefficient, it's dirty, and it's old. Now that's a subjective opinion. Objective: The "T" is the oldest subway system in the United States. The "metro" in DC is the newest and by far the best. Take what you will.

But enough of the ranting about the "T."

I'm looking for negatives about Harvard. What would make people reconsider going there? Current med students at HMS, feel free to respond.

For me personally, I'm not a big fan of Boston. I feel that it's very segregated--similar to Chicago. The people aren't as nice, and the weather is cold. But, that's based on the location. What about the school? Is there anything about the program that would make one do a double take?

Thanks in advance for any input.

rjphila

03-15-2005, 02:03 PM

Also, is there any merit-based scholarship available at Harvard?

I was wondering about this too... Does anyone know? I know that they were pretty unhelpful when it came to undergrad, but wasn't sure about the med school. And I'm POOR....

CarleneM

03-15-2005, 02:11 PM

I was wondering about this too... Does anyone know? I know that they were pretty unhelpful when it came to undergrad, but wasn't sure about the med school. And I'm POOR....

they do not offer merit-based scholarships, only need based.
for undergrad, they were great and gave me the best financial aid out of all the schools i was accepted at. i am hoping the med school is the same.

rjphila

03-15-2005, 02:46 PM

they do not offer merit-based scholarships, only need based.
for undergrad, they were great and gave me the best financial aid out of all the schools i was accepted at. i am hoping the med school is the same.

Thanks CarleneM. I hope that you are right about the financial aid. <sigh> I really would like to go, but my 2nd choice school is giving me some scholarship help. Is anyone else in this boat? If so, how'd you choose? I'm so torn about what to do!

CalicoKat

03-15-2005, 04:47 PM

I recently received an acceptance to HMS, too, so I'm excited but I am a little worried b/c of somethign one of the med students told my group of interviewees. These may not be her exact words, but it was something along the lines of, "Yeah, I mean, we don't do as well on the boards as people from other schools, and we graduate not knowing nearly as much, but because we went to Harvard, we become leaders in the field anyway." Anyone heard anything to confirm/dismantle this viewpoint?

BostonKid

03-15-2005, 11:54 PM

On the issue of the T, the big complaint is that the entire city shuts down at like midnight in terms of public transportation. I'm in boston right now for my undergrad and they're going to be getting rid of the night owl (late night bus service) since its losing money. That leaves you with M2 as your only option and I dont know how late that runs.

Does anyone have comments on HST vs. NP? I, like several others, am hoping for some advice.

summervacation

03-16-2005, 08:36 AM

Quick rundown of HST vs. NP from the perspective of an HST student:

HST - less free time, fast-paced, traditional lecture-format with some tutorial, research-focused/science-based curriculum, less patient-interaction in first two-years, four classes per semester, required research thesis

NP - tutorial/case-based curriculum, slower-paced, emphasis on cultural-sensitivity and social medicine perspectives, more patient interaction in first 2 years, block-scheduling (one class at a time), and of course, more free time (to study...) :laugh:

My impression is that HST tries to prepare students more for careers as academic/research physicians while NP tries to prepare students more for careers as public policy leaders (ie. World Health Organization) etc. (NOTE: This is a very general way of looking at their teaching styles/curriculums and of course, one can go into any medical career field from either program.)

Remember that for the latter and most important half of med school, ie. the wards, you will be in the exact same program!

** My best piece of advice is to go to revisit and talk to as many students as you can to get a sense of the personality/style of each program and the types of students who enjoy or dislike what they're doing. Go with your gut instinct for what feels like a better fit for you. **

On the issue of finances, I found that HMS gave me a much more generous financial package than other schools (putting aside merit-based scholarships). If any one has questions on whether to attend HST, I'd be happy to answer those for you via PM.

Good luck!
SV

theeleganttouch

03-16-2005, 10:31 AM

first time post. i'm a harvard undergrad senior with a half dozen or so friends at HMS, both NP and HST. from those who are ms1 to those finishing up and to those in residency already.

"Yeah, I mean, we don't do as well on the boards as people from other schools, and we graduate not knowing nearly as much, but because we went to Harvard, we become leaders in the field anyway." Anyone heard anything to confirm/dismantle this viewpoint?

i think is a general sentiment shared by many at HMS. harvard refuses to publish board scores (not that it really should be the ultimate metric of how good an education is), and most of my friends generally agree that hms students don't do as well as others, and have to cram like it's nobody's business before the test. my friends in HST seem to be especially annoyed by this. one of them felt "cheated" in his words. obviously hms students are very motivated and accomplished and can "get it done" when they have to, but i think most my friends are unhappy that it's SO laissez-faire to the point where they feel kind of screwed at times. but then again they have so much flexibility and free time to pursue other things. overall the other major complaint is the quality of teaching. faculty is world famous, but obviously this does not always correlate with being a good teacher. often my friends were blown away by who was lecturing to them, but generally underwhelmed or even annoyed by how they were being taught. granted there are faculty that are both famous and incredible teachers (paul farmer comes to mind). also hms in the middle of a curricular overhaul, with the class of 2009 being the last class on the old system (last i heard). the basic changes are described in this article (http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=505212). that said, the hospital system is phenomenal, and the reputation is second to none.

re: boston. green line IS pretty terrible. especially during baseball season, when traffic is completely grid-locked by the afternoon rush hour. i've been stuck on longwood more times than i can count (one time i waited an hour for m2, gave up, waited for green line, wondered why it wasn't coming, called the T people on a whim, and was told that i would have to walk 10 blocks to the stop 3 stops down because the T wasn't running any further because of the gridlock). both D and E lines of the green line ARE above ground. also, T stops at 12:30am approx on weekends, m2 stops at midnight and doesn't run on sundays and has limited saturday service. and most bars are closed by 1 (a few at 2) due to antiquated puritan laws. that said, there are wonderful places to live in somerville and cambridge, particularly porter/inman/davis/central square areas, which are far away from campus, but definitely cheaper and in my opinion more fun than downtown boston. my 2 cents.

krelian

03-16-2005, 10:49 AM

Thanks summervacation and theeleganttouch for your inputs :thumbup: . About the rotation change that is being planned for the 2010 class, I heard a lot about it from the tour guide during the interview, and I'm glad our class won't have to deal with it. It sounds like a great idea, but there's many downsides, and it's going to take at least a few years to iron out the kinks.

Can anyone comment on PBL at HMS (how is it handled, whether you like it or not and why, etc.)? From what I heard about PBL at UPitt, Northwestern, and Cornell, it doesn't seem too appealing. In particular, UPitt students complained that PBL was a waste of time b/c it wasn't well integrated with the lectures. I'm hoping this is not the case at every school.

CarleneM

03-16-2005, 11:04 AM

I have been traveling to the longwood medical area every day for 1.75 years and nearly every day for 2.5 years before that. It's really fine. Yes, it gets gridlocked around red sox games that are starting in the evening and if there has been a huge snowstorm and this means that buses and the E line get gridlocked as well. The D line, while above ground, does not go on streets but rather behind houses and businesses and therefore is not gridlocked. crowded, but not gridlocked. So, you just have to plan your commute wisely and the vast majority of days it is going to be fine anyway. The bottom line is that worries about public transportation should not dissuade you from coming.

The board score thing and teaching quality are more legit concerns, it seems. I wonder how much of a big difference there is between the HMS average and the Penn average (I know Penn has the highest average in the country).

first time post. i'm a harvard undergrad senior with a half dozen or so friends at HMS, both NP and HST. from those who are ms1 to those finishing up and to those in residency already.

i think is a general sentiment shared by many at HMS. harvard refuses to publish board scores (not that it really should be the ultimate metric of how good an education is), and most of my friends generally agree that hms students don't do as well as others, and have to cram like it's nobody's business before the test. my friends in HST seem to be especially annoyed by this. one of them felt "cheated" in his words. obviously hms students are very motivated and accomplished and can "get it done" when they have to, but i think most my friends are unhappy that it's SO laissez-faire to the point where they feel kind of screwed at times. but then again they have so much flexibility and free time to pursue other things. overall the other major complaint is the quality of teaching. faculty is world famous, but obviously this does not always correlate with being a good teacher. often my friends were blown away by who was lecturing to them, but generally underwhelmed or even annoyed by how they were being taught. granted there are faculty that are both famous and incredible teachers (paul farmer comes to mind). also hms in the middle of a curricular overhaul, with the class of 2009 being the last class on the old system (last i heard). the basic changes are described in this article (http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=505212). that said, the hospital system is phenomenal, and the reputation is second to none.

re: boston. green line IS pretty terrible. especially during baseball season, when traffic is completely grid-locked by the afternoon rush hour. i've been stuck on longwood more times than i can count (one time i waited an hour for m2, gave up, waited for green line, wondered why it wasn't coming, called the T people on a whim, and was told that i would have to walk 10 blocks to the stop 3 stops down because the T wasn't running any further because of the gridlock). both D and E lines of the green line ARE above ground. also, T stops at 12:30am approx on weekends, m2 stops at midnight and doesn't run on sundays and has limited saturday service. and most bars are closed by 1 (a few at 2) due to antiquated puritan laws. that said, there are wonderful places to live in somerville and cambridge, particularly porter/inman/davis/central square areas, which are far away from campus, but definitely cheaper and in my opinion more fun than downtown boston. my 2 cents.

rjphila

03-16-2005, 01:52 PM

also hms in the middle of a curricular overhaul, with the class of 2009 being the last class on the old system (last i heard). the basic changes are described in this article (http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=505212). that said, the hospital system is phenomenal, and the reputation is second to none.

You brought up a really important point theeleganttouch. Does anyone actually know what the curriculum style is going to be for us (class of 2009)? When I interviewed, they spoke to us about revamping the time spent in the classroom and doing a more Penn-style approach with 1.5 years of classroom and then straight to the clinics, but I haven't heard anything about it since. Having read the article you linked to, it seems like there are lots of other possibilities. I am having real trouble deciding if Harvard is right for me when I don't even know how I am going to be taught. Anyone know anything more concrete?

CarleneM

03-16-2005, 01:59 PM

I'm set on harvard but am very curious about these changes as well. I don't like to go there knowing that I am the last class to be taught a certain way and that the class after me is getting a major overhaul. I am hoping some of the changes affect our class. I hope this is addressed at the second look and if its not, we should ask.

You brought up a really important point theeleganttouch. Does anyone actually know what the curriculum style is going to be for us (class of 2009)? When I interviewed, they spoke to us about revamping the time spent in the classroom and doing a more Penn-style approach with 1.5 years of classroom and then straight to the clinics, but I haven't heard anything about it since. Having read the article you linked to, it seems like there are lots of other possibilities. I am having real trouble deciding if Harvard is right for me when I don't even know how I am going to be taught. Anyone know anything more concrete?

rjphila

03-16-2005, 02:04 PM

bunnyhop

03-16-2005, 02:41 PM

CarleneM

03-16-2005, 02:48 PM

bunnyhop, yes i actually feel the same way. The scholary concentration thing as well as having only 1.5 years of classtime sound great but the change in 3rd year really doesn't sound so hot. Some schools have one teaching hospital and it works fine but if you have a ton of teaching hospitals associated with your school, why not take advantage of that and allow students to see how different hospitals work and network. I need to know more about the proposed change before I pass full judgment, of course.

I'm actually hoping that the changes won't affect our class. Usually it takes a year or two to fix problems after a major curriculum overhaul (Stanford for example). I think I would like the scholarly concentrations but not having all of the rotations in a single hospital since networking is so important in residency placement.

flyingyeti

03-17-2005, 09:28 AM

Hey guys,

I'll be meeting up with my friend who's an HMS student later today. I'll ask him about some of the concerns that popped up in this discussion thread and report back what he says.

I know hms doesn't place much emphasis on preparation for board. from my understanding, and what I've heard from hms students, board scores are important, but it's not nearly as important as people make it out to be. in terms of residency placements, you really can't beat hms, just look at their residency match list (it's at the back of the booklet they gave us on interview day). that being said, hms isn't for everyone, if you care deeply about preparation for boards, then other schools (i.e. ucsd) that place emphasis on boards may be better for you. if you don't like pbl and would rather learn mainly through lecture, then don't go to hms. it's for some people, not all. but in the end, you will learn what you need to learn either at hms or at any other school. people have to get out of that premed score-obsessed mentality :D

AxeOn

03-17-2005, 10:48 AM

For what it's worth, I've heard others, including current HMS students, echo some of the sentiments expressed above. The quality of the training may not be quite as good as some other schools (ie, Penn), but "Harvard" is certainly a well-recognized name. I can't help but wonder whether it's only a matter of time before Harvard's reputation more accurately reflects the quality of the training students are supposedly getting there.

One more concern I've heard expressed by HMS students is that apparently the faculty, though experts in their fields, are not as dedicated to teaching and training as faculty at some other schools. Personally, I want to attend a medical school where professors actually take sincere interest in the success of their students, rather than viewing teaching obligations as little more than just that.

Just some food for thought.

CarleneM

03-17-2005, 11:18 AM

Given that HMS is undergoing a large curriculum reform, it is likely some of the weaknesses pointed out here will be addressed and the repuation of HMS will remain strong. But I think it is really fine right now, too, and am confident i'll get a great medical education there.

I'm sure there are some bad professors and some good ones, just as at any school. At upenn,cornell, and hopkins students expressed that they had some good ones and some bad. At harvard undergrad, that was definitely the case. I had some real stinkers and some real gems. One thing I remember being great about HMS was not only were all the lecture videos and slides online but they have a unique and award winning program that allows you to search all your lecture videos for a given word/topic and it will cue up the part of the lecture that talks about that topic. i saw it in action and is was really cool. Also, current students were very positive about their PBL leaders and seemed to have a strong, friendly bond with them. I'm sure their are bad PBL leaders too though.

regarding board preparation, I am ok with the fact that HMS does not "teach to the test" since many of the things on the board really won't be that relevant to being a good doctor. Memorizing facts does not make one a good doctor and I'm glad that is not HMS's emphasis. Also, I think a main reason Penn's board scores are the highest in the country is that they allow students to take the boards during their third year after they have some experience in the clerkships. I do not know if this is currently an option at HMS but if it is not, we can fight for it to be. That may not be possible with how their clerkships are scheduled and if its not, that's ok too. I'm sure the difference in average board scores is not astronomical and you can get a solid (or even beyond solid, totally kick ass) score wherever you go, HMS included.

HMS seems to really emphasize how your time outside of class is yours to craft the way you want, be it through doing advocacy/community service, research, etc. I can tell you right now that I didn't get into HMS because of what I did in the classroom or my MCAT score. Sure, my gpa and MCAT are adequate but what really got me in was how I distinguished myself outside of the classroom through EC's, leadership and research. To get a top residency, you'll need more than a great board score and I'm certain that HMS provides ample opportunities to develop those other strengths that will help you as you advance in your career.

For what it's worth, I've heard others, including current HMS students, echo some of the sentiments expressed above. The quality of the training may not be quite as good as some other schools (ie, Penn), but "Harvard" is certainly a well-recognized name. I can't help but wonder whether it's only a matter of time before Harvard's reputation more accurately reflects the quality of the training students are supposedly getting there.

One more concern I've heard expressed by HMS students is that apparently the faculty, though experts in their fields, are not as dedicated to teaching and training as faculty at some other schools. Personally, I want to attend a medical school where professors actually take sincere interest in the success of their students, rather than viewing teaching obligations as little more than just that.

Just some food for thought.

twicetenturns

03-17-2005, 11:47 AM

We also need to take some individual resposibility here folks. Sure HMS doesn't spoon feed it's students board questions, or drive them to hit the books eight hours a day outside of class just to get by, so we exculpate ourselves and blame the school for the slightly lower step1 scores. Why? The school gives extra time for the students to take their own path and follow their own interests - some of that ought to be board prep, no? Harvard has good and bad teachers like every school, they just give students quite a bit more rope than others. Some people climb mountains with it, some people hang themselves. Med school is what you make it, the difference between Harvard and many other schools is that there, you can make it anything you could ever possibly dream up.

drat

03-17-2005, 11:47 AM

Congrats to y'all for being accepted to Harvard :thumbup: but I'm about to invade your thread and bring it back to housing. :)

I'll be attending Harvard's dental school in the fall. I have a small dog (9 lbs) so I will not be living in Vandy Hall. I have been recently chatting with another girl who will be starting up at the dental school this fall and we've been discussing places to live. Unfortunately neither of us have ever lived in Boston, so I am hoping some of you can help us out in terms of nice areas and easy access to the school via public transportation (T or bus).

Some areas that we are familiar with are Brookline (Is Brookline Village a nice area? What about Coolidge Corner?) or Back Bay Fens. Public transportation good here? What's the commute like in terms of time? What would a $1600 2 bedroom in either location look like? Crap or doable?. .I've been told that Mission Hill and Jamaica Plain are not the nicest areas -- but this is just one guy's opinion -- not sure how "factual" it is. Opinions on this?

If you could provide any insight, that'd be great...Also, if you're thinking about living off campus as a HMS student, shoot me an email -- maybe something will work out. Finding a roommate is a pain in the badunkadunk.
Peace out

CarleneM

03-17-2005, 12:05 PM

hi there, i have heard the NP students have lots of classes with the dental students so we will be classmates next year! Brookline village is nice and you can take the D line, which is good and will take you to longwood. It will then be a 5-10 minute walk to HMS. Coolidge corner is a very cool area and is a 15-20 minute walk to the medical school. The m2 shuttle runs by there once or twice a day so you'd have to walk/bike. Brookline is pretty affluent, especially compared with jp or mission hill. Another option is central square in cambridge. It is a 20-30 minute bus ride on the M2 (free to harvard students) or the 47. It is pretty safe and nice. Mission hill/brigham circle is not as affluent and not as nice. If you are willing to spend $1600, you could afford not to live there and live in brookline instead. Also, there's the washington square area of brookline which you can take the 65 bus from to longwood. There are mixed reviews on JP and some parts are definitely much better/safer than others. There are some gorgeous, really funky and big places there and the 39 bus is frequent. But you'd have to check out the area for yourself to assess safety. Now, the fact that you have a dog will be limiting to your search. Many many landlords do not allow dogs. :(

Congrats to y'all for being accepted to Harvard :thumbup: but I'm about to invade your thread and bring it back to housing. :)

I'll be attending Harvard's dental school in the fall. I have a small dog (9 lbs) so I will not be living in Vandy Hall. I have been recently chatting with another girl who will be starting up at the dental school this fall and we've been discussing places to live. Unfortunately neither of us have ever lived in Boston, so I am hoping some of you can help us out in terms of nice areas and easy access to the school via public transportation (T or bus).

Some areas that we are familiar with are Brookline (Is Brookline Village a nice area? What about Coolidge Corner?) or Back Bay Fens. Public transportation good here? What's the commute like in terms of time? What would a $1600 2 bedroom in either location look like? Crap or doable?. .I've been told that Mission Hill and Jamaica Plain are not the nicest areas -- but this is just one guy's opinion -- not sure how "factual" it is. Opinions on this?

If you could provide any insight, that'd be great...Also, if you're thinking about living off campus as a HMS student, shoot me an email -- maybe something will work out. Finding a roommate is a pain in the badunkadunk.
Peace out

drat

03-17-2005, 12:30 PM

very helpful, thanks a bunch! yes, my dog certainly limits my options and i do have a backup plan - but if possible, i'm gonna try to keep my pup. ;)

the dental and med school students do have a lot of classes together...my understanding is we (dental students) take the same classes as the med students for the first 2 years, including the patient/doc classes...in addition to the med school classes, though, we have our own dental classes that you don't have to take. lucky ducks. :)

don't fret, though, we're not taking over the medical school. there are only 35 dental students compared to the 165 med students. :eek: but yeah, i definitely look forward to meeting everyone. :p

Revolution #9

03-17-2005, 12:53 PM

krelian

03-17-2005, 12:59 PM

Hey guys, great thread so far. Does anyone know for sure what kind of curricular changes will be implemented in our class? I was under the impression that there won't be anything new for our class (i.e. the 1.5 yr of basic science or the 1-hospital clerkships).

Can any current HMS NP students comment on the proportion of time spent on PBL & small-group stuff (excluding histo and anatomy lab) and the time spent learning from lectures. What are the exam schedules like and how are evaluations handled for PBL?

Lilmspiano

03-17-2005, 02:26 PM

Hi everyone—
I thought I’d try to answer some of the questions that have been posed in this forum, if it might be of any help. I’m a first-year in the new pathway, if people hadn’t seen my previous posting.

From CarleneM (we were in the same college class by the way!):
-Question about using laptops in class: No one does it. Well, take it back. This one guy sometimes brings one and checks his email on it. Laptops are great and everyone uses them, but no one brings them to class because we have handouts (it’s called a “camel” for no apparent reason) with lecture notes for an entire course, and we take notes on the camel.

From RunMimi:
-Do they pay for second look weekend by any chance? Nope L But I hope you come anyway!
-Are all the tutorial type classes only with students in your society? Yes! Which is fantastic. I’m getting to know my Castle-mates very well and have had a few of them in more than one tutorial.
-About what hours are NP students in class? 4 hours every day. Mondays 2 hours extra for patient-doctor, fall of first year 2 extra hours on Thursdays for epidemiology, and 2 hours a week for either fall or spring of first year, depending on when you take a social medicine elective. But the standard schedule is 8:30-12:30.
-What percentage of first year students live in Vandy? I thought I recalled ~80? Would you really recommend this? About 80 percent of first-years live in Vandy. It’s a fantastic way to meet your classmates, but I live off campus and am a very social member of our class J. I also did a pre-orientation program (FUNC, the community service one), and I think that helped a lot. People are perfectly happy with Vandy but generally move off campus after their first year because they’ve gotten to know people well and feel comfortable enough with the area that they don’t need to live across the street from school.
-Whose going on those pre-orientation trips? Sounds like fun! Every single person I know who did FEAT or FUNC loved it. I definitely did. It’s probably the reason why I got to know so many of my classmates so quickly.
-I'm a research nut. Is it realistic to try to get involved in research right away? I'm looking up labs on the web right now and the options are overwhelming! It’s ridiculous how many labs there are! But getting involved in research right away is completely doable—I was in an operetta with 9 performances last Fall, so I promise there’s time! Talk to society masters for suggestions as to whose lab to work in.
-What cell phone companies work well in Vandy? I've got Sprint right now. I definitely know Verizon works. The others, unfortunately, I haven’t heard anything either way about.

From bhp:
Also, is there any merit-based scholarship available at Harvard?
Financial aid in general: As Carlene mentioned, there isn’t any merit based scholarship at HMS—everyone is pretty worthy of that J. However, financial aid in general has been quite generous for me and my friends. Harvard definitely has a lot of money, and that does come in handy a lot.

Jennifer 25
-rumors that clinical training is poor
-cold
-T sucks
-negatives about the school in general
Hey Jennifer! I’m so glad you’re trying to think about the negatives too. No school is perfect, and I definitely didn’t want to go to HMS at first because I figured I’d just be with everyone I knew from Harvard undergrad (turns out that totally wasn’t the case—there’s a big group of us but none of us knew each other from undergrad, so they were all new to me). I think the T’s great—this is my fifth year in Boston and I still love it. The green line is one of the suckier ones because it’s above ground, but I deal. It’s cheap, quick, and convenient. Yes, it is very cold! I’m from LA. But again, it’s my fifth year here and I’m still alive.
Your question about clinical training is so important! I always try to get people on my tours to ask about the third and fourth years, since that’s what really defines your med school experience. I am having a blast as a first year and love the NP curriculum, don’t get me wrong—but I would say that my classmates and I primarily chose to come here BECAUSE of the terrific clinical education. I currently have two upperclass roommates (a third and a fourth year) who are extremely satisfied with their clinical training, as are their friends. Just PM me if you have any specific questions about that—I’ve definitely been exposed to a lot and am really excited about third year.

From CalicoKat:
"Yeah, I mean, we don't do as well on the boards as people from other schools, and we graduate not knowing nearly as much, but because we went to Harvard, we become leaders in the field anyway." Anyone heard anything to confirm/dismantle this viewpoint?
This is definitely an impression people have of us! I think parts of it are true and parts of it are not. No, I’m sure HMS doesn’t have the highest board scores in the country, but I know that we always score >1 standard deviation above the mean, on average. HMS does not teach to the boards—this, above all, is a school that values independent thinking and collaboration among students—so if you want didactics (nothing wrong with that, everyone has their own learning style) HMS is not the place to go. It’s like “Montessori med school,” and it’s been terrific so far. I feel like I’ve learned a ton. And yep, next spring I’m going to have to buy lots of board review books and memorize stupid factoids for a few months like my second year friends are doing, but I think if you asked them, they wouldn’t have it any other way. That tends to just be the tenor of the academic approach there.

From Krelian: is PBL a waste of time?
Can any current HMS NP students comment on the proportion of time spent on PBL & small-group stuff (excluding histo and anatomy lab) and the time spent learning from lectures. What are the exam schedules like and how are evaluations handled for PBL?
PBL is definitely not a waste of time. First of all, it’s called tutorial, so get any northwestern/cornell/etc thoughts out of your head. J Every school does PBL differently. I love tutorial because I go to lecture and have information passively thrown at me for a couple of hours. Tutorial is where I go next and have an hour and a half to sort it out and really grasp it. Plus, I’ve learned all kinds of clinical pearls and feel very energized about learning the basic science in a very clinical context. I should definitely comment that just about EVERYTHING at hms is taught in a clinically-related way. It’s been very helpful and refreshing, since I was a humanities major in college and thought I was basically going to be stuck doing biochem for two years.
As to the proportion of time spent on tutorial and small group activities: Generally a smooth half and half, with the majority going to small group and tutorial (versus lecture) when it’s not even. The first block, anatomy, is about ¾ small group/tutorial and ¼ lecture. We have 1-2 lectures per day, and generally either tutorial or a conference (small group session working out problems and talking about things we don’t understand).

Well, I hope that helped somewhat!
Feel free to ask anything else if something wasn’t clear or you were wondering about another topic.

flyingyeti

03-18-2005, 11:05 AM

Lilmspiano, thanks for your insights. I was wondering about gripes that students have of HMS. I know my friend who's a first year told me yesterday that the anatomy block was way too fast, especially the head and neck part. But it seems that overall, everyone is pretty chill. An interesting side note that he told me was that there's 9 or 10 couples in the 1st year class.

CarleneM

03-18-2005, 11:19 AM

Lilmspiano, thanks for all the helpful info!! I had one more question related to laptops: so in addition the "camels" are the lecture notes also up on the web? I know the video of the lectures is but am curious about the notes themselves.

Thanks!

leechy

03-18-2005, 11:38 AM

Intriguing comments and criticisms about Harvard. I also got the feeling that it was a "sink or swim" environment - you would have to be independently motivated to get the most out of the place.

Anyone know about the funding available for research during the year? How difficult is it to find a research mentor?

aeneid

03-18-2005, 02:44 PM

CarleneM

03-18-2005, 02:55 PM

Hi aeneid. I was just about to vote in your little poll. That's awesomely impressive to be choosing between those schools. I do know that HMS has a club called "ooops- the Organization of Older and Out-of-Place Students so maybe you could contact one of the folks in charge of that for their perspective. Their emails are Jennifer_Stevens@student.hms.harvard.edu and Mary_Berlik@student.hms.harvard.edu. BTW, if anyone is interested in looking at the clubs HMS has,I found the website that lists them all. It is http://web.med.harvard.edu/groups/studentcouncil/. Some of them look really cool!
Hi all,

I am a newbie to the group, but I was accepted into HMS. Just had a few questions. First, just wondering if anyone in the group is deciding between HMS and UCSF or Duke. Just want to get some thoughts. Also, my biggest concern is being a first-year at 29. I know I won't be the oldest, but if my interviews hold to form, I'll be among a few over 25. Which school provides the best environment for the non-trad student. Going to all the re-visit weekends to sort all of this out, but would love some comments...

Thanks!!

krelian

03-18-2005, 03:10 PM

Hi all,

I am a newbie to the group, but I was accepted into HMS. Just had a few questions. First, just wondering if anyone in the group is deciding between HMS and UCSF or Duke. Just want to get some thoughts. Also, my biggest concern is being a first-year at 29. I know I won't be the oldest, but if my interviews hold to form, I'll be among a few over 25. Which school provides the best environment for the non-trad student. Going to all the re-visit weekends to sort all of this out, but would love some comments...

Thanks!!
From my interviews, I believe that UCSF tends to have a higher proportion of non-traditional students than Harvard & Duke (or any other school for that matter). My interviewer at UCSF stressed that they like to take "interesting non-trads" who have had interesting life experiences. Whether this is true or not, I have no idea... but a few others have echoed statistics saying that the avg age at UCSF is higher than other places. Congrats on the acceptances; regardless of where you go, you'll have a great experience :)

treetrunk

03-19-2005, 08:23 PM

Congrats on all you HMS acceptees! I have been accepted to HST and have some specific questions about this. It seems that many of you are NP, so I'm going to create an HST specific forum. If anyone has HST insight, please check out the HST thread and contribute to the discussion. Thanks! :thumbup:

-tt

smile82

03-20-2005, 09:43 AM

thanks lilmspiano and everyone else for all the helpful info!

i've been accepted to NP (YAAY) but i'm still undecided (hopkins is my other choice and i'm still waiting to hear from penn and ucsf)

here are some of my concerns
1) how effective is the tutorial system? lilmspiano, what you wrote was very helpful. i'm not a passive learner (lecture-style) either, and i'm really drawn to the emphasis on discussion and working through problems with others. and i've heard this helps build skills for the clinics where you'll be working in groups and presenting, all things you do daily in tutorial. however, do you ever feel like you don't have a strong foundation, or a sense of what you really need to know? and does a lot of this learning depend on the strength of your group? that said, how are tutorial groups chosen and how often do they change? and how does the spending "long" hours in the library researching fit into the curriculum?

2) strength of clinical training...lilmspiano, you said that the strength of clinical training is what brought you to harvard. why, then, do people think that harvard med students aren't well trained in residency? are faculty too busy to be good teachers (both in the first two years and the clinical years)?
do you think the patient population in the boston hospitals is skewed? is there a disadvantage to not having a home-base hospital?

3) i'm a little unsure of the harry-potter-esque academic society system. i know its meant to build stronger communities and mentorship, but it seems a little elitist and cliquish. can anyone tell me a little about the pros/cons of this setup? how are these societies chosen anyway?

4) i want to do the md/mph and i'm interested in public/international health and development. one of the huge draws for me is the resources that harvard has to offer and the flexibility/funding to pursue these interests. does anyone have similar interests or know people that have pursued these areas at harvard?

4) how cohesive is the class and how social, fun, down to earth are the students? what do students do for fun in Boston? i will be going to re-visit weekend, so i'll probably get a sense of this for myself.

i think that's it for now...is anyone thinking of turning down harvard? and why?

indianboy

03-20-2005, 10:16 AM

Let me inject a little reality:
Like many other top schools in the country, the teaching at HMS (NP, not familiar with HST) in the pre-clinical years is atrocious. At NP, especially so. There maybe a few highlights, but I can promise that you will be dissapointed. Even shocked. The faculty simply isn't interested in teaching, despite the creation of The Academy in conjunction with UCSF (they have done a much better job, as usual).

Tutorials/PBL:
If you are dumb, you will enjoy and value these. Alternatively, or in addition, if you are a pollyanna, they will appeal to you. But then again, I'm sure a hot-poker to the rump will as well.

Clinical Training:
Scatter-shot. Some of it is excellent and the world-class education you went to HMS to expect. Most of it is mediocre, at best. But if you are adequete, you'll go to MGH/Brigham. If you're an absolute idiot, you'll go to BID.

The Upside:
That being said, HMS has some great resources, and will make you feel like a million bucks everytime you think to yourself - what the hell am I doing? It will slowly waft to your senses, like the aroma of a deep, musky crimson wine: You're attending HMS.

Thanks for being a human sybian, CarleneM! You're exactly what HMS is looking for.

Hope that Helps

P 'HMS: Where exceptions make the rule' ShankOut

rrshah2

03-20-2005, 10:26 AM

For those of you that have been accepted to Harvard and other top ten schools (with full scholarship), do you believe the advantage of attending Harvard is worth $150-200,000? For instance, if you received a full scholarship to Wash U, would you chose Harvard over it and why exactly?

My initial thought was that I would chose Harvard since money won't be a significant issue as a doctor and it would be easy to repay loans. But I'm starting to think otherwise. Any comments??

CarleneM

03-20-2005, 10:28 AM

indianboy, in case you didn't notice, this thread is actually a pretty good discussion of the pros and cons of HMS, not a "masturbation fest". btw, do you like any med school? you started that thread bashing your own school, columbia (the deep do do one). leave us the f*ck alone.

Let me inject a little reality to this HMS mutual-masturbation fest:
Like many other top schools in the country, the teaching at HMS in the pre-clinical years is atrocious. At HMS, especially so. There maybe a few highlights, but I can promise that you will be dissapointed. Even shocked. The faculty simply isn't interested in teaching, despite the creation of The Academy in conjunction with UCSF (they have done a much better job, as usual).

Tutorials/PBL:
If you are dumb, you will enjoy and value these. Alternatively, or in addition, if you are a pollyanna, they will appeal to you. But then again, I'm sure a hot-poker to the rump will as well.

Clinical Training:
Scatter-shot. Some of it is excellent and the world-class education you went to HMS to expect. Most of it is mediocre, at best. But if you are adequete, you'll go to MGH/Brigham. If you're an absolute idiot, you'll go to BID.

The Upside:
That being said, HMS has some great resources, and will make you feel like a million bucks everytime you think to yourself - what the hell am I doing? But it will slowly waft to your senses, like the aroma of a musky, deep crimson wine: You're attending HMS.

Thanks for being a human sybian, CarleneM! You're exactly what HMS is looking for.

Hope that Helps

P 'HMS: Where exceptions make the rule' ShankOut

StinkinSanchez

03-20-2005, 10:49 AM

aeneid

03-20-2005, 11:11 AM

I certainly don't want to chide people I don't know, but if we could keep the banter to a minimum. Wow. The questions posed are relevant and cannot be invalidated by petty banter. I too wonder about the challenges to the HMS program. There are a lot of rumors being spread about the program, and whether valid or invalid certainly cannot be based on what clearly appears to be unobjective bias. So, if someone who has had experience at HMS, please respond to smile82's comments.

Thanks

indianboy

03-20-2005, 12:26 PM

krelian

03-20-2005, 03:33 PM

Although indianboy's language was uncalled for, I think he does bring up some valid points. The more I talk to students and teachers about HMS, the more concerned I become about the first 2 yr's curriculum (specifically NP.. I haven't heard much negative about HST). NP is definitely not for everyone it seems; there's many that love it, but there's also quite a few that are dissapointed by it. The word "scatter-shot" also seem appropriate at times. A couple of current HMS student I talked to said that the quality of the education is quite variable. All lecturers are world-renowned, but there's quite a bit of dissapointment with how many of them teach. The tutorials are also dependent on who else is in your group, and your classmates may be doing totally opposite things in their tutorials. As a group, you decide how tutorials will be run, but not everyone's learning style/preference is the same... Some tutorials will be hot, while others will not.

All in all, going to HMS NP will probably be a lot like attending many other med schools. You really can't ascertain the quality of the school until you actually go there. Moreover, because of the tutorial system, there's more variability in the educational experience. More variance is not necessarily a bad thing though, as long as the mean is still high :idea:

criminallyinane

03-20-2005, 04:32 PM

hi there, i have heard the NP students have lots of classes with the dental students so we will be classmates next year! Brookline village is nice and you can take the D line, which is good and will take you to longwood. It will then be a 5-10 minute walk to HMS.

It makes more sense just to walk from Brookline Village to HMS rather than take the train to Longwood, since HMS is almost exactly between the Brookline Village stop and the Longwood stop. It's only a 10 minute walk max :)

Jennifer25

03-21-2005, 10:38 AM

Hey,

Can someone comment on the advantages/disadvantages of living in Vanderbilt Hall? As well as the advantages/disadvantages of living off campus.

For example:
-living space
-rent
-transportation
-kitchen amenities
-neurotic med students???

Thanks!

treetrunk

03-22-2005, 10:20 AM

Hey Krelian,

Thanks for your insight. Have you heard anything about the clinical training at HMS (something that would be the same for NP and HST)? Do you think it's true that the training is weak but students get good residencies beacus its HMS? Anyone else have opinions?

-tt

Although indianboy's language was uncalled for, I think he does bring up some valid points. The more I talk to students and teachers about HMS, the more concerned I become about the first 2 yr's curriculum (specifically NP.. I haven't heard much negative about HST). NP is definitely not for everyone it seems; there's many that love it, but there's also quite a few that are dissapointed by it. The word "scatter-shot" also seem appropriate at times. A couple of current HMS student I talked to said that the quality of the education is quite variable. All lecturers are world-renowned, but there's quite a bit of dissapointment with how many of them teach. The tutorials are also dependent on who else is in your group, and your classmates may be doing totally opposite things in their tutorials. As a group, you decide how tutorials will be run, but not everyone's learning style/preference is the same... Some tutorials will be hot, while others will not.

All in all, going to HMS NP will probably be a lot like attending many other med schools. You really can't ascertain the quality of the school until you actually go there. Moreover, because of the tutorial system, there's more variability in the educational experience. More variance is not necessarily a bad thing though, as long as the mean is still high :idea:

aeneid

03-22-2005, 03:44 PM

Hi,

I was wondering if a current NP HMSer could comment about how their day/week is set up. I've tried finding it on the webstie but it just gives the breakdown on how the blocks are sequenced. I'd like to know just the "meat and potatoes" of your day. What time does class normally start? What time are you out of class? Do you have afternoons off? Is there time to start research Y1 or maybe just go workout. Etc...Thanks in advance!

RunMimi

03-23-2005, 07:34 PM

Bumping for all the cool kids. ;)

aeneid

03-23-2005, 10:39 PM

Bumping for all the cool kids. ;)

Mad shout outs!! See everyone re-visit weekend. :)

smile82

03-24-2005, 08:20 AM

yeahhh should be fun!

it's been kinda disheartening to read about all the negative rumors flying around about HMS. but when it comes down to it, i think we're looking at being around amazing students, faculty and resources, and training at some of the best hospitals in the country!

go HMS :p

RunMimi

03-24-2005, 09:18 AM

jms88

03-25-2005, 09:53 PM

Congrats to those who've been accepted. Any adivce for those who are about to apply? What is it that you think helped you get in?

GuyLaroche

03-25-2005, 10:04 PM

an AMEN to that! :)

Runmimi, I am so jealous of you. I think our friendship will have to end, you little, perfect sexpot! I just can't take it anymore. You just had to get into Harvard, didn't you? I am so jealous, I am almost sick with bile. Why wasn't I good enough for Harvard? Why are you so perfect? Where the hell have you been? I hate you though I've always adored you. Tell them, when you get to Harvard, tell them they made a huge mistake. Wasn't I hot enough for them? I knew I wouldn't get in when my interviews were all with middle aged, conservative-looking men. I realized then that the interview would be all about my academic credentials rather than my physical credentials. Trust me, I have more of the latter than the former. They were confused when I attempted to get under the table following some hard questions. And trust me, it wasn't because I wanted to hide away. One interviewer in particular was not amused by my reaching for his zipper.... I digress. I thought we were going to be BFF, and bond on our trip to Vandy but I guess not. :( Oh Harvard! My Ulyssian horizon.

blankguy

03-26-2005, 07:29 AM

Sorry to butt in but what is the average MCAT score for Harvard?

Yalie05

03-27-2005, 01:15 PM

hi,

i was also accepted and just wanted to say hi:) hope to see you guys later on this year!

RunMimi

03-27-2005, 05:17 PM

Runmimi, I am so jealous of you. I think our friendship will have to end, you little, perfect sexpot! I just can't take it anymore. You just had to get into Harvard, didn't you? I am so jealous, I am almost sick with bile. Why wasn't I good enough for Harvard? Why are you so perfect? Where the hell have you been? I hate you though I've always adored you. Tell them, when you get to Harvard, tell them they made a huge mistake. Wasn't I hot enough for them? I knew I wouldn't get in when my interviews were all with middle aged, conservative-looking men. I realized then that the interview would be all about my academic credentials rather than my physical credentials. Trust me, I have more of the latter than the former. They were confused when I attempted to get under the table following some hard questions. And trust me, it wasn't because I wanted to hide away. One interviewer in particular was not amused by my reaching for his zipper.... I digress. I thought we were going to be BFF, and bond on our trip to Vandy but I guess not. :( Oh Harvard! My Ulyssian horizon.

Oh, Guy. I hope you still feel that way when you are my chief resident. :)

leaft

03-27-2005, 05:35 PM

RunMimi

03-27-2005, 07:04 PM

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=187436

while avoiding homework, I was looking through the other forums and noticed this. what do you guys think?
is anyone else nervous about the HMS curriculum at all? i think i am somewhat letting the rumors get to me.

Interesting. I think the petetion is more of a need for overachievers to get rialled up about something. I'm really not worried, but I guess it might be something to consider if you are really torn between schools. The administration obviously sees some flaws in their current curriculum because the year behind us is seeing a new one. It seems like they should be open to minor tweaks in the current cirriculum in the meantime.

CarleneM

04-01-2005, 10:22 AM

hey has anyone recieved an email about second look weekend? my email has not been working properly the past few days so I'm hoping I didn't miss anything.

also, is anybody certain they are not living in vanderbilt next year who would be interested in looking for a 2br apartment together in the $600-$800/person price range? PM me if so. I am looking specifically at brookline, brigham circle and central sq, cambridge locations. I want a quick commute. It might be easier to live with another female but I'm open to male roommates if it was the right match.

Yalie05

04-01-2005, 10:33 AM

Yalie05

04-01-2005, 10:37 AM

btw, are they any other yalies who are going to harvard next year. i haven't had a chance to talk to any of them on campus even though a good chunk gets accepted.

krelian

04-01-2005, 11:31 AM

Interesting. I think the petetion is more of a need for overachievers to get rialled up about something. I'm really not worried, but I guess it might be something to consider if you are really torn between schools. The administration obviously sees some flaws in their current curriculum because the year behind us is seeing a new one. It seems like they should be open to minor tweaks in the current cirriculum in the meantime.
I think that this is a legitimate concern, not just something that only overachievers care about. If you looked at the petition, it seemed a huge # of students signed it. The push for more elective time is also one of the reason why many schools are shortening the pre-clinical years to 1.5yr instead of 2. I wish HMS had Penn's curriculum.

bhp

04-01-2005, 01:49 PM

I got the email today. Hope to see you guys at the second look weekend.

hey has anyone recieved an email about second look weekend? my email has not been working properly the past few days so I'm hoping I didn't miss anything.

also, is anybody certain they are not living in vanderbilt next year who would be interested in looking for a 2br apartment together in the $600-$800/person price range? PM me if so. I am looking specifically at brookline, brigham circle and central sq, cambridge locations. I want a quick commute. It might be easier to live with another female but I'm open to male roommates if it was the right match.

Yalie05

04-01-2005, 02:02 PM

I got the email today. Hope to see you guys at the second look weekend.

yep. i just got the email too:) so exciting!

CarleneM

04-01-2005, 02:03 PM

I got the email today. Hope to see you guys at the second look weekend.

yup, i just got it as well. My email is back to working again. Sounds like a lot of good stuff will be going on at Second Look. I can't wait to meet everyone!! :thumbup:

aeneid

04-09-2005, 12:08 AM

Just wondering if anyone has received their package as of yet?

leaft

04-09-2005, 06:55 AM

leechy

04-09-2005, 09:50 AM

i haven't gotten it yet.
but i was actually going to ask you all the same question (you beat me to it!)
i hope it gets here soon so that i can finally tell people where i am going next year. i hate having to worry about money.

speaking of money, what are people's thoughts about the whole 'free ride at top ten' vs harvard thing, for anyone fortunate enough to be in that position? what would it take for you to turn down harvard?

krelian

04-09-2005, 02:13 PM

I saw my financial aid package online (on the finaid webiste) about a week ago. I haven't received any snail mail notifications. HMS' package was pretty good for me, or at least better than what Duke offered me (and Duke claims to have really excellent financial aid :thumbdown ).

speaking of money, what are people's thoughts about the whole 'free ride at top ten' vs harvard thing, for anyone fortunate enough to be in that position? what would it take for you to turn down harvard?
It's a tough decision to make, and it really depends how much you like the other school compared to HMS and the difference in the expected debt amount. You may be surprised at how much you'll receive in need-based financial aid. One school offered me $40k+ in scholarships, but since Harvard gave me a decent package, the difference is not enough for me to turn down Harvard.

RunMimi

04-09-2005, 06:00 PM

Just wondering if anyone has received their package as of yet?

I called them because I submitted everything a while ago and I should be a pretty simple case (option 2). It turns out I was missing a minor thing but they hadn't contacted me. I think if you haven't heard anything, its worth calling. I think the 'priority deadline' is this coming Friday, the 15th.

aeneid

04-09-2005, 07:05 PM

Yalie05

04-09-2005, 08:13 PM

I saw my financial aid package online (on the finaid webiste) about a week ago. I haven't received any snail mail notifications. HMS' package was pretty good for me, or at least better than what Duke offered me (and Duke claims to have really excellent financial aid :thumbdown ).

It's a tough decision to make, and it really depends how much you like the other school compared to HMS and the difference in the expected debt amount. You may be surprised at how much you'll receive in need-based financial aid. One school offered me $40k+ in scholarships, but since Harvard gave me a decent package, the difference is not enough for me to turn down Harvard.

that's really good news...i still have a few more things to send before my application is complete...do you mind disclosing how much in scholarship money you received? you could pm me if you don't wanna post...the whole debt thing has kinda been worrying me.

the other Dr.

04-10-2005, 11:32 AM

I saw my financial aid package online (on the finaid webiste) about a week ago. I haven't received any snail mail notifications. HMS' package was pretty good for me, or at least better than what Duke offered me (and Duke claims to have really excellent financial aid :thumbdown ).

Where did you look to find your package from Harvard? Did your financial aid page have a "my awards" tab or did you look somewhere else? When where all of your documents received?

Thanks

It's a tough decision to make, and it really depends how much you like the other school compared to HMS and the difference in the expected debt amount. You may be surprised at how much you'll receive in need-based financial aid. One school offered me $40k+ in scholarships, but since Harvard gave me a decent package, the difference is not enough for me to turn down Harvard.

Thanks

caobc05

04-10-2005, 02:09 PM

Hi all-
I've been reading along w/SDN for awhile but just registered when I saw this post- I'm going to start NP next year also. I have a finanical aid question- I checked on the harvard financial aid website and it said all of my required documents are in except for the interview. They should give me info about my aid package before that interview, right? For those of you who have seen yours, how long did it take after you sent in your forms for your package to show up online?
Thanks a lot- I look forward to meeting you all in the fall!

krelian

04-10-2005, 03:46 PM

The website indicated that the office received all of the materials by 3/25, and I saw my package indicated online on 4/5 or so. I think the loan interview is something that we have to do in the fall when we matriculate, so no one should have that part completed yet. As for the turnaround time, the Fafsa and Profile were received on the same day, several weeks after I had completed them. The tax forms were all marked as received a week after I had them mailed out. I think the finaid office does the updating in clusters at a time.

Hope this info helps.

aeneid

04-10-2005, 03:50 PM

Hey krelian,

Did you attend the Duke re-visit last week? If so, what did you think? They did a pretty good job with selling the school. I had actually never been down there, so it was good to see the area. The appeal down there seems to be the collegial atmosphere....Let me know what you think...

I saw my financial aid package online (on the finaid webiste) about a week ago. I haven't received any snail mail notifications. HMS' package was pretty good for me, or at least better than what Duke offered me (and Duke claims to have really excellent financial aid :thumbdown ).

It's a tough decision to make, and it really depends how much you like the other school compared to HMS and the difference in the expected debt amount. You may be surprised at how much you'll receive in need-based financial aid. One school offered me $40k+ in scholarships, but since Harvard gave me a decent package, the difference is not enough for me to turn down Harvard.

rpkall

04-10-2005, 05:08 PM

crazy smarties!

Congrats, all of you. Getting into HMS is quite an accomplishment. Best of luck to you all during your four years there and after.

Don't get too cocky, goobers! ;)

Mateodaspy

04-10-2005, 08:03 PM

so i am submitting the fafsa this week (my parents took FOREVER to complete their taxes).... will I have trouble getting my forms in by the deadline so that I can hear back from financial aid before may 15th to make my decision??? :eek:

RunMimi

04-10-2005, 08:53 PM

I read on the HMS site about some agreement they have with IBM where we would get ~40% off an IBM laptop. Has anyone heard anything about this?

Jennifer25

04-11-2005, 09:46 AM

I read on the HMS site about some agreement they have with IBM where we would get ~40% off an IBM laptop. Has anyone heard anything about this?

I think that deal is just for alums, but I could be mistaken.

Question--what is the url to check your financial aid status and package?

Thanks!

smile82

04-11-2005, 10:08 AM

is anyone having trouble accessing the finaid page today??

smile82

04-11-2005, 10:13 AM

nevermind, it's fine. still nothing on my page and i had everything complete 3/28

leaft

04-12-2005, 12:22 PM

smile82, I was complete the same day as you.
I hope to get something soon!!

RunMimi

04-12-2005, 12:29 PM

I got my financial aid package today. Not stellar but my parents put me in a kind of crappy place, so I suppose they did the best they could.

iluvmyhonda

04-12-2005, 05:10 PM

out of curiosity, when is the second look weekend?

aeneid

04-12-2005, 07:03 PM

2nd look is 4/28-4/30...

CarleneM

04-13-2005, 12:53 PM

I got my financial aid package today. Its pretty horrendous. I don't have anything to compare it to since this is the only school I submitted my fin aid forms to but the parental contribution is ridiculously high. My parents are schoolteachers, not corporate executives, yet what HMS came up with seems totally out of whack. We are meeting with fin aid to discuss it next week but it looks like I'll have to take out a huge loan to cover their contribution. What FAFSA calculated was more reasonable so it came as a big shock to see HMS's calculation...

Jennifer25

04-13-2005, 02:30 PM

CarleneM

04-13-2005, 02:48 PM

How do you know what FAFSA calculates as estimated parental contribution?

when you get notification that your FAFSA has processed, you can log onto the fafsa site and it will tell you the estimated family contribution. HMS told me today "oh we don't even look at that" so I would not go by it at all. HMS estimated over twice the contribution that FAFSA did. :thumbdown

leaft

04-13-2005, 03:15 PM

CarleneM

04-13-2005, 04:32 PM

Carlene,
now i am worried. my parents are also teachers. and because i am international (kind of, i am canadian), i can't get federal loans. when did you submit your application? did you find out online or in a mailing?

i had everything in on march 30th and found out online. One of my parents is retiring midway through next year so we are hoping that will give us some leverage to adjust the expected contribution.

krelian

04-13-2005, 05:32 PM

What FAFSA calculated was more reasonable so it came as a big shock to see HMS's calculation...
I believe FAFSA uses only the student's assets and income in its EFC calculation, since federal programs assume that you're independent of your parents if you're pursuing a professional degree. Thus, FAFSA does not calculate a parent contribution at all. Most students also end up with an EFC of $0, unless they generated signficant income, but most schools won't let the student get away with only $0 as the student contribution.

Schools do try to squeeze as much out of you as they can. It's not only the income but any accumulated assets you have. Realize also that financial aid is usually stingy, and if your parents make more than $100k/year in combined income then your package will be shot.

I have 3 other schools to compare to HMS for financial aid; 2 use Need Access and 1 uses Profile. The parent contribution was similar for all 4 schools, and HMS fell in the middle. The main difference in the packages was whether I received unsubsidized loans or school-subsidized loans.

CarleneM

04-13-2005, 07:06 PM

My parents don't make more than $100,000 and are still paying off their mortgage. I guess what bothers me is there is no way my parents could ever pay what the school claims should be their contribution based on their income and assets. And when I talked with fin aid today they said "yeah most of the time the parents can't pay it and the student has to take out unsubsidized loans to cover it." If it had been presented to me as loans in the first place I wouldn't be as upset but I don't like the false advertising aspect of it. If my parents could afford to help me as generously as HMS suggested, they would. I do think this is the nature of the private school beast though. I am sort of kicking myself for withdrawing from McGill and Umass though....

I believe FAFSA uses only the student's assets and income in its EFC calculation, since federal programs assume that you're independent of your parents if you're pursuing a professional degree. Thus, FAFSA does not calculate a parent contribution at all. Most students also end up with an EFC of $0, unless they generated signficant income, but most schools won't let the student get away with only $0 as the student contribution.

Schools do try to squeeze as much out of you as they can. It's not only the income but any accumulated assets you have. Realize also that financial aid is usually stingy, and if your parents make more than $100k/year in combined income then your package will be shot.

I have 3 other schools to compare to HMS for financial aid; 2 use Need Access and 1 uses Profile. The parent contribution was similar for all 4 schools, and HMS fell in the middle. The main difference in the packages was whether I received unsubsidized loans or school-subsidized loans.