Boston University MA in Medical Science

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Tritonslo

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It's getting to be that time of year where more people are starting to consider post-baccs and masters programs so I'm going to compile a few of my past posts about BU's program. The first post is from last december and the second is a recent PM of some questions I answered for someone considering this program.

First post:

I remember going through the same process as you last year, trying to figure out which master's program would be best for me. I always felt the best resources were students currently in those programs so here's my two cents on Boston University's Masters in Medical Science.

The best thing about this program is that all your classes are medical school classes and in about 2/3 of those classes you are competing(I don't really like that word but it fits) with BU's first year medical school class. Thus, if you work hard and get A's in your classes you are basically showing adcoms that you can handle medical school, or even do better that most of a first year medical class(if you get the A).

Another great part of this program is the advising. The program has several advisors many of whom have sat on the BU medical school admissions committee. Get a good advisor and they will tell you flat out, what you need to do in order to get into medical school, no sugar coating. Your professors are medical school faculty as well, many of which sit on the admissions committee so they will help you out as well.

Here is the basics of the success rate of BU's students. About 5%(or about 10 students) get into medical school their first year in the program. This seems low but you have to factor in the enormous number of students that aren't even applying their first year. 85% get in by their second year. BU medical school accepts about 30-40 students from the medical science program each year.

What I liked about the program as well was the thesis(and many people choose Georgetown over BU because they don't have to write a thesis). BUT it is valuable at interviews. At a Columbia interview I was asked what this program offered me besides medical school courses and I was able to say that I was completing medical research. BU also has numerous volunteer opportunities.

Finally, if you do stay for two years you have the option of getting your MPH which I thought was enticing. Basically the masters in medical science degree can easily be completed in 1 year. So what if you don't get into medical school right away? Well there is the MPH + numerous research opportunities.

Also, Boston is a great city. That factor alone tipped BU's program above Georgetowns. If you have any questions feel free to ask.

Second Post

QUESTIONS(Answers below):

1. When did you start the BU GMS program?

2. How was your financial aid package? Did you work full-time the year before you started? I only ask because it matters for the FAFSA.

3. How are the classes at BU? Is it extremely competitive and/or difficult to get an A? I came from a UC so 'nuff said.

4. How early did you scout the BU area in order to get housing? I'm thinking of flying out there from Cali sometime in May. Is that too late/early?

5. Is it realistic to start the program this Fall 2004 then apply in June 2005 for Fall 2006 entry to med school?

6. I heard that there were about 300 students who entered the GMS program this past fall. Do you think this is a disadvantage at all?

7. Will I be able to get a job while working on the master's thesis? Do you recommend the library or laboratory one? I have about 3 years of benchwork now so I was contemplating the laboratory thesis. Please let me know your suggestions though.

8. Is it difficult to get a LOR from the professors there?

9. How long will it take before I'm considered a Massachusetts resident?

ANSWERS

1. I started the BU GMS program this last September 2003. There are typically two types of students in the program. Those that have just graduated from college and unsuccesfully applied to medical school and those that have been out of school for a couple years and need to strenghten their application. I am of the former group.

2. The financial aid package for graduate students is OK. This year we got 18K in federal aid but as you know the program costs nearly 30K. Thus the remaining 12k comes from your pocket or from private lenders like citigroup. I did not work the year before.

3. I came from a UC as well, UC Berkeley. The classes at BU are time consuming but not as tough as those at Berkeley. Those who come from UC's are typically in good shape here. Actually, one of the advisors at BU told me they really like students from the UC's because they do so well at BU. Many students with 3.3-3.5 at the UC's end up with near 4.0's at BU. The UC's are just tough schools and you'll find that many of your classmates are from california precisely for that reason.

4. I started looking for housing in June. I came out to Boston and looked at apartments for two days but didn't find anything. I was lucky in that my girlfriend's sister lives here so she was looking for us the whole summer. I have a couple friends who actually lived in a hotel for the first two weeks while they looked for housing and they have some great places. It seems like there are always places coming up so its tough to gauge the "perfect" time.

5. It is perfectly realistic to apply in June 2005 after starting this fall. In fact, that is what the majority of students do. If I were you I would halt everything this summer and devote a good 12 weeks to the MCAT and then take it in August. Many people waited to take it in the spring and are stressing out big time now. It is very difficult to get A's in your classes and do well on the MCAT. Many people who thought they were going to take it this April have actually decided to take it in August and delay their application a bit. So if there is one piece of advice I could give you it would be to give your all on this August's MCAT and be done with it.

6. This year there are 140 students in the GMS program. I'm not sure where you heard 300 although the rumor is that next year they are going to accept more students because there were so many applicants last year. As it is now I don't think there is too much of a disadvantage. The medical school class is 150 so its about the same size.

*The one bad thing about the large class size is that not everyone gets to take Medical Histology first semester. The class is about 190 students but 110 of them are medical students. This is a class everyone wants to take because it is with the medical students and doing well in it looks very impressive especially to the BU school of medicine. Luckily for you its first come first serve I believe, meaning the first people accepted to the program are automatically placed into the class until it is full. You are an early applicant by the way. I was accepted in the GMS program toward the end of April and I was in Medical Histology last fall.

7. You should be able to get a job while working on your thesis. You'll start to work on your thesis after you've taken all your classes, so in the summer of 2005. Then you'll have the entire year to finish it. The library thesis takes ALOT less time. If you really want to get it done you can do it in as little as 4 weeks. The lab thesis takes longer because you are doing practical research not just library research. Those take at least a 6 month commitment(but again you have the entire year to do it).
The advantage to the lab thesis is three-fold. First, you can get honors credit for it. Basically everyone gets 8 credits of "directed research" toward their degree. If you do a library thesis you get a pass or no pass. If you do a lab thesis you get a grade and supposedly if you do half way decent work you get an A. 8 credits of A is pretty good. Also you get to know a professor who can write you a good recommendation and finally its something that adds to your application.

8. It isn't too difficult to get letters of recommendation from professors. They know that you need them and they are very willing to talk to you about your goals and eventually write you a very good recommendation. Also, everyone gets a personalized dean letter that is very comprehensive.

9. It is tough to become a MA resident. If you are a student it takes like 3 or 4 years. BU is a private school though so instate residents pay just as much as out of state.

New comments:

BU is a stellar option for those who plan on applying at the end of the program. This allows students to apply with a whole year of grades, brand new letters of recommendation and a thesis to talk about. For those of you who want to apply this coming June 2004 and matriculate immediately after the program ends, Georgetown is geared more towards that strategy. That being said, I applied this year while in the program and I was accepted to medical school(and I would say there are about 50/140 other students who also applied this year).

If you are considering the BU GMS program and want to matriculate right after the program feel free to PM me with things you can do at BU to help you do that.

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wow .... coincidentally .... this is the exact thing i was searching the fourum for (looking at past posts) when you posted this ... kinda freaked me out. Thanks for the info though!!!

A couple questions:

How receptive is the BU Med School to these applicants?

Can you elaborate more on how to apply successfully during the first year of the program?

Thanks again.
 
That was a great, and comprehensive, initial post. I began the program at the same time, and would offer some additional perspective:

- I had taken time off before starting the program, and it was a difficult transition into med school classes. The work was very do-able, but if you've taken time off I'd advise taking the lightest course load possible the first semester (take stats, not pharm). I also found studying with a group very helpful, and wish I'd started doing that sooner.

- We were told that almost everyone is accepted to med school after the program, but in all honesty I know some people from my year that have been rejected from everywhere. It's hard to verify stats, but many GMS folks I know have yet to be accepted anywhere. Hopefully most will get taken off waiting lists eventually. I'll update this as the summer progresses, but right now it seems that admission isn't as automatic as I had believed.

In agreement with the other posts, the faculty is very supportive and helpful, and having taken med school classes does give you more legitimacy when an interviewer asks about your preparedness. At the very least, you come out of it with a Masters, which for me was reason enough to choose it over a general post bacc. The extra degree allowed me to go back to my old job and get a big pay increase, which is especially helpful with all these application costs piling up :)

Good luck to my fellow GMS'ers out there, and hopefully the acceptance letters will be pouring in any day now! Purgatory can only last for so long :D
 
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Is it too late to apply for this Fall semester coming up, do you know when the deadline is, thanks

Rupesh
 
I dont' know exactly, but I remember it's quite late. I guess it has to be, since most of the applicants are people that weren't accepted, and are looking for something at the last minute. I think I applied in June?

You can check out the webpage at
http://www.bumc.bu.edu/gms
 
I read on the application that there is no deadline for the MA in Medical Sciences program. However, if you need financial aid, it's best to turn in your app by March 31, 2004. I'm still waiting for the adcom's decision whether to let me in or not. My app has been complete since November 2003. Has anyone gotten accepted already for Fall 2004?
 
Yeah, there really is no set deadline to get your application in by. I have a friend in the program right now who applied at the very end of July and he got in, so if you apply now your application might even be considered early. As NorthbyNW was saying a lot of people decide to apply after May 15th when they realize they might not be getting off any med school waitlists.
 
Hi Tritonslo,
Thanks for all the info -- I've been scouting SDN for a while for advice on the BU MA program. I'd love to hear more about how you did the masters in one year -- check your PM's. Thanks again!
 
hey Tritonslo, did you get my pm?
i'm not sure if they're getting through. :confused:
 
I am also in the program with Tritonslo and currently applying to school.

One of the most frustrating things I found about the program was the lack of information available on the BU website. I remember that most of us were pretty clueless as to what to do or expect out of the program until orientation day. The statistics are pretty outdated. I'm not really sure when they were last updated. I'm going to paste an email at the bottom of this message that I received last year from a GMS advisor.

As far as courseload is concerned, the only requirements are biostats, biochem, and physio. Students can also choose from a variety of other courses. In my opinion though, you want to take as many med school classes as possible without overloading yourself. The whole point of the program, as far as med school admissions is concerned, is to show adcoms that you're able to handle medical school. Try not to put yourself into a position where you aren't taking enough, or are taking too many med school classes. A typical schedule in the fall would be biochem, histo, and biostats. Biostats is not a med school course and can be placed out of with a recent biostats college course. I've heard from other students that pharm is not the class to take! In the spring, physio can be taken alone or with pathology. Path is not a med school class but if you want to boost your GPA, it might be worth something looking into. After physio, endo and immuno run for one month. If anyone has questions about the program, the application process, etc, please feel free to PM me.

Best of luck to everyone!! :eek: :eek:

//*****************************************************************//

SInce 1986, the beginning of the program, 89% of students completing the program have been accepted to american medical schools. Virtually everyone interested in Dental school has been accepted approximately 2-3% of the class. Another 2% go to Osteopathic medical schools. there are no set aside seats in the medical school and it is understood that if students do well in the program, example 3.5 or better and 30 or higher in the MCAT, they have a good chance of acceptance to BU. Our med school has accepted as few as 20 students from the MA program and as many as 38 (2 years ago) of these 27 came here. The rest had multiple acceptances and almost all of these went to their state schools when there was a big differential in tuition cost. I cannot give you percentages since of the 100 students in the program. The numbers interested in medical school varies from 60 to 70 with many electing combined degrees in MA/MPH, MA/MBA, MA/PhD and some do MA/MD PhD. Our students have been accepted at 100 of the 126 allopathic medical schools in the country. The remaining schools ar emainly state medical schools. We do not see students from these states.
 
Hi I was interested in the Bu program as well, and i was just wondering how strict are they with the MCAT? What if you are planning to take it the August before you start at Bu? Thanks!
 
Its almost mid May; has anyone received any good/bad news yet????

Comet
 
Hey Comet,

I applied to the BU MA Program also. I sent my application about 6 weeks ago or so. I think since the program doesn't have a deadline and people are going to be applying around now that haven't received an acceptance from any medical schools, that it might take until June or so to hear from them. I don't know this for sure, it's just my guess.

Spartacus
 
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Comet208 said:
Its almost mid May; has anyone received any good/bad news yet????

Comet

Hey Comet208 and everyone else on the forum,

I have been reading the SDN forums for about a year now, and this is my first post. The advice on this forum is the best out there!

I actually applied to the BU MA program in mid march or so, and just heard today that I have been accepted. I have also applied to Georgetown, Finch, and Indiana University, but havent heard from any of them yet.

Anyone have any thoughts on the difference between all of these programs in terms of application/acceptance to med school while IN the programs. I read through the posts on this thread, and there doesnt seem to be a clear answer for the BU program (I dont know if they even give out that information). Anyone have any more info on this?

From what I have heard about the Finch program, if you maintain above a 3.0 in the post bacc, and have a "decent" MCAT score (in their minds, 27+ i think), you are almost guaranteed a seat. I had a friend who graduated from the program last year who applied to Finch out of undergrad with a 2.8 sci gpa and a 37 MCAT, got in the program, pulled a 4.0 and is now an M1. Another friend of mine is in the program right now, actually probably studying for finals as we speak, who has close to a 4.0 and is almost positive she'll get in (she applied from undergrad with a 3.3 sci gpa and a 30 on the MCAT).

Anyways, I hope this info helps some people out there, and if anyone can shed some more light on the acceptance issue, i'd greatly appreciate it! Thanks and good luck to you all!
 
I just finished the BU Medical Sciences program and will be applying to medical school for the upcoming cycle. I am pretty familiar with most of the top special master's programs as well, as I have had a friend do the Georgetown SMP and another friend go to the Drexel IMS program. As for the BU program, I would certainly recommend it as it is awesome preparation for medical school. The curriculum is somewhat flexible but there is a thesis requirement also (which can be either a library thesis or a lab thesis). Most of us waited for the year of grades before we applied to medical school, although there were some who applied while they were in the program and got in, but very few. I would probably recommend the Finch AP program for someone who wants an acceptance at Finch for the following year. Many students at my program finish the course requirements the first year, then work on a lab thesis (as a paid research assistant) while they are applying to medical school over the second year. As for the tuition, please be advised that the Finch program and BU program are nearly the same in costs. Initially it seems as if the BU program is somewhat less expensive, but this is not the case because you actually have to be enrolled at BU for a total of four semesters to graduate (which can be done in one calendar year w/ summer semesters).

If anyone has any additional questions, please feel free to ask.
 
PKPK said:
Hey Comet208 and everyone else on the forum,

I have been reading the SDN forums for about a year now, and this is my first post. The advice on this forum is the best out there!

I actually applied to the BU MA program in mid march or so, and just heard today that I have been accepted. I have also applied to Georgetown, Finch, and Indiana University, but havent heard from any of them yet.

Anyone have any thoughts on the difference between all of these programs in terms of application/acceptance to med school while IN the programs. I read through the posts on this thread, and there doesnt seem to be a clear answer for the BU program (I dont know if they even give out that information). Anyone have any more info on this?

From what I have heard about the Finch program, if you maintain above a 3.0 in the post bacc, and have a "decent" MCAT score (in their minds, 27+ i think), you are almost guaranteed a seat. I had a friend who graduated from the program last year who applied to Finch out of undergrad with a 2.8 sci gpa and a 37 MCAT, got in the program, pulled a 4.0 and is now an M1. Another friend of mine is in the program right now, actually probably studying for finals as we speak, who has close to a 4.0 and is almost positive she'll get in (she applied from undergrad with a 3.3 sci gpa and a 30 on the MCAT).

Anyways, I hope this info helps some people out there, and if anyone can shed some more light on the acceptance issue, i'd greatly appreciate it! Thanks and good luck to you all!


BU recommends that GMS students finish a full year of grades and then apply to school. They are pretty open about not wanting students to apply while in the program. Of the students who are successful in applying while in school, I think most of them had pretty competitive undergrad grades but were being held back by their MCAT's. I am in the other boat with an ok MCAT but weaker undergrad grades. If your intentions are to get into medical school while in the program, I think Georgetown's program is actually designed for that purpose.
 
Are there still any post bac programs that are accepting applications now? Or is it too late?
 
It's not too late for quite a few, I believe. You should go to the premed website at Syracuse University's website, I can't remember the web address, but it lists most of the programs and their deadlines. :)
 
Spartacus said:
It's not too late for quite a few, I believe. You should go to the premed website at Syracuse University's website, I can't remember the web address, but it lists most of the programs and their deadlines. :)

Thanx hun :love:


I will look into it.
 
Spartacus,
best of luck to you on the application process.

I called them 2 days ago and found out that i am on the waitlist/hold!!! Dont understand why..

Does anyone have an idea how fast their waitlist moves??

Comet
 
I'm in the BU GMS program this year, too. We've all heard that you have to get the 3.5/30 to look good here. Any ideas what kind of gpa/MCAT it would take to look good to schools other than BU--say some of the higher ranked schools (if you subscribe to the validity of rankings)?

:luck:
 
applying to Post-bacc programs and also med school programs at the same time is not looked down upon?
 
on a daily basis how many hours did you spend studying and how many hours were you in class for the BU program?

The grades are not curved?

To graduate you need to go to BU program for 4 months so do you need to apply for the summer term if your intentions are to apply after one year of post-bacc work? you would be going to school summer-fall-spring-summer to graduate is what I am thinking.

Tritonslo said:
3. I came from a UC as well, UC Berkeley. The classes at BU are time consuming but not as tough as those at Berkeley. Those who come from UC's are typically in good shape here. Actually, one of the advisors at BU told me they really like students from the UC's because they do so well at BU. Many students with 3.3-3.5 at the UC's end up with near 4.0's at BU. The UC's are just tough schools and you'll find that many of your classmates are from california precisely for that reason.
 
I've never heard of someone being looked down upon for applying to med school and postbacc at the same time. It doesn't seem any different than applying to different medical schools--you're just covering your bases in case you don't get in somewhere.

Hours studying is really different for different people. honestly. I studied less than some, more than others. However, I will say that you should allocate most of your time outside of class for studying, unless you're just brilliant. I don't think the program is conducive to having a part or full-time job. This spring I was in class for 20-25 hours a week, and that was just lecture and discussion sections, but that was a really heavy load. If you factor in studying time outside class should be at least double that, well then school is pretty much all you have time for. Students do find time for a social life, though, and people do hang out, etc., but it's a pretty studious atmosphere.

The grades are curved in some classes, and not curved in others. However, the averages are generally very high (b/c people work hard), so it ends up being >85 or so for an A-.

I assume you mean 4 terms, not months. But, yes, that's essentially correct. BU tends to recommend, however, that you wait two years to apply, not one. First of all, a research thesis is really difficult to complete in one year, if you don't want to do the library thesis (which is essentially just a review of literature). Second, most schools want all your grades before they admit you, and there just aren't enough grades yet by the time the school is seriously looking at you. So, most students get in two years after starting the program, not one. Some do, however, get in by the end of the first year(like maybe five-ten people), but most of those are going to BU, and they have performed VERY well to do so (higher standard for the one-year candidates).

I weighed several factors, decided I wanted to do a research thesis, and decided that I would wait to apply. I think I'll be better off that way. It seems like the people who wait have more choices, i.e. you MAY get in one place after the first year, but if you do well, you'll probably get in several places after the second year. And if you don't get in after that first year, you've rushed through things (and perhaps done a worthless library thesis) for nothing.
 
How much does the program actually cost? Is it 30,000 per year for tuition alone? For the part where loans are coming from private lenders, is our eligibility based on our credit rating and income, or is based on just the fact that we are graduate students? I know that usually if you are a graduate student they wont have to verify your income or credit rating. Can someone verify this for me?
 
It is pretty damn expensive. yeah, 30,000 is tuition alone. BU can provide you with extensive fin. aid info. Basically you borrow government loans (up to $18,500, I think), and then the rest comes from a private lender--they list several. And credit rating definitely matters (I had to get a cosigner because of one 30 day late payment 6 years ago), though income doesn't, unless you'll be earning income during school. The total you are allowed to borrow is based on BU's estimate for student need, although that is flexible if you demonstrate you need more, e.g. really high rent.
 
So does anyone know the specifics on how to get in BU med after the first year of the program? Are there set requirements? Would we have to apply early decision to BU med? Do we need a certain GPA at the end of the first term? Thanks..
 
To answer your questions: No, no, no, no. BU recommends that you need a 3.5 GPA in the program and a 30 MCAT in order to do well. I imagine you need stellar numbers, like a 3.7-4.0 to get in after one year, but let me say again, that BU strongly encourages you to wait a year. In short, they hold around 30-40 spots in their medical school class for graduates of this program. Now, if there's not that many qualified candidates, they'll drop it, but that's the number they gave us. These spots are more or less specifically held for people who have been in the program TWO years. As posted above (and make sure to read the OP in detail), some people do get in the first year, but it is a limited number, and they basically sit around all summer waiting to see if they start at BU in the fall. They do NOT get in until waitlist time (according to the Dean of the GMS program). And no, BU doesn't insist that you apply early decision. If you're applying early decision, I don't think it would help anyway, since you don't have grades until Dec/Jan. and they still like to wait to see how you do in the spring.

The point of all this is that I have heard NO one at BU say, "In order to get in to BU Med after one year in the GMS program, you need a, b, c, etc." They won't do that. That doesn't mean you can't do it, it just means that there are very few slots and that to keep people from getting ideas they don't give cutoffs. They do give cutoffs, more or less, for applying after year two, but I imagine those may increase slightly as the program grows (which supposedly it's going to do this fall). But, if I were to pick any program in the US to go to, if I were doing it again, I'd go here. The chance to churn out a REAL masters (with real research), and apply ANYWHERE (not just BU), trumps most other programs.
 
Singing Devil said:
To answer your questions: No, no, no, no. BU recommends that you need a 3.5 GPA in the program and a 30 MCAT in order to do well. I imagine you need stellar numbers, like a 3.7-4.0 to get in after one year, but let me say again, that BU strongly encourages you to wait a year. In short, they hold around 30-40 spots in their medical school class for graduates of this program. Now, if there's not that many qualified candidates, they'll drop it, but that's the number they gave us. These spots are more or less specifically held for people who have been in the program TWO years. As posted above (and make sure to read the OP in detail), some people do get in the first year, but it is a limited number, and they basically sit around all summer waiting to see if they start at BU in the fall. They do NOT get in until waitlist time (according to the Dean of the GMS program). And no, BU doesn't insist that you apply early decision. If you're applying early decision, I don't think it would help anyway, since you don't have grades until Dec/Jan. and they still like to wait to see how you do in the spring.

The point of all this is that I have heard NO one at BU say, "In order to get in to BU Med after one year in the GMS program, you need a, b, c, etc." They won't do that. That doesn't mean you can't do it, it just means that there are very few slots and that to keep people from getting ideas they don't give cutoffs. They do give cutoffs, more or less, for applying after year two, but I imagine those may increase slightly as the program grows (which supposedly it's going to do this fall). But, if I were to pick any program in the US to go to, if I were doing it again, I'd go here. The chance to churn out a REAL masters (with real research), and apply ANYWHERE (not just BU), trumps most other programs.

I am currently in the GMS program this year and was also interviewed at BU. I believe there were approximately 9 people who interviewed this year from the first year GMS class, though I could be off by a couple of people. Some first-years were accepted a week ago. These students are exceptional students who BU doesn't want to lose to other schools. As for GPA, in all honesty, you're going to need pretty much all A's to get in straight after the first year. My guess would be (3.8-4.0).....

Although I applied this year, I would also recommend holding off. I applied to 10 schools and received 4 interviews. Some schools screened me out before receiving my first semester grades (lower undergrad gpa, decent mcat). The other schools who interviewed me did so only after my first semester grades were in. I am confident that some of these schools, had I waited to apply the following year, would have given me interviews and possibly acceptances. However, I graduated from undergrad in 2000 and am sick of waiting around quite frankly. I am currently holding an acceptance at another school and 3 waitlists so it looks like I'll be going to school somewhere....
 
hey there,
i had a couple of questions hopefully the gsmer's on this site will help me with. i am wondering as to the difficulty of classes in the program. is it difficult to get A's in the classes? do people just load up on the grad classes to boost their gpa? what kind of advising to you get regarding classes and the bottom line in getting to med school specifically bu--in other words, take these and these classes and get these and these grades and you'll have a good shot at bu and other med schools. on average, how much do people study? how successful really is the program in getting people into med school? do med schools (bu) largely base their decision on how you do in the program? thanks in advance to the barrage of questions.
 
ras61L said:
hey there,
i had a couple of questions hopefully the gsmer's on this site will help me with. i am wondering as to the difficulty of classes in the program. is it difficult to get A's in the classes? do people just load up on the grad classes to boost their gpa? what kind of advising to you get regarding classes and the bottom line in getting to med school specifically bu--in other words, take these and these classes and get these and these grades and you'll have a good shot at bu and other med schools. on average, how much do people study? how successful really is the program in getting people into med school? do med schools (bu) largely base their decision on how you do in the program? thanks in advance to the barrage of questions.

Here's my two cents....

1) in general, a lot of information is presented in a short amount of time. since i was out of school for 3 years prior to entering, i was a bit apprehensive about peforming well in medical school classes, espicially since i couldn't get into medical school! but if you're willing to work hard, you should be alright...
2) A's are fairly difficult to come by but not impossible to get. for a solid "A", ~ 86+ first semester, 90+ second semester
3) some people choose to take graduate classes outside the medical school curriculum. reasons for doing so include boosting gpa and/or genuine interest in the subject matter...however many students stick to just taking med school classes.
4) there isn't any formal advising as to what classes you should take. you are required to take biochem and physio. i'd highly recommend taking histo as Dr. Vaughan is on the adcom and will want to see how you perform in her class. also, endo and immuno (2nd semester) are generally taken. the most important classes to do well in are biochem, histo, and physio. in all of these classes, there are professors who are on the bu adcom. you'll want them on your side....
if you want more specific advice, i'd suggest talking to either Dr. Vaughan or Dr. O'Bryan who are both on BU's adcom...


5) how much people study is really a personal matter. i know of people who basically live in the lib, and i know of people who haven't really sacrificed their social lives. but generally speaking, if you want to do well, you're going to have to study a fair amount.
6) i think this question is best answered by a 2nd year GMS'er since most GMS students apply after a full year of grades...
7) this question is a little harder to answer. people in the GMS program are generally here for two reasons. either they have a lower gpa or a lower mcat. it's hard to say whether adcoms LARGELY make their decision based on this program. i think adcoms really look at the overall picture of the applicant. if, for instance, an applicant has a decent mcat, ec's, recs, volunteer experience, etc, but a lower gpa, this is a perfect oppportunity for the student to show that they can handle medical school. similiarly, if an applicant has a lower mcat but decent gpa, this is also a great opportunity to show adcoms that they are capable of handling medical school even though this capability may not be reflected on their board scores. in short, i think doing well in the GMS program allows students not to be initially screened out at most medical schools. from there, its up to the applicant to have good ec's, volunteer experience, personal statement, interview, etc...

hope this helps...
 
wow--thanks for the info. i really appreciate it. anyone else have anything to add.
 
This is one of the most informational threads I have seen on this site, period.

I applied to the MA program two years ago and at the same time applied to MD, MD/PhD and PhD Programs (I could have bought a new car for what I spent....)

Anyways, when the letters came in and everyone had their say, I was choosing between the MA program at BU or a PhD at Washington University. Being just like many of you, I liked the BU program but was really confused on what I would get out of it and what would be expected of me. I then made an appointment to talk to Dr. Broitman. He was very, very, very receptive towards me- especially considering they didn't have an answer from me. There's nothing he said that hasn't been repeated here by the current students, but I will add how positive he was towards the students. While other people may b!tch and moan about how an organized/'official' program is a waste of time and money, Dr. Broitman clearly loved the students. He was advocating getting housing strictly for the MA students and trying to ensure that a 'nucleus' existed for these students in the program. Needless to say, I was quite impressed with the program and the administrators I met that day.

However, a few days later, my parents persuaded me to do the PhD. I have been happy at WashU for the most part- always with the idea of getting an MD on the back burner- but sometimes, I just flat-out regret not doing the MA program at BU.

Best of luck to all.

Footnote- I remember being contacted by someone in the BU MA office in around July- they hadn't gotten my declination letter and were still filling seats. So, to those of you waiting, even though it's June, it's definitely not too late.
 
ras61L said:
hey there,
i had a couple of questions hopefully the gsmer's on this site will help me with. i am wondering as to the difficulty of classes in the program. is it difficult to get A's in the classes? do people just load up on the grad classes to boost their gpa? what kind of advising to you get regarding classes and the bottom line in getting to med school specifically bu--in other words, take these and these classes and get these and these grades and you'll have a good shot at bu and other med schools. on average, how much do people study? how successful really is the program in getting people into med school? do med schools (bu) largely base their decision on how you do in the program? thanks in advance to the barrage of questions.

prabhara's hitting the hammer right on the nail here. Let me add that BU is not the program for anyone looking for an EASY way to get into med school. But, in my opinion, if you believe you are med school material, then you should believe you can do well here, and if you do well here, you can bank on getting into med school. The success rate for allopathic US schools is 85%. That's nothing to sneeze at. And trust me, not all those people are getting As in Physio, Biochem, and Histo.
 
Singing Devil said:
prabhara's hitting the hammer right on the nail here. Let me add that BU is not the program for anyone looking for an EASY way to get into med school. But, in my opinion, if you believe you are med school material, then you should believe you can do well here, and if you do well here, you can bank on getting into med school. The success rate for allopathic US schools is 85%. That's nothing to sneeze at. And trust me, not all those people are getting As in Physio, Biochem, and Histo.

If you got into med school from this wouldn't some of the med school courses be repeated or would the med school exempt you from taking teh same courses and replace them with something else.
 
blankguy said:
If you got into med school from this wouldn't some of the med school courses be repeated or would the med school exempt you from taking teh same courses and replace them with something else.
depends on the school. BU will give you credits for the med school courses... and I don't think they assign you replacement coursework.
 
Has anyone been admitted from the waitlist yet??? I am still waiting...
 
What kind of GRE scores do you need to be competitive for this program? It says 70 percentile on the website...but is this definitely and what kind of scores does it translate to?
 
lton00 said:
What kind of GRE scores do you need to be competitive for this program? It says 70 percentile on the website...but is this definitely and what kind of scores does it translate to?

70th percentile correlates w/ about 1200 on the GRE.

JBN
 
send me a PM if you're the program in september. To those on the waiting list/still waiting to hear...best of luck.
 
I am still waiting to hear... its kinda nerve wrecking not knowing what i will be doing this fall!
 
Focused...good luck!

Soo, who else is going next year??
 
anyone know about on-campus residence/housing for students of this program?

i looked on the website, and it says there is limited housing, but it hasn't been updated since '99.

housing will play a big factor in making my decision, as i won't be able to afford decent housing in boston near BU.. if i could stay in rez that would be ideal.

thanks!
 
also, for those that have received their registration packet, when do classes start?
 
goleafsgo said:
anyone know about on-campus residence/housing for students of this program?

i looked on the website, and it says there is limited housing, but it hasn't been updated since '99.

housing will play a big factor in making my decision, as i won't be able to afford decent housing in boston near BU.. if i could stay in rez that would be ideal.

thanks!

BU has on-campusish housing, called Harrison Court, with an apartment building right next to the medical campus. The building has central AC and heating, and every apartment is pretty nice, with decent kitchens and common areas. However, the rent is so high that people often get crammed in (1 in each bedroom and 1 in the common area) to save money. They have reduced the rent, however, for the next rent cycle because construction going on around the building (I think they're putting in underground parking) is going to be rather loud and disruptive. Laundry is coin-operated in the building. The building makes going to school extremely convenient, but T access is rather distant (unless you consider the Silver Line to be T access--I don't, so much). There is a medium-sized grocery store a few blocks away called Foodies, which is a little more expensive than the Shaw's at the Prudential.

If anyone's going to be in Boston soon and wants to look for a place, I'm looking for a roommate starting Sept. 1st. I live in a Brownstone 10 min. from campus (walking). The place is furnished, except for the other bedroom. No smokers/drug users please. $775/month. PM me for details.
 
So I think I'm going in the fall. Does anyone know what areas are most convenient/affordable?
 
Boston Medical Center is situated right on the edge of South end(nice) and Roxbury(not so nice). Your classmates will live in several different areas around Boston with the majority living in the South end just north of campus. There are a lot of very nice brownstone buildings in the area. Boston is an expensive city so expect to pay around 700-800 for a studio and between 1100 and 1500 for a 1 bedroom. Some people elect to live right next to campus. It's convenient but some friends of mine who live there felt like they never really experienced much of the rest of Boston. I'd say most people live up closer to Tremont or Columbus Avenue. This area is nice, close to the prudential center(a really nice shopping area), and close to public transportation if you live near Mass Ave. You will see a lot of your friends taking the number 1 bus down Mass Ave. to school each morning. Commute is usually about 10 to 15 minutes depending on how far north you live from Campus. Check out Map(BUMC is in the right hand corner by Harrison Ave.): http://maps.yahoo.com/maps_result?e...g--&csz=Boston+MA&country=us&new=1&name=&qty=

If you want to get a little more out of the city you can try Brookline. There are a good number of students who live in this area. It is a very nice community but the commute is long. Expect anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour depending on how the green line and number 1 bus are running.(you have to take both). I believe this area is a bit less expensive than the south end. Check out Map(sorry, you'll have to zoom around for this one): http://maps.yahoo.com/maps_result?ed=M7tNO.p_0TqT&csz=brookline+MA&country=us&new=1&name=&qty=

Finally there is Beacon Hill, the "hoity toity" area of Boston. This area has beautiful buildings and brick sidewalks, its close to the river, Boston common, downtown, and its streets are regarded as some of the most historic and beautiful in America. Its a bit more expensive than other areas and the commute is a little long, between 25-40 minutes. You take the silver line from downtown. In my class there are 3 people who live here including me. There are a lot of medical students and residents from Tufts and MGH here along with undergraduates from Suffolk university so the area does have a "young" feel to it.
check out map: http://maps.yahoo.com/maps_result?e...A--&csz=Boston+MA&country=us&new=1&name=&qty=

good luck with the housing search. Oh yeah, and be prepared to sweat when you move in during August :)
 
thanks, that was reall helpful.. it looks like BUMC is away from any public transportation besides that #1 bus (i.e. no T).. i was checking the schedule for that bus, it comes every 20 min which can be a pain.

anyways, what do you suggest would be the best way to find a place? will probably want a studio in the S. End.. are there any websites that have listings so i have some sort of idea what to look for before just going there and looking around for vacancies?

Tritonslo said:
Boston Medical Center is situated right on the edge of South end(nice) and Roxbury(not so nice). Your classmates will live in several different areas around Boston with the majority living in the South end just north of campus. There are a lot of very nice brownstone buildings in the area. Boston is an expensive city so expect to pay around 700-800 for a studio and between 1100 and 1500 for a 1 bedroom. Some people elect to live right next to campus. It's convenient but some friends of mine who live there felt like they never really experienced much of the rest of Boston. I'd say most people live up closer to Tremont or Columbus Avenue. This area is nice, close to the prudential center(a really nice shopping area), and close to public transportation if you live near Mass Ave. You will see a lot of your friends taking the number 1 bus down Mass Ave. to school each morning. Commute is usually about 10 to 15 minutes depending on how far north you live from Campus. Check out Map(BUMC is in the right hand corner by Harrison Ave.): http://maps.yahoo.com/maps_result?e...g--&csz=Boston+MA&country=us&new=1&name=&qty=

If you want to get a little more out of the city you can try Brookline. There are a good number of students who live in this area. It is a very nice community but the commute is long. Expect anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour depending on how the green line and number 1 bus are running.(you have to take both). I believe this area is a bit less expensive than the south end. Check out Map(sorry, you'll have to zoom around for this one): http://maps.yahoo.com/maps_result?ed=M7tNO.p_0TqT&csz=brookline+MA&country=us&new=1&name=&qty=

Finally there is Beacon Hill, the "hoity toity" area of Boston. This area has beautiful buildings and brick sidewalks, its close to the river, Boston common, downtown, and its streets are regarded as some of the most historic and beautiful in America. Its a bit more expensive than other areas and the commute is a little long, between 25-40 minutes. You take the silver line from downtown. In my class there are 3 people who live here including me. There are a lot of medical students and residents from Tufts and MGH here along with undergraduates from Suffolk university so the area does have a "young" feel to it.
check out map: http://maps.yahoo.com/maps_result?e...A--&csz=Boston+MA&country=us&new=1&name=&qty=

good luck with the housing search. Oh yeah, and be prepared to sweat when you move in during August :)
 
Singing Devil or Tritonslo

I was hoping one of you could help me with this question. I know the MA program is 32 credits completed in 4 semesters, but can be completed in one year. What happens if you go over 32 credits, do you have to pay extra tuition? I want to take 16 credits first and second semester, then do research the second year for the thesis. While doing research I was hoping to take 1 or 2 classes in the grad school like molecular or cell biology.
 
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