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Hi @soyouwannabeadoctor, I'm going to go through and answer your questions in the same order they were asked.Hi! I've been accepted to BU MAMS and Tufts MBS and am currently deciding between the two. I'd like to hear any advice on one program vs the other. I get the feeling that BU has better advising but Tufts is more successful, statistically, in getting people into their own school and other medical schools. Despite the statistics, I'm leaning towards BU because I really liked the atmosphere when I visited-Dr. Offner was extremely nice and I met some students/sat in on a class.
Some specific questions I have are 1. What is the grading like? How difficult is it to do well in the program? Is there a curve? 2. Would you advise taking the MCAT immediately before entering the program (late July 2016) or the summer after the program if I'm planning to apply to med school after completing the program? I'm nervous about studying for the MCAT during the program but also think the program might better prepare me for the MCAT. 3. Are the students that get into BU Med ones who entered MAMS with a higher undergrad GPA? Are students that don't get into BU successful in getting into other schools? Thanks so much for your help!!
1.) None of the classes you will be taking as a MAMS students are graded on the curve. What this means is that you will NOT be pitted against your fellow students to be one of the 5-10% of individuals who earn an A--i.e., if you get a 92 in a class where a 92 is an A, you get an A. If half the class gets a 92, half the class gets an A. How you do in the program is entirely a result of the work you put in.
2.) If you have already taken the MCAT I would suggest waiting until after completing the program to re-take. Most individuals wait until June after second semester to retake the exam and see IMMENSE improvements in their score (per the old MCAT standards, the average increase per student was somewhere around 4 points). However, if you haven't taken the MCAT yet, try to take it before coming into the program. This will let you set a baseline score for yourself and help you to identify the areas in which you need to improve.
3.) That I know of, there is no direct correlation between MAMS' students undergrad GPA and acceptance to BUSM. Sure, a higher undergrad GPA definitely looks better, but I don't believe that it automatically place one student higher than another. The students who ultimately gain acceptance to BUSM are those who performed well in the program and who demonstrated a commitment to learning and practicing medicine. Those students who do not attend BUSM are accepted into a number of other amazing allopathic medical schools, the list of which can be viewed at the following link: http://www.bumc.bu.edu/gms/mams-gra...admitted-to-the-following-us-medical-schools/.
Hope this helps!