Chatham College

[Delphi80]

I am currently finishing this program in Pittsburgh, PA and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a one-year solution to their missing pre-requisites. Best of luck y'all!!!

http://www.chatham.edu/departments/sciences/graduate/biology/index.cfm

Chatham College
Master of Science in Biology

In many professions, the master’s degree is now the minimum requirement for either employment or advancement. To meet this need, Chatham has developed a one-year accelerated master’s program in biology. This program is designed for biologists who wish to teach at the community college level or recent graduates who wish to increase their knowledge of biology prior to entering medical school, veterinary school, pharmacy school, Ph.D. programs, or other advanced areas of study. Limited part-time options are also available for those who wish to work while continuing their studies, in which case two years is the typical time to completion.

Most students enroll full-time beginning in the fall of each year and ending by the following August. Ten courses are required (minimum 32 credits), including a two-semester master's thesis project. The program places a heavy emphasis on human biology, with required courses including human gross anatomy (with a cadaver-based lab), human physiology, neuroscience, and biostatistics. Students prepare for the thesis by taking a required research methods course in the fall semester and working with faculty to develop an appropriate topic

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[goodgoodstudy]

I am currently finishing this program in Pittsburgh, PA and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a one-year solution to their missing pre-requisites. Best of luck y'all!!!

http://www.chatham.edu/departments/sciences/graduate/biology/index.cfm

Chatham College
Master of Science in Biology

In many professions, the master’s degree is now the minimum requirement for either employment or advancement. To meet this need, Chatham has developed a one-year accelerated master’s program in biology. This program is designed for biologists who wish to teach at the community college level or recent graduates who wish to increase their knowledge of biology prior to entering medical school, veterinary school, pharmacy school, Ph.D. programs, or other advanced areas of study. Limited part-time options are also available for those who wish to work while continuing their studies, in which case two years is the typical time to completion.

Most students enroll full-time beginning in the fall of each year and ending by the following August. Ten courses are required (minimum 32 credits), including a two-semester master's thesis project. The program places a heavy emphasis on human biology, with required courses including human gross anatomy (with a cadaver-based lab), human physiology, neuroscience, and biostatistics. Students prepare for the thesis by taking a required research methods course in the fall semester and working with faculty to develop an appropriate topic

Did anybody actually attend his course and want to share your experience here? Or if you have heard anything about this course, please share them here. I am an international student hoping to apply for PA program and is thinking about applying to this course.. Thank you!

 

[goodgoodstudy]

No one knows about this university or program?

 

[waterbottles16]

The campus is pretty. Not much in terms of research/interesting resources.

 

[modk14]

The campus is pretty. Not much in terms of research/interesting resources.

Are you a student in the program?

 

[waterbottles16]

Are you a student in the program?

yeah i am

 

[modk14]

yeah i am

Although I am applying to some more programs across the country to keep my options open, I applied and got accepted for the coming fall 2018 class. Do you think it is a good example of a "record enhancing" type course? I am just wondering because online it is presented as such and is listed as such on AAMC's postbac/masters page.

 

[waterbottles16]

Although I am applying to some more programs across the country to keep my options open, I applied and got accepted for the coming fall 2018 class. Do you think it is a good example of a "record enhancing" type course? I am just wondering because online it is presented as such and is listed as such on AAMC's postbac/masters page.

If you need a GPA boost it's awesome. They curve every course by offering lots of opportunities for bonus marks. With a little bit of work you can easily pull off a 4.0 (most ppl I know are sitting in the 3.8-4.0 range). The professors are super open to talking with students and making the courses work for them (moving exams to work around other courses, changing course structure). You can get a committee letter if you have above a 500 MCAT score and a 3.5 by the end of your second semester in the program. AND, they guarantee you an interview to their PA school if you make certain GPA requirements. Also, the program atmosphere is nice - we have become a good little group over the course of the past 8 months. You take all your classes together and the campus is so small that it sort of forces bonding, lol. It's a good range of people from kids who just got out of undergrad to people in their late 20s/30s who want a career change.

All that being said, if you went to a big undergrad school or you're looking for cool research or volunteer/shadow opportunities the program doesn't really offer anything. They don't have any connections to the hospitals in Pittsburgh which sucks because the hospital system here only allows students from affiliated university to shadow. Also (idk where you're from) but the resonating sentiment amongst people in the program is that Pittsburgh is a crap place to live if you aren't from here. You kind of NEED a car, the campus isn't really in walking distance of like a grocery store or anything and the bus system is brutal. There's really not that much to do or see (which could totally work to your advantage if you're trying to have a distraction free year!).

Sorry for the novel - these are just all things I would have like to have been told before coming here. Honestly though really only do this program if you NEED that little GPA bump. I regret spending all the money to be here, my undergrad GPA was totally fine and I got nothing out of the program besides some friends & a few more letters of req. If I could redo it I would have gone to a program with a link to a med school or with a stronger research focus.

 

[modk14]

If you need a GPA boost it's awesome. They curve every course by offering lots of opportunities for bonus marks. With a little bit of work you can easily pull off a 4.0 (most ppl I know are sitting in the 3.8-4.0 range). The professors are super open to talking with students and making the courses work for them (moving exams to work around other courses, changing course structure). You can get a committee letter if you have above a 500 MCAT score and a 3.5 by the end of your second semester in the program. AND, they guarantee you an interview to their PA school if you make certain GPA requirements. Also, the program atmosphere is nice - we have become a good little group over the course of the past 8 months. You take all your classes together and the campus is so small that it sort of forces bonding, lol. It's a good range of people from kids who just got out of undergrad to people in their late 20s/30s who want a career change.

All that being said, if you went to a big undergrad school or you're looking for cool research or volunteer/shadow opportunities the program doesn't really offer anything. They don't have any connections to the hospitals in Pittsburgh which sucks because the hospital system here only allows students from affiliated university to shadow. Also (idk where you're from) but the resonating sentiment amongst people in the program is that Pittsburgh is a crap place to live if you aren't from here. You kind of NEED a car, the campus isn't really in walking distance of like a grocery store or anything and the bus system is brutal. There's really not that much to do or see (which could totally work to your advantage if you're trying to have a distraction free year!).

Sorry for the novel - these are just all things I would have like to have been told before coming here. Honestly though really only do this program if you NEED that little GPA bump. I regret spending all the money to be here, my undergrad GPA was totally fine and I got nothing out of the program besides some friends & a few more letters of req. If I could redo it I would have gone to a program with a link to a med school or with a stronger research focus.

Thanks for that Info!!!! I actually lived in oakland for the last 4 years and just graduated from pitt and have done research through pitt in a UPMC lab and am getting publications, volunteered at UPMC, have been employeed in UPMC, and am doing shadowing this summer so I am very familiar with Pittsburgh and will probably be staying in oakland if I choose to go into this program. I am studying for the MCAT this summer and will be taking it in august. I am confident my MCAT score will be well above 500, In college my first 2.5 years were not good in terms of science gpa but after that I got all A's and B+'s in all my science classes, so I really buckled down. All this being said, because of how bad my freshman and sophomore year was, I only have ~ 3.2 gpa. this is my primary reason for doing the program so that I can accel in much higher level science courses to show med school admissions that I can do it.

Do you think that the majority of people in the program (possibly yourself) do it for a grade enhancement for med school? Do you think it can help in that way for me (since I already have everything except the gpa)?

I know you cant answer for med schools, but its nice to get the opinion of someone in the program

 

[modk14]

If you need a GPA boost it's awesome. They curve every course by offering lots of opportunities for bonus marks. With a little bit of work you can easily pull off a 4.0 (most ppl I know are sitting in the 3.8-4.0 range). The professors are super open to talking with students and making the courses work for them (moving exams to work around other courses, changing course structure). You can get a committee letter if you have above a 500 MCAT score and a 3.5 by the end of your second semester in the program. AND, they guarantee you an interview to their PA school if you make certain GPA requirements. Also, the program atmosphere is nice - we have become a good little group over the course of the past 8 months. You take all your classes together and the campus is so small that it sort of forces bonding, lol. It's a good range of people from kids who just got out of undergrad to people in their late 20s/30s who want a career change.

All that being said, if you went to a big undergrad school or you're looking for cool research or volunteer/shadow opportunities the program doesn't really offer anything. They don't have any connections to the hospitals in Pittsburgh which sucks because the hospital system here only allows students from affiliated university to shadow. Also (idk where you're from) but the resonating sentiment amongst people in the program is that Pittsburgh is a crap place to live if you aren't from here. You kind of NEED a car, the campus isn't really in walking distance of like a grocery store or anything and the bus system is brutal. There's really not that much to do or see (which could totally work to your advantage if you're trying to have a distraction free year!).

Sorry for the novel - these are just all things I would have like to have been told before coming here. Honestly though really only do this program if you NEED that little GPA bump. I regret spending all the money to be here, my undergrad GPA was totally fine and I got nothing out of the program besides some friends & a few more letters of req. If I could redo it I would have gone to a program with a link to a med school or with a stronger research focus.

Also, following up my previous response, (I know the application cycle for the entrance in 2019 for medical school is beginning right now so people may not know) but do you, by the off chance, know anyone who has gotten medical school interviews after the program (aside from the alumni they have on the page?)

 

[waterbottles16]

Also, following up my previous response, (I know the application cycle for the entrance in 2019 for medical school is beginning right now so people may not know) but do you, by the off chance, know anyone who has gotten medical school interviews after the program (aside from the alumni they have on the page?)

I'm so sorry I didn't see you replied to this. I know one kid got into DO school this year but I honestly haven't heard of anyone else even applying/getting in. The majority of the people in the program want to do PA/pharmacy etc rather than med so I think that's why.

 

[waterbottles16]

Thanks for that Info!!!! I actually lived in oakland for the last 4 years and just graduated from pitt and have done research through pitt in a UPMC lab and am getting publications, volunteered at UPMC, have been employeed in UPMC, and am doing shadowing this summer so I am very familiar with Pittsburgh and will probably be staying in oakland if I choose to go into this program. I am studying for the MCAT this summer and will be taking it in august. I am confident my MCAT score will be well above 500, In college my first 2.5 years were not good in terms of science gpa but after that I got all A's and B+'s in all my science classes, so I really buckled down. All this being said, because of how bad my freshman and sophomore year was, I only have ~ 3.2 gpa. this is my primary reason for doing the program so that I can accel in much higher level science courses to show med school admissions that I can do it.

Do you think that the majority of people in the program (possibly yourself) do it for a grade enhancement for med school? Do you think it can help in that way for me (since I already have everything except the gpa)?

I know you cant answer for med schools, but its nice to get the opinion of someone in the program

I think 99% of the people in the program do it for a grade enhancement for Med school. If that's all you're looking for, it's definitely a good program!

 

[DrGarcia_]

I recently got accepted to Chatham’s masters in biology program!! For those who are already in the program, how are the classes structure? Are the professors nice? How is the course load?

 

[waterbottles16]

I recently got accepted to Chatham’s masters in biology program!! For those who are already in the program, how are the classes structure? Are the professors nice? How is the course load?

It's essentially just another year of undergrad. People take anywhere from 4-6 two/three credit courses per semester (normally, 3-4 classroom based classes + 1 lab course). I found this course load to be super reasonable, honestly you can just kinda breeze through the program. It's mainly repeat of basic undergraduate science stuff, the tests are so stupidly easy and there's so many chances for bonus marks. People got super stressed out and acted like this program was equivalent to something you'd see in MD/DO/PA school but there's just no way that it's even close to as difficult. I found my undergraduate program to be way more challenging and stimulating. The professors are really nice - almost to a fault. They will bend over backwards to accommodate student requests.

I honestly would not do this program unless you are desperate for a GPA boost, and even then I would think there's got to be cheaper options. The program just offers nothing else besides the classes. They don't have interesting research opportunities, they don't have a strong student council or student union, there isn't a lot of volunteer opportunities, no community outreach, no connections to local hospitals for shadowing... I could go on. Also, you'll be stuck in Pittsburgh, PA, aptly referred to by many as "****tsburgh".

 

[Coral Blue]

Hello! I just received acceptance into the biology master's program (non-thesis), and I was wondering how are the professors that teach the classes. @waterbottles16 I know that the program offers intense, but interesting, classes, such as anatomy, physiology and biostatistics, so how were the professors that were teaching the courses?