Hey! So I'm in the same boat as most of you. Applied to HSI, interviewed and rejected. Then accepted into the MS in biotechology. I'm pretty positive I will be moving and attending this summer, but I'm still weighing the pro's and con's and have a few questions for you all.
As you know, the program is super flexible. Do we know the benefits of online vs. on campus for us applying to medical school this coming up cycle?
Also, anyone decide which campus they will be attending if they move up there? You have a choice between Homewood and Rockville and I can't decide or figure out if one is more beneficial to the other. I think that moving up there, for me at least, will be the best bet, because learning in that environment will be more beneficial to me. Plus, if I don't like it, the online option is always there and can move back to Florida.
I definitely agree to taking the same courses as the HSI program. From my understanding when I interviewed, HSI is more geared towards people who need volunteering and extra cirriculars, not so much a GPA booster. Which is why I think the MS in biotechology is a better fit for most anyway. The main question I keep asking myself is- is it really worth it? Anyone I tell is shocked as to why I am even hesitant, but you always have to be. Thank you all for you valubale informoation and hope I can help as much as you all have helped me!
Paige
Hi Paige. I am a current student at the Hopkins MS in Biotech with no concentration. I think whether this degree has value or not will depend on what you intend to do with it. Are you dead-set on going straight to medical school afterwards, or do you have any interest in working in the area of Biotech for a bit to build up your resume before medical school? I don't think it would be too helpful as a GPA booster.
There are a number of options through this program for you if you'd like to build up some impressive additional extracurriculars. The NCI Fellowship through the Drug Discovery and Molecular Targets concentration allows you to work as an employee for NCI/NIH Labs. You receive a tuition waiver and a stipend. This degree program also has the USAMRIID Fellowship under their Biodefense concentration, where you work for the US Army as a civilian employee (I believe you have a tuition waiver as well and a stipend). Those fellowships would certainly make you stand out more on med school applications, and would certainly be valuable experiences to have on the job market (applications for those fellowships close sometime later this month, April 2015). In addition, Maryland has a fairly sizable biotech industry, so if you move up here, you can get a job with a company if you'd like. You may also try to get a job with the Hopkins medical school in Baltimore while in this program and receive some tuition remission. Those fellowships are a two year commitment, I believe, so if you're simply looking for a GPA booster, to do a speed run through this program and apply to medical school directly after without doing too much of anything else, it may not be worth the cost. If you were denied the HSI post-bacc, it may be more helpful to enroll in an SMP, or take undergrad courses at your undergrad institution or a community college to boost GPA, depending on your circumstances. Work with a pre-med advisor to determine what's best for your situation.
I don't know what your circumstances are, but you should know that the grades you earn through a Master's degree program are not factored into your undergraduate GPA, it is considered its own (graduate) GPA. There is a certain level of mystery regarding how medical schools would view graduate GPA, and whether it would override undergraduate GPA. Some schools may use sorting algorithms to sort applicants by undergrad GPA and MCAT before having human eyes review other aspects of your application. The only way this degree would count is if you can get human eyes to look at your application, which may mean having a competitive undergrad GPA + competitive MCAT to begin with.
Personally, when I began this program, I was still debating whether I should go to med school or work in industry for awhile before going on to PhD. I've received pretty decent job offers since I've been here (entered Summer 2014) and I do believe this master's did help me with that, so I am happy with my decision to attend Hopkins in that regard. I'm just about halfway done with this degree by the end of this semester, so I do know a bit about this program.
You don't necessarily have to take all your courses at one campus or the other, it is entirely up to you which campus you want to attend, even if you chose one campus on your application, you can still enroll in classes online or at another campus.
If you have any questions, PM me or reply.
trust me I've been rejected from so many opportunities but I truly believe other doors open, and they really do! It takes time but if you are truly passionate you will continue to pursue your dreams. 
do you plan to start in the summer or fall?
