Mississippi College Masters of Medical Sciences

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@CourageMD thanks for answering our questions! That helps out a lot. I just have a couple more for you, if you don't mind.

What are the summer course offerings like? Month long terms or is the June thru July? Also, where do most participants live if they aren't planning to live in Clinton? I am thinking about getting a house in Jackson maybe since I plan on attending UMC after this program. If I need to take a lag year after completing this SMP, what do student typically do for that year before hopefully starting medical school? Thanks again!
No problem! Glad I can help.

There is a good amount of variable courses in the summer: Infectious Disease, Mitochondrial Genomics, Biochem, Cell Physiology, Grad Seminar, Genomics, Unifying Principles of Biology, Food and Water Microbio. Pharm 1 and 2, which are med school courses, are offered in the summer but there is a requirement for Med Phys 1 and 2. Most of the summer courses can be taken in one month. There are some that go June through July though. If people are not in Clinton, they usually live in Jackson or surrounding towns. The commute isn't bad but I have had a few friends complain when they had morning classes or if there were TA sessions in the evening lol. People usually work during the gap year before med school. Some stay at MC to work as TAs for med school courses to help retain knowledge. You can also work as a TA while in the program and all TAs are paid.

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What other apartments would you recommend that are close to campus? I will be attending MC in the fall. @CourageMD
 
What other apartments would you recommend that are close to campus? I will be attending MC in the fall. @CourageMD
- The Reserve - A good amount of students stay here. Gated community and apartments are really nice. But more expensive compared to other places in the area.
- Choctaw Apartments - practically on campus, can easily walk to classes
- College Place Apartments - practically on campus, can easily walk to classes
- College Plaza Apartments - close to campus, can easily walk to classes
- Pine Trails - called apartments but are actually townhouses
- Woodmoor neighborhood - really nice homes for rent that some students live in
 
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Has anyone had issues getting an apartment around MC due to being unemployed?
You'll most likely have to get a parent or another relative to co-sign with you. That's what I had to do.
 
Does anyone know if this program is known in Tennessee? I looked through the thread and couldn't find anything on it. I'm a TN resident and want to apply to UT Med @ Memphis after this program or Debusk COM. Thanks in advance.
 
Does anyone know if this program is known in Tennessee? I looked through the thread and couldn't find anything on it. I'm a TN resident and want to apply to UT Med @ Memphis after this program or Debusk COM. Thanks in advance.
The recent graduates list (from 2013) includes at least one graduate who matriculated at UT.
 
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Last year, the website listed graduates by year and where they matriculated. The med schools and other professional schools listed were pretty diverse. But most graduates usually matriculate at a school in Mississippi or Louisiana. I have no idea why MC decided to change that format.
 
Currently in the program and started in Spring 2015. Took both Med Phys 1 / 2 First semester, Epidemiology for Maymester, currently in Pharmacology 1. One hell of a ride over here, lol. I would be weary on advice for Med Phys 2 and Histo(off the top of my head). Things are changing for those classes.
 
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Currently in the program and started in Spring 2015. Took both Med Phys 1 / 2 First semester, Epidemiology for Maymester, currently in Pharmacology 1. One hell of a ride over here, lol. I would be weary on advice for Med Phys 2 and Histo(off the top of my head). Things are changing for those classes.

What are the changes? If you can enlighten us? Also how is pharm? I was planning on taking that next summer.
 
Med Phys 2 - Dr. Brandon is no longer at MC, so the material is going to be split between Dr. Reagan and Dr. Bourassa
Histo - Dr. Bourassa is changing the structure of the class I believe (I have friends in that class and have asked him about the changes in the class)

Pharmacology is actually pretty fun. The class requires an understanding of physiology. I'm actually procrastinating on finishing this paper that is due tomorrow lol.
 
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Med Phys 2 - Dr. Brandon is no longer at MC, so the material is going to be split between Dr. Reagan and Dr. Bourassa
Histo - Dr. Bourassa is changing the structure of the class I believe (I have friends in that class and have asked him about the changes in the class)

Pharmacology is actually pretty fun. The class requires an understanding of physiology. I'm actually procrastinating on finishing this paper that is due tomorrow lol.

How did Med phys 1 and 2 stack up in the same semester? Was Epidemiology a breeze for maymester? Whats been the toughest part so far?
 
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Any maymester class will be a breeze in my eyes (after being exposed to a med school level class).

Pharmacology is tough, but by far the toughest part was probably the Med Phys 1/2 stack. Med Phys 1 had 1 professor, and Med Phys 2 had 3 professors

I believe that Med Phys 1 is more difficult than Med Phys 2 simply because of the content covered in the class. You needed to conceptually understand mainly Renal, Cardiovascular, and Respiratory physiology, and that was hard. Stacking that with Endocrine, GI, Metabolism, Hematology, and Pregnancy was even harder.

Because both classes were had cumulative exams and each consecutive exam was scaled more heavily than the last, you had to be on top of everything all the time. The only problem I think worth mentioning was how hard it was for me personally to switch my mindset between classes/topics. Med Phys 1 only had 1 professor, so the testing format was relatively the same throughout the semester. Med Phys 2 was different and had 3 professors teaching whatever topic they chose (I don't know how they chose topics). The format changed for each topic you went over. For example, you would have a clinical question for any question related to GI, but only random fact recalling for Metabolism.

Hopefully that makes sense
 
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Any maymester class will be a breeze in my eyes (after being exposed to a med school level class).

Pharmacology is tough, but by far the toughest part was probably the Med Phys 1/2 stack. Med Phys 1 had 1 professor, and Med Phys 2 had 3 professors

I believe that Med Phys 1 is more difficult than Med Phys 2 simply because of the content covered in the class. You needed to conceptually understand mainly Renal, Cardiovascular, and Respiratory physiology, and that was hard. Stacking that with Endocrine, GI, Metabolism, Hematology, and Pregnancy was even harder.

Because both classes were had cumulative exams and each consecutive exam was scaled more heavily than the last, you had to be on top of everything all the time. The only problem I think worth mentioning was how hard it was for me personally to switch my mindset between classes/topics. Med Phys 1 only had 1 professor, so the testing format was relatively the same throughout the semester. Med Phys 2 was different and had 3 professors teaching whatever topic they chose (I don't know how they chose topics). The format changed for each topic you went over. For example, you would have a clinical question for any question related to GI, but only random fact recalling for Metabolism.

Hopefully that makes sense

Thanks for the heads-up. You said you are taking Pharm I right now, are you also going to take Pharm II? Summer is June/July/August right? Does that just allow time for 1 5 credit hour class like Pharm I? Also what are you planning on taking for fall semester?
 
Pharm I has it's 4th exam this Monday(6/22) and the final on Thursday(6/25). Pharm I is considered Summer 1 and Pharm II is consider Summer 2. Pharm II starts the following week(6/29) I believe. I have Gross Anatomy and Grad Seminar scheduled in the Fall.

Edit: Yes I'm taking Pharm II
 
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Pharm I has it's 4th exam this Monday(6/22) and the final on Thursday(6/25). Pharm I is considered Summer 1 and Pharm II is consider Summer 2. Pharm II starts the following week(6/29) I believe. I have Gross Anatomy and Grad Seminar scheduled in the Fall.

Edit: Yes I'm taking Pharm II

Thanks, good luck on your final!
 
I applied for this program for Fall 2015 around April, and I haven't heard anything back. I've called and emailed a few times, and they say everything is just waiting for review. Is MC usually this slow at getting back with you?
 
I applied for this program for Fall 2015 around April, and I haven't heard anything back. I've called and emailed a few times, and they say everything is just waiting for review. Is MC usually this slow at getting back with you?

They told me it would be two weeks before I got a decision and i got accepted last week. So I'm not sure. Maybe they were trying to wait until after that summer session began to start giving out decisions
 
can anyone tell me what changes have been made to Histo with Bourassa?
 
can anyone tell me what changes have been made to Histo with Bourassa?
Dr. Bourassa is making the course more clinically significant in lab and lecture and changing the lecture notes. What I've heard from colleagues taking the class last semester is that it is more difficult; however, more rewarding in the long run. If you plan on taking this class in the Fall, I wouldn't treat this class any different from any other 5 hr class.
 
Dr. Bourassa is making the course more clinically significant in lab and lecture and changing the lecture notes. What I've heard from colleagues taking the class last semester is that it is more difficult; however, more rewarding in the long run. If you plan on taking this class in the Fall, I wouldn't treat this class any different from any other 5 hr class.

So would you advise against taking Neuro and Histo together this fall?
 
So would you advise against taking Neuro and Histo together this fall?
I took those classes together before Histo changed and it was a great combo; however, I can't speak for the upcoming change. As far as I know the two should be compatible to take simultaneously but it won't be easy. If your study habits aren't where they should be it's going to be a long semester for you. My advice is to take them together and if for some reason it's too much, you can drop/withdraw from the class. There are lots of people that take one 5 hr course at a time with a few 2 or 3 hr mickey mouse classes to finish the program. It depends on how long you want to stay and how motivated you are. Feel free to message me if you have more questions.
 
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Does anybody know if there is a Facebook page for this program for the upcoming year? I was just accepted and I would like to start looking for a possible roommate, any apartment recommendations?
 
Does anybody know if there is a Facebook page for this program for the upcoming year? I was just accepted and I would like to start looking for a possible roommate, any apartment recommendations?
Yes, it should be under "2015-2016 New Medical Sciences Grad Students Mississippi College."
 
Anyone looking for a roommate...please PM me. I am scheduled to begin in August (FALL) and would need a roommate.
 
I have applied for this program to start in the Fall. I'm still not 100% sure if this is the best option for me, but the program sounds great!

Is it possible to do any extracurriculars while in the program? If so, what are some that might be available?

Thanks!
 
Does anyone have a good ballpark estimate on what tuition is per semester or per year? I searched all over the website but never found a specific "tuition/fees/expenses" tab for the program. All I can find is the general "tuition/fees" info for graduate school (~$650 per hour).

Kind of irritating because just about every other SMP has good information on what applicants should expect to pay for school and for living...
 
Anyone still waiting to hear a decision from this program?
 
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I start my first semester in this program this fall. Dr. Baldwin recommended that I start off by taking histo, cell phys, and biochem: macromolecules. Is this doable?
 
How would people recommend taking courses? Would it be better to schedule things on Tuesdays and Thursdays for the most part and have MWF to study, or is it better to spread things out throughout the week?
 
Does anyone have a good ballpark estimate on what tuition is per semester or per year? I searched all over the website but never found a specific "tuition/fees/expenses" tab for the program. All I can find is the general "tuition/fees" info for graduate school (~$650 per hour).

Kind of irritating because just about every other SMP has good information on what applicants should expect to pay for school and for living...
I'm looking for this info as well, a COA estimate would be great.
 
What do you think of Mississippi vs. William Carey's medical masters programs? Anybody have any information regarding the two?
 
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For those who have done the program, would you recommend applying to medical school while working on completing the degree?
 
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For those who have done the program, would you recommend applying to medical school while working on completing the degree?

Dr. Baldwin suggested this for me. I start this fall and will apply for medical school next summer and complete my final semester during fall of 2016.
 
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Is taking neuro, histo and cell phys too much for the fall?
 
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Is taking neuro, histo and cell phys too much for the fall?

I think our schedules are going to be quite similar, as I'm taking Neuro, Histo, and Biochem I. I talked to Dr. Baldwin about it and he said that mine would be a "good schedule" since I took an undergraduate biochem class and have a basic histo background. He did, however, offer the "everyone is different" caveat and say that some do very well taking two of the five hour courses their first semester in the program, while others do not.

In the past, Neuro and Histo have "paired well" together (per anecdotal evidence) and many people took them at the same time. Did you take an undergrad cell bio course? If so, you'll have to worry less about Cell Phys since it's a "review of cell bio" per the officials. That way, you'll be in two five-hour courses that work well together and not have to keep too many irons in the fire for the third. Of course, please keep in mind my background (that I'm just starting the program) when considering my advice, but I feel confident in my schedule based on my research and what I've heard from advisers.

I guess the best thing to do is think about it. After all, that's what I'm doing. If you're ready to bring your A-Game and prove yourself to med/dent schools, then go for it. Good luck!
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Edit to Add: What is the class attendance situation like, particularly for the five-hour classes? I've had current physicians and med students tell me "you'll succeed by not going to class," but I understand that everything likely isn't podcasted like it is in some med schools. Will you seal your doom if you don't attend every class, even if you attend most of them?
 
Is taking neuro, histo and cell phys too much for the fall?
I wouldn't take those 3 classes together. I know a couple of people who did and ended up with a B+ in both cell phys and histo. Neuro and Histo is doable. But, Cell phys (if taught by Dr. Baroussa) will be like a 5 hour course.
 
I'm planning to graduate undergrad the first week of May. I would like to jump right in and take classes in May (if possible) and summer '16. Does anyone have experience starting off in the summer? If so, what class or classes would you recommend I take.
 
I'm planning to graduate undergrad the first week of May. I would like to jump right in and take classes in May (if possible) and summer '16. Does anyone have experience starting off in the summer? If so, what class or classes would you recommend I take.
I did that same thing. I moved to Sippi late April and took Medical Mycology, which is super easy. Then I took Cell Physiology summer 1 and Food and water Microbiology Summer 2. I finished the program in exactly 1 year May 2015. I think it was the best thing I could have done coming in Maymester
 
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I how long does it typically take to hear back from Dr. Baldwin? I applied for Summer 16. The grad office said they received everything back in the last week of September.
 
Anyone here looking for a roommate? I'll be moving from Fl to Mississippi in the spring.
 
I need a roommate but I won't be there until May though
 
I how long does it typically take to hear back from Dr. Baldwin? I applied for Summer 16. The grad office said they received everything back in the last week of September.
I applied mid September for Spring 16 and I haven't heard anything. :(
 
I applied mid September for Spring 16 and I haven't heard anything. :(

I called and talked to Dr. Baldwin. He is Super nice and helpful. He said they are currently reviewing Spring 2016 applications and will begin Summer/Fall 2016 after Jan. 1st. So you should definitely give him a call to talk about your app to make sure he has it!
 
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I wouldn't take those 3 classes together. I know a couple of people who did and ended up with a B+ in both cell phys and histo. Neuro and Histo is doable. But, Cell phys (if taught by Dr. Baroussa) will be like a 5 hour course.
I took cell phys, histo, and embryo my first semester in the program last Spring I then took med mycology in maymester along with grad seminar. Im currently taking med phys 2 and med micro. Dr. Baldwin will tell you a lot of advice on what he thinks you should take..however, nobody in this program is taking 15 plus hours every fall and spring. You will realize once you here, you have to do whats best for you- that may be taking one 5 hr at at a time with some other 3hr courses. Anybody can take 2 5hrs but the question you should want to know is - How many of them actually make good grades taking the combos? My best advice is that unless you have to graduate in a year, then why rush.. its all about GPA. That's why we are here right? A lot of people try to keep up with the Jones's and take too much only to find out midway in the semester it was a mistake $$ down the drain. Trust me- this is not undergrad. You will have comprehensive Quizzes every week you don't have exams, and comprehensive exams all semester. Therefore, it will require more studying and work than you have done before, But its worth it. Anything with Graves is easy.. Dr. Bourassa is in my opinion the best professor in the program.. All the professors genuinely care and have seen many of us go on to med school, dental school, etc. any questions..just ask
 
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I plan on attending MC this spring(2016) please pm me if you are looking for a roommate
 
Hello all,

Has anyone who submitted the application for the MC Medical Sciences program for the Spring 2016 semester receive admission decision?
I submitted mine about a month ago and I was just wondering if anyone else received the decision.
 
Hello all,

Has anyone who submitted the application for the MC Medical Sciences program for the Spring 2016 semester receive admission decision?
I submitted mine about a month ago and I was just wondering if anyone else received the decision.

I'm wondering the same. I submitted all my documents on Oct. 26th. Still haven't been given a response.
 
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