Rosalind Franklin BMS 2011-2012 Thread

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is this program worth it? Because I have heard mixed things about them granting interviews to competitive applicants meaning they accept you for masters but then when you finish, they aren't as lenient?
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FuturePharm21 said:
is this program worth it? Because I have heard mixed things about them granting interviews to competitive applicants meaning they accept you for masters but then when you finish, they aren't as lenient?
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Care to be more specific?
 
what's the minimum mcat and gpa needed upon successful completion of the program meaning receiving the degree and I'm guessing above a 3.5 GPA?

Do they give all the people with a certain MCAT score and above 3.5 GPA an interview and is this contractual agreement signed in letter form?
 
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FuturePharm21 said:
Do they give all the people with a certain MCAT score and above 3.5 GPA an interview and is this contractual agreement signed in letter form?
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Every BMS student gets an interview for RFU med school.

From the FAQ:

"a student enrolled in the Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences Program who applies to a program or school within Rosalind Franklin University will be granted an admissions interview with that program or school."
 
I got straight B's in the curriculum and A's in the track courses so whatever that GPA is...

Donnie's got it right. All BMSer's who applied to CMS will get an interview invite! This year we all interviewed in the month of January unlike previous years where BMSers got mixed into the regular applicant pool.
 
Anybody on the waiting for On-Campus 1 bdr apartment who got some news about the current availability?
 
alohakaoha said:
I got straight B's in the curriculum and A's in the track courses so whatever that GPA is...

Donnie's got it right. All BMSer's who applied to CMS will get an interview invite! This year we all interviewed in the month of January unlike previous years where BMSers got mixed into the regular applicant pool.
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If you don't mind sharing, were you accepted into RFU for med school?

Thanks
 
I guess you were. Sorry missed your profile status as M1 alohakaoha
 
alohakaoha said:
I got straight B's in the curriculum and A's in the track courses so whatever that GPA is...

Donnie's got it right. All BMSer's who applied to CMS will get an interview invite! This year we all interviewed in the month of January unlike previous years where BMSers got mixed into the regular applicant pool.
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Any advise for us as new BMsers, alohakaoha?
Got accepted with a 29R and 3.6 uGPa lots or ECs and publications in indexed journals. So with a performance similar to yours in The program, what would you think my chance of acceptance into RFU med school?

Thanks a bunch.
 
There's quite a number of people on the student housing waitlist. So I'm not too hopeful. Is anyone here looking for a roommate? The woodlands apartment have 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom option available at a fairly acceptable price (600 - 750).
PM me. Thanks!
 
Once you are into the BMS program, your acceptance or rejection to CMS is based on your performance in the program. Your MCAT and undergrad GPA become almost irrelevant. That being said, there is no way to predict what the admissions committee will do in terms of acceptances each year. From what I have heard, they have never rejected anyone with a 3.0 in the medical school courses. This seems to be true this year, since everyone with all Bs in those courses were accepted (I was one of these people). This doesn't mean that will necessarily be true next year. In my opinion this program is ABSOLUTELY worth it for people who have a lower GPA or MCAT and don't foresee being able to change that. My advice is to come into this program ready to work harder than you ever have before and to make getting into medical school your top priority. Work hard, study hard, and you will be successful.

Cavallo said:
Any advise for us as new BMsers, alohakaoha?
Got accepted with a 29R and 3.6 uGPa lots or ECs and publications in indexed journals. So with a performance similar to yours in The program, what would you think my chance of acceptance into RFU med school?

Thanks a bunch.
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summerlove321 said:
That being said, there is no way to predict what the admissions committee will do in terms of acceptances each year. From what I have heard, they have never rejected anyone with a 3.0 in the medical school courses. This seems to be true this year, since everyone with all Bs in those courses were accepted (I was one of these people).

This doesn't mean that will necessarily be true next year. In my opinion this program is ABSOLUTELY worth it for people who have a lower GPA or MCAT and don't foresee being able to change that. My advice is to come into this program ready to work harder than you ever have before and to make getting into medical school your top priority. Work hard, study hard, and you will be successful.
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:thumbup: Definitely aim for all A's but don't freak out if you get a B or two. Honestly I could've gotten an A in MCB and Biochem if I studied the way I did for neuro and I would've felt a little more relaxed by the end of the year. This year is also all about finding out what works best for you in terms of studying. I didn't find out until the end and I was switching up study styles almost every exam because it was Just Not Enough to get the A on the exam.
 
Thanks to all the current BMS alumni for all the information you've provided in this thread. I'm getting pretty close to committing to this program in August.
 
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summerlove321 said:
From what I have heard, they have never rejected anyone with a 3.0 in the medical school courses.
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Not entirely true, one guy from the SDN forum in 2009 (John Ragster) got rejected with a 3.0 + GPA (I believe he had 2 As, one in biochem / neurosci)

My OA told me he offended someone during the interview and made smart alec remarks about something and they withdrew his admissions. He tried to sue the school or something as well. In the end, the school withdrew the wink wink 3.0 linkage admission to protect themselves from future John Ragsters.
 
Thanks to everyone for all the useful advice! I'm thinking about applying to the BMS program next year. I was wondering if someone in the program could rate it in the Rate Your SMP thread so I could compare schools?

Thanks!
 
To BMSers, do you think there is opportunity and time to do research while in this program (say ~10-15 hours a week?)
 
DancinSarah said:
To BMSers, do you think there is opportunity and time to do research while in this program (say ~10-15 hours a week?)
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It's up to you and whether or not you can handle it. It may be easier to do during biochem and cell bio, but personally I would focus on getting A's in the program.
 
alohakaoha said:
It's up to you and whether or not you can handle it. It may be easier to do during biochem and cell bio, but personally I would focus on getting A's in the program.
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Thanks for all your help Aloha and congrats on getting into CMS. I've decided this is the program for me so I can't wait to meet everyone in August :)
 
When should we have the amcas app done for the program? Do they talk about this in orientation? I've heard people mentioning that the BMS apps get put in a different pile and looked at later on after coursework has been done, but I wasn't sure if I should be doing this now or later on. Thanks!
 
Former BMS'ers who were accepted into CMS, can you tell us what your undergraduate GPA and MCAT scores were?
 
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I'm trying to figure out how much loan money to keep- How much did you guys actually spend on books for the year?
 
Struggles said:
When should we have the amcas app done for the program? Do they talk about this in orientation? I've heard people mentioning that the BMS apps get put in a different pile and looked at later on after coursework has been done, but I wasn't sure if I should be doing this now or later on. Thanks!
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If you're only applying to CMS, then as long as you have the primary AMCAS submitted by the primary deadline and the secondary to CMS submitted to the secondary deadline, then that's all you have to do. But, if you're applying to other schools, the sooner the better!
 
What is the most quite place to rent within walking distance from campus. I heard that Woodlands is not that good of a place. Any comments from previous BMSers? Aloha perhaps?
After all, the waiting list for ON CAMPUS HOUSING is quite long and at this time of the year I do not think that we stand a chance.
 
I signed up to the waiting list at on campus housing in the middle of May, around the 16th and by June 1st I was given a spot, so I say sign up anyway, the waiting list moves pretty fast. I gave up my spot though, as I would rather live in the woodlands.

I just got my financial aid email....60k all in loans. Not too pleased :(
 
bigloley said:
I signed up to the waiting list at on campus housing in the middle of May, around the 16th and by June 1st I was given a spot, so I say sign up anyway, the waiting list moves pretty fast. I gave up my spot though, as I would rather live in the woodlands.

I just got my financial aid email....60k all in loans. Not too pleased :(
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I did sign up for the waiting list but I am #28 out of 37
This is a bit of a concern to me. What do you know about Woodlands. Is it true what they say about their apartments in terms of noise and load music here and there at strange hours of the night?
 
Cavallo said:
What is the most quite place to rent within walking distance from campus. I heard that Woodlands is not that good of a place. Any comments from previous BMSers? Aloha perhaps?
After all, the waiting list for ON CAMPUS HOUSING is quite long and at this time of the year I do not think that we stand a chance.
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I lived in student housing and am not very familiar with the Woodlands, but my friends who lived there seemed to be okay with it. In terms of peace and quiet? Student Housing is nice, it's a little newer than Woodlands I think and it's usually pretty quiet save for after exam parties. There are study rooms on the third floor of each building that have marker boards, but you'll have to stake your claim in those pretty quickly before the M2's take them over to study for boards.
 
Anyone who did live in Woodlands apartments with a possible UNBIASED review? Noise, quality of walls (if you can hear you neighbors watching TV, listening to music or even conversing), safety, maintenance team responsiveness, etc.

Anyone who could provide a tip on that subject?

Thanks.
 
Cavallo said:
Anyone who did live in Woodlands apartments with a possible UNBIASED review? Noise, quality of walls (if you can hear you neighbors watching TV, listening to music or even conversing), safety, maintenance team responsiveness, etc.

Anyone who could provide a tip on that subject?

Thanks.
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It really depends on who your neighbors are.....there is no average noise level because it depends who lives around you that year....I lived in student housing and it was very quiet, even after exams...

Also I recommend for those who are afraid of noises to wear ear plugs. They have really high quality ones in the drug stores...you squeeze them and put in your ear and the ear plugs expand to the shape of yuor ear. Anyways, i wore them for exams and sleep and they were really comfortable.
 
chloe398 said:
I'm trying to figure out how much loan money to keep- How much did you guys actually spend on books for the year?
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I'm trying to figure out how much to take for all my loans as well. With the books people have said to buy (maybe like 4 of them max? - so far they only seem to be $30-$60 ish used online), I'm not taking much at all in loans for books.
 
Does anybody know how important/mandatory the orientation is?? I was supposed to be out of town for part of it and I was wondering if people ever miss part of it or if I would be at a disadvantage if I missed some of it.
 
It is amazing how effective this program is for getting into medical school. These questions make me laugh because I was just as skeptical when I applied, but during your orientation you will see just how great of a decision you made. Just keep up with the work and you'll get in.

CMS grades & interview. Have a down-to-earth personality with some genuine curiosity about medicine and you will ace the interview. As for classes, it is a lot of stuff, but if you try your best it really isn't too hard!
 
plsfoldthx said:
It is amazing how effective this program is for getting into medical school. These questions make me laugh because I was just as skeptical when I applied, but during your orientation you will see just how great of a decision you made. Just keep up with the work and you'll get in.

CMS grades & interview. Have a down-to-earth personality with some genuine curiosity about medicine and you will ace the interview. As for classes, it is a lot of stuff, but if you try your best it really isn't too hard!
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Congrats on getting into medical school! :) Do you mind sharing what your MCAT score was and your undergraduate GPA?
 
chloe398 said:
Congrats on getting into medical school! :) Do you mind sharing what your MCAT score was and your undergraduate GPA?
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3.07 amcas sci ugpa, 34r mcat but it's really immaterial. once you're in bms, everyone starts fresh.

Woodlands: I don't really know why so many people hate on it. The maintenance people are cool and the leasing office is pretty friendly.

Orientation: I missed it. It was fine, but you really should go and meet all your classmates.
 
plsfoldthx said:
3.07 amcas sci ugpa, 34r mcat but it's really immaterial. once you're in bms, everyone starts fresh.
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:thumbup: I distinctly remember someone in last year's forum doing some MCAT/GPA harvesting and other M1a's telling them exactly what plsfoldthx said. I didn't think I would be repeating the same reassuring information that is basically what my fellow M1a's have said: do well in BMS and you'll be taken care of, granted you don't mess up the interview.
 
It seems that at this time of the year finding a 1 bdr/1bath apartment is not that easy.
So I would like to explore the option of finding someone looking for a quite, clean, non-smoker roommate for Woodlands or On-campus if possible.

Any alternatives will be weighed as well.

Please PM me.
 
Yeah, I feel shocked I'm in medical school TBH. All the figures and rumors I read about RFU's BMS were all from this online message board. There is nothing from the school's website confirming or even hinting at a 70% acceptance. There is no advertising., It is crazy to think I took a 50k leap of faith on internet hearsay from a school who's website looks like it was put together by a 12 year old.

Once you start orientation and once you start your classes, it becomes clear that all of it was actually true. The faculty are amazing too. As I see it, if you're in this program, you're already very very close to medical school as long as you don't get a C. I had such a good feeling about it that I did not even apply to other schools. I literally had nothing to do for this Fall until I got my acceptance to CMS. We had a large (100+) BMS class this year with close to 40 people getting an A in physiology. But still straight B's got in.

Work hard, stay down to earth, and you'll be an M1 next year. Believe it.
 
hey, thanks for the input pls.
i am taking the MCAT for one more time on August 5th
to increase my chances of getting into other med schools.
I know this is a gamble because IF i do not do well in the program,
there is no chance of getting in anywhere else (meaning CMS is the safest and the most assured choice I have)
but, if I do well on the MCAT and do well in the program, I think I might have a chance for other schools (not like Johns Hopkins, but state schools like SUNY-Upstate, Downstate or Stony Brook-yes I am from NY btw).

I do have a question for former BMSers tho.
I know we need to fill an AMCAS app for CMS and IM pretty sure we need a secondary for CMS as well.
Who and where did you get the recommendation laters? do we even need it?
 
snipermonkey said:
I do have a question for former BMSers tho.
I know we need to fill an AMCAS app for CMS and IM pretty sure we need a secondary for CMS as well.
Who and where did you get the recommendation laters? do we even need it?
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I got my recommendation letters from my professors, research and volunteer coordinator and submitted before the program started. If I were you I'd submit soon if you want to apply to your state schools so you can get those secondaries out of the way before school gets super busy.

For some schools you might need a letter from BMS so you will have to get one from one of the advisors which will basically just talk about the program and its rigor. Good luck with your MCAT! See you in August!
 
Hey everyone, quick question.

How many medical school classes do BMS students generally take? Also, is this SMP good for other medical schools as well. Like, if you don't get in right away to CMS, would you have a chance at other med schools if you have a good GPA in the SMP? Thanks!
 
leggo said:
Hey everyone, quick question.

How many medical school classes do BMS students generally take? Also, is this SMP good for other medical schools as well. Like, if you don't get in right away to CMS, would you have a chance at other med schools if you have a good GPA in the SMP? Thanks!
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Med School Courses:
Medical Biochemistry
Medical Cellular and Molecular Biology
Medical Physiology
Medical Neuroscience

Graduate Courses:
Topics in Physiology
+ certificate track courses

I think the administration told us last year that some people in the previous BMS program took a year off to apply to other schools (i.e. their state programs) but since they were just applying they didn't have any stats on their success. You could email Dr. Pullen or Dr. Tappert ([email protected] // [email protected]) and ask if they have any actual information on this! During the BMS year when rumors abound about what the adcom is allegedly looking at, they emphasized coming to them and asking them about any rumors we heard, so I'm sure that it is fine for you to ask them, since they're more likely to know!
 
bigloley said:
All the apartment ratings from http://www.apartmentratings.com/rate/IL-North-Chicago-Woodlands-On-Green-Bay-Road.html are pretty poor for the Woodlands, but I'm willing to take the risk because of a cheap 2 bd/1 bath. I can't deal with a roommate (I've had some pretty bad roommate experiences in the past) and I plan to use the extra space to make a study for myself.
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What is the contact information for Woodlands? I'd be interested in getting a room or unit since at this stage its probably unlikely I'll get a spot on campus.
 
DancinSarah said:
To BMSers, do you think there is opportunity and time to do research while in this program (say ~10-15 hours a week?)
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Why?! If you're an over-achiever, you probably would not need this program to begin with. All you need to do to get into CMS is do well in the classes and don't screw up the interview! Imagine this scenario: Your cardio exam is in less than a week, you have a short paper plus posts due on friday for HCAM, and you want to add research 10-15 hours of research on top of that? If you enjoy unnecessary pain go ahead.
 
alohakaoha said:
Med School Courses:
Medical Biochemistry
Medical Cellular and Molecular Biology
Medical Physiology
Medical Neuroscience

Graduate Courses:
Topics in Physiology
+ certificate track courses

I think the administration told us last year that some people in the previous BMS program took a year off to apply to other schools (i.e. their state programs) but since they were just applying they didn't have any stats on their success. You could email Dr. Pullen or Dr. Tappert ([email protected] // [email protected]) and ask if they have any actual information on this! During the BMS year when rumors abound about what the adcom is allegedly looking at, they emphasized coming to them and asking them about any rumors we heard, so I'm sure that it is fine for you to ask them, since they're more likely to know!
Click to expand...

:oops: Think that was me. Once you are in this program, you are a blank slate. In the admissions game, it is hard to believe that your ugpa and mcat don't matter, but it reallly doesn't for BMS students. Your slate is wiped clean.
 
Cavallo said:
Anyone who did live in Woodlands apartments with a possible UNBIASED review? Noise, quality of walls (if you can hear you neighbors watching TV, listening to music or even conversing), safety, maintenance team responsiveness, etc.

Anyone who could provide a tip on that subject?

Thanks.
Click to expand...
When I'm taking a **** I can hear next door's TV through the vent. You can also hear other TV's when you're in the hallway. When you're inside though, you can't hear a thing. If there is a bed directly across the other side of the wall your bed is next to, you can hear squeaking and stuff. But otherwise, I have had no problems.
 
I am looking for a roommate option (non-smoker, quite, clean, etc.) at Woodlands for a 2 bedrooms/ 2 bathrooms if any one is interested. Please PM me.
 
My application is complete and under review! This waiting is getting to me. I really hope I get in. I'm 26, have a stellar M.S. program under my belt and a new job(hospital) lined up for September but really want to kill this BMS program.
 
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