Rosalind Franklin BMS 2016-2017

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It wasn't a pre-reqs issue for me, I don't think;I took everything in college (except biochem, although it looks like they're taking two semesters of O-Chem). I'm going to apply to a couple of other programs, but RFU would have been my first choice. I'm surprised because I was on the interview waitlist for the medical school.

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I was complete on 4/26 and received my acceptance through phone call on 4/29. My stats were 3.42 cGPA and 3.52 sGPA and 155Q/156V/4.5 on the GRE. I think my extracurriculars and experience helped me get in like 5 years as a pharm tech, 1 year as a medical scribe, research, Spanish minor, and leadership experience. The admissions rep that called talked to me for a while about those things, and actually asked if I could take my MCAT earlier because they would have liked to see my score before accepting me. But it's scheduled for June 18 and he said everything else checks out so I still hold an acceptance.

I had one committee letter sent in from my school and I believe it was written as a medical school LOR but that didn't seem to be a problem. I didn't ask the committee to write it differently and RFU didn't mention anything about it to me so wouldn't worry about it. I also didn't write a diversity statement.

One thing that confused me though was that the admissions rep, who is a faculty member of the BMS program specifically, explained that I would have the M1A status if I completed the program and was accepted into CMS. But the BMS curriculum info on the website states, "It is anticipated that effective for the BMS class entering in August of 2016, students who intend to apply to CMS for acceptance in 2017 will no longer hold an advanced status during their M1 year and they will be required to take the full M1 course load." I'm thinking of calling that professor back to get more info but that's not cool being told two different things. Already accepted my admission and paid the deposit though because Rosalind Franklin is definitely my first choice medical school and I'm lucky to have gotten into the Master's!

Good luck to the rest of you :) There's something better waiting out there for those of you that were rejected!
 
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Congratulations to everyone accepted!! Is any male who wants to live off campus (navy or woodlands) looking for a roommate? I am a 22 year old male from California and need a roommate for this upcoming year. Message me if anyone is interested! Looking forward to meeting everyone this fall!
 
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Congratulations to everyone accepted!! Is any male who wants to live off campus (navy or woodlands) looking for a roommate? I am a 22 year old male from California and need a roommate for this upcoming year. Message me if anyone is interested! Looking forward to meeting everyone this fall!

Do you mind sharing your stats?
 
Do you mind sharing your stats?
Sure! sGPA-3.2 and cGPA-3.4. MCAT-506. I had 2 research positions and a lot of volunteering, both clinical and non clinical in college. I also have a lot of shadowing experience and leadership experience. I'm currently working as a behavior therapist for children with autism and am also shadowing/working as a scribe. I made sure to do the diversity statement.
 
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One thing that confused me though was that the admissions rep, who is a faculty member of the BMS program specifically, explained that I would have the M1A status if I completed the program and was accepted into CMS. But the BMS curriculum info on the website states, "It is anticipated that effective for the BMS class entering in August of 2016, students who intend to apply to CMS for acceptance in 2017 will no longer hold an advanced status during their M1 year and they will be required to take the full M1 course load." I'm thinking of calling that professor back to get more info but that's not cool being told two different things. Already accepted my admission and paid the deposit though because Rosalind Franklin is definitely my first choice medical school and I'm lucky to have gotten into the Master's!

I'm a current BMS student and your confusion is certainly understandable. What you were told over the phone is accurate. The medical school curriculum is changing over the next few years and as such everyone was under the impression that your class would not get advanced standing (M1a status), but the timeline for them changing the med school curriculum has been pushed back by a least 1 year (possibly more). As such everyone that is entering BMS in 2016, will get advanced standing (M1a status), if accepted. I assume they haven't had a chance to change the website yet as it seems like this information was just relayed to the BMS staff recently. Congrats to everyone that's been accepted, feel free to let me know if you have any questions and I'll try my best to answer them!
 
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I'm a current BMS student and your confusion is certainly understandable. What you were told over the phone is accurate. The medical school curriculum is changing over the next few years and as such everyone was under the impression that your class would not get advanced standing (M1a status), but the timeline for them changing the med school curriculum has been pushed back by a least 1 year (possibly more). As such everyone that is entering BMS in 2016, will get advanced standing (M1a status), if accepted. I assume they haven't had a chance to change the website yet as it seems like this information was just relayed to the BMS staff recently. Congrats to everyone that's been accepted, feel free to let me know if you have any questions and I'll try my best to answer them!
That's great to hear, thanks so much for the update!
 
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Does this school look at the uGPA on your transcipt or your GPA that would be appeared on the AMCAS?
 
Are there any others who got accepted, rejected or wait listed? What were your stats?
 
Does this school look at the uGPA on your transcipt or your GPA that would be appeared on the AMCAS?
They calculate your GPA themselves, similar to AMCAS. After you put all of your classes in and submit your application, they verify your coursework. During that process, they changed a few of the course subjects on my list of classes, which is how I assume it calculates your GPA. You'll get an email that says your coursework has been verified and your GPA listings should appear on your application within an hour or so. They split my GPAs between undergrad, post-bacc, grad, overall, overall science, and overall non-science. My GPAs aren't exact but they're obviously comparable to what my GPA is listed as on my transcript from my undergraduate institution.
 
I am an accepted BMS student GPA 3.33 and MCAT 28. I plan on attending but my MCAT is from 2014 and I don't know if I have to retake it to get the interview for CMS. Anyone know the details about that?
 
I am an accepted BMS student GPA 3.33 and MCAT 28. I plan on attending but my MCAT is from 2014 and I don't know if I have to retake it to get the interview for CMS. Anyone know the details about that?
You have to apply to CMS through AMCAS like you would any other school, regardless of your attendance in the BMS program or not. So that would only be a question of whether you could apply to CMS with a 2014 MCAT.

RFU's webpage for the MD program states:

MCAT
  • 2016: We prefer MCAT2015 but will accept both
  • 2017: We prefer MCAT2015 but will accept both
  • 2018: We will only accept MCAT2015
  • Additional details: MCAT Scores are good for 3 years prior to the year of matriculation.
  • If multiple exams are taken, the most recent score is considered.
  • More information is available at www.aamc.org
So I assume that means you're okay? I'm not sure if there's a monthly cutoff or not. Like if they'll only accept MCAT scores from the fall of 2014, but not earlier since that's outside of the 3-year matriculation gap. That's a question I'd call the admissions office to ask about -- they'll be able to give you the most definitive answer.

The cutoff varies by school, so it's something to be aware of. If you're planning on applying to more schools than just CMS anyway, I would check the MSAR pages and if there are schools you're out of range for, I'd suggest retaking it. I know that sounds terrible but it's better that than spending all of the money on the BMS program and applying to schools to then be disqualified by your MCAT date.. Overall, best option is to call each school individually if it's not listed on their MSAR pages (CMS's criteria isn't) and make sure yours is okay. Looks like most MSAR pages are listing a cutoff of 1/1/2014 as the oldest accepted this year, but, again, best to verify per school.
 
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I am an accepted BMS student GPA 3.33 and MCAT 28. I plan on attending but my MCAT is from 2014 and I don't know if I have to retake it to get the interview for CMS. Anyone know the details about that?
When were you accepted and how long did it take to get a response after your application was marked complete?
 
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Congrats to everyone accepted!! I posted this earlier but since it's on the previous page I feel like a lot of you haven't had the chance to see it yet, but there is a Facebook group for this upcoming 2016-2017 year. Connect and ask questions with other incoming BMS students and even past BMS students! Here is the link to join. Looking forward to meeting everyone soon.

https://m.facebook.com/groups/1729480240627358?tsid=0.05329047772102058&source=typeahead
 
You have to apply to CMS through AMCAS like you would any other school, regardless of your attendance in the BMS program or not. So that would only be a question of whether you could apply to CMS with a 2014 MCAT.

RFU's webpage for the MD program states:

MCAT
  • 2016: We prefer MCAT2015 but will accept both
  • 2017: We prefer MCAT2015 but will accept both
  • 2018: We will only accept MCAT2015
  • Additional details: MCAT Scores are good for 3 years prior to the year of matriculation.
  • If multiple exams are taken, the most recent score is considered.
  • More information is available at www.aamc.org
So I assume that means you're okay? I'm not sure if there's a monthly cutoff or not. Like if they'll only accept MCAT scores from the fall of 2014, but not earlier since that's outside of the 3-year matriculation gap. That's a question I'd call the admissions office to ask about -- they'll be able to give you the most definitive answer.

The cutoff varies by school, so it's something to be aware of. If you're planning on applying to more schools than just CMS anyway, I would check the MSAR pages and if there are schools you're out of range for, I'd suggest retaking it. I know that sounds terrible but it's better that than spending all of the money on the BMS program and applying to schools to then be disqualified by your MCAT date.. Overall, best option is to call each school individually if it's not listed on their MSAR pages (CMS's criteria isn't) and make sure yours is okay. Looks like most MSAR pages are listing a cutoff of 1/1/2014 as the oldest accepted this year, but, again, best to verify per school.

Oh I didn't even notice the website changed since last time I saw! That is wonderful news.
 
Just out of curiosity for those of you that got accepted, what was the deposit amount to hold your spot?
 
Thank you!

I was accepted this past Friday, May 13th. Didn't get to see the e-mail until the evening, but also had a call from Admissions.
Congratulations!
Am I the only one that was accepted that didn't get a call? lol.
 
Just got in here recently too, which I'm really happy about. Kinda random but does anyone know if they require drug tests?
 
Thought you guys might be interested in this. I asked CMS for clarification on requirements for applying because the BMS page says that sociology/psychology were going to be requirements and the CMS page says that they are recommended. CMS clarified that they changed their previous requirements and the courses are recommended, not required. I was going way out of my way to take sociology this summer, so I am happy to hear that. Reading the requirements page, I think this also applies to the biochem lab requirement, however I didn't ask about that specifically.
 
Just got in here recently too, which I'm really happy about. Kinda random but does anyone know if they require drug tests?

Congrats! They didn't for last year's class (or at least I don't recall taking one), but this may have changed.
 
Did they have anything specific they wanted to talk to you about?

They said congrats first, then looked at my file and told me what EC's I should add over the next couple of months for my application to CMS, based on comments by the Admissions Committee.

Said I'd be getting e-mails soon about housing, and required orientation.
 
Hey guys,

Congrats to those who have been accepted so far! For those of you looking for housing and will be in the area over summer, I have a 2bed/1bath apartment available at the Woodlands starting May 24 up until July 31 with the option to renew the lease (if you renew the lease, you won't have to be put on the waitlist for a unit). It's a phase 2 apartment 1010 sq ft. The apartment is spacious with lots of storage space. One of the bedrooms has a walk in closet. Double sinks in the bathroom. It's on the 3rd floor right in front of the pool (you can see it from the balcony). 3-5 minute walk to campus. Laundry room is in the same building.
Rent is $1301/month. You won't be responsible for paying May rent - only June and July. If you're interested, PM me. Thanks!
 
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Thought you guys might be interested in this. I asked CMS for clarification on requirements for applying because the BMS page says that sociology/psychology were going to be requirements and the CMS page says that they are recommended. CMS clarified that they changed their previous requirements and the courses are recommended, not required. I was going way out of my way to take sociology this summer, so I am happy to hear that. Reading the requirements page, I think this also applies to the biochem lab requirement, however I didn't ask about that specifically.
Booooo. I'm taking sociology right now only because of this requirement. :( It's still an interesting subject but I would've preferred to spend that time and $1000 on med school applications over an unneeded class!
 
Thought you guys might be interested in this. I asked CMS for clarification on requirements for applying because the BMS page says that sociology/psychology were going to be requirements and the CMS page says that they are recommended. CMS clarified that they changed their previous requirements and the courses are recommended, not required. I was going way out of my way to take sociology this summer, so I am happy to hear that. Reading the requirements page, I think this also applies to the biochem lab requirement, however I didn't ask about that specifically.
That's awesome! Thanks so much for the update, I was also about to register for that this summer.

Did anyone receive the housing and financial aid information in the mail yet? I was accepted April 29 and still haven't gotten anything.
 
That's awesome! Thanks so much for the update, I was also about to register for that this summer.

Did anyone receive the housing and financial aid information in the mail yet? I was accepted April 29 and still haven't gotten anything.
Nope. The latest email I've gotten was regarding orientation dates.
 
So it's like really late at night and I want to make sure I'm not being delusional....did they just change the deadline for the program to June 3oth?
 
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Are you guys listing the BMS program on your AMCAS application? If so, how do we do that? Do you include RFU under colleges attended and state it as a future school? Do we declare Biomedical Sciences as our "major" and our track as our "minor"? Do we have to have RFU submit a letter to AMCAS stating that they don't have transcripts for us yet? Anyone have any idea how any of this works? lol.
 
Forgot to post that I was accepted on Monday! Such a relief. Looking forward to starting this August!
 
So it's like really late at night and I want to make sure I'm not being delusional....did they just change the deadline for the program to June 3oth?

I got an email about the deadline extension too. I wonder if it means they're actually still accepting people or if they just want to collect more application fees...
 
For the extension, does the deadline include the supplementals? Or can they be submitted later?
 
For the extension, does the deadline include the supplementals? Or can they be submitted later?
There wasn't a supplemental application for the BMS program, it's just the main RFUCAS application that you have to submit.
 
Just FYI for perspective BMSers. What we were told near the end of the program(around mid May) was that the school had to postpone curriculum change to 2018. So class of 2016-2017 will still be doing the normal med classes and with transferable credits. Class of 2017-2018 may or may not be affected depends on how they proceed with the change. If you want a definitive answer, I suggest calling the program directly.

I was BMS class 2015-2016 and will be M1A next year. When I applied to the program I had 3.0gpa and 32 MCAT. The nice thing about the program is that once you get in your gpa and mcat no longer matter. All you need to worry about at that point is to get good grades, pass the interview and have a decent application.

Good luck to you all!
 
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Just FYI for perspective BMSers. What we were told near the end of the program(around mid May) was that the school had to postpone curriculum change to 2018. So class of 2016-2017 will still be doing the normal med classes and with transferable credits. Class of 2017-2018 may or may not be affected depends on how they proceed with the change. If you want a definitive answer, I suggest calling the program directly.

I was BMS class 2015-2016 and will be M1A next year. When I applied to the program I had 3.0gpa and 32 MCAT. The nice thing about the program is that once you get in your gpa and mcat no longer matter. All you need to worry about at that point is to get good grades, pass the interview and have a decent application.

Good luck to you all!
Can you give any insight into how many BMS students started out and are matriculating into CMS for this fall?
 
Can you give any insight into how many BMS students started out and are matriculating into CMS for this fall?

Supposedly the director will send us an email about it after all things are finalized. We just got our final grades a few days ago.
 
How about additional materials like LOR's and test scores?
Your test scores have to be uploaded before you can submit the application.
I'm not certain on the letters of recommendation because it said that section of the application was complete on my end before they had received my letters, but I also had my letters already submitted before I got to the point to submit my whole application so I'm not sure on that portion. I would assume it all has to be complete before you can submit anything though.
 
Are you guys listing the BMS program on your AMCAS application? If so, how do we do that? Do you include RFU under colleges attended and state it as a future school? Do we declare Biomedical Sciences as our "major" and our track as our "minor"? Do we have to have RFU submit a letter to AMCAS stating that they don't have transcripts for us yet? Anyone have any idea how any of this works? lol.
For those that were accepted, I posted this in the Facebook group as well but wanted to make sure everyone had access just in case:

Okay, so here's the scoop: I called both RFU and AMCAS and I think I have it figured out now.
I listed Rosalind Franklin in the 'Schools Attended' section of AMCAS with the future date range. I listed it as a grad program with a major in Biomedical Sciences, left the minor section blank. Then, when it asks about whether or not a transcript is required, select 'No' with the reasoning being 'Current/Future Coursework'. Then I inputted all of the classes as Current/Future classes. When it came to the track section courses, I listed the courses as Course Number: HHCM (I chose Healthcare Administration) and because Course Name was listed as TBD on RFU's website, I typed in 'TBD (Healthcare Administration Curriculum)' as I wanted schools to still know which track I chose. For the other tracks, I believe if you wanted the track to be listed, you could enter the Course ID and Course Name the same way and just add in parentheses the track curriculum you've chosen.
If you then go back to the main menu and open the 'Transcript and Letter Receipt Information' section, it should list a transcript for RFU as 'Not Required'. The AMCAS Instruction Manual states that requests are not automatically granted and have to be approved, so I wasn't sure how we would know if the request was approved or not, but AMCAS said that since it's all future coursework, it will be approved and there's nothing else we need to do beyond these steps.
If you guys have any more questions or I missed something, let me know, and I'll see if I can clear it up for you.
 
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For those that were accepted, I posted this in the Facebook group as well but wanted to make sure everyone had access just in case:

Okay, so here's the scoop: I called both RFU and AMCAS and I think I have it figured out now.
I listed Rosalind Franklin in the 'Schools Attended' section of AMCAS with the future date range. I listed it as a grad program with a major in Biomedical Sciences, left the minor section blank. Then, when it asks about whether or not a transcript is required, select 'No' with the reasoning being 'Current/Future Coursework'. Then I inputted all of the classes as Current/Future classes. When it came to the track section courses, I listed the courses as Course Number: HHCM (I chose Healthcare Administration) and because Course Name was listed as TBD on RFU's website, I typed in 'TBD (Healthcare Administration Curriculum)' as I wanted schools to still know which track I chose. For the other tracks, I believe if you wanted the track to be listed, you could enter the Course ID and Course Name the same way and just add in parentheses the track curriculum you've chosen.
If you then go back to the main menu and open the 'Transcript and Letter Receipt Information' section, it should list a transcript for RFU as 'Not Required'. The AMCAS Instruction Manual states that requests are not automatically granted and have to be approved, so I wasn't sure how we would know if the request was approved or not, but AMCAS said that since it's all future coursework, it will be approved and there's nothing else we need to do beyond these steps.
If you guys have any more questions or I missed something, let me know, and I'll see if I can clear it up for you.
Thanks for looking into that. This feels like a dumb question but have we indicated which tracks we are choosing yet? I don't remember ever having to choose, but my MCAT is tomorrow so my brain might be fried.
 
Hey guys, I just got my "conditional" acceptance today!

cGPA - 3.14
sGPA - 3.01
MCAT - 504

Stats are nothing spectacular, but my research and other EC's really helped me, along with a MIGHTY upward trend. Basically all I have to do is take 5 workshops with online activities during the first quarter, and I'm done. I wanted to ask if anyone else here are accepted conditionally. If previous students could share their input on this, that would be great!
 
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Thanks for looking into that. This feels like a dumb question but have we indicated which tracks we are choosing yet? I don't remember ever having to choose, but my MCAT is tomorrow so my brain might be fried.
Yeah, when you selected which program you were applying to, there were three options for the BMS program on RFUCAS.
If you see below, I chose Healthcare Administration and so cannot select the Health Professions Education or the Nutrition track.

upload_2016-6-1_14-33-59.png


We haven't officially been grouped into our respective tracks yet, though, if that's what you're asking. I don't know for sure those are the electives I'll be taking, but that was what I selected on my application so that was what I added into AMCAS.

Good luck on your MCAT! Rock it!
 
Hey guys, I just got my "conditional" acceptance today!

cGPA - 3.14
sGPA - 3.01
MCAT - 504

Stats are nothing spectacular, but my research and other EC's really helped me, along with a MIGHTY upward trend. Basically all I have to do is take 5 workshops with online activities during the first quarter, and I'm done. I wanted to ask if anyone else here are accepted conditionally. If previous students could share their input on this, that would be great!

What's the conditional acceptance? Any links that can explain this?
 
Hey guys, I just got my "conditional" acceptance today!

cGPA - 3.14
sGPA - 3.01
MCAT - 504

Stats are nothing spectacular, but my research and other EC's really helped me, along with a MIGHTY upward trend. Basically all I have to do is take 5 workshops with online activities during the first quarter, and I'm done. I wanted to ask if anyone else here are accepted conditionally. If previous students could share their input on this, that would be great!

Five workshops for what?
 
Yeah, when you selected which program you were applying to, there were three options for the BMS program on RFUCAS.
If you see below, I chose Healthcare Administration and so cannot select the Health Professions Education or the Nutrition track.

View attachment 204593

We haven't officially been grouped into our respective tracks yet, though, if that's what you're asking. I don't know for sure those are the electives I'll be taking, but that was what I selected on my application so that was what I added into AMCAS.

Good luck on your MCAT! Rock it!
Thanks. Apparently I selected "Health Professions Education". Totally don't remember there being options there.
 
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