Happy Thanksgiving guys,
Few things:
1. NP students do not find out who are their interviewer until the day that you intervew. In the morning you are handed a sheet with your interviewers. These can be faculty or students. 2 interviews per person, either 2 faculty or a faculty and a student. No difference either way.
2. I dont know what the average gpa/mcat is for HST. I would be willing to bet that it might be marginally higher than NP because HST is a more research-focused program and NP is more "touchy-feely." Again tho, even in HST, they are looking for the whole package of your as person.
3. If you wanna know indepth about NP vs HST, read the website, its more than I can say. I can give you a gross overviews though. (keep in mind I'm in NP)
NP:
Traditional , block based classes. One main class at a time which is M-F (like biochem, or anatomy, or physiology, or genetics, etc) and simultaneously, one clinic class 1x/week (patient-doctor 1) and one "social" class 1x/week (like social medicine, health care policy, etc). So you're in class 5 days a week from 8-12 for your main class, and two afternoons a week (like 1-4pm) for your secondary classes. This leaves three days a week of free time.
NP has tutorials (PBL) but its not "alot more." In a typical day of anatomy, for example, we have 8am-9am tutorial, 9am-10am lecture and 10am-12:30p gross lab. So tutorial is like, 1/4 of your time, or less.
It's harvard, so lot of NP students have research backgrounds and research interests, but also public health interests, international health, community service, and other types of projects.
NP is 135 students
NP takes the first two years of classes with students from HSDM (harvard school of dental medicine), which is 35 kids, making the NP class "feel" like 170 kids. In fact the dental students take all our classes + their own classes. At HMS, dental school is harder than medical school, hahaha.
HST:
the schedule for HST is more like college, you have like a bunch of classes at a time, varying times and day of the week (like embryo, patho, histo, anatomy, or something like that, simultaneously). So you have multiples tests at random times cuz you have more classes, unlike in NP where you have like a midterm and a final for your one main class and thats kinda it. HST spends more time in anatomy and takes class 1 day a week or something overa t MIT.
HST is small, 30 students, so HST kids are very tight with each other. We (NP+Dental) dont see them as much though, cuz our classes are different. 3rd and 4th year NP and HST join together again for clinical rotations.
HST has a greater proportion of people who are interested in basic science research and have strong backgrouns in it. Most MD-PhDs are HST, but there are some NP ones too. I wouldnt say most end up doing research vs cinical medicine, but definitely a greater percentage of HST ends up in research versus NP (remember tho, theres only 30 HST students and 135 NP students.)
so....
In the end their both great programs, lots of ppl apply to both, get into both, and see which they like. Cant lose either way.
Tho in HST, you have to attend class, and lectures are not videotaped. In NP, theyre all videotaped, so you can watch em at 2x from the comfort of your room when its -20 and snowy outside. Clutch.
Sometimes though, ill be honest, it feels like HST students learn more. But it all evens out in the end when we get to third year.
Also, does Paul Farmer teach any classes, or is he just an administrator? Has anyone had any classes with him?
He teaches part of the NP "intro to social medicine" course. And by that i mean he gives like 3 lectures. Take from that what you will.
