2010-2011 Boston University Application Thread

[Jurassic Shark]

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I have a similar issue. When you look at cost projections, including deferred payments during residency, BU is much way higher than in-state. By my calculations by the end of residency I will have accrued around $400,000 at BU versus about $250,000 by the end of residency at my in-state school. That's a significant difference, not to mention the fact that interest on $400,000 paid over 10-20 years is not insignificant. I love BU but these numbers are pretty big!

Ouch. How'd you calculate $400,000?

 

[DocTraveler]

There's 3 major housing areas near BUSM directly which are better and more convenient then living on the main campus. The main campus is a 20 minute shuttle ride away. Not worth it to live out that far.

So the 3 main places at current are

1. harrison court. Directly across the street from campus on harrison avenue.
2. James court. Next door to Harrison court
3. 601 or 610 albany. Forget which order the numbers are. but its called one of those 2 names.

The 3rd one is the newest of these and where a lot of people I know live including one of my good friends in the class of 2014.

Harrison court is a mix of advanced standing and 4 year DMD students, med students, dental residents, SPH students, GMS students, and once in a while a medical resident. But this is kinda like a dorm yet more like an apartment. The hallways look like dorms and keys are like dorm keys but its essentially 1-3 bedroom apartments. I split a 1 bedroom apartment with a dental resident when i was there. I lived in the living room and her in the bedroom but the way it was set up it was easy to do as long as person in living room puts up a curtain blocking it off from dining and kitchen area.

That reduced cost a ton.

James court is more expensive but nicer and newer. It looks like a luxury hotel in there and has a parking garage that those who have cars can use. The albany apartments are the same way.

These are all pretty expensive but if you split with people in a decent way you could make it more affordable. however a 1 bedroom at James court was 1850 last year and a one bedroom at harrison was 1840. I'd rather take the James court one in that situation if I was living alone for the fact that it also comes with a gym on site and some other facilities that harrison doesn't have.

I wouldn't live near main campus if you can help it. Its just inconvenient in my opinion. I do know a GMS kid though who will be attending BU who lived on main campus and was ok with it. But i believe he is moving closer to campus next year as well.

The only downside is that living by campus you are a bit aways from where there's more to do compared to living in a place like near copley square. But most places are easily accessible in the city.

With most places in boston we found that most students split 1 bedroom apartments 2 ways or 2 bedroom apartments 3 ways or whatever to make for cheaper cost. Like another person I knew who lived at Harrison court lived with 2 med students and she was in a living room that was enclosed enough to be separate from main living room. So it was like having 3 rooms. She reduced it to 789 per month because of it. So you just gotta look for roommates willing to split an apartment this way if you want to reduce it to 3 digit figures. Good luck.

Seriously? 1850 and 1840 for a 1-bedroom!!!! That is nuts. I know people living in nice, and I mean nice 2-bedrooms in the North End for $1400 each. Wow, cost may be a deciding factor in my case as well. I seriously thought student housing might be a little chiller, seems like it's even more expensive than living in the city. 😱

 

[Jurassic Shark]

Seriously? 1850 and 1840 for a 1-bedroom!!!! That is nuts. I know people living in nice, and I mean nice 2-bedrooms in the North End for $1400 each. Wow, cost may be a deciding factor in my case as well. I seriously thought student housing might be a little chiller, seems like it's even more expensive than living in the city. 😱

And I sure as hell ain't putting myself up in a makeshift living room bedroom as a first year medical student. 😛

*Edit: On second thought, who else out there is considering military scholarship? That could be a mighty solution to the BU cost of attendance.

 

[Jurassic Shark]

LOL yeah sorry dude its boston. This is why everyone does put themselves in those makeshift living room turned bedrooms. I know it sounds weird and for me coming from Florida where you could easily get a 2 bedroom for 700 per month it was shocking but over there everyone does it all the time.

Actually there's this place in brookline (i'll get the name from my ex roommate) where they have 1 bedroom studios that are 1300 a month and you get access to all sorts of amenities like a spa, pool, gym, etc.

That's a nice place to look into and its near the fenway area which is very nice. That's closer to the main campus and harvard med kinda.

I should get the name and get back to you guys about that but it sounded awesome the way my ex roommate described it to me.

Living in boston isn't going to be cheap unless you live in the main campus area or you live like in the areas surrounding boston like Jamaica plains and what not that are not like right there in the city. But the people who live near campus are those that are there for the convenience. There are other apartments in the area by harrison court that are slightly cheaper too but again it will still be 4 digit numbers. This is no florida. Land is not cheap in boston and neither are apartments.

Another thing a lot of people do as well is live in apartments along mass ave nearby the school that are independently rented by homeowners in the area. That sometimes also tends to be cheaper. That's what my ex roommate did before we both moved into harrison.

I know it sounds weird to have to use a living room as a room, but it is very, very common in boston. I saw it in almost all the apartments we saw in the area by the whole foods and symphony hall area. And it was ok because there were 2 separate closets plus a coat closet for use. The bathroom had two entrances (one by the kitchen and one by the hallway where the 2 closets are from the bedroom. So if you want you could put a curtain up where the bedroom and closet area are, one blocking the living room from kitchen and you are good.

Not that we needed a lot of curtains cuz me and my roommate had a system to know when not to come out and what not and she was barely home as is. She was staying over at friends due to late night studying or partying with her co-residents and I was at the library studying most nights. So it never mattered really.

But even if it did, it is a lot more doable and I'd rather live as I did there then live too far away cuz the convenience was amazing and I had a great roommate who was like a sister to me..

Dibs on the real bedroom!

 

[DocTraveler]

LOL yeah sorry dude its boston. This is why everyone does put themselves in those makeshift living room turned bedrooms. I know it sounds weird and for me coming from Florida where you could easily get a 2 bedroom for 700 per month it was shocking but over there everyone does it all the time.

Actually there's this place in brookline (i'll get the name from my ex roommate) where they have 1 bedroom studios that are 1300 a month and you get access to all sorts of amenities like a spa, pool, gym, etc.

That's a nice place to look into and its near the fenway area which is very nice. That's closer to the main campus and harvard med kinda.

I should get the name and get back to you guys about that but it sounded awesome the way my ex roommate described it to me.

Living in boston isn't going to be cheap unless you live in the main campus area or you live like in the areas surrounding boston like Jamaica plains and what not that are not like right there in the city. But the people who live near campus are those that are there for the convenience. There are other apartments in the area by harrison court that are slightly cheaper too but again it will still be 4 digit numbers. This is no florida. Land is not cheap in boston and neither are apartments.

Another thing a lot of people do as well is live in apartments along mass ave nearby the school that are independently rented by homeowners in the area. That sometimes also tends to be cheaper. That's what my ex roommate did before we both moved into harrison.

I know it sounds weird to have to use a living room as a room, but it is very, very common in boston. I saw it in almost all the apartments we saw in the area by the whole foods and symphony hall area. And it was ok because there were 2 separate closets plus a coat closet for use. The bathroom had two entrances (one by the kitchen and one by the hallway where the 2 closets are from the bedroom. So if you want you could put a curtain up where the bedroom and closet area are, one blocking the living room from kitchen and you are good.

Not that we needed a lot of curtains cuz me and my roommate had a system to know when not to come out and what not and she was barely home as is. She was staying over at friends due to late night studying or partying with her co-residents and I was at the library studying most nights. So it never mattered really.

But even if it did, it is a lot more doable and I'd rather live as I did there then live too far away cuz the convenience was amazing and I had a great roommate who was like a sister to me..

It does sound so weird to me. I don't know, I knew this happens a lot in NYC, but they actually put up makeshift walls, not just curtains. Maybe I wouldn't care if it were a wall. I don't know, I'd seriously need dibs on the real room too. I mean what if you're in a relationship with someone haha, Awkward! I guess I am just deeply hoping for some fin aid that will make BU not as expensive and more in line with other schools I have offers to. I just can't imagine paying so much for a makeshift room. Do you know how much the student housing for grads at the ugrad campus is?

 

[RogueUnicorn]

if you're ok with commuting a bit, you probably can get away with 700 a month for a real bedroom somewhere cheaper, like around the ugrad campus

 

[ddalgi]

There's 3 major housing areas near BUSM directly which are better and more convenient then living on the main campus. The main campus is a 20 minute shuttle ride away. Not worth it to live out that far.

So the 3 main places at current are

1. harrison court. Directly across the street from campus on harrison avenue.
2. James court. Next door to Harrison court
3. 601 or 610 albany. Forget which order the numbers are. but its called one of those 2 names.

The 3rd one is the newest of these and where a lot of people I know live including one of my good friends in the class of 2014.

Harrison court is a mix of advanced standing and 4 year DMD students, med students, dental residents, SPH students, GMS students, and once in a while a medical resident. But this is kinda like a dorm yet more like an apartment. The hallways look like dorms and keys are like dorm keys but its essentially 1-3 bedroom apartments. I split a 1 bedroom apartment with a dental resident when i was there. I lived in the living room and her in the bedroom but the way it was set up it was easy to do as long as person in living room puts up a curtain blocking it off from dining and kitchen area.

That reduced cost a ton.

James court is more expensive but nicer and newer. It looks like a luxury hotel in there and has a parking garage that those who have cars can use. The albany apartments are the same way.

These are all pretty expensive but if you split with people in a decent way you could make it more affordable. however a 1 bedroom at James court was 1850 last year and a one bedroom at harrison was 1840. I'd rather take the James court one in that situation if I was living alone for the fact that it also comes with a gym on site and some other facilities that harrison doesn't have.

I wouldn't live near main campus if you can help it. Its just inconvenient in my opinion. I do know a GMS kid though who will be attending BU who lived on main campus and was ok with it. But i believe he is moving closer to campus next year as well.

The only downside is that living by campus you are a bit aways from where there's more to do compared to living in a place like near copley square. But most places are easily accessible in the city.

With most places in boston we found that most students split 1 bedroom apartments 2 ways or 2 bedroom apartments 3 ways or whatever to make for cheaper cost. Like another person I knew who lived at Harrison court lived with 2 med students and she was in a living room that was enclosed enough to be separate from main living room. So it was like having 3 rooms. She reduced it to 789 per month because of it. So you just gotta look for roommates willing to split an apartment this way if you want to reduce it to 3 digit figures. Good luck.

wow. this is really helpful. thanks! do you know if harrison court is difficult to get? i heard that there's a wait list...

 

[futuredoc528]

Stop freaking out.

As someone who lives in Boston already, there is no way in hell you need to pay anywhere near 1800/.

There are plenty of apartments well within 10 minute range of BMC for less than 700/ for real bedrooms.

Yes, if you want to live alone in a building with parking and a gym like james court, you're probably going to pay out the ass, but if you're willing to live in a 3 or 4 br apt with some house mates, you can easily find places. A reasonable 4 br shouldn't be going for more than 2500/.

 

[RogueUnicorn]

Stop freaking out.

As someone who lives in Boston already, there is no way in hell you need to pay anywhere near 1800/.

There are plenty of apartments well within 10 minute range of BMC for less than 700/ for real bedrooms.

Yes, if you want to live alone in a building with parking and a gym like james court, you're probably going to pay out the ass, but if you're willing to live in a 3 or 4 br apt with some house mates, you can easily find places. A reasonable 4 br shouldn't be going for more than 2500/.

key

 

[Jurassic Shark]

Stop freaking out.

As someone who lives in Boston already, there is no way in hell you need to pay anywhere near 1800/.

There are plenty of apartments well within 10 minute range of BMC for less than 700/ for real bedrooms.

Yes, if you want to live alone in a building with parking and a gym like james court, you're probably going to pay out the ass, but if you're willing to live in a 3 or 4 br apt with some house mates, you can easily find places. A reasonable 4 br shouldn't be going for more than 2500/.

👍

 

[90minIPA]

As a bostonian, I'd argue that it's worth the price (and/or inconvenience of having roommates) to live within walking distance of BUSM for a few reasons:

1) You do not want to depend on the MBTA to get you somewhere reliably and in a timely matter, because it just won't happen consistently. Esp if that 'somewhere' requires a bus connection, such as BUSM/BMC.
2) Commuting on public transit in Boston can be miserable unless you're doing so well outside of rush hour.
3) Parking/traffic can be really bad, but I'm honestly not sure what this is like near BMC. I'd rather not deal with it unless I absolutely need to, which will likely be 3rd + 4th year.
4) When I was an undergrad, the BU shuttle was a disaster. They may have improved it since then, but I wouldn't reccommend the Allston/brighton area to anyone who isn't comfortable with a 50 min-1hr commute via the green line. Counterpoint: BU's new fitness center (Fit-rec) is in this area (right next to the ugrad campus) and it absolutely pwns all other fitness facilities in the boston area. Its really THAT nice.

 

[90minIPA]

Agreed. I'd rather live in a living room with my awesome roommate then live far away where its inconvenient. and if you are not from the north you will be miserable waiting at train and bus stations for several minutes in the snow and cold weather. Being able to just cross the street to school and use the back entrance into the school was worth living in harrison for.

Also, keep in mind these 'several minutes' standing in the elements can be anything between 15 and 45. Twice this week alone I've had to deal with broken trains and extended commutes because of the MBTA..

If I end up matriculating, I'll just bite the bullet and live close to the school, without a doubt.

 

[takatakashi]

Waitlisted. I am actually very surprised to see so many waitlisted. I was under the impression that the wailist was very small. I guess they decided to accept less ppl and have more ppl on the waitlist. Congrats to those accepted.

 

[elodie]

.

 

[Thom1986]

Sorry to burst anyone's bubble on the waitlist... but I just found out everyone from the class of 2014 was accepted outright. EVERYONE.

Doesn't look good for us waitlisters... BUs rather baffling screening methods make perfect sense to me now (rejecting very very highly qualified people pre interview)... they put a lot of work into finding people who will most likely to if accepted)

Sent using Tapatalk

I am accepted, and will most likely withdraw (unless I find 300K in BU dollars in my back pocket tomorrow)- so won't they have to find replacements for people like me?

 

[soccerboy2288]

Sorry to burst anyone's bubble on the waitlist... but I just found out everyone from the class of 2014 was accepted outright. EVERYONE.

Nah, someone I know in c/o 2014 was accepted off the WL. Also, aren't there bunch of people from last year's thread who claimed acceptance through WL too?

 

[BullDog4Eva]

I am accepted, and will most likely withdraw (unless I find 300K in BU dollars in my back pocket tomorrow)- so won't they have to find replacements for people like me?

Not necessarily. I remember they say they accept 2 people (at least) for every seat available... so they account for the fact that there will naturally be a certain amount who will give up their seat. However, since I'm also turning down my offer, I guess together we MIGHT free up one seat. But not really... unfortunately, a LOT people than just us will have to turn down their offers before they start dipping into the WL.

 

[csujon]

Congratulations to everyone recently accepted to BU! I'm a MS IV at BU and I remember how great/confusing this whole process can be. I thought I would try to answer a few of the questions that have been posted as best I can.

-Tuition - yes BU is an very expensive school as is Boston. When I graduate I will be $175,000 in federal loan debt (the national average of graduating medical students is ~$165,00 per a AMA presentation we had a few weeks ago). I didn't qualify for any special loans because of my parents income (which isn't that much) and I never applied for any scholarships. I did have to pay the school ~$2,000 on top of what the loans covered to pay for insurance provided by the school. This is a lot of money and to be honest I didn't really think about it until I started planning on my living expenses next year. This amount of debt wont kill you and there are a few different plans for repayment. You can defer your loans through residency which will increase the total you pay by a LOT. There are also payments options based on your salary (~$350.mo. for me as a resident) this will will not cover your monthly interest payment but it will help your loan from ballooning during residency. And the other option is to go on a payment plan like a mortgage which will be ~$1,200 each month. There was some legislation passed in '08 which will pay the remainder of doctors debt if they have paid for loans for 10 years, and this doesn't require annual appropriation from congress so it should stay in place. So the loan based on pay is what I plan on doing which will mean I will end up paying ~$130,000 over 10 years. The financial aid office is great at BU and very good at answering any questions you may have. Keep in mind these are all rough numbers but I though it would help to give you an idea of what to expect.

-Rent/housing - the majority of students live in the South End by BMC. I would say the normal range is ~$900-1500. Not that many people live in James court which costs ~$1,800 for a studio unless they have lots of parental financial support. I live in a studio 3 blocks from campus for $1,000 but these kinds of "deals" are rare. Living close to BMC is nice but really for the first two years it doesn't matter especially since they record all lectures... Other places people live are: Allston (BU undergrad neighborhood), Brookline, Cambridge, and the North End. Most of those people use public transportation to get to school but need a car for 3-4th years. Driving to campus is a little difficult because you need a south end parking sticker for all but one street close to BMC. So you will likely need to use the parking garage which I think it costs ~$140/mo. I made it all four years without having a car so I saved money on that.

-living cost - food is more expensive here and its against the law in Boston to have happy hours so going out is also expensive. I typically spend ~$1,000 for food and fun but I also had more fun than the typical med student going out ~3-4 times/week. On the flip side there is TONS to do in Boston no matter what you are interested in.

-match results - I think this was already posted but here it is again http://www.bumc.bu.edu/busm-osa/match-results/. I would look at the last three years. BU always does very well with the match and is the reason you pay the big $$$. This year wasn't quite as good as last but many think that's because our class the first to experience the new curriculum so we were kind of guinea pigs. But his is hotly debated and a different subject entirely. I'm on the curriculum committee and I have to say I'm very jealous of the new curriculum now that its been fully implemented. Of the classmates I've talked to almost all matched at one of their top three places. Another thing to keep in mind is that there has been an increase in the number of students accepted to medical schools the last 10 years but few new residency spots have been created. So this means that the match is becoming MUCH more competitive. The scamble (what you do if you don't initially don't match) had few spots open spots this year. I heard down the grapevine that this year there were only ~3 ortho, 1 ENT, and 5 gen surg spots in the nation for the scramble (I would look at those SDN specific threads for the real #'s). So basically if you don't match initially its not good and this will likely get worse. So going to a well respected school like BU is becoming more important than ever.

-top fields at BU - almost all fields at BU are very good. There is a ton of research done here. We are shadowed by Harvard for local recognition but for the most part attending are outstanding. The fields that really make BU standout are based around trauma since BMC is the main trauma center for Boston. So ortho, trauma surg., and EM are all at the top. Also ENT, GI, rheum, and geri are leaders in their fields. Peds is also EXCELLENT through a joint program with Harvard ped's. One of the BMC ped attendings was just appointed as editor for JAMA though he will be going to Chicago for that. The big drawl they sell in the interview is the variety of patients seen which is true. There are lots of diseases that we see that other hospitals don't like sarcoid and amyloidosis and also lots of different culture issues that may not been seen elsewhere. If you are interested in a particular field I would just go that fields residency SDN thread. They are full of what is the top in____.

-would I do it again at BU or go somewhere else -I think it was said, and I agree, that the first two years are the same regardless of where you go. What makes a school is 3-4th years and the availability of mentors. And BU is very good at both. I've heard our 3rd year is more intense than at other med schools but in the end this is good. Are there some attendings that suck? Yes, but I think this will be true any where. As far as finding mentors I think this is what makes BU stand out. Since there is so much research going on there are tons of people that you can work with and many like having med students around to help. In the end its all about what you make of the opportunities. I also heard of many classmates who had attendings really fight for them in the match.

-waitlist movement - I'm not up on the waitlist too much anymore. I know there was an issue in '05 where BU's US News rankings shot way up because of a big grant. This resulted in more students accepting their offers than in the past so there was little to no waitlist movement and this has continued. I'm not sure how many got off the waitlist last year. I would go with whatever Dr. Witzburg said during your interview, he is a very honest man and has been working to make the waitlist more like a waitlist instead of a nice rejection.

Hope this helps! Sorry for any grammer/misspellings I'm a little busy. If any one wants to PM me feel free but I'm on a ED rotation right now so my schedule is all over the place and it may be a while before I reply.

 

[espas247]

Hi everyone. First, congratulations on your acceptance. I am a first year at BUSM, and my current roommate (also a first year) and I are looking for another roommate for the coming year. Here are details about our apartment:

59 Preble St., South Boston. It is a 15 min walk to the school and a 7 min bus ride. The apartment is near Andrew Sq, and it is a very nice neighborhood. We have a 3br apartment with laundry in the unit. It is brand new with granite countertops, new appliances, wood flooring, and on the top floor. We will be paying $2300/month divided amongst the 3 of us. The room we are offering is smaller than the other two, so we have reduced the rent by $100 and raised ours. We are asking $700/month, which is a good deal in Boston and for such a nice location/place.

If you have any questions, email me at [email protected]. Thanks, and congratulations again.

 

[elodie]

Not necessarily. I remember they say they accept 2 people (at least) for every seat available... so they account for the fact that there will naturally be a certain amount who will give up their seat. However, since I'm also turning down my offer, I guess together we MIGHT free up one seat. But not really... unfortunately, a LOT people than just us will have to turn down their offers before they start dipping into the WL.

oops, the person who told me about her class is a m2 so she is class of 2013, not 2014. I don't know how it will pan out this year...but based on the past few years i don't see how i can remain hopeful....
:'(

 

[NYR56]

Does anyone have more details about the social event in the evening of open house/revisit day? Specifically, should I book a hotel for that night if it's at a bar or somewhere involving alcohol?

 

[KFritz52]

Sorry to burst anyone's bubble on the waitlist... but I just found out everyone from the class of 2014 was accepted outright. EVERYONE.

Doesn't look good for us waitlisters... BUs rather baffling screening methods make perfect sense to me now (rejecting very very highly qualified people pre interview)... they put a lot of work into finding people who will most likely to if accepted)

Sent using Tapatalk

Not true. As a current member of BUSM 2014, I can attest to several classmates that got in off the waitlist throughout the summer.

 

[med8866]

To those accepted to the MD PhD program, are you holding on to it?
My hopes are shattered after finding out that they over accept to grossly and leave no room for waitlist movement 🙁

 

[BostonFan]

my hopes are shattered after finding out that they over accept to grossly and leave no room for waitlist movement 🙁

+1...🙁

 

[Bostonian12]

Hi all,

Congratulations to everyone who has been accepted! I am a first year at BUSM and I'm moving out of my apartment at the end of May. I wanted to advertise it on this forum to give some of you a chance to take advantage of it. It's in a great location (literally across the street from BMC) and there are lots of other medical students who live here as well.

It's a gorgeous, large 1 bedroom apartment (approximately 675 square feet) with a great spacious layout in a new building - the rent is $2140 and it's available June 1st.

It's located in the South End, right across the street from Boston Medical Center. It's close to grocery stores, restaurants, a dog park, bakeries, Red and Orange T Lines, MBTA bus lines, I-90 and I-93, and more! The apartment has a modern, large, and open kitchen with stainless steel appliances (along with a dishwasher and garbage disposal), spacious countertops, and tons of cabinet space. The bedroom is spacious and has a large closet. The apartment has 2 large hallway closets, and one is a walk-in closet with the most storage space you will find in a Boston apartment. The apartment has central air and a controllable thermostat.

The building has a brand new gym, laundry on each floor, elevators, doorman, free coffee, wireless internet, and a wonderful management team with a great maintenance policy. We've never had to wait more than a day for routine repairs. The building is pet friendly with no pet fee or breed restrictions! There is ample street parking in this part of the South End, and the building has underground parking available and ZipCar on site.

You will be taking over our rent at last year's market price ($2140)! The lease would be in your name - this is not a sublet (you just get the benefit of last year's market price)! Heat, hot water, AC, water, sewage, and trash are included.

Please send me an email at [email protected] for more information or to have a tour of the apartment. Congratulations again!!!

 

[JL2015BUSM]

So, I'm for sure planning on going to busm next year. I'm looking for a roommate for this great apartment:

$860/month
3bed/1bath (other roommate is an SPH student)
On Mass Ave near Columbus Ave

The apartment is only a 10 minute walk from the med campus. The BU Shuttle is a half a minute away. It's in a nice, safe location, but still close to the medical campus. It is also T accessible: only a few blocks away from the Hynes Convention center stop on the green line and 1 minute away from the Mass Ave stop on the orange line. You can also take the 1 bus up all the way to Cambridge.

This apartment is close to the medical school while still conveniently close to Boston and all its city life. The rent is also a great deal in terms of housing located near the medical campus. The South End, where the med campus is located, can get very pricey.

The apartment has a nice common area and open kitchen with natural lighting that doesn't just look out into the fire escape of the building. A Whole Foods and a Trader Joes are only a block away. Other groceries are located close by, so you don't have to walk far for everyday necessities.

Inquire by email. [email protected]

 

[BUMED2015]

Hi Future Classmates,

I will be attending BU medical school this year and I am also looking for a roommate. I'm currently looking at a 2-bedroom apartment at James Court (http://www.jamescourtboston.com/). James Court has a lot of really great amenities (24 hr concierge, gym, complimentary coffee bar, etc). It is also literally across the street from the school (right next to Harrison Court) and in a safe location. I think it's like a 2-3 minute walk to the school. The rent is approximately $3100-3150. Heat and hot water are included in the rent.

The 2 bedroom apartment comes with two bathrooms (one in the master bedroom), kitchen, living room and dining area. The person in the master bedroom will pay more rent (i'm thinking that this person will pay an additional $200/month; of course, we can sort this out together). Thus, the person in the master bedroom will pay approximately $1650 and the person in the regular bedroom will pay approximately $1450. We will both have our own bathrooms. It doesn't really matter to me who gets the master bedroom and I'm very flexible.

Please send me a message if you're interested!

Edit: I'm probably going to the second look day (in case you want to talk about it in person then).

 

[Jurassic Shark]

So pissed. My school won't let me reschedule my final exam on April 30th, thus not enabling me to attend 2nd look weekend. Such an important day!

 

[NYR56]

So pissed. My school won't let me reschedule my final exam on April 30th, thus not enabling me to attend 2nd look weekend. Such an important day!

That's utterly absurd. Sorry to hear that.

 

[RogueUnicorn]

So pissed. My school won't let me reschedule my final exam on April 30th, thus not enabling me to attend 2nd look weekend. Such an important day!

ask the prof directly

 

[ddalgi]

does bu have a formal orientation week? it seems as though the first day of orientation is the white coat ceremony (based on the email they just sent out). just trying to figure out if i need to plan on coming earlier than the start date, which is the day of the white coat ceremony. thanks!

 

[ddalgi]

ask the prof directly

+1. on another note, you have finals on a weekend?

 

[NYR56]

+1. on another note, you have finals on a weekend?

My school used to do that too, it was terrible.

 

[RogueUnicorn]

my school used to do that too, it was terrible.

+1

 

[Potatoman1800]

Does anyone have more details about the social event in the evening of open house/revisit day? Specifically, should I book a hotel for that night if it's at a bar or somewhere involving alcohol?

+1...I'm trying to figure out flights and hotels for that weekend. Any insight from last year?

Thanks.

 

[NYR56]

+1...I'm trying to figure out flights and hotels for that weekend. Any insight from last year?

Thanks.

I ended up emailing SCOMSA and they said it was a pretty casual event starting around 630pm. It's open to friends and family, free food will be provided, and you can stay as long as you like. I didn't get the impression it would last late into the night, so I'm personally planning to drive back to NY whenever it ends.

 

[DocTraveler]

I ended up emailing SCOMSA and they said it was a pretty casual event starting around 630pm. It's open to friends and family, free food will be provided, and you can stay as long as you like. I didn't get the impression it would last late into the night, so I'm personally planning to drive back to NY whenever it ends.

What's the dress code btw? Business casual? Casual?

 

[girlinthegarden]

What's the dress code btw? Business casual? Casual?

I was planning on wearing jeans and a nice-ish shirt. Hope we don't have to dress up too much more than that. I hate wearing nice pants/skirt on the weekend

 

[DocTraveler]

I was planning on wearing jeans and a nice-ish shirt. Hope we don't have to dress up too much more than that. I hate wearing nice pants/skirt on the weekend

I feel the same way

 

[drimpossible]

The dress code is business casual, according to the email.

 

[Dr2015MD]

How important is it to attend the second look weekend? I'm fairly certain I'll be attending BU (unless a waitlist miracle happens), but I don't know if I can shell out the money for a flight/move my schedule around for second look. Am I going to be missing out on some important stuff if I can't make it?

 

[Encephalectomy]

Am I going to be missing out on some important stuff if I can't make it?

No, it is nice to come and meet some of your future classmates, maybe find a roomate etc., but definitely not necessary, especially if you are pretty set on the school already

 

[AffableHipster]

Hey guys,

Anyone from the Boston area going to University of Rochester's second look weekend on Friday 4/29 then going to BUs on 4/30? It's going to be tough to drive 7 hrs on Thursday then 7 hrs back on Friday. PM me if you want to drive up.

 

[Renalization]

BU always does very well with the match and is the reason you pay the big $$$. This year wasn't quite as good as last . . .

I don't think that the reason why BU's tuition is sky high is because this somehow helps with the match. Most people would agree that the match is based upon an applicant's merits, not how expensive their school is. BU is a middle-tier school, the tuition is high because it is a private school and doesn't receive $ from the state to produce doctors. In fact, this is why BU takes applicants from all across the country, because they don't have a mission to produce primary care doctors to help the undeserved in Massachusettes. The high tuition probably pushes a lot of people to specialize, when if their loan burden was lower they might want to do primary care type work, and/or working for underserved patients.

csujon is, at best, confused, by implying that the high tuition dollars buy a better match. BU's match isn't really that spectacular, many middle tier state schools have prestigious matches. Also, if you go to a great state school, then you are probably community oriented and might apply exclusively for university programs outside of big cities. The fact that most people match in their top 3 choices is meaningless as the majority of people in the match go into their top 2 or 3. I don't have the stats, but I think it is like 80% for american grads. That somebody from BU is using this as a selling point is fishy. It is like a used car salesman selling you a car and telling you that most people don't get in an accident when they drive it across the country.

The statement about attendings "fighting" for students in the match, if you have connections or make a good first impression then, if this is the chairman, it will go far. On the flip side, if you don't, then you will be sold up the river. Maybe csujon meant to imply this, as this is true in a lot of private back east schools, but it makes it look like BU is gung-ho for its student, which sadly isn't the case.

I have known a couple BU students who complained about overly harsh, or even wacky, comments written by attendings which made it into their dean's letter and, (supposedly), messed up their match. They won't be singing the praises of BU anytime soon.🙁 Some attendings at BU apparently have a very dim view of students.

BU usually has a large waitlist because, for good reasons, those who don't expect/plan on going into a high paying specialty take the responsible route and look at a state school which maybe be half the tuition in a cheaper city. Don't think that the higher tuition will buy you a better education, or even get you preferential treatment in the match. If you go to Harvard or UPenn, those are well respected and you may get a second look at your application, but BU simply doesn't have this brand name recognition being somewhat of a generic middle tier school.

Bottom Line:

If you only get into BU then you might as well go there, . . . but if you get into another school, (most likely a cheaper school with better clinicals) I would look at that option instead. Here are what I would describe as important points to consider:

1. BU's usmle scores: Average. As competition for residency spots increase going to a school with high usmle scores will help more than anything for some specialties.
2. BU's clinicals: Average. This is the general consensus of program directors, and despite what BU claims about having an "intense" third and fourth year, this doesn't translate into markedly better training. Propaganda? Probably.
3. BU was ranked in the very bottom of med schools for those considering doing clinical work that actually gives back to underserved populations, see the "Social Mission" rankings of medical schools.
4. BU has a sky high tuition which will take you a while to pay off and which can affect your career trajectory in negative ways.
5. BU's reputation didn't used to extended very far beyond boston's city limits, but the school has gained recent notoriety. Overall, BU appears to self-inflate their reputation to ludicrous heights.

While BU does have some good selling points, such as being located in boston for people who have family there or like the area, csujon I think exaggerated the school's positives and glossed over some pretty well known negatives.

 

[NYR56]

Renalization, I can't help but ask, how do you know all of this? Are you a current student at BU? Giving some background info on who you are will significantly add to the credibility of your (first) post.

 

[eagle34]

Renalization, I can't help but ask, how do you know all of this? Are you a current student at BU? Giving some background info on who you are will significantly add to the credibility of your (first) post.

I have the same question. Being a student there now on clinical rotations, I would agree that some attendings, especially in surgery, don't really care that much about students. But BU surgery residency program is also one of the most malignant surgery residencies in the country, so the attendings are on the residents cases too. However, I also don't really believe about the whole attending comments, since the "bad comments" are written in a specific section called "formative comments," which right there also says "NOT TO BE INCLUDED IN DEANS LETTER." Also, clerkship directors screen what is put on the final clerkship eval, and then, deans who write the letter further screen the comments. I sincerely doubt that the deans included bad comments on the dean's letter, which is meant to help the student and not hurt him or her during match.
Yes, BU is expensive, for several reasons, most of which have been explored in detail throughout the posts. Do students complain about the cost? Sure. But when you ask most of them if they would do it over again and have chosen a public state school, most would say no.
Yes, clinical years are tough, and sometimes it's hard to find your exact role, especially when you're tired from being in the hospital so much during surgery and medicine. But if you do surgery at the VA where there are Brigham residents, they will tell you how different you are from Harvard med students, for whom "clerkship" still means going to a lot of lectures, no pre-rounding, no writing notes on patients. Anyways, first 2 years of med school will be pretty much the same anywhere - no matter what, you have to study for Step I by yourself and you'll get out of it what you put in, no matter where you go. What separates BU from a lot of other hospitals around the country is being the largest and busiest Level I trauma center in New England, diversity of its patients from around the world, and just the crazy amount of cool diseases you'll see in your underserved patients who come in sometimes with final stages of their diseases, or rare diagnoses that you wouldn't see almost anywhere else.
I have no regrets about choosing BU.

 

[Renalization]

I would agree that some attendings, especially in surgery, don't really care that much about students. But BU surgery residency program is also one of the most malignant surgery residencies in the country, so the attendings are on the residents cases too.

What I've said about BU are pretty much known facts, meaning you can quantitate usmle scores, and the general reputation of BU grads is known to be about average among residency program directors. Not to say that average is really bad, but I just think it is ridiculous that BU really pumps a reputation for being "hardcore" in terms of what students experience, when the clinical experience and training isn't as good as is advertised.

I think that there is a certain malignancy associated with attendings in surgery, and in other clerkships, which makes a dramatically subpar educational experience for some. I wouldn't want to say who I know, but I've known some BU students who got slammed in their dean's letter regardless of the "formative comments" section, and it hurt them in the match. While it may not be an outright "you stink" type of comments filled under (tongue in check) constructive criticism, there are ways to imply things and produce a dean's letter which on the surface looks good but hurts students when they apply for the match. You need superlatives like "really shines" and "outstanding clinical skills" not just "satisfactory" and "good", or "not motivated for specialty x" when you are in fact applying for specialty x.

Ouch.

Tell me this, why is it that BU is about average on Step 2, yet they believe that their clinical experience is better than Harvard? This has to be some sort of hoax, or overly aggressively advertising campaign on BU's part.

You've said that BU has the busiest surgery department in the new england area. How many ORs exactly can you be in? If the attendings don't teach, come down "hard" on the students and residents, then what sort of experience is this? You can go do a surgery clerkship at a program which has a fair number of patients, and if you are aggressive and in the OR alot, then you will see a lot.

I saw a ton of surgery patients, OR cases, surgery clinic, everything, on my surgery clerkship, and it wasn't because it was the busiest trauma center in new england.

I don't know why, but some BU students have misrepresented their school on this forum in the past, saying that the school provides an education where you can get stellar step scores and such, and then later on we hear that the first and second year are the same everywhere.

I think most people would take Harvard over BU anyday, especially considering how draconian BU is with their students.

 

[Thom1986]

When I graduate I will be $175,000 in federal loan debt

This isn't the TOTAL debt, right? I was under the impression BU is about 70K per year, so four years would be closer to 280K (Maybe 300K in Boston w/outrageous living expenses). Where is that other 100K coming from?

Thanks for answers in advance.

 

[slowbutsteady]

I have the same question. Being a student there now on clinical rotations, I would agree that some attendings, especially in surgery, don't really care that much about students. But BU surgery residency program is also one of the most malignant surgery residencies in the country, so the attendings are on the residents cases too. However, I also don't really believe about the whole attending comments, since the "bad comments" are written in a specific section called "formative comments," which right there also says "NOT TO BE INCLUDED IN DEANS LETTER." Also, clerkship directors screen what is put on the final clerkship eval, and then, deans who write the letter further screen the comments. I sincerely doubt that the deans included bad comments on the dean's letter, which is meant to help the student and not hurt him or her during match.
Yes, BU is expensive, for several reasons, most of which have been explored in detail throughout the posts. Do students complain about the cost? Sure. But when you ask most of them if they would do it over again and have chosen a public state school, most would say no.
Yes, clinical years are tough, and sometimes it's hard to find your exact role, especially when you're tired from being in the hospital so much during surgery and medicine. But if you do surgery at the VA where there are Brigham residents, they will tell you how different you are from Harvard med students, for whom "clerkship" still means going to a lot of lectures, no pre-rounding, no writing notes on patients. Anyways, first 2 years of med school will be pretty much the same anywhere - no matter what, you have to study for Step I by yourself and you'll get out of it what you put in, no matter where you go. What separates BU from a lot of other hospitals around the country is being the largest and busiest Level I trauma center in New England, diversity of its patients from around the world, and just the crazy amount of cool diseases you'll see in your underserved patients who come in sometimes with final stages of their diseases, or rare diagnoses that you wouldn't see almost anywhere else.
I have no regrets about choosing BU.

What he said.

 

[eagle34]

What he said.

slowbutsteady, you want to respond to this dude's last comments about "BU's hoax" and "busiest surgery department?" Got to get up for medicine tomorrow morning so really not feeling like arguing with someone on a friday night.