2016-2017 Harvard Medical School Application Thread

Started by WedgeDawg
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Probably the nicest rejection letter (Pre-II) I've received this cycle. Congratulations to all who were accepted!
 
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Any current students here know if Harvard has protected study time for step 1 in the new curriculum? From the schedule online, it seems as if step 1 studying occurs at the same time as advanced experiences and scholarly project. Also, any info about what you like and don't like about the new curriculum is greatly appreciated. Thanks!
 
Denied yesterday morning. I just thank God for the opportunity to be considered. Congrats to all who were accepted!!! 🙂
 
crepes said:
No one has yet taken the Step in the new curriculum. That said, we were told that 3rd and 4th year schedules are very flexible. It depends on you how much time you want to devote to Step 1 studying and you will get up to 2 months to study for it.

I think the new curriculum is the best thing about HMS. There were some minor issues with the way anatomy, microbiology, and cancer sessions were taught (mostly textbook readings, as opposed to videos that we became so accustomed to), but they are fixing them by next year. In class sessions are a great motivator to stay on top of your work and contribute to small group and/or class discussions. You get to know the classmates in your society VERY well because you see them for 4.5 hours every day. That said, a lot of my friends are in the other three societies. The fact that we are free after 12:30 4 times a week allows us to continue and/or explore interests outside of class.
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Thanks a lot for taking the time to explain all of this! So from my understanding, there is a lot of prep that is required before class (videos, readings, etc). So even though classes end at 12:30, is there enough time to explore other interests since you do need to do very thorough preparation for class? I don't expect medical school to be easy, but just want to make sure students can have good school/life balance. Thanks!
 
dr. sushi roll said:
Thanks a lot for taking the time to explain all of this! So from my understanding, there is a lot of prep that is required before class (videos, readings, etc). So even though classes end at 12:30, is there enough time to explore other interests since you do need to do very thorough preparation for class? I don't expect medical school to be easy, but just want to make sure students can have good school/life balance. Thanks!
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There is definitely time for work/life balance! Many of my classmates have commented that they feel less busy than they did in undergrad even. Many courses give the prep work a week in advance, so you can get ahead on the weekend and take off several afternoons during the week. Prep work also generally takes anywhere from 2-6 hours, depending on your background in the subject, how in-depth you go through it, and how quickly you understand information on a first pass. Prep work is intended to be a first pass through the information, you aren't supposed to go into class the next day as an expert by any means. Professors suggest you take notes, write down questions, and come prepared to discuss with your classmates.

As for work/life balance: I never work on Friday afternoons or Saturdays and I haven't run into any issues so far. I also have managed to take on a research project in the afternoons during the week. There's plenty of time during the weeks to explore volunteering, research, or to simply maintain a healthy lifestyle (working out, eating right, doing your laundry, etc.). Hope that answered your question, feel free to ask more if you have any!

Also congrats to the new admits!! Hope you all took a moment to celebrate 🙂
 
anonymoose1640 said:
There is definitely time for work/life balance! Many of my classmates have commented that they feel less busy than they did in undergrad even. Many courses give the prep work a week in advance, so you can get ahead on the weekend and take off several afternoons during the week. Prep work also generally takes anywhere from 2-6 hours, depending on your background in the subject, how in-depth you go through it, and how quickly you understand information on a first pass. Prep work is intended to be a first pass through the information, you aren't supposed to go into class the next day as an expert by any means. Professors suggest you take notes, write down questions, and come prepared to discuss with your classmates.

As for work/life balance: I never work on Friday afternoons or Saturdays and I haven't run into any issues so far. I also have managed to take on a research project in the afternoons during the week. There's plenty of time during the weeks to explore volunteering, research, or to simply maintain a healthy lifestyle (working out, eating right, doing your laundry, etc.). Hope that answered your question, feel free to ask more if you have any!

Also congrats to the new admits!! Hope you all took a moment to celebrate 🙂
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Thanks! Your input really helps. Can you speak to the volunteering opportunities available such as free clinics or programs to help underserved and vulnerable populations? I couldn't find too much of that on the website.
 
dr. sushi roll said:
Thanks! Your input really helps. Can you speak to the volunteering opportunities available such as free clinics or programs to help underserved and vulnerable populations? I couldn't find too much of that on the website.
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Of course! I'll list of few of the opportunities here but I'm sure I will miss some, so hopefully some of my classmates on here can chime in and add some more.
Here's a short list:
Non-medical:
HPREP - this is a program that helps expose underprivileged high school students to science and medicine. You can volunteer to be a mentor (1 on 1) to students, teach classes, and/or help run the whole program.
Mission Crimson - another opportunity to mentor underprivileged students, this time at a local middle school. You can help them with their homework, help prepare them for high school entrance exams, and also play with them (basketball, ultimate, etc.) after school.
All Ears - an opportunity for you to go to BIDMC floors and simply make small talk and chat with patients who haven't had many visitors and may be feeling lonely.
Boston Health Care for the Homeless - you can volunteer here in a multitude of capacities, whether that's in a medical sense or not. There's no formal program set up (yet!) but they are always looking for helping hands

Medical:
Family Van - an opportunity for you to hop on the Harvard mobile clinic and go directly to an underserved neighborhood and provide care to patients where they feel most comfortable.
Cambridge Care Collaborative (CCC) - this is the free clinic run by Harvard that has a variety of different sites throughout the Greater Boston Area, you get matched to a site and you go 1x a week or more (depending on your schedule and when the clinic is held) and provide free care to Boston's neediest with the help of attendings, premed undergrads, medical students, nurses, and more.

I'm sure I'm missing opportunities and if a program doesn't exist at HMS or at Harvard in general, there's always ways to secure a bit of funding to help you set up a new program. Hope that helps 🙂
 
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anonymoose1640 said:
Of course! I'll list of few of the opportunities here but I'm sure I will miss some, so hopefully some of my classmates on here can chime in and add some more.
Here's a short list:
Non-medical:
HPREP - this is a program that helps expose underprivileged high school students to science and medicine. You can volunteer to be a mentor (1 on 1) to students, teach classes, and/or help run the whole program.
Mission Crimson - another opportunity to mentor underprivileged students, this time at a local middle school. You can help them with their homework, help prepare them for high school entrance exams, and also play with them (basketball, ultimate, etc.) after school.
All Ears - an opportunity for you to go to BIDMC floors and simply make small talk and chat with patients who haven't had many visitors and may be feeling lonely.
Boston Health Care for the Homeless - you can volunteer here in a multitude of capacities, whether that's in a medical sense or not. There's no formal program set up (yet!) but they are always looking for helping hands

Medical:
Family Van - an opportunity for you to hop on the Harvard mobile clinic and go directly to an underserved neighborhood and provide care to patients where they feel most comfortable.
Cambridge Care Collaborative (CCC) - this is the free clinic run by Harvard that has a variety of different sites throughout the Greater Boston Area, you get matched to a site and you go 1x a week or more (depending on your schedule and when the clinic is held) and provide free care to Boston's neediest with the help of attendings, premed undergrads, medical students, nurses, and more.

I'm sure I'm missing opportunities and if a program doesn't exist at HMS or at Harvard in general, there's always ways to secure a bit of funding to help you set up a new program. Hope that helps 🙂
Click to expand...

That sounds great! Thanks for all the info!
 
Thank you so much for all the very helpful information, anonymoose! It really is super appreciated!

Do you, or any other current Pathways students that would like to chime in, have any comments on the effectiveness of the type of PBL/small group work at HMS? And do you find that though the pre-clinical time is relatively "condensed", you feel adequately prepared for step 1?

I hope this is the right place to ask!


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile
 
This was probably the kindest and most optimistic rejection email I have received. Not absurdly apologetic like BU or rude and dismissive like SUNY Stony Brook. It was thoughtful and a nice balance of respectful honesty and optimism.
 
I did not apply in the last cycle, but Harvard is potentially the highest reach school for me for this upcoming cycle. I say potentially because there's a chance I might not apply at all...

Now, to the point, I know that Harvard gets a ton of well qualified applicants who apply early every year. The problem I am facing is that I am a non-trad applicant and my original plan was to take the MCAT in May 19 (score released June 20). However, the more I study, the less confident I feel about the MCAT, so I am thinking about postponing it to at least June 1 (score released July 6) or even June 19 (score released July 18). I am trying my best to stick to May 19th schedule, but with school final coming up along with hospital work, postponing may be needed. Would I be too late for applying to Harvard if my score is sent on 7/18 and my application is complete past mid-July? What are the chances of getting an interview from Harvard when your app is complete in July? (My primary should be complete by no later than 6/25, but verification may take some time). I would love some insight from last year's applicants. Thank you so much in advance.
 
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