2023 Charles R. Drew University-Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences

[blonde-latina]

I want to start this thread since I have not seen so much about this program.
I was a student, and it is an excellent program with many research opportunities. The courseload is 75%basically the first year of medical school. The professors are amazing and really care for the students.
They also provide stipends if you are a part of some initiatives such as substance abuse research training programs (SART), Cancer research, and an Enrichment Program in Biomedical Sciences. In addition, they support students attendance to scientific conferences and pre-med conferences. They also provide MCAT prep and preparation for interviews.
It is a great one-year-long program. They also offer to do an accelerated MPH after completing the MSBMS
Ask me if you have any questions about the program.

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[lafuturadoctora]

I want to start this thread since I have not seen so much about this program.
I was a student, and it is an excellent program with many research opportunities. The courseload is 75%basically the first year of medical school. The professors are amazing and really care for the students.
They also provide stipends if you are a part of some initiatives such as substance abuse research training programs (SART), Cancer research, and an Enrichment Program in Biomedical Sciences. In addition, they support students attendance to scientific conferences and pre-med conferences. They also provide MCAT prep and preparation for interviews.
It is a great one-year-long program. They also offer to do an accelerated MPH after completing the MSBMS
Ask me if you have any questions about the program.

Hi. Thanks for creating this thread. I do have a couple of questions as I was reviewing the website, can you tell me how the coursework in the MSBMS program varies from the post-bacc program at CDU? Also can you share more about the Enrichment Program, what are the benefits of joining?

 

[blonde-latina]

Hi. Thanks for creating this thread. I do have a couple of questions as I was reviewing the website, can you tell me how the coursework in the MSBMS program varies from the post-bacc program at CDU? Also can you share more about the Enrichment Program, what are the benefits of joining?

Thank you for your questions.
The coursework in the MSBMS program is graduate-level courses that prepare you for medical school and other health professions—in addition to intensive research experience. At the end of the program, you get a degree that would allow you to work if you don't get into medical school. In the post-bacc program, you take undergraduate-level courses, and you will receive a certificate. It is not a degree.
The enrichment program is a new initiative that is an add-on to the master program. This program exposes students to a career in biotech, biopharma, and biomedical research. Students receive 1:1 mentorship with industry professionals; they have professional development workshops such as resume building, interview skills, and emotional intelligence. Research skills workshops, such as experimental design, stats, etc., complement the courses in the master's program. Students visit biotech companies, do summer internships, and attend scientific, pre-medical, and technological conferences. Moreover, to be part of the program, students get a stipend that can reduce the cost of tuition. It is an excellent opportunity for students that get exposed to other pathways.
It is an excellent program with many opportunities, and the fact that CDU opened a 4-year medical school is a great pipeline for medical school.

 

[lafuturadoctora]

Great, thank you for your responses. I plan on on applying to the MSBMS program. I really like how the coursework will prepare me for the medical school curriculum. The enrichment program is also very promising since I am interested in pursing research. Very excited to hear CDU will be opening their medical school and will eventually have a pipeline.

 

[MyKnee Hurting]

What's the distinction between this and the post-bacc leadership program CDU is doing? Their site is honestly a bit confusing and not very organized.

 

[blonde-latina]

Great, thank you for your responses. I plan on on applying to the MSBMS program. I really like how the coursework will prepare me for the medical school curriculum. The enrichment program is also very promising since I am interested in pursing research. Very excited to hear CDU will be opening their medical school and will eventually have a pipeline.

If you want to know more about the program, I heard there is an information session on Thursday, May 11th,at 5 pm PT. You can attend and learn more about this program.

What's the distinction between this and the post-bacc leadership program CDU is doing? Their site is honestly a bit confusing and not very organized.

The website is not very user-friendly, but the professors in the program are exceptional and genuinely care about their students. As for the distinction between the post-baccalaureate program in leadership and the MSBMS program, the post bacc involves taking undergraduate-level classes that may include repeating certain courses or taking new upper-division courses to increase the GPA. Upon completion, participants receive a certificate rather than a degree. This program is mainly geared towards GPA enhancers and re-applicants to medical school. Last year only accepted few students.
Personally, I found that the MSBMS option was a better fit for me as it prepared me well for my first year of medical school, and it is very research extensive, which was something missing on my application. The MSBMS program also offer MCAT preparation and in comparison, it less expensive than the post-bacc. The MSBMS program was ranked # 1 as the best biomedical science program by bestvalueschools.org. The professors were so happy when they found out. Let me know if you have any more questions.

 

[OCcalistud18]

I want to start this thread since I have not seen so much about this program.
I was a student, and it is an excellent program with many research opportunities. The courseload is 75%basically the first year of medical school. The professors are amazing and really care for the students.
They also provide stipends if you are a part of some initiatives such as substance abuse research training programs (SART), Cancer research, and an Enrichment Program in Biomedical Sciences. In addition, they support students attendance to scientific conferences and pre-med conferences. They also provide MCAT prep and preparation for interviews.
It is a great one-year-long program. They also offer to do an accelerated MPH after completing the MSBMS
Ask me if you have any questions about the program.

I agree with all of this. Also a former student. But I'm going to be 100% honest, if I were to do it all again, i would not have joined this program. It's extremely expensive for what is offered. I joined because I thought you would get an edge for medical school. I found that this was not the case as most admission committees questioned the value of my degree from CDU when applying. It is important to understand that no master's degree will really help you get into medical school because it does not increase your overall undergraduate GPA. IMO it is better to join the CDU postbacc program due to the guaranteed interview at UCLA and the fact that you can complete many of the medical school prerequisites. I'm not sure if people know but medical school prerequisites expire. Some schools don't consider them after 5 years others after 10 etc. Each school has their own policy. A lot of the students from my cohort did not get into medical school. The ones that did get accepted would have gotten in regardless of this program. Although I eventually did get accepted into medical school, i credit that to my postbacc program that I had completed before. My suggestion to any students out there is to join a postbacc or smp with a direct linkage. You can look at Drexel, Temple, Westernu, SIU MEDPREP or other programs just by doing a basic search. There's also the MS program at SCUHS which is cheaper, much more flexible, and can be completed faster. Or you can create your own informal postbacc program by completing classes at a community college or another university extension program. Try to minimize your debt. Good luck to everyone out there!

 

[mdboundstudent25]

I was a previous student in the MBS program and for me it was excellent. It looks like some like it and others maybe not. First, the program is currently the best in the United States based on this survey beating out other well-known programs. see earlier comment. Best 17 Masters in Biomedical Sciences Programs in 2023 - Best Value Schools
The program is one year and you end up with a Masters degree. The way I look at it, if you have one it won't hurt and it will probably set you apart from those who don't. We need every advantage we can get.
The MBS program has a set of classes similar to 1st year of med school. I've been told it makes the first year easier which makes sense.
The program also has a lot of research. Some students excel at it and some less so but it is a way of getting plenty of research and mentoring.