Boston University 2007

[kouhiiko]

Hey everyone.

I would be interested in hearing from people accepted by/considering BU for next year.

I had a good interview experience there, and there are a lot of things about the school I really like, and I think that I could be really happy there, if it is where I decide to go. I was thrilled when I received news of my acceptance. My main concern is the cost of attendance.

What percentage of you are sold on BU, even with the pricetag? For those of you who feel uncertain, is the cost of attendance your strongest reason for hesitating, or are there other reasons?

I know this is supposed to be the class thread. This is not intended to be a BU vs. (insert other school here); instead, I would like to hear back from folks who are really excited (and why), or hesitant (and why) about going to BU. I am seriously considering the school, and would like to hear back from other people who are also considering BU....

Thanks.

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[MaiPenRai]

I am quite concerned about the cost, as well. Also, I wasn't too happy with the neighborhood. Blah, blah, all med schools are in bad neighborhoods...but I was still scared there. I think it's just because there weren't many people on the streets after dark? I have to look into this a bit more, I guess. Also, it worried me that they kept talking about financial aid...almost like we wouldn't get quite enough? Maybe they were just being more forthright than other schools I interviewed at. And there is no subsidized housing. Market value housing is SO expensive! Those are the downsides.

Upsides? Boston is awesome, and it is reportedly a pretty good school. I didn't meet any students (that I recall) so I guess I can't comment on that...

Other people's thoughts?

 

[kbear12]

Hey guys,

I was also recently accepted. I think the area is kind of up and coming, so I am not too worried about that... and I'm used to city living. And I loved Boston Medical Center and think it would be a great place to train.

I am with you both though on the high costs and the housing issue. Finding our own place in Boston would be enormously expensive and I'm weary of financial aid as well. But I did like the school and the students I met. I think it's a great option for me, but of course will have to wait to see what financial aid offers and that will be weighed against other acceptances. I'm really excited about the acceptance right now... I'll start thinking about the finances soon....

 

[SpiresAAC]

I really liked BU when I interviewed, although I haven't even come close to making my final decision about going there (I was accepted). I'm not so worried about the cost...simply because the other medical schools I am considering are about the same in tuition and cost of living. Are you guys thinking about state schools?

My only big worry is that I don't know a lot of people in Boston. I live in NYC right now, went to school in DC, originally from San Francisco...but don't know Boston very well. What do you guys think of Boston? Any other concerns/reservations about the school?

 

[sendwich]

could anyone clarify why bu is considered pricy? it seems like there are a lot more schools that would fall under "pricy", like wayne ($73K OOS including living costs) and couple other schools. isn't this way more than BU's $?

 

[kbear12]

just giving a bump. i know more people won't be accepted for a while. but have any of you first rounders made a decision yet? A student called to tell my 2nd look would be the weekend of April 28.

 

[Tatowedges]

Hi all, just wanted to drop by and introduce myself! There is a good chance I will attend BU next fall.

One of my concerns is the transportation actually. BU isn't close to any of the subway lines. Either I would have to live very close to the school, or I will have to walk (heard the area isn't too safe for that) or I might have to drive. Driving in Boston sounds like a nightmare.

Does anyone know about feasibility of biking near BU?

 

[deleted128318]

The silver line of the T drops off on Mass Ave. two blocks from campus. The public transportation (despite what a lot of people on this site seem to think) to the med school is really convenient.

 

[VandyXGirl]

Hi all, just wanted to drop by and introduce myself! There is a good chance I will attend BU next fall.

One of my concerns is the transportation actually. BU isn't close to any of the subway lines. Either I would have to live very close to the school, or I will have to walk (heard the area isn't too safe for that) or I might have to drive. Driving in Boston sounds like a nightmare.

Does anyone know about feasibility of biking near BU?

They addressed this issue on my tour. While there is no subway train stop, there is a bus stop (also part of the "T") right in the middle of the campus that goes to the subway train. The main problem I had with the public transportation is that it stops running at 1am (I think) or rather early for a big city. This is a problem during 3rd/4th year when you are often on-call past 1am but before 5am when the subway starts running again. Basically, it seems as if you have to get a car for these two years, which is not included in your financial aid calculations. Anyone have any thoughts on this?

 

[Tatowedges]

A current student called me too and from our chat I got the sense that the area isn't too shabby. While it was unsafe in the past, it is up and coming and pretty decent now.

It is true that the silver line runs by the school, but the silver line also doesn't seem to extend very far across the city. Also, I would be pretty unhappy waiting in single-digit weather for the bus. Of course I've never lived in Boston so I don't really know if these are real concerns.

Overall, I loved Boston (the city) and would be really happy there. I have to say I was very impressed with the cohesiveness of the student body and the faculty of BU. I came out of a (very) large public university and I am craving some personal attention and support!

In response to the question about 3rd and 4th year - I would probably just live out of the city so I can afford to keep a car for rotations.

 

[sendwich]

aside from the subway/buses that are all part of the T, there's the BU shuttle that runs from the main campus all the way to the med campus (if you're not into living in the area near BUSM). It's free and come by every 30 minutes, which is pretty convenient. Instead of the run-down feel near Roxbury/South end, it's closer to the undergrad BU campus and has more things going on and has a more "friendly" atmosphere, I think.

 

[Tatowedges]

aside from the subway/buses that are all part of the T, there's the BU shuttle that runs from the main campus all the way to the med campus (if you're not into living in the area near BUSM). It's free and come by every 30 minutes, which is pretty convenient. Instead of the run-down feel near Roxbury/South end, it's closer to the undergrad BU campus and has more things going on and has a more "friendly" atmosphere, I think.

I like that idea sendwich

Anyone know the current grading system at BU? Specifically are grade distribution based on percentage correct on the tests or based on a curve? Also, are students ranked by the school after third year? I hear most schools rank even if classes are P/F.

 

[fugazism]

do we have a set date for second look weekend?

 

[Tatowedges]

do we have a set date for second look weekend?

I remember hearing April 28. And by the way I think you have good taste in music

 

[sendwich]

Anyone know the current grading system at BU? Specifically are grade distribution based on percentage correct on the tests or based on a curve? Also, are students ranked by the school after third year? I hear most schools rank even if classes are P/F.

hey tatowedges -

grades (or rather, P/F status) are distributed by percentage of questions you get right....but i'm not sure about the rest

 

[fugazism]

I remember hearing April 28. And by the way I think you have good taste in music

thanks. hopefully i will see you there.

 

[sliplikespace]

Since I live in Boston now, I'll throw in my .02 on the city. Honestly, it's the main reason I'm still considering BU... I absolutely love it here. The south end is very up-and-coming and is known for its diversity and quaint neighborhoods.

My reservations have more to do with the curriculum... One of my tour guides admitted that his first 2 years at BU were "miserable"... Does that make anyone else a little uneasy? haha
I'm liking the streamlined feel of the program at Case (a systems-based curriculum)... and I didn't hear the word "miserable" once there

Did anyone else get a feel for what the average BU student is like?

 

[fugazism]

i dont really feel like there is an average BU student because they all come from different pathways. For example, a portion of the students have already taken histology through some other program and thus do not have to take it with anatomy. Others have to take both concurrently.

That really struck me as different from other schools.

 

[Tatowedges]

I am concerned about the various pathways as to how BU admits students. The portion of the class that comes from BU undergrad or BU's masters program seem to think med school is pretty manageable.

I'm afraid since I am not nearly as versed with the way BU does things, it will be a much harder transition, especially academically. At other med schools, there seem to be a more even playing field.

 

[SpiresAAC]

Does anyone have a link to BU's match list?

 

[popbirch]

http://www.bumc.bu.edu/Dept/Content.aspx?DepartmentID=42&PageID=2800

There is a link to the past 5 years match lists.

I can comment on P/F system as well. We are entirely pass/fail the first year and h/p/f the final three. I am actually unaware of how the ranking system works here, but I have talked to residency directors for surgery that say your first year grades and class rank are nearly meaningless as long as you pass. The big things are Honors in third year and a good step I score. I don't know how other specialities view ranks and grades though.

 

[kbear12]

thanks for posting, popbirch! any thoughts on how the diff pathways affect your classes and the student dynamics? What sold you on BU??

 

[popbirch]

I don't think that the different paths affected my classes very much. Most of the people I know and hang out with were from a different path like the GMS program or the seven year program. Most of them have different levels of the classes they have taken so they are pretty diverse in terms of what they have to take as well. I don't really even notice whether or not some one was from a different path. Everybody is really cool, we all hang out and go out pretty frequently, so I don't think it has effected the classes or the social atmosphere.

So I chose BU because I liked the city and I liked the built in early clinical exposure. We get to put our white coats on in the first few weeks and see a few patients very early on. I need that to remind me why I go learn things out of book, so that was a big deal to me. Boston is a cool city too, but mainly I just wanted to be in a big city so it fit the bill for me. I also liked how the school was a little more leaning towards the socialized care side of the debate. In fact we just had a sponsored debate between an economist and the co-founder of Physicians for a national health program. So I wanted to be trained in an environment that has national health issues in mind and is working towards fixing the healthcare problems in the country and I think BU is part of that.
I didn't mind too much about money because the other options I had were a similar cost (+/- 2-4K). I didn't look too much at step I passing because I just assume that any personal effort on exams outweighs what any teacher or school can do. I took a look at those match lists and mostly looked at the hospitals that BU was matching into, not necessarily what specialties, and they seem to put a lot of students into some really good hospitals.

So that was part of my reasoning, good luck with your decisions, and feel free to ask any more questions.