Boston University MA in Medical Sciences

[GoodDoc]

Hello, everyone:
Does anyone know of this program? I think it's one year program and I am thinking about applying for it. I heard that it's very competitive. When will be a good time to apply for this program? Is there any financial aid available for out-of state student like me? Any suggestions or thoughts are greatly appreciated.

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[gower]

BU has one of the earliest, if not the first, postbac program in the US. I don't know who is heading it up, but try asking the pre-medical advisor there. Dr. Glen Zamansky. 617/353-4866.
[email protected]

 

[GoodDoc]

thanks, I call him up to check it out. I try to apply for this program asap eventhough it 's quite expensive and competitive.

 

[tufts02]

my friend is in that program right now and she absolutely hates it. i mean if you like the competitive thing then go for it...but she's taking med school classes and she has to score really high b/c she is graded while all the med students are just pass/fail. so for the students in the program itself its really ultra competitive b/c there are only a few spots reserved for students from the program at BU med. getting into the program itself isnt THAT competitive though.

 

[GoodDoc]

does anyone know if the number of students get accepted at Bu school of medicine via this master program?Also, they required gre score. Did anyone get in without taking GRE but have taken mcat instead ? I thought you can finish the program in one year and 2 summers doing the master thesis. Any input on this thread is greatly appreciated.

 

[tufts02]

i don't know the exact number but i could find out..my friend at the moment is stressing about an exam she has on monday (veteran's day). she took mcats and not gres...and she's planning on going to med school in 2004 so yea you can finish in a year and two summers. she really doesnt like the program though...just thought you might want some inside perspective...although indirect

 

[Dr. Wall$treet]

hi my freinds is in it right noaw as well. he needeed it to boost a low undergrad gpa. He had like a 2.8 and a 24 mcat and got in i belive if ur loking for exact stats. He is a really smart guy, just messed round undergrad. BUt he says it is a TON of work but he is succeeding just need to put tim in. Yes it sucks but so does med school! I thikn he mentioned that 30 percent of BU med class comes from the program. yes and he is doing it in a year. Good luck

 

[ItNeverEnds]

I was accepted to the MA in Medical Sciences program at BU Medical but my pre-med advisor told me not to enter it. Students with sub-par GPAs and MCATs/GREs typically enter the program. If you are a borderline applicant (3.1-3.4 GPA range; 23-28 MCAT), you're better off taking additional science courses in a post-baccalaureate program and re-taking the MCAT. The MA in Medical Sciences program at BU Medical will put you in courses with other medical students and MA students, and you will be evaluated on a GRADED basis (MA students are evaluated separately from medical students). Yes, there is a curve, but many of the students (I have three friends in the program) are "gunners" who study like mad because this is their last shot at getting into medical school. This creates a highly competitive atmosphere.

The program also requires you to complete a thesis, which extends the duration of the program. In fact, when I spoke to Dr. Broitman, one of the directors of the program, he said that MA students spent one year taking courses, and another year working on their theses and preparing for the MCAT. So you're in for two years, at approximately $35,000/year tuition + cost of living in Boston which is NOT CHEAP!

As far as students getting in, the school has a pretty good acceptance rate which hangs around 90% -- students get into allopathic and osteopathic medical schools. Others students pursue dentistry, PhDs, etc. As for students getting into BU Medical, I remember hearing that the top 20-30% of the MA students actually get accepted there. The rest usually get in somewhere else, as described above.

In sum, I would not recommend the program unless you've tried every other option -- applying to MD and DO programs and not succeeding, doing a post-bacc program and not doing very well, repeatedly bombing the MCAT, etc. When asked about his thoughts on MA programs in Medical Sciences, my pre-med advisor, who has been advising pre-meds for over 40 years, replied "they're brutal and expensive."

Here's a link for more info:

http://155.41.250.49/Catalog/medsci/intro.htm