Boston University MAMS 2014-2015

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
Do the 1-year if you're pretty much all set with research experience and will be applying while you are starting MAMS. Otherwise, you'll have a year of nothing between finishing MAMS and medical school. The 2nd-year allows you to write a research thesis that goes towards your grades (which can be good), whereas the lit thesis at the end of year 1 is only pass-fail. Also, at the end of second semester, the last thing I wanted to do was write a huge paper.
"
It does not matter much that your thesis is for grades because you will be graded in May of your second year.... two months before your matriculate to a medical school. It MAY help you get off a waitlist.

"Word of warning: work your damn tail off and find a good group to study with. Don't be a loner. If you study alone, you run the risk of being overly confident in the material. Studying with others in moderation will always help you judge what you know and don't know. It's also better to commiserate about things with someone's who's also going through this stuff. By the way, this WILL strain your relationship with your significant other."
I disagree with this. The main point is to find a study method that works for you ,and this may mean that you prefer to study alone. There are online resources where you can ask questions if needed and they get answered very promptly. The only place I would strongly recommend working as a team is during histology lab.

Finding a good study group is very hard, so do not fret if you cant find the right one.

Also, the straining relationship part is kinda blown out of proportion as well.

Members don't see this ad.
 
Last edited:
Hi. I graduated from MAMS and I just want to let you all know that I do not recommend this program to everyone. I want to urge you all to chose a program with actual linkage unless you are URM or have a GPA =>3.3 and mcat >30.
 
Last edited:
Hi. I graduated from MAMS and I just want to let you all know that I do not recommend this program to everyone. I want to urge you all to chose a program with actual linkage unless you are URM or have a GPA =>3.3 and mcat >30.

hold the phone, about to start my second semester. I'm in too deep to turn back.

Do you mind sharing your stats (UG & MAMS)? What schools have you applied to? Have you had any luck yet?

Thank you!
 
Members don't see this ad :)
I just looked at your other posts. You clearly have stats above the ones I just said you need. Calm down.
but to answer the question:
It's not like a gpa <3.3 or MCAT <30 will end you. You still have a chance if you do well in MAMS, but mainly only if you are one of the following:
you went to an Ivy for undergrad
you're URM
you're not from california - (unless you went to UC Davis or are from the inland empire- that would help with UC Davis and UCR)
you only apply to DO schools and do significant DO shadowing first (don't listen to your advisers if they say you don't need to)
 
Last edited:
Hi. I graduated from MAMS and I just want to let you all know that I do not recommend this program to everyone. I want to urge you all to chose a program with actual linkage unless you are URM or have a GPA =>3.3 and mcat >30.

What other SMPs would you recommend over MAMS? Also, when you say GPA do you mean overall or BPCM? Thank you.
 
I would recommend anything with a formal linkage.
That gpa is something I'm just guestimating from my experience. I haven't done statistical analysis or anything. I do mean overall but basically you want you science gpa to be not much lower either.

Obviosuly anyone reading this is in the program now and I'm just posting this so you know to apply to all the DO schools if you have low entering stats no matter what GDO tells you you're competitive for.
 
I would recommend anything with a formal linkage.
That gpa is something I'm just guestimating from my experience. I haven't done statistical analysis or anything. I do mean overall but basically you want you science gpa to be not much lower either.

Obviosuly anyone reading this is in the program now and I'm just posting this so you know to apply to all the DO schools if you have low entering stats no matter what GDO tells you you're competitive for.

Well what do you mean by formal linkage? A couple examples?

I found this on the the MAMS admissions website: "Additionally, MAMS students receive facilitated consideration for admission to BUSM and, each year, approximately 25-30 students are accepted." That's not formal linkage, but they do give MAMS students a boost. Or do you mean the Temple ACMS program? I think that a program like that is rare and hard to get into right?
 
I do mean programs like Temple..i don't know anything about them since I didn't go to one. There are a few others- go do your homework. search the forums. Maybe EVMS? Maybe Drexel? Maybe RFU? I don't know.

Anything that gives you a real agreement instead of empty- non-committal BS, is better than MAMS.
 
Hi. I graduated from MAMS and I just want to let you all know that I do not recommend this program to everyone. I want to urge you all to chose a program with actual linkage unless you are URM or have a GPA =>3.3 and mcat >30.
How did you do in the program?

I do not think any school guarantees linkage, the only one that does requires a med school waitlist I believe.
 
very, very well. same with mcat.

some schools have better linkage. look into it.
 
Last edited:
As a current second year MAMS student, I couldn't speak more positively about the program. Full disclosure - I've been deferred until March for my admissions decision.

I believe that the MAMS program provides a unique way to bolster your credentials for admission into medical school. It is not, nor should it be, an easy path for acceptance. It will not wipe away your past performance, and it is no replacement for prior experiences or academic history.

It is, however, incredibly rich with opportunity for success and personal growth. Yes, it's arduous, and it may seem overwhelming at times - but it's worth it.

Indeed, if you wish to apply to a program with a 'better linkage', then as sadsallyfromboston said, you should go for it. I, however, wouldn't change my choice regardless of the outcome of this cycle. I know that I worked for my grades and wasn't given any special treatment or handouts because of it. There's not the slightest doubt in my mind that my application was evaluated completely and fairly, just like those from any other applicant in the pool. BUSM selects students based on the applicant's fit with the school - not on whether or not they did the MAMS program. My advantage? I am in the process of finishing up a well-regarded and rigorous post-bacc program, and BUSM has known about my scores and performance throughout.
 
As a current second year MAMS student, I couldn't speak more positively about the program. Full disclosure - I've been deferred until March for my admissions decision.

I believe that the MAMS program provides a unique way to bolster your credentials for admission into medical school. It is not, nor should it be, an easy path for acceptance. It will not wipe away your past performance, and it is no replacement for prior experiences or academic history.

It is, however, incredibly rich with opportunity for success and personal growth. Yes, it's arduous, and it may seem overwhelming at times - but it's worth it.

Indeed, if you wish to apply to a program with a 'better linkage', then as sadsallyfromboston said, you should go for it. I, however, wouldn't change my choice regardless of the outcome of this cycle. I know that I worked for my grades and wasn't given any special treatment or handouts because of it. There's not the slightest doubt in my mind that my application was evaluated completely and fairly, just like those from any other applicant in the pool. BUSM selects students based on the applicant's fit with the school - not on whether or not they did the MAMS program. My advantage? I am in the process of finishing up a well-regarded and rigorous post-bacc program, and BUSM has known about my scores and performance throughout.
 
I am also a current second year MAMS student and I would like to share with you all my honest opinion about the quality of this program and its ability to positively impact the future of many students aspiring to become medical doctors.

I am personally extremely satisfied to have chosen BU MAMS instead of any other program. Here, I have found faculty members who have always committed to their students and done an exquisite job preparing us for our MCATs and future medical education. Classes and curriculum have been designed in order to help you master your knowledge in the biomedical sciences and become a more mature student. After this experience you will be able to successfully manipulate and apply scientific information/data, thus you will have the tools to ace the MCAT and be able to achieve your dream of being admitted to medical school.

I would like to remind everyone that the purpose of this program is to help you prepare successfully and be accepted to any medical school in the country, not necessarily BU Med. I was able myself to be accepted to 2 different medical schools this year, and I truly could have not achieve this goal without the SUPPORT, TEACHING AND ADVISING of the BU MAMS program.

With this note, I hope that you seriously consider applying to this excellent program. It is a great investment for your future and it can indeed change your life.
 
Members don't see this ad :)
I would like to point out that these two positive reviews are full of fluff and non-tangiables. I agree that it's a good educational experience and that I grew from the program.
But I merely want to point out that if your stats are really low, you probably won't get the RESULTS the program advertises... for those of you interested in an MD/ DO more than warm and fuzzy memories ...
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
I would like to point out that these two positive reviews are full of fluff and non-tangiables. I agree that it's a good educational experience and that I grew from the program.
But I merely want to point out that if your stats are really low, you probably won't get the RESULTS the program advertises... for those of you interested in an MD/ DO more than warm and fuzzy memories ...

If your stats really are that low, then regardless of what program you enter you will fare poorly, no matter what 'ties'.
 
Last edited:
If your stats really are that low, then regardless of what program you enter you will fare poorly, no matter what 'ties'.
Yes which is why I made my initial reccomendation that if you have a gpa <3.3 or mcat <30ish witout being urm/ access to a state school/ or some other major caviat- you shouldn't do MAMS
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
As a second year MAMS student and as a student representative for the MAMS program, I’d like to take a second to address some of the things that have been said in this thread. While everyone is entitled to their own opinion, I feel as though some of the information being spread here is either false or biased. No disrespect whatsoever to the individuals who have said these things, but there is a fine line between stating an opinion and blatantly misrepresenting the BU MAMS program and its faculty/staff.

First is the idea that you should not be putting your faith in the professors. The program’s faculty/staff are some of the most knowledgeable people I’ve ever met over the course of my educational career. Their methods are tested and true, and they have been successful in getting students before you into medical school—so you should absolutely put your faith in them. That being said, you cannot simply put your faith in the professors and then expect results without demonstrating a dedication to medicine and to succeeding in this program.

Also, while it is true that professors are dealing with a lot of students, we are not seen simply as “numbers.” MAMS advisors/faculty provide some of the most individualized attention students can ask for, provided that they take some time to sit down with profs and discuss their resume, their goals, etc. In fact, without the faculty or staff's advice I am confident that I would not have had the success I have had in my application cycle (this can really be said for anyone else in the program as well). When I reached out, both Dr. Offner (MAMS program director) and my advisor were more than happy to go over my application with me and outline the areas in which I needed improvement. I was not given a scripted, half-hearted, or number-centered response that could be given to any student; I was given genuine advice on my application and guided on the ways in which I could improve my personal situation. It is clear from Popov89, traveler6, and boowser’s responses that I was not the only one to receive such advice. Therefore, to say that students are merely “numbers” implies an inherent lack of personalized advice, which is just not true.

As for sadsallyfromboston’s posts, I am very sorry to hear that you haven’t enjoyed your time in the MAMS program. However, it is important for others to understand that these are a single individual’s opinions and they do not reflect the opinions of current/past MAMS students as a whole, nor is her situation wholly representative of others' experiences in MAMS.

To begin, there are a number of individuals who have <3.3GPA and <30 MCAT coming into MAMS that successfully matriculate to MD Programs (not just DO) without being Ivy league grads or URMs. While I am not from California (and thus cannot personally comment on how this would affect an application), I can say that I know MANY individuals from California who have successfully gained admittance into MD programs in- and out-of-state. Thus, there are no “checklists" or criteria that students MUST meet to get into medical school.

In regards to BU’s MAMS Program not having a formal linkage to the medical school, this is true. However, as Sharks101 pointed out, a number of MAMS students (~25-30 each year) are accepted to BUSM. In fact, the admissions committee views MAMS students in a separate pool than individuals in the general applicant pool—something that puts students at an inherent advantage when applying to BU. Furthermore, students from BU’s program are successful in gaining admittance to a NUMBER of other amazing medical schools, so those who might not find a home at BU will likely still have a very impressive spread of schools to choose from. For those interested in viewing the full list of schools to which MAMS grads from 2008-2014 have been admitted can browse the following link: http://www.bumc.bu.edu/gms/mams-gra...admitted-to-the-following-us-medical-schools/.

Much like the others who have posted before me, I would not trade my experience in the MAMS program for anything. If anyone has any questions specifically about the program or about anything that’s been said in this post please do not hesitate to message me. Meanwhile, those of you who are currently thinking of applying/have already been accepted to the MAMS program can join the conversation in the new MAMS thread that I will be making shortly (I’ll post the link in an edit).
 
I graduated from MAMS last year. I applied to MD and DO schools last cycle. Despite a few interviews which all turned into waitlists, I was eventually rejected everywhere. My stats were basically the same as traveler6's except my MCAT was higher.

While Dr. Offner is always available and very helpful-I did not, in any way, get individualized attention from my adviser. My adviser needed to be reminded of who I was every time we met and was actually very difficult to get in contact with. It was so bad that I gave up on the adviser and only dealt with Offner after first semester.

I came back to sdn after a year because during my job search (trying to find a better job than the one i have) people keep asking what my master's is all about and that has basically reminded me of this whole fiasco.


i think that the fact "traveler6" and I apparently have similar profiles but only one of us got into med school speaks to my initial point. This is an uncertain process. If I were you, I'd go somewhere that is a safer bet. I did well and it didn't pay off. Wouldn't you rather be more sure of your investment?

Also, last point. I find it a little off that popov89 and traveler6 seem to be members who joined sdn the same day they made their first and only post. Also, popov89 posts were made around the same time as boowser's...same is true for traveler6 and BUMAMS2014.6 ...we don't even know how many of these comments came from the same person using different accounts, we don't know if these posts are true- you don't know if I even went to MAMS (what if I'm an admit from Tufts MBS lol)- so I hope you all make a decision based on facts that are carefully considered rather than any silly circumstantial stuff said on this website.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
I find it a little off that popov89 and traveler6 seem to be members who joined sdn the same day they made their first and only post.
You made your account a day before making your first post on this thread, so by your own logic we cannot necessarily trust anything you're saying.

I hope you all make a decision based on facts that are carefully considered rather than any silly circumstantial stuff said on this website.
As for this comment, I urge individuals looking for facts to visit the following links.
http://www.bumc.bu.edu/gms/mams-gra...admitted-to-the-following-us-medical-schools/
http://www.bumc.bu.edu/gms/masters-in-medical-sciences/

As I said a couple of posts ago, we will be moving the conversation to the new 2016-2017 MAMS thread! Hope to see you all there :)
 
Hi all, I am also a current 2nd year MAMS student and would like to have my own input. In my opinion this program works. Every single one of my friends have had MULTIPLE MD interviews. And a majority of us have been accepted to at LEAST one school. That is the whole goal of the program. To get you into medical school. With that being said, I would like to state some facts. I personally know people from this program who have interview at UCSD, UCD, Mt. Sinai, Penn, Rochester, USC, Dartmouth, Brown, and Yale. And no there were not URM nor ivy league students. Sadsallyfromboston is also incorrect with her statement about the GPA's and MCAT. It's not true. I have a friend who had a sub-3.0 GPA in undergrad(not ivy or URM) who has been accepted to over 5 MD/PHD or MSTP programs. Of course, he has phenomenal research as all MD/PhD candidates should. So the fact of the matter is this programs works for a lot of people, but it may not work for all. Nothing is ever guaranteed with medical school. I am a california resident and I know many california residents in the program and we have been accepted. And Sadsallyfromboston, MAMS can help you get the interviews. It is your job to close the deal after that.
 
I am nervous to do an SMP because my uGPA will be around a 2.6-2.7, and I'm worried that, even if I do well in the program, I will not be accepted by a school. I am comforted by the fact that others have been able to break through past mistakes and still succeed, but I'm wondering if anyone had advice for me? I am currently working on my app for BU.

uGPA 2.6-2.7, sGPA even lower.
I almost dropped out of high school, managed to finish in the very bottom of my class after multiple appeals. I eventually enrolled in comm college with no direction 10 years ago and failed a bunch of classes. With retakes, I have about a 3.2 overall, and over the past 120 hours my GPA is a 3.3 (please don't even ask me how many credits I have!). I hope to have a post bacc of 3.5.

My EC are I think above average, lots of direct hands on clinical experience, president of a meaningful service club, lots of shadowing, and good research. I also have scored strongly on practice MCAT's (35,36), though I can't say for sure what my actual score will end up being. In short, however, I am happy with my app with the (very important) exception of GPA.

I did well in all the pre-med reqs, and am confident I can perform very well in an SMP, since I will be able to stop working 30 hours a week.

Any advice? I am willing to do whatever it takes, but also know that my 2.7 will still be on my application, and will understandably raise concerns, or even block me by certain screens.

Thanks!
 
Hey everyone, I wanted to post on my experience in MAMS as I know it is coming to that time of year where people start to look at these type of programs to bolster their medical school applications. I am currently a first year medical student at BU and the only reason why I am here is because of the MAMS program.

To start, I went to a small liberal arts school for undergrad and finished with a GPA below 3.5. I wanted to go to medical school so I decided to look into programs that could help me improve upon my application. I applied to the MAMS program and got in and I also decided to take the MCAT before I entered. I ended up entering into MAMS with an MCAT below 30.

Right from the start of the program the faculty and second year MAMS students were incredibly supportive. During the first semester everyone in the class took Biochemistry, a Histology course, and a physiology course. These courses contained a great amount of material, but they were fun to take because they were all clinically based and most of the information taught in these courses was also taught to the first years. Therefore, I knew if I could do well in these courses, I would be able to perform well in medical school.


In order to succeed in these courses I had to change my study habits. I was able to do this with the help of second year MAMS students, faculty and my advisor. The second year students provided study tips for each of the courses, which I was able to try out and see what worked best. Also, the atmosphere at MAMS was very collaborative as the teaching faculty encouraged group studying and also stayed after class to answer any questions on the material. This exceeded my expectations, as I came in thinking that it would be pretty cut throat and competitive. Instead, the attitude of the class was that we're all in this together, which is something I really liked. This atmosphere helped me succeed in both of the semesters.

During that summer, I studied for MCAT and took it in June and also applied for medical school. The MCAT was an easier test after the first year of MAMS because the way I studied had changed and MAMS also helped me become a better multiple choice test taker. I was able to improve my score, and all of my friends who took it after MAMS improved their scores as well.

In the second year of MAMS I was able to take part in a few activities that were incredibly rewarding. First, I was able to TA and tutor courses for the first year MAMS students. This was amazing, as I was able to help teach the material that I learned in the previous year and discovered that I really enjoy teaching. Second, I was able to conduct research at BUSM in a biochemistry lab. I did not have any lab experience before MAMS and this allowed me to gain a year's worth of research experience. During this time I learned a great deal and also had a great research advisor who helped me along the way. During the second year, I also interviewed for medical schools. Many of my friends from MAMS had multiple interviews and acceptances that year. I was hoping that I would get into BU because my experience in MAMS program made me really like the school and faculty and once I got in I accepted the spot right away.

This year at BUSM has been great. My friends from MAMS and I are always well above average when it comes to test scores among the first years and I learned that this is a common occurrence with MAMS students. This is because we are very well prepared for the workload in medical school and we all have developed study habits that allow us to be efficient and perform well on tests. Additionally, I studied and also taught some of the material that is taught in the first year of medical school, so some of it is a review rather than new material. Lastly, at BU, many of the faculty who taught me in MAMS also teach the medical students, which was a huge selling point for me because of how helpful they were in MAMS.

Overall, MAMS is a great program that helped me get into medical school. After undergraduate I wasn't sure that I would be able to accomplish this, but after the first year of MAMS I was much more confident in my abilities. One thing about MAMS is that you get what you put in. If you come into MAMS and decide that you do not want to work hard and that you do not want to buy into the system and never see your advisor or other faculty then your experience may be more negative. MAMS provides you with all the tools to accomplish your goal, but you have to utilize them. That being said, if you are willing to do the work and have a strong desire to go to medical school, MAMS is great program that can help you accomplish this goal and I recommend checking it out.


If anyone has any questions, feel free to message me. I am happy to answer.
 
Hey everyone, I wanted to post on my experience in MAMS as I know it is coming to that time of year where people start to look at these type of programs to bolster their medical school applications. I am currently a first year medical student at BU and the only reason why I am here is because of the MAMS program.

To start, I went to a small liberal arts school for undergrad and finished with a GPA below 3.5. I wanted to go to medical school so I decided to look into programs that could help me improve upon my application. I applied to the MAMS program and got in and I also decided to take the MCAT before I entered. I ended up entering into MAMS with an MCAT below 30.

Right from the start of the program the faculty and second year MAMS students were incredibly supportive. During the first semester everyone in the class took Biochemistry, a Histology course, and a physiology course. These courses contained a great amount of material, but they were fun to take because they were all clinically based and most of the information taught in these courses was also taught to the first years. Therefore, I knew if I could do well in these courses, I would be able to perform well in medical school.


In order to succeed in these courses I had to change my study habits. I was able to do this with the help of second year MAMS students, faculty and my advisor. The second year students provided study tips for each of the courses, which I was able to try out and see what worked best. Also, the atmosphere at MAMS was very collaborative as the teaching faculty encouraged group studying and also stayed after class to answer any questions on the material. This exceeded my expectations, as I came in thinking that it would be pretty cut throat and competitive. Instead, the attitude of the class was that we're all in this together, which is something I really liked. This atmosphere helped me succeed in both of the semesters.

During that summer, I studied for MCAT and took it in June and also applied for medical school. The MCAT was an easier test after the first year of MAMS because the way I studied had changed and MAMS also helped me become a better multiple choice test taker. I was able to improve my score, and all of my friends who took it after MAMS improved their scores as well.

In the second year of MAMS I was able to take part in a few activities that were incredibly rewarding. First, I was able to TA and tutor courses for the first year MAMS students. This was amazing, as I was able to help teach the material that I learned in the previous year and discovered that I really enjoy teaching. Second, I was able to conduct research at BUSM in a biochemistry lab. I did not have any lab experience before MAMS and this allowed me to gain a year's worth of research experience. During this time I learned a great deal and also had a great research advisor who helped me along the way. During the second year, I also interviewed for medical schools. Many of my friends from MAMS had multiple interviews and acceptances that year. I was hoping that I would get into BU because my experience in MAMS program made me really like the school and faculty and once I got in I accepted the spot right away.

This year at BUSM has been great. My friends from MAMS and I are always well above average when it comes to test scores among the first years and I learned that this is a common occurrence with MAMS students. This is because we are very well prepared for the workload in medical school and we all have developed study habits that allow us to be efficient and perform well on tests. Additionally, I studied and also taught some of the material that is taught in the first year of medical school, so some of it is a review rather than new material. Lastly, at BU, many of the faculty who taught me in MAMS also teach the medical students, which was a huge selling point for me because of how helpful they were in MAMS.

Overall, MAMS is a great program that helped me get into medical school. After undergraduate I wasn't sure that I would be able to accomplish this, but after the first year of MAMS I was much more confident in my abilities. One thing about MAMS is that you get what you put in. If you come into MAMS and decide that you do not want to work hard and that you do not want to buy into the system and never see your advisor or other faculty then your experience may be more negative. MAMS provides you with all the tools to accomplish your goal, but you have to utilize them. That being said, if you are willing to do the work and have a strong desire to go to medical school, MAMS is great program that can help you accomplish this goal and I recommend checking it out.


If anyone has any questions, feel free to message me. I am happy to answer.


Hi! I've been accepted to BU MAMS and Tufts MBS and am currently deciding between the two. I'd like to hear any advice on one program vs the other. I get the feeling that BU has better advising but Tufts is more successful, statistically, in getting people into their own school and other medical schools. Despite the statistics, I'm leaning towards BU because I really liked the atmosphere when I visited-Dr. Offner was extremely nice and I met some students/sat in on a class.
Some specific questions I have are 1. What is the grading like? How difficult is it to do well in the program? Is there a curve? 2. Would you advise taking the MCAT immediately before entering the program (late July 2016) or the summer after the program if I'm planning to apply to med school after completing the program? I'm nervous about studying for the MCAT during the program but also think the program might better prepare me for the MCAT. 3. Are the students that get into BU Med ones who entered MAMS with a higher undergrad GPA? Are students that don't get into BU successful in getting into other schools? Thanks so much for your help!!
 
Hi! I've been accepted to BU MAMS and Tufts MBS and am currently deciding between the two. I'd like to hear any advice on one program vs the other. I get the feeling that BU has better advising but Tufts is more successful, statistically, in getting people into their own school and other medical schools. Despite the statistics, I'm leaning towards BU because I really liked the atmosphere when I visited-Dr. Offner was extremely nice and I met some students/sat in on a class.
Some specific questions I have are 1. What is the grading like? How difficult is it to do well in the program? Is there a curve? 2. Would you advise taking the MCAT immediately before entering the program (late July 2016) or the summer after the program if I'm planning to apply to med school after completing the program? I'm nervous about studying for the MCAT during the program but also think the program might better prepare me for the MCAT. 3. Are the students that get into BU Med ones who entered MAMS with a higher undergrad GPA? Are students that don't get into BU successful in getting into other schools? Thanks so much for your help!!
I have to echo some of the opinions expressed above as I too completed the MAMS program and am now a member of BUSM. It is an amazing program and choosing it was the best decision of my life. Coming into the program I had a 3.2 GPA from a small liberal arts school and an MCAT score of 28. I worked towards a 3.9 GPA in the program but was only able to raise my MCAT to a 31. Regardless, I was able to get into BUSM, which is a comment on their insistence on viewing an application as a holistic body of work and not just a few numbers.

First, I would wait until after you've gone through the curriculum to take the MCAT as much of what is presented to you in the courses is designed to aid you in performing well on the MCAT. They also provide an MCAT prep class in the spring semester when you'll be starting to really get into the bulk of your studying. As far as grading is concerned, there is no curve. Your grade is your grade. This is meant to encourage collaboration with your classmates as you're not all competing to be the top of the curve. You can worry about your own grade and not how it compares with the rest of the class. That being said, you do have to study your ass off, plain and simple. I've spoken to a handful of incoming and prospective MAMS students and I don't speak these words in order to scare you at all but rather to motivate you. It is not a coincidence that the 20-30 classmates that have joined me at the BUSM were the same ones I saw consistently in the library throughout the first year of the program. They were the ones who were on campus throughout the second year (thesis) involved with various organizations and groups when they could have been quietly working on their thesis. The students who entered BUSM from MAMS, I would say, do not necessarily have great undergraduate GPA's (some do of course). They all did well in the program and showed a great deal of commitment to it. There were also a great deal of students who got into other medical schools around the country. The list of schools is provided in a link above and as you can see there are some very prestigious schools on that list.

I wish you the best of luck and truly hope you consider the MAMS program.
 
Yes which is why I made my initial reccomendation that if you have a gpa <3.3 or mcat <30ish witout being urm/ access to a state school/ or some other major caviat- you shouldn't do MAMS

After reading some of these posts, I feel compelled to address some of the misinformation presented on this thread. The BU MAMS program DOES NOT make guarantees about medical school admission (to any MD/DO program). To sadsally's own admission, the process of applying to med school is unpredictable. That being said, BU MAMS offers a tremendous platform for improving your credentials to apply to medical school. While I can only speak to my own experience in the program, the overwhelming majority of students that I've spoken with who completed MAMS have found a remarkable level of success in attaining admission to some amazing medical schools. When deciding on SMPs I was actually recommended to this program by a former college classmate who had a similar academic background to myself before MAMS and ended up being accepted to (and attending) a top10 US medical school.

Personally, I had an ug GPA (both cum and science) <3.0 and only managed to get my GPA slightly >3.0 with some post-bac courses prior to entering MAMS. My MCAT was also 30 before starting at BU. My experience in MAMS far exceeded my expectations. The opportunities you have as a MAMS student are nearly on par with being an M1. The faculty are enthusiastic, their lectures are exceptional, and they are completely invested in your success. As a student in MAMS, of course, it is up to you to take advantage of these resources. If you put the work in and succeed in the coursework, make a positive impression on your classmates and faculty, the sky is really the limit after MAMS. After completing the first year of courses, I retook my MCAT and was able to improve from ~80->97th percentile. This application cycle, I was accepted to 6 MD-PhD programs (after applying before MAMS and being rejected nearly across the board). During my interviews, the topic of my poor ug GPA was rarely mentioned and several faculty even commented that they were familiar with the BU MAMS program and understand how rigorous it is.

The reality is, if you're willing to put in the work to succeed in MAMS, it really is a clean slate and second chance at a career in medicine (yes, even if your college GPA is ~3.0). It's a chance to prove to not only medical school admissions committees, but also to yourself that you are capable of thriving in medical school. While other SMP/post-bac programs may offer "formal linkage," MAMS opens up doors for a possible future not only at BUSM, but medical schools across the country. For me personally, I would never be in the position I'm in today if I hadn't done MAMS. Please PM me if you have any questions about the program - I'm more than happy to help.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 users
Hi all, I am also a current 2nd year MAMS student and would like to have my own input. In my opinion this program works. Every single one of my friends have had MULTIPLE MD interviews. And a majority of us have been accepted to at LEAST one school. That is the whole goal of the program. To get you into medical school. With that being said, I would like to state some facts. I personally know people from this program who have interview at UCSD, UCD, Mt. Sinai, Penn, Rochester, USC, Dartmouth, Brown, and Yale. And no there were not URM nor ivy league students. Sadsallyfromboston is also incorrect with her statement about the GPA's and MCAT. It's not true. I have a friend who had a sub-3.0 GPA in undergrad(not ivy or URM) who has been accepted to over 5 MD/PHD or MSTP programs. Of course, he has phenomenal research as all MD/PhD candidates should. So the fact of the matter is this programs works for a lot of people, but it may not work for all. Nothing is ever guaranteed with medical school. I am a california resident and I know many california residents in the program and we have been accepted. And Sadsallyfromboston, MAMS can help you get the interviews. It is your job to close the deal after that.
+1
 
ted 1/17, heard back and accepted yesterday, 2/5. Probably helps that I am a BU alum since they have all me files on

How extensive was the application process?
Essays, supplemental essays, interview, etc?
Thanks!
 
i have a 504/3.6 do you think this program could help me get some MD interviews, considering i get a 3.7+?

The best thing you can do is raise your MCAT. A 3.6 isn't lethal. I hope you didn't apply to a lot of them late as well, since being complete late in the cycle will not do well for you with that MCAT. If anything, I'd be wary of doing poorer in the post-bacc or special masters programs.
 
After reading some of these posts, I feel compelled to address some of the misinformation presented on this thread. The BU MAMS program DOES NOT make guarantees about medical school admission (to any MD/DO program). To sadsally's own admission, the process of applying to med school is unpredictable. That being said, BU MAMS offers a tremendous platform for improving your credentials to apply to medical school. While I can only speak to my own experience in the program, the overwhelming majority of students that I've spoken with who completed MAMS have found a remarkable level of success in attaining admission to some amazing medical schools. When deciding on SMPs I was actually recommended to this program by a former college classmate who had a similar academic background to myself before MAMS and ended up being accepted to (and attending) a top10 US medical school.

Personally, I had an ug GPA (both cum and science) <3.0 and only managed to get my GPA slightly >3.0 with some post-bac courses prior to entering MAMS. My MCAT was also 30 before starting at BU. My experience in MAMS far exceeded my expectations. The opportunities you have as a MAMS student are nearly on par with being an M1. The faculty are enthusiastic, their lectures are exceptional, and they are completely invested in your success. As a student in MAMS, of course, it is up to you to take advantage of these resources. If you put the work in and succeed in the coursework, make a positive impression on your classmates and faculty, the sky is really the limit after MAMS. After completing the first year of courses, I retook my MCAT and was able to improve from ~80->97th percentile. This application cycle, I was accepted to 6 MD-PhD programs (after applying before MAMS and being rejected nearly across the board). During my interviews, the topic of my poor ug GPA was rarely mentioned and several faculty even commented that they were familiar with the BU MAMS program and understand how rigorous it is.

The reality is, if you're willing to put in the work to succeed in MAMS, it really is a clean slate and second chance at a career in medicine (yes, even if your college GPA is ~3.0). It's a chance to prove to not only medical school admissions committees, but also to yourself that you are capable of thriving in medical school. While other SMP/post-bac programs may offer "formal linkage," MAMS opens up doors for a possible future not only at BUSM, but medical schools across the country. For me personally, I would never be in the position I'm in today if I hadn't done MAMS. Please PM me if you have any questions about the program - I'm more than happy to help.
Thank you so much for sharing! I have a similar ug background and really like MAMS but was unsure if I was competitive enough to apply. You encouraged me to give it a shot so I'll be applying after I take my MCAT!
 
Top