I just finished the MA/MPH in May and thought I would throw in my two cents about completing the program in 1 year vs. 2 years. Since these options weren't clear to me before I started the program, I thought I would try and clarify them for those of you trying to decide what to do. Please realize there are many other options and ways to do it and everyone's circumstances are different. You should do what makes the most sense for you!
Option 1: (program complete in 1 year)
apply to med schools the summer before starting BU GMS
take GMS classes during the year
finish thesis over summer
assuming acceptance to med school, this person would complete program in 1 year and enter med school the following year
**This option is for people who already have a strong MCAT and GPA and are either looking for something to do during their year off, or they want to help themselves prepare for the rigor of med school (I personally think this type of applicant's time would better be spent doing research, working to pay for med school, or doing something totally unrelated like traveling rather than wasting their $, time and energy on an incredibly tough year, but that's just my opinion
🙂)
Option 2: (program complete in 1 year)
take GMS classes during the year
finish thesis over summer and take the MCAT if needed
apply to med schools over summer
assuming acceptance to med school, this person would complete the program in 1 year and enter med school 2 years after starting GMS
**This option is for people who are in a rush to get the program done in order to get out of Boston or start working during the second year while they are applying to med schools. Due to the timing of the med school application cycle, even if you finish the program as described above, you still have to wait to enter med school after 2 years.
Option 3: (program complete in 2 years)
take GMS classes during first year
take MCAT over summer after first year if needed
apply to med schools during summer after first year
complete thesis during second year and possibly take additional coursework to continue boosting science GPA
assuming acceptance to med school, this person would complete the program in 2 years and enter med school 2 years after starting GMS
**This is what the majority of students do. It is not a better or worse option than any of the others, it just depends on what your goals are. Your second year can be spent working while you do your thesis, doing an MPH (that's what I did) or MBA, doing research, or anything else you want.
One additional point about this is that if you do option 3 and finish your thesis in May your lab thesis grades (up to 8 credits) of "A" (assuming you do well, which most people do) will not appear on your transcript until mid May. This means that if you are simultaneously applying to med schools, they won't even see your 8 credits of "A" until you matriculate. This was something I didn't quite realize when I signed up for the lab thesis. Of course, if you need to reapply or don't apply the same year you are completing your thesis, these grades will be on your AMCAS application when you submit them to med schools and you will (depending on how each school views research credits) reap the benefits of 8 credits of A on your science GPA.
One last tidbit of advice, pharm is a great class, but is not technically a science class according to AMCAS guidelines (and therefore not supposed to be in your science GPA). I forgot what it is supposed to be classified under, but the GMS faculty and administrators will tell you it is a science class (it is based on common sense, but not according to AMCAS). I classified it as a science class on my AMCAS and AMCAS didn't change it back thankfully, but according to their guidelines it is not supposed to be one. Some schools may have examined my transcript and noticed this, but I was never questioned about it. This is just something I wished I had known before I signed up for the class.
Hopefully this rant was helpful. Feel free to PM me if you want any advice and/or opinions about either the MA or the MA/MPH program. Good luck to all of you starting in the fall!
