BU MAMS 2011-2012 Thread

[bludev505]

---

Members do not see this ad.

is BU MAMS considered an SMP or a "hard sciences" post-bac?? not that it really matters, but I've just heard it described as both

 

[xwreckless]

Let me guess 38+ MCAT score, went to an ivy league or top tier university for ugrad, weren't too bad off in ugrad GPA, and did 3.8+ in GMS???



Don't get people's hopes up. Only people with the stellar of the stellar stats get into those programs. A lot of people in GMS are not in this range.

Not that I wanted to post in this thread as I'm trying to slowly delete a lot of my posts, but I will give my 2 cents anyhow if it helps one of you guys. And this one I won't delete.

But GMS is tough as hell. Many will be successful, but many will not be. I have seen kids with strong ugrad GPAs barely pass classes despite saying they've been studying like crazy and I've seen others do extremely well and then several do in between in the neither exceptional nor bad range.

I myself did 3.45 with 3.68 in sececond semester. First semester kinda brought my GPA down a bit. But I still garnered two MD interviews, middle 1/3 of one waitlist and pending post interview decision of the other school.

But I also had another grad degree so my overall Grad gpa was actually 3.65 in hardcore science classes.

You want a 3.5+ grad GPA but ideally 3.67 or 3.7+ is better and closer to 4.0 the better.

I've heard of potential changes to GMS but I don't know the specifics. I would look into them before absolutely deciding. I hope they don't make the changes that I have heard rumored to happen at BU GMS. Oh and BU GMS = BU MAMS.

Just an FYI for you.

How much time you have depends on you and how quickly you get things. Most of my classmates went out quite a bit or had house parties at their apartments. Went out drinking after exams, partied, celebrated holidays together like thanksgiving and superbowl if they were in town, etc.

You will have cliques. I'd advise you not to be shy to meet people when you first begin because it will be harder to form friends if you wait til later and you will need 1-2 people to keep you sane in a new city as you can't do it all alone. And esp. for histo it helps for a lot of people to have a study group for the lab quizzes unless they've changed that whole prelab quizzes thing.

You will work like you haven't before but if you are good at budgeting your time youw ill have time to enjoy boston. Don't however let yourself sacrifice grades for a social life. several in my and crisco and bleargh's class did that and they did not do well. On the other hand, several like crisco, bleargh, and others partied and still did very well or at least decent enough.

Also do note that even if you do well not everyone will get in an MD program. Several in my class with better stats then me have had a harder time to get even one MD interview and have decided DO schools. So apply broadly and early when you apply to med school.

Good luck.

Thanks for the helpful info.

 

[Crisco]

If I apply to med school in 2012 would I still be in the program? (Meaning I would still be taking classes/ doing research?) Any clues as to how this would work? also, would a 33Q still be competitive a year from now? I know its mostly speculation at this point.
Thanks for the response.

If you applied in 2012, you would still be in the program yep.
2011-2012 (first year)
2012-2013 (second year)
In your second year, you won't really be taking classes, just doing research if you choose to do a research thesis.

33Q is QUITE good. It's better than a lot of the scores people come with. I think it is also somewhat solid after the program as well although people will push for 34+ if possible. You're bordering on not needing to retake, I think.

 

[RogueUnicorn]

Let me guess 38+ MCAT score, went to an ivy league or top tier university for ugrad, weren't too bad off in ugrad GPA, and did 3.8+ in GMS???



Don't get people's hopes up. Only people with the stellar of the stellar stats get into those programs. A lot of people in GMS are not in this range.

i have no idea what her mcat was, or her gpa in the program, but from what i recall her ugrad gpa was like 3.1-3.2. she went to the same school i did, so not an ivy, but relatively well-regarded.

 

[xwreckless]

If you applied in 2012, you would still be in the program yep.
2011-2012 (first year)
2012-2013 (second year)
In your second year, you won't really be taking classes, just doing research if you choose to do a research thesis.

33Q is QUITE good. It's better than a lot of the scores people come with. I think it is also somewhat solid after the program as well although people will push for 34+ if possible. You're bordering on not needing to retake, I think.

If a 33Q is already my second MCAT score, does it limit my possible retakes?
The idea is to apply during to med school during the summer of 2012 right?
Thanks for the response.

 

[RogueUnicorn]

If a 33Q is already my second MCAT score, does it limit my possible retakes?
The idea is to apply during to med school during the summer of 2012 right?
Thanks for the response.

it doesn't per se limit you, but a 33 is usually not something people retake.

Ah I see. But still I feel like there's something we are missing here without her numbers.

she's just a very friendly, smart gal, who proved herself in the program. i doubt there was much more to it.

 

[xwreckless]

Thanks for the responses bleargh. To the other person, seems like the least you should be doing in any postbac is proving yourself. Isnt that the whole point?

 

[redsquareblack]

If a 33Q is already my second MCAT score, does it limit my possible retakes?
The idea is to apply during to med school during the summer of 2012 right?
Thanks for the response.

Second. Provided you're holding your own GPA-wise, I would strongly advise against retaking. Not only is 33Q a very competitive score, but the return on investment (time, money, effort) will be modest at best. Additionally, every time you take the MCAT, you expose yourself to a not-insignificant risk of doing either A) no better, or B) worse. That risk increases with increasing MCAT score (i.e., a person with a 40 is far more likely to get a lower score on subsequent test than a person with a 25).

If I had a 33Q, I wouldn't retake unless I absolutely had to.

 

[RokKidA]

Hey everyone, I got my acceptance email and am so happy to be a part of the incoming GMS class!

Although, I must admit I'm nervous about moving 1,000 miles away to a place I have never been to before.

 

[xMyStiCx]

Hi all, I recently applied (last week) but am really anxious about my chances of getting in.

My GPA is around 3.2 and I took the GRE twice.

My scores for the first time were: 530 Verbal, 610 Quantitative. (70% and 49% respectively).
My score the second time was: 650 Verbal, 610 Quantitative (93% and 49% respectively)

I have nice extracurriculars but am still anxious about my quantitave scores on the GRE. The website indicates that a 70th percentile overall is required to be competent, and I think this is the source of my uneasiness. I just wanted to ask you guys what you thought?

 

[xwreckless]

Second. Provided you're holding your own GPA-wise, I would strongly advise against retaking. Not only is 33Q a very competitive score, but the return on investment (time, money, effort) will be modest at best. Additionally, every time you take the MCAT, you expose yourself to a not-insignificant risk of doing either A) no better, or B) worse. That risk increases with increasing MCAT score (i.e., a person with a 40 is far more likely to get a lower score on subsequent test than a person with a 25).

If I had a 33Q, I wouldn't retake unless I absolutely had to.

Thanks alot for the response. Very helpful. I read your posts in the previous BU thread also. Do you mind telling me what other programs you got into?

 

[RokKidA]

Boston is nothing to be nervous about. Don't worry I moved from Fl. up there and adjusted quickly. You get used to it. The year goes by fast anyhow. The city is very easy to commute around compared to a lot of places so you don't have to drive in the snow or anything since there are cabs easily available as well as trains and buses though their trains are kinda ghetto. at least the greenline is. I don't know about the others as I only took the greenline. lol.

but the city is quaint and nothing to be scared of. I was scared when I moved but adjusted just fine.

Thanks for the kind words. That's very assuring to hear. I really appreciate all the info that former and current students like yourself provide and would never have known how great this program was without reading all the feedback from GMS students.

 

[jeonster]

Anyone accepted into the oral health sciences track?

 

[redsquareblack]

Thanks alot for the response. Very helpful. I read your posts in the previous BU thread also. Do you mind telling me what other programs you got into?

I got an interview at Stony Brook (which I cancelled after I got accepted to BUSM), but otherwise no interest from other programs.

This is due, I hypothesize, to two factors:

1. My undergraduate GPA was abysmal. Yes, the MAMS program made me more competitive, but there's only so much it can do. It's not going to make your uGPA go away, nor are schools likely to ignore it, as not only will it affect their admissions stats, but it is a huge risk for a school to take.
2. I was way overambitious with my applications. My thought process was along the lines of: "Oh, wow. I got a 4.0 in the MAMS program, finished my thesis early, and rocked my MCAT. I can get in anywhere now!" Thus, I applied to some places that, in retrospect, I probably shouldn't have (Yale, among others). This was entirely wishful thinking on my part, and it was a decidedly stupid application strategy.

In summary, you'll have more luck if your uGPA is closer to borderline and if you apply smart. Sure, include a reach school or two, but don't assume (like I did) that a 4.0 in MAMS makes you King Turd of $hit Island. You're not likely to get into a top-10 by being successful in MAMS.

 

[RokKidA]

Wait, 1-2 interviews?! I assumed that doing well in an smp will show schools that you are able to handle medical school, thus guarantee at least a handful of interviews. Would you say that most MAMS students dont apply to enough schools?

 

[redsquareblack]

Wait, 1-2 interviews?! I assumed that doing well in an smp will show schools that you are able to handle medical school, thus guarantee at least a handful of interviews.

In theory, yes. The problem is that several schools don't designate your MAMS GPA any differently than any other graduate GPA. It is my understanding that adcoms tend to view graduate GPAs skeptically, as it is believed that grade inflation is rampant. You can imagine, then, that a stellar graduate GPA might not hold as much weight as a poor uGPA. As I said above, my uGPA nearly killed my chances at medical school. Had I not finished in the 3.8-4.0 range, I think it would have been all over.

Would you say that most MAMS students dont apply to enough schools?

I'd say the opposite is often true. Most of the folks that were in my class applied to a crap-ton of schools. The deciding factor is the application strategy, IMHO. Those who applied realistically and broadly tended to do well.

At the end of the day, MAMS can definitely help you to get into medical school if your credentials are holding you back, but I would never ever use it as a tool to tier-jump.

 

[aimee163]

Anyone accepted into the oral health sciences track?

Hi there, I was wondering the same thing. I applied back in January and my app was complete by the end of the month. I got an e-mail from Dr. Davies that they have put my application on "HOLD" and said that my app was viewed favorably. They have't offered me a spot because they are still reviewing other apps. I don't know what my chances are but I won't find out till May 15th. Waiting sucks 🙁

 

[redsquareblack]

Actually I don't think that has anything to do with it. I think it is far more related to the fact that a lot of the MAMS kids come in with subpar 3.0s i.e. lower then 3.0. As in 2.7, 2.8, etc.

In those cases a lot of schools want to see more then 1 strong year as 1 year even if it is med courses is not enough to prove to them you can handle it. Especially as many kids do not have 35+ scores who are in this situation.

Assuming you are the real idea of an SMP student 3.4 ugrad or so and 32+ MCAT and do well then you can assume more.

I was talking about the dire situations.

The people who were closer to the 3.4 32+ got 5 or 6 interviews if not more. Depends really on ugrad. SMPs don't erase your ugrad. You are still judged for what you did in ugrad.

Well, that was sort of my point. Whether you do well or not in the MAMS program, your performance will be judged in the context of your overall academic career, and will, in all likelihood, still be weighted less than your uGPA.

If, as you observe, your uGPA is at or near the borderline to begin with, then obviously a stellar MAMS performance will result in more interviews than the same performance coupled with a painfully-low uGPA (like me!).

 

[jeonster]

Hi there, I was wondering the same thing. I applied back in January and my app was complete by the end of the month. I got an e-mail from Dr. Davies that they have put my application on "HOLD" and said that my app was viewed favorably. They have't offered me a spot because they are still reviewing other apps. I don't know what my chances are but I won't find out till May 15th. Waiting sucks 🙁

I'm in the same boat as you aimee163. I received the same e-mail 🙁.

 

[aimee163]

I'm in the same boat as you aimee163. I received the same e-mail 🙁.

Where else did you apply? I applied to Western U, Midwestern U IL campus, and Tulane U.

 

[jeonster]

Where else did you apply? I applied to Western U, Midwestern U IL campus, and Tulane U.

Barry, Uconn, Midwestern (AZ), and UNJMD

 

[Gavanshir]

Is the 2nd year of the BU program eligible for receiving FAFSA and Gradplus financial aid? Thanks..

 

[RogueUnicorn]

Is the 2nd year of the BU program eligible for receiving FAFSA and Gradplus financial aid? Thanks..

yes

 

[Gavanshir]

Why is your status med student rather then premed if you are applying for SMPs and not in med school yet?

Heh, I'm term 1 at SGU in Grenada and strongly considering this program. It's been on my mind for the past week and I haven't been able to study properly. I'm filling out the application right now, I'll wait to see if I get accepted to decide further.

 

[Gavanshir]

I've been reading your posts for a while now, definitely rooting for you.

 

[xwreckless]

-

 

[marspotter]

I understand that it's only April, but I will be relocating from 1200 miles away. Is it too early for me to look for housing options and possible roommate or two?
I wouldn't mind male (a) roommate(s) (me=girl), but I have a 3 months old Siberian Husky and he is well behaved and loving, but he will grow pretty big. I have already started to look for day care for him and he will probably go for 2-3 days a week. Thus, if you are worried about a puppy jumping all over you, it will be taken care of. I would like to stay near medical campus or the main campus. If you already have a place and looking for a roommate or you would like to look together, please let me know! We should at least talk via Skype and see if we would get along and not drive each other insane.

 

[amali]

Hi there, I was wondering the same thing. I applied back in January and my app was complete by the end of the month. I got an e-mail from Dr. Davies that they have put my application on "HOLD" and said that my app was viewed favorably. They have't offered me a spot because they are still reviewing other apps. I don't know what my chances are but I won't find out till May 15th. Waiting sucks 🙁

During the last webinar with Dr. Davies, she said 10 people have been offered acceptances for a class size of 12. I'm guessing a few of those will probably get into dental school and spots will open up, but the competition is very stiff.

 

[IntelInside]

I understand that it's only April, but I will be relocating from 1200 miles away. Is it too early for me to look for housing options and possible roommate or two?
I wouldn't mind male (a) roommate(s) (me=girl), but I have a 3 months old Siberian Husky and he is well behaved and loving, but he will grow pretty big. I have already started to look for day care for him and he will probably go for 2-3 days a week. Thus, if you are worried about a puppy jumping all over you, it will be taken care of. I would like to stay near medical campus or the main campus. If you already have a place and looking for a roommate or you would like to look together, please let me know! We should at least talk via Skype and see if we would get along and not drive each other insane.

Its never too early to look for an apartment as apartments in boston usually get picked up very quickly especially during the later summer months. But you shouldnt be signing a lease contract this early as you will have to start paying right away then.

 

[jeonster]

During the last webinar with Dr. Davies, she said 10 people have been offered acceptances for a class size of 12. I'm guessing a few of those will probably get into dental school and spots will open up, but the competition is very stiff.

You're saying 10 people have been accepted for Fall 2011? That doesn't make much sense when they emphasized on reviewing the entire applicant pool before making acceptances.

 

[Gavanshir]

Do 2nd year students have the option of doing research at Harvard's labs or are they all within BU?

 

[RogueUnicorn]

you can do it wherever you want, i know for a fact some people work at hms labs. that being said, it isn't really going to impress anyone.

 

[Gavanshir]

you can do it wherever you want, i know for a fact some people work at hms labs. that being said, it isn't really going to impress anyone.

?? tell that to my mom, she is gonna cook for me like crazy if she finds out i work at a haavard lab.

 

[maeii]

I wouldn't mind male (a) roommate(s) (me=girl), but I have a 3 months old Siberian Husky and he is well behaved and loving, but he will grow pretty big. I have already started to look for day care for him and he will probably go for 2-3 days a week. Thus, if you are worried about a puppy jumping all over you, it will be taken care of. I would like to stay near medical campus or the main campus. If you already have a place and looking for a roommate or you would like to look together, please let me know! We should at least talk via Skype and see if we would get along and not drive each other insane.

a husky puppy is quite a handful. i am bringing mine to whichever SMP I attend as well. good luck!

 

[marspotter]

a husky puppy is quite a handful. i am bringing mine to whichever SMP I attend as well. good luck!

He is a very curious and loving puppy. He reminds me of myself when I was younger (and I'm a human child). Good luck to you as well! And let me know if you will be coming to BU MAMS. We should set up a play date or two!

 

[RokKidA]

How will you all have time to take medical school courses and take care of a new puppy? 😕

 

[marspotter]

How will you all have time to take medical school courses and take care of a new puppy? 😕

Haha. You just sounded like my mom.. He's three months old now. And by the time that we start, he will be about eight months old (not quite a pup pup anymore, but still really cute!). I spend a lot of time with him now and he goes to his day care 2-3 times/wk now. And as I mentioned, he will continue to do so when I'm taking the classes. Sure he requires significant time and dedication, but he is sooooooooooooo worth it!

 

[xwreckless]

Does anyone know if they offer tours or seminars for people already accepted? Anybody going to visit or have gone already?

 

[marspotter]

They have dog daycares??? Wow cool.

oh, yaaaaah!

 

[alcanrui]

Does anyone know if they offer tours or seminars for people already accepted? Anybody going to visit or have gone already?

Last year an SDN'er made the effort to show me around/talk about the prog with me, so I'm happy to return the good deed & do the same for a few people who PM me if they're in the area. There's a bunch of exams coming up so this'll probably not be until May if there's any interest.

Otherwise, like gujuDoc mentioned, the GMS office would probably be your best bet! 👍

 

[xwreckless]

Last year an SDN'er made the effort to show me around/talk about the prog with me, so I'm happy to return the good deed & do the same for a few people who PM me if they're in the area. There's a bunch of exams coming up so this'll probably not be until May if there's any interest.

Otherwise, like gujuDoc mentioned, the GMS office would probably be your best bet! 👍

Wow, thats really nice of you. I would definitely take you up on this offer. I need to put a deposit down by april 12th. My original plan was to pay the deposit and hope i get into a better school. I wonder if the GMS office does anything like a tour for the weekends, as I need to drive three hours and have school on the weekdays.

Thank you for the info gujuDoc and thank you for the awesome offer alcanrui.

 

[marspotter]

My original plan was to pay the deposit and hope i get into a better school.

Would you mind sharing what other better programs that you applied to? I may be missing out, but I thought BU MAMS is considered one of the best for SMP (for me, BU MAMS was number one choice and I only applied to the program: the reputation and the curriculum, faculty support, great statistics, great location, etc.). I'm sure many factors may contribute to be considered to be good/ better/ best programs and I was just wondering what kind of factors that you were looking at.

Good luck getting into your choice of better school!

 

[alcanrui]

Wow, thats really nice of you. I would definitely take you up on this offer. I need to put a deposit down by april 12th. My original plan was to pay the deposit and hope i get into a better school. I wonder if the GMS office does anything like a tour for the weekends, as I need to drive three hours and have school on the weekdays.

Thank you for the info gujuDoc and thank you for the awesome offer alcanrui.

I'm happy to meet with you on a Friday/Saturday/Sunday, but it'll either have to be literally tomorrow (in which case please PM me by tonight), or the weekend of 4/22, or the weekend of 5/13. Otherwise it's a pretty crazy spread of final exams!

The GMS office will probably have a current GMS/M1 student show you around also, so if those dates aren't good for you then I'm sure something can be worked out. 🙂


In case y'all were interested: I was admitted to Tufts MBS and Drexel IMS, and waitlisted at Georgetown. In the end, I ignored the non-Boston schools 'cause I wanted to stay in the area, so I ended up choosing BU - feel free to ask me about my thoughts between schools in PM or in person!

 

[xwreckless]

Would you mind sharing what other better programs that you applied to? I may be missing out, but I thought BU MAMS is considered one of the best for SMP (for me, BU MAMS was number one choice and I only applied to the program: the reputation and the curriculum, faculty support, great statistics, great location, etc.). I'm sure many factors may contribute to be considered to be good/ better/ best programs and I was just wondering what kind of factors that you were looking at.

Good luck getting into your choice of better school!

I applied to alot of schools since. I am not sure if UPenn is better or not, but I would feel a little better if I heard back from my other schools first before throwing money down for this one.

So far Ive been accepted to VCU Cert, UMDNJ at RWJ, and BU MAMS..
I want to hear back from georgetown, UPenn, Tufts..
I also applied to UConn, NYMC, EVMS, and a bunch others..
I applied to alot of schools cause I wanted to be on the safe side.

Im not sure if UPenn has worse or better or similar statistics compared to BU. Does anyone care to elaborate?

 

[xwreckless]

I'm happy to meet with you on a Friday/Saturday/Sunday, but it'll either have to be literally tomorrow (in which case please PM me by tonight), or the weekend of 4/22, or the weekend of 5/13. Otherwise it's a pretty crazy spread of final exams!

The GMS office will probably have a current GMS/M1 student show you around also, so if those dates aren't good for you then I'm sure something can be worked out. 🙂


In case y'all were interested: I was admitted to Tufts MBS and Drexel IMS, and waitlisted at Georgetown. In the end, I ignored the non-Boston schools 'cause I wanted to stay in the area, so I ended up choosing BU - feel free to ask me about my thoughts between schools in PM or in person!

Are you originally from the Boston area? or went to undergrad in boston? Do you know if the GMS office would have some type of faculty I could talk to? I could probably make it the weekend of 4/22, as I will be graduating the weekend of 5/13! Thank you very much for your offer.

I applied to Tufts MBS as well as Drexel IMS. I have not heard back from them yet and I dont think I will until after April 12.

Can you elaborate on your living arrangements? Bus/Car? Roommates, girlfriends, friends, party, social life? Studying commitments? you know, pretty much everything?

Thanks again for all the info.

 

[IntelInside]

Are you originally from the Boston area? or went to undergrad in boston? Do you know if the GMS office would have some type of faculty I could talk to? I could probably make it the weekend of 4/22, as I will be graduating the weekend of 5/13! Thank you very much for your offer.

I applied to Tufts MBS as well as Drexel IMS. I have not heard back from them yet and I dont think I will until after April 12.

Can you elaborate on your living arrangements? Bus/Car? Roommates, girlfriends, friends, party, social life? Studying commitments? you know, pretty much everything?

Thanks again for all the info.

I live by the main campus, and take the BU shuttle to BUMC. I dont have a roommate, and I am paying around $1350 for a 1 bedroom apt. Def. met a great group of friends here that will literally be my friends for the rest of my life with ample time for a social life, if you know how to prioritize your time. I roughly study 4 hours a day but it varies depending upon where in the semester we are (remember everyone is different).

 

[Crisco]

I applied to alot of schools since. I am not sure if UPenn is better or not, but I would feel a little better if I heard back from my other schools first before throwing money down for this one.

So far Ive been accepted to VCU Cert, UMDNJ at RWJ, and BU MAMS..
I want to hear back from georgetown, UPenn, Tufts..
I also applied to UConn, NYMC, EVMS, and a bunch others..
I applied to alot of schools cause I wanted to be on the safe side.

Im not sure if UPenn has worse or better or similar statistics compared to BU. Does anyone care to elaborate?

UPenn is not worth it if you have taken heavy sciences already. It's more for people who have taken very limited sciences.
BU MAMS is most likely "better" or as good as VCU, UMDNJ, UCONN
NYMC I've heard mixed reviews
EVMS is very good if you want to go to a medical school (evms)

I think you might be caught up by Upenn being "Upenn" but the name of the school =/= the reputation of an SMP. From what I know, if you've taken lots of sciences they actually recommend you not to come- the special sciences anyway

Can you elaborate on your living arrangements? Bus/Car? Roommates, girlfriends, friends, party, social life? Studying commitments? you know, pretty much everything?

You will most likely not need a car, worst case scenario you may need to take the bus (or the subway)
Roommates - up to you. Do what is most comfortable for you. Your job is to do well, so go by that and not anything else.
Friends, party, social life - You can have a pretty good social life if you manage your time correctly, but for some students less than others. This all depends on how hard you study and how well you can do. Sacrifices will have to be made.
Study commitments - Plan on studying all day almost everyday, people study as much as 6-10 hours a day outside of class. Expect to study a lot, I can't emphasize that enough. You absolutely have to be successful in the program or it may end up being disastrous for your future medical career.

 

[xwreckless]

Thank you everyone for your replies about BU and the living/ car situation. Indeed I was hoping that UPenn's reputation as an Ivy League school would also say something about their postbac. I applied to the SS program and I am not a science major.

I am a psych major and a bio minor. I have taken more than the prereq's for med school and more than the requirements for a minor. Would that put me over the top science curriculum wise for UPenn?

 

[marspotter]

Thank you everyone for your replies about BU and the living/ car situation. Indeed I was hoping that UPenn's reputation as an Ivy League school would also say something about their postbac. I applied to the SS program and I am not a science major.

I am a psych major and a bio minor. I have taken more than the prereq's for med school and more than the requirements for a minor. Would that put me over the top science curriculum wise for UPenn?

Please feel free to correct me, if I am wrong. But isn't UPenn Specialized Studies part of their post-bacc programs? Thus, technically speaking, it is different from BUMAMS, which is a Masters program. And if you have taken most if not all pre-reqs for med school, programs as such would actually discourage individuals to apply, unless your undergraduate science GPA needs to be improved and can be improved by taking upper classes. I received two Bachelor's in Biology and Psychology and a Master's in Biology. My original plan was to get a job in Boston and go to HES HCP(similar to UPenn post-bacc, except more affordable and flexible in good ways) at nights. I contacted the director (Dr. Fixsen) and Mr. Owen with my CV and my background story. Both of them strongly discouraged me to apply for the program as I would gain very minimal benefit from the program. And they were very nice and honest about how I should go for SMP (and thus, I started to look and really liked BUMAMS only and contacted Drs. Offner and Davies with my story and they encouraged me to apply for the program and I would be a strong candidate). Although you may not have as many science classes as I do, if you took more than pre-reqs for med school, the UPENN program may not find you as attractive as others. I would strongly suggest you to contact the director and admission officers via e-mail and/or phone and talk to them about you and how the program would benefit you in your case. Most of the times, individuals with such positions are very honest and helpful. And if they are not willing to encourage/discourage, be honest, and listen to you, they will probably remain that way throughout the program and your med school application process. And I believe no one should be treated that way after a year or two hard work and dedication and loads of money.

p.s. Because I was in contact with Dr. Offner and throughout the whole application process I remained cordial and respectful, I believe I was able to hear about my acceptance much faster than others (even before the official letter, phone call from Michelle, and an e-mail from Michelle). And I felt special!

And I believe UPenn post-bacc program is highly regarded and attractive, especially with its linkage agreements. However, I wouldn't consider the program to be better than BU MAMS. BU MAMS is a very reputable Master's program, too.

 

[marspotter]

How are the classes scheduled daily? Are they usually held in the mornings or nights? Would there be 2-3 hours of breaks between the classes?

Also, were you able to survive with just federal loan or needed private loan? Did any of you have a part-time job?

Both Dr. Offner and Dr. Davies strongly discouraged me from having a job and ensured me that I would have enough money through financial aid, but I'm quite anxious to rely on it. I would really appreciate your response! 😍