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Nayyyy problem!!
BU MAMS Fall 2009
Started by wannabesrgn
Nayyyy problem!!
Hi everyone! Congratulations on your acceptance to the BUSM MAMS program. I completed the program in 2007 and was accepted to BUSM directly after - so the program definitely works! I'm now a 3rd year medical student here and I'm looking for a new roommate to share a 3 bedroom at Harrison Court (student housing for BUSM). Here's more info:
Apartment is located in Harrison Court at the Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM). Tenants are required to be students at the BUSM (School of Medicine, Division of Graduate Medical Sciences (GMS/MAMS program), Goldman School of Dental Medicine or School of Public Health). Room is available on August 15th and is $789/month. Move in date has some flexibility.
Were looking for a new roommate for a partitioned third bedroom in a 2-bedroom apartment, two bath. Bedroom is spacious, great privacy with two respectful roommates and you cant beat the price! Bedroom has air conditioning, free internet and cable is already hooked up in the room (paid monthly). Apartment has its own washer and dryer. Roommates are two female 3rd year medical students at the Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM).
Apartment is located directly across the street from the Boston University School of Medicine and the Boston Medical Center. And is 4 blocks from the CT1 and Mass Ave. and 2 blocks from the Silver Line at Washington Street, both of which transfer to the Green Line (at Hynes or Boylston) or the Red Line (at Downtown Crossing). Groceries, up and coming restaurants and bars, all within walking distance.
PM me if you're interested and I can send you pictures of the apartment!
Apartment is located in Harrison Court at the Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM). Tenants are required to be students at the BUSM (School of Medicine, Division of Graduate Medical Sciences (GMS/MAMS program), Goldman School of Dental Medicine or School of Public Health). Room is available on August 15th and is $789/month. Move in date has some flexibility.
Were looking for a new roommate for a partitioned third bedroom in a 2-bedroom apartment, two bath. Bedroom is spacious, great privacy with two respectful roommates and you cant beat the price! Bedroom has air conditioning, free internet and cable is already hooked up in the room (paid monthly). Apartment has its own washer and dryer. Roommates are two female 3rd year medical students at the Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM).
Apartment is located directly across the street from the Boston University School of Medicine and the Boston Medical Center. And is 4 blocks from the CT1 and Mass Ave. and 2 blocks from the Silver Line at Washington Street, both of which transfer to the Green Line (at Hynes or Boylston) or the Red Line (at Downtown Crossing). Groceries, up and coming restaurants and bars, all within walking distance.
PM me if you're interested and I can send you pictures of the apartment!
schedules came in today. wats this group business...i see that schedules are divided into 3 groups
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Elaborate please? What 3 groups?
There are three group options, which I think reflects the type of courses in what order you want to take them.
Note: It is given as a SAMPLE class schedule and therefore I don't think is meant to be discretely followed.
Group 1
1st Semester
Biochem - 6 CR
Histology A - 3
Physiology A - 4
Research - 2-4
Elective - 2
2nd semester
Histology B - 3
Physio B - 3
Biomedical Information - 2
Endo - 2
Research - 2
Biostats - 2
Medical Immunology - 2
Group 2 is Dental School Bound
Group 3
1st semester
Biochem - 6
Biostat - 2
Research - 4
Elective - 4
2nd semester
Histology - 6
Physiology -6
Biomedical Information 2
Endocrinology - 2
PS. It seems like they encourage research from the START of the first year.. which is sexy.
Note: It is given as a SAMPLE class schedule and therefore I don't think is meant to be discretely followed.
Group 1
1st Semester
Biochem - 6 CR
Histology A - 3
Physiology A - 4
Research - 2-4
Elective - 2
2nd semester
Histology B - 3
Physio B - 3
Biomedical Information - 2
Endo - 2
Research - 2
Biostats - 2
Medical Immunology - 2
Group 2 is Dental School Bound
Group 3
1st semester
Biochem - 6
Biostat - 2
Research - 4
Elective - 4
2nd semester
Histology - 6
Physiology -6
Biomedical Information 2
Endocrinology - 2
PS. It seems like they encourage research from the START of the first year.. which is sexy.
Both Groups (1 and 3) are good options for a certain group of candidates. I would recommend Group 1 for anyone applying BEFORE starting the program. For those applying after year 1, pick either. Group 3 is a more difficult route: Fall semester = easy, Spring = hard (note that Endo does not start until after physio has ended.
Also note that biomedical info is not a course. I mean it is, but you just have to show up to class (there are only like 5 classes in the semester), and it is an automatic A, provided you do the simple assignments.
Research is NOT recommended from the start of first year, that is just how the research credits are applied, in order to allow students to meet the average 16 credits/semester. When you do your research/thesis AFTER completing coursework, if you get a grade for it, all your research credits will be updated, retro style. Also, this is one of the ways the schedule is designed in a "helpful" way - it looks like you did research while taking full time class.
Since these are recommended approaches, I was wondering about a hybrid approach:
Instead of splitting histo and physio, i was thinking of only splitting up histology.
- Also, do you have any particular electives you'd recommend (and the credits for it if you know them)?
- Is there any big difference between biostats in 1st semester vs 2nd? The sample class schedule makes it look like there is a difference
biochem 6
Biostats 2
physio A 4
research 2
elective 2
Histology 6
Physio B 2
biomedical Info 2
endocrin 2
Research 2
Medical Immuno 2
Instead of splitting histo and physio, i was thinking of only splitting up histology.
- Also, do you have any particular electives you'd recommend (and the credits for it if you know them)?
- Is there any big difference between biostats in 1st semester vs 2nd? The sample class schedule makes it look like there is a difference
biochem 6
Biostats 2
physio A 4
research 2
elective 2
Histology 6
Physio B 2
biomedical Info 2
endocrin 2
Research 2
Medical Immuno 2
thanks for the info camaras...and hope u figure something out guju.
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The reason they suggest keeping Physio and Histo as both split or both 6 credit is because the classes are designed to provide a more complete understanding when taken simultaneously. For example, when learning about the cardiovascular system in physio, you would be covering cardiac histo. This overlapping system is more or less continuous throughout the two courses.
That being said, your above proposed schedule is certainly reasonable, and should be acceptable. Just wanted to let you (and others) know why physio/histo are offered at the same time in general.
*Disclaimer: the following is not information for 2009-2010, it is older course info, and things may have changed.*
I believe there is Pharmacology in the Fall, 4 credits. You could move all the research credit to the spring, and take this class. From what I understand, there is a vast difference in view of this class. Some people loved it, others thought it was the worst class in the program. However, most people tend to agree that it is not a very difficult course, but it requires its due time.
Forensic Anthropology (Fall, 2 credit). Kind of a cool course, requires more like 3 credits of effort at times.
I actually can't think of other Fall electives. There is an Embryology course, like 3 credit, I don't know which semester.
There is a basic neuro course in the spring, 2 credits. Meets once a week for like 3 hours I think. Not exactly but hard, but it is probably better for students who actually like neuro haha. This same course may also be available in the fall.
There are a whole bunch of Biomedical crisis courses in the spring i think. Like, response and recovery, or methods and practices of incident command. I think they are all 3 credits. It is something you could try out if you just wanna take somethin for kicks. I dont know if they are easy or not, but I'm sure they will be easier than biochem/physio/immuno/histo/endo haha.
There are several forensic courses in the spring as well. Anatomy and osteology - forensic medicine (2 credit). Pretty involved class, but cool stuff. Also cool: homicide investigation (2 credit).
There is Pathology, in the Spring, 4 credit. Not a medical course, but you learn a lot of real stuff. Pretty involving, but it is a hard science, and looks good on the transcript.
No, its the same class.
You are welcome to take courses in year 2, but the main courses (bcb, physio, histo, endo, and immuno) are taken in year 1. Some people do opt to push histo to year 2, but what's the point, ya know? You want the grades from the main courses to be part of your application when you send it out at the end of year 1.
For year 2, ppl do often take electives, or come back around to pick up some hard science like pharm and path, if they hadn't done it in year 1. This will of course entail a significant expense, since you will have to live in boston for the whole year, and pay for the courses, which (i believe) run at something like 1500/credit.
But sure, if money isn't a issue, and you end up doing not too hot in Year 1 (say, 3.0-3.4 GPA), then maybe you should consider additional coursework.
As far as how many, take as many as you would like to take. Or, in the other scenario, take as many as you need to pull your GPA to at least a 3.5.
hi everyone congrats on getting accepted to the BU program, I was just wondering if anyone here was deciding between Tufts and BU programs and which they ended up deciding on and why, etc. Also, does anyone know when courses start, etc cuz I just got the initial package but I never received any kind of information on classes and registration and stuff or does that come in after I send in the deposit? Thank you so much. 🙂
BU > Tufts. They are more established, and have an excellent track record of getting some 70-80% of their students into medical school. Tufts is uncharted territory - do you want to be a guinea pig? lol
Also, in a given year, if a BU MAMS student can hold a 3.8+ (not easy I'm sure), with a 32 MCAT, a uGPA above 3.0 (preferably 3.2-3.4), decent ECs, and strong LORs, it would be nearly unthinkable that this student would not get into medical school (of course, needs a respectable interview too).
Thank you so much for your quick response. I was also wondering if you knew how good the advising was and stuff?
Advising is fine at both schools in terms of how much they are willing to help you. It might even be a little more available at Tufts, simply because it is a newer program. But advising at BU would generally be more accurate, because there is more historical data to use as basis for advice.
Either school would do you good, assuming you maintain a 3.5+, but if you get the same GPA at both schools, I would bet the BU one would go just a little bit further.
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So is it the case that you can complete your 32 course credit requirements during the first year and the summer sessions and then do your thesis stuff for the second year wherever you want? Like in Texas? While working? Sounds like it's not really a two year option, sounds like it's a one year + a thesis option with the semblance of a two year pathway.
gujudoc thats exactly what i mean, why would anybody do 16, 16, 2, 2, 2, 2? What's so two year about that? I fail to appreciate the one year vs. two year option. Surely it can't be that trivial research difference. It must be that you take more graduate courses? Above and beyond the graduation requirements? If that's what helps you get into medical school then why isn't that standard protocol included in the requirements? Will we be told to just take graduate courses of our choosing during the second year at orientation?
The Graduate Letter is available to BU MAMS students as Year I draws to a close. Therefore, most students apply after Year I, in order to reap the benefits of that letter, and a full year of grades. As a result, in Year II, these active applicants wouldn't be doing anything per se. As such, students often elect to do a research thesis. The fundamental difference between research and library theses is that if you do a research thesis, you could get 8 credits of A's added to your GPA.
Most students do not take extra classes in Year II, simply because it costs quite a lot (something like $1200/credit). If you would like to take courses, by all means, no one will stop you. But it won't help your chances in getting into medical school significantly (assuming you applied after Year I). If you plan on applying AFTER Year II, then you should definitely consider taking some classes in Year II. Note that a very small % of students apply after Year II, and it is generally those that are forced into it due an inadequate/relatively low GPA from Year I.
By the way, no one does 16, 16, 2, 2, 2, 2. It is 14+2, 14+2, 2, 2. Or, 16, 12+4, 2, 2. Again, feel free to do 16, 16, 2, 2, 2, 2, but to me, that just makes no sense.
Hope that clears things up!
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hi...just did the FAFSA. do we only recieve loan assistance or do we get any grants or scholarships? like in college..my dad just found out the tuition cost and **** bricks to say the least...i guess im gonna need a part time job next semester.
heyy yeah i think the whole 1 yr vs 2 yr option throws people off initially, but from the impression I got Tufts and BU run the same way in that regard, doing a full year of actual classes and you could either finish up by that summer doing a library based thesis or finishing up in the second year with the research based research, but def not two years of tuition but it makes sense to do research to me since one the experience will be great, two, you have that extra year anyway while applying and three that gives you more to say during interviews. and there are a ton of postgrad research opportunities that pay you pretty decently, i know im already looking into going down to Atlanta for the second gap year and doing research at the cdc.
You can take 2 research units for each semester during your first year (while you're taking the classes). 14 normal class units + 2 research units = 16. Do that for 2 semesters. Then two more semesters (or summer sessions) of 2 research units each and you're done.
It's all a little complicated and they don't do that great of a job of explaining it but I'm sure there are enough alumni on here to help clarify things.
I agree with everything, except that part.
This has become really tough to manage actually, thanks to the economy. No one likes to hire anyone for a year, and many of the candidates have zero experience. At least, this is the general situation in the New England/New York area.
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Yup, exactly that.
Example:
Fall:
Biochemistry - 6 credits
Physiology A - 4 credits
Pharmacology - 4 credits
Research Credit/Thesis Credit - 2 credits
Spring:
Physiology B - 2 credits
Histology - 6 credits
Biostatistics - 2 credits
Biomedical Info - 2 credits
Endocrinology - 2 credits
Research Credit/Thesis Credit - 2 credits
Summer I (Late May - Early July):
Research Credit/Thesis Credit - 2 credits
Summer II (Mid July - Late August):
Research Credit/Thesis Credit - 2 credits
So, you see it is 14 (classes) +2 (research), 14 (classes) +2 (research), 2 (research), 2 (research).
Note that if you do a second year, rather than finish in the summer, then the +2, +2 would apply to the Fall and Spring semesters of Year II, rather than Summer I and Summer II.
Hope this helps!
I'd actually call their office to find out more about the financial stuff. It changes like every day, and its better to get the most updated information from them.
Good luck with the part time job - hope it doesn't take too much of your time.
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Ok camaras a couple things, nice pic by the way 😉
1) if you elect to go for two years you wont be paying nearly as much the second year if you're not taking a bunch of classes right? you might even be making money in a research position somewhere?
2) what is this deal about half the class being in classes with med students and the other half not? i have on my registration med histology, for example, but my other courses arent prefaced with med. does that mean they are not the same class as the med students? i read essentially a rant about this from another bumams alum on another thread who was harping on the unfair aspects of the program, the thread is 4 years old.....
1) if you elect to go for two years you wont be paying nearly as much the second year if you're not taking a bunch of classes right? you might even be making money in a research position somewhere?
2) what is this deal about half the class being in classes with med students and the other half not? i have on my registration med histology, for example, but my other courses arent prefaced with med. does that mean they are not the same class as the med students? i read essentially a rant about this from another bumams alum on another thread who was harping on the unfair aspects of the program, the thread is 4 years old.....
lol no problem, glad to help!
lol thank youuuuuuuuu 🙂
Yes, if you use the whole two years, room and board aside, tuition will only cost you an addition like $5k, for the entire year, assuming you don't take any additional classes. Yes, you might even be making money in a research position somewhere. However, as you know, the market is horrible right now, and you may have some difficulty finding a paid position.
People love to harp. So do I. 🙂
The medical courses are biochem/cell bio, physio, histo, endo, and immuno. Apparently they are also offering neuro. Biochem/cell bio is a medical course, but it is not taken with medical students, simply because every GMS student takes it at once. You will be graded against your peers, not the medical students. This is also true for Physio and Histo, ONLY IF you take it as the A/B option. The Endo class is also offered from like February to April or something, and if you take that, the same applies yet again.
However, if you take 6 credit physio, 6 credit histo, 2 credit endo (in May), or 2 credit immuno, you will be sitting in with the medical school students, and be graded against them, in addition to your peers.
None of the other courses are medical courses (not even Pharm or Patho).
Now whether or not one looks better than the other is very debatable, so I won't get into it. But the medical courses do tend to be harder, at least a little bit, so perhaps it looks just a litttttle bit better on the transcript. Who knows? 🙂
Soo after going through these forums over and again and thank you so so so much to all those that replied especially camara, I've decided to go ahead with BU, I think it's a better fit for me and I like the way the program is run a little better, and honestly I'm also just tired of Tufts having gone there for undergrad. If anyone has anymore input I'd love to hear it otherwise I'm excited to meet some of you hopefully in a few months : ) 🙂🙂
quick question: what did you do for your year of coursework, like what classes did you actually have and what can you tell us about them and what would you recommend personally?
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Hi everyone! Congrats on getting in to BU. I am currently looking for apartments near Charles River Campus and am looking for roommates. I met with a realter today and saw a few apartments. All the nice ones are going REALLY fast. For example I checked out this one apartment on Allston St. (30 second walk to the B line). Its a 10 min ride to the BU shuttle from the B line or a 7 min bike ride (I recommend everyone who is living in Boston to get a bike, I've lived here 4 years now). Its a 3-bedroom apartment that has 2 HUGE rooms and 1 big room. A big living room, big closets and a sizable kitchen. And the rent is only $1795 (~600/person), heat and hot water included! I am really surprised that it hasn't been taken yet, but will go in no time.
I saw a few more apartments that are reasonable around the same area in the $700 range. Ideally as most other people I would like to live in the South End near the medical campus, but the places are way beyond budget (>$900/room/month). Plus Charles River Campus has its benefits: state of the art BU fitrec, good night life etc. Please let me know if you are interested. Also feel free to PM me if you have apartments in mind and you need another male roomate.
I am pretty laid back guy and go out once in a while, but my focus is definitely school. Thanks people!
I saw a few more apartments that are reasonable around the same area in the $700 range. Ideally as most other people I would like to live in the South End near the medical campus, but the places are way beyond budget (>$900/room/month). Plus Charles River Campus has its benefits: state of the art BU fitrec, good night life etc. Please let me know if you are interested. Also feel free to PM me if you have apartments in mind and you need another male roomate.
I am pretty laid back guy and go out once in a while, but my focus is definitely school. Thanks people!
I just got off the phone with the BU registrar and she said that physio histo immuno and endo were all medical courses but that none of them are taken with med students......????
I also asked if I could change around my schedule cuz I have med histology A 3 cr and human physio A 4 credits and that sounds like that would not be with med students because its broken up right? She said I could only change things once I got to orientation. But wouldnt it be the case that everyone who got 6 cr classes wont be willing or wanting to change that because they are with med students?
Thanks for the responses.
I also asked if I could change around my schedule cuz I have med histology A 3 cr and human physio A 4 credits and that sounds like that would not be with med students because its broken up right? She said I could only change things once I got to orientation. But wouldnt it be the case that everyone who got 6 cr classes wont be willing or wanting to change that because they are with med students?
Thanks for the responses.
I'm interested too!
Could you also explain how the research credits work again. You said that completing a lab thesis will get you 8 credits worth of A's. Does that mean you don't get a grade for a library thesis?
"When you do your research/thesis AFTER completing coursework, if you get a grade for it, all your research credits will be updated, retro style."
So if I'm assigned 14+2 for the first two semesters, but I defer all of the research to the summer, then whatever grades I get for the summer work will be retro-added to the first two semesters?
I think I would prefer to do a lab thesis, but I still want to finish in one year. Since the lab thesis would take longer, I was thinking about trying to load the first semester with difficult classes and then take it easier the second semester and try to get a head start on research.
Fall
Histology 6 units
Physiology 6 units
Pharmacology 4 units
Spring
Biochem 6 units
Biomedical info 2 units
Biostatistics 2 units
Endo 2 units
Research 4 units
It is basically the Group 3 option except the semesters are switched. Any thoughts about the idea?
Has anyone had any luck changing their schedules, or do we really need to wait til orientation? Are the 6 unit histo/physio courses difficult to get into, or will there be plenty of space?
soo it seems as if everyone is looking at the same classes, i havent seen what i have yet but i was looking through the program brochure and it seems like we have a good amount of electives to choose from but is everyone basically just sticking to those or anyone planning on taking different electives? camara could you comment on this or anyone who has done the program? thank youuu
i'll get to you guys either later tonight or tomorrow. sorry for the delay!
Sooo I just got back from the BU office and I was sold. Any doubts I had with this program has been magically wiped. I loooove the staff and deans etc everyone is so helpful and so friendly and I spent two hours talking to Natasha and Dr. Broitman (sp?) and they answered any question I coulda possibly had and more. So I officially submitted my deoposit today and am sooo excited to be starting in a month : )
Geo fruit,
As someone who will most likely be starting at BU in a month as well, it's quite encouraging to hear that about the staff.
As someone who will most likely be starting at BU in a month as well, it's quite encouraging to hear that about the staff.
haha geo-fruit, nice lol. yeah i was seriously won over today cuz up until i handed in that check i was debating between tufts and bu and bu def seemed like the better choice for me personally and today solidified it 🙂🙂
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If anyone needs housing for next year I have 1 room open in my 3bed 2 bath apt in Andrew Square (20min walk, 5min bus ride to campus - great location 1 block from Redline T stop too). I am a second year GMSer working on my thesis. My roommate is a 2nd year at Tufts equivalent program. (both males) The room is big and furnished with desk dresser and full sized bed (can be removed upon request). Common areas are professionally cleaned twice a month (paid by landlord). Common room is fully furnished as well and has a 50in HDTV. Rent is 783 and the room is available now (1 yr lease starts Sep 1, but you can sublet the room now from previous roommate). If you are interested or have any questions please email me at [email protected] I likely won't check if you message me here.
Anybody have anything to say about courses?, what's hard, what's not, which professors suck, which are good for getting recs from, etc. Can we get used books somewhere? Is there anything at all that we definitely should know, anything you're thinking right now....I wish I had known that when I started, hehe....🙂
If you have room in your schedule for an elective you should def take these bioethics course in the fall and/or the reproductive technology course in the spring taught by Ronnee Yashon, she is amazing, she part time taught at Tufts and as long as you put in an opinion in class it's a guaranteed A.
Hey, guys. Just thought I'd jump in here and clear up a couple of points, at least until Cameras returns. If I'm incorrect on any of the particulars, I'm sure she'll let us know.
The med curriculum is in a transitional state right now, and the Medical Education powers that be have been tooling around to try and find the most effective order and composition of the classes. Because of this, the med school Neurosciences course is offered over the winter, but to prevent too much overlap, the med school biochemistry class was shifted to start meeting earlier (mid-August, I believe). Therefore, the Biochemistry/Cell Biology class that you'll be taking in the GMS program is not with med students, though it is an equivalent course.
Because the MAMS program typically admits upward of 180 students per year, and there's only so much room in a given lecture hall, the Histology and Physiology courses, as well as Immunology and Endocrinology, can be taken in one of three ways:
My recommendation is to take Physio & Histo concurrently. Either do both 6-credit courses, or both A & B courses. These courses are designed to complement one another, and so when you're looking at one system in Physio, you'll generally also be looking at that system in Histo, so that you can get a good appreciation for the relationship between structure & function.
The med curriculum is in a transitional state right now, and the Medical Education powers that be have been tooling around to try and find the most effective order and composition of the classes. Because of this, the med school Neurosciences course is offered over the winter, but to prevent too much overlap, the med school biochemistry class was shifted to start meeting earlier (mid-August, I believe). Therefore, the Biochemistry/Cell Biology class that you'll be taking in the GMS program is not with med students, though it is an equivalent course.
Because the MAMS program typically admits upward of 180 students per year, and there's only so much room in a given lecture hall, the Histology and Physiology courses, as well as Immunology and Endocrinology, can be taken in one of three ways:
- Both 6-credit Medical Physiology and 6-credit Medical Histology together in one semester. These courses are taken with the medical students. This is typically more demanding, time-wise, but definitely doable.
- Both Physiology A & B, and Histology A & B, over two semesters. These courses are NOT with medical students. Lots of people to whom I've spoken preferred to split up these two gargantuan courses, but keep in mind that Physiology A & Histology A will both be taken concurrently with Biochemistry/Cell Biology. Depending upon your time-management and confidence, this might be a good option.
- Physiology A & B split over two semesters, & 6-credit Medical Histology in the spring semester. Histo would be taken with the med students.
My recommendation is to take Physio & Histo concurrently. Either do both 6-credit courses, or both A & B courses. These courses are designed to complement one another, and so when you're looking at one system in Physio, you'll generally also be looking at that system in Histo, so that you can get a good appreciation for the relationship between structure & function.
That's correct. The library thesis is graded pass/fail. If you really want to finish in one year, the library thesis is your absolute best bet, as it can be done rather quickly.
The lab thesis is graded, yes. This can be good if you need a little boost in your GPA, but consider the volume and length of time necessary to turn out good, A-worthy lab research (and then write it up!). Not only that, but if, in the science courses, you're only pulling a 3.0 or lower, do you really think that 8-credits of non-science A will help with med school apps?
You got it. Until the grade is added, the grade will appear as a "J", which means "in progress".
I don't think this is possible. The 6-unit Histology and 6-unit Physiology are presently only offered in the spring, and the 6-unit Biochemistry/Cell Biology is only offered in the fall. Also, it is funny that you consider your Biochemistry/Cell Biology semester "easier".
Really, truly... if you have a decent amount of research experience already, and if you're able to keep your GPA respectable-like in the program, a library thesis is the way to go to finish the program within a year. I just did that, and even doing a library thesis, it felt pretty rushed. There's a reason most people don't do it. It's great to be ambitious, but I don't think that you'll be able to establish a relationship with a thesis advisor, schedule research around classes, perform research, and write the thesis in one year AND do well in all your classes. I know I couldn't, and I did damn well in the program.
Yes, wait. Trust me, Millie will kill you, eat you, and curse your soul if you try to adjust classes before orientation. That office is pretty busy right now. When you go for orientation, you'll have a chance to talk to your advisor, discuss what your goals are, and figure out how best to achieve them. You'll also get a chance to talk to some former GMS students who have gotten in at BU, and their input really helps!
The 6-unit classes aren't too hard to get into. Off the top of my head, I think the GMS class splits something like 60-40 into the A&B Histo/Physio & the 6-credit courses, respectively. Lots of people are intimidated by the thought of taking the two 6-credit courses concurrently in one semester. It IS hard to do, and I don't recommend it if you're not good with time management & study habits.
Good luck!
So it sounds like trying to get help in the form of a dean's letter and other LORs (LsOR?) from the faculty if you want to finish in a year/apply during the first year is like crossing the Styx.
I've already applied to the texas schools for fall 2010, which isn't a big deal cuz the common app is cheap and it's my third time applying. I've made an alternate list the previous two cycles so I figure I might as well apply if I'm this close.
My question is should I pursue any help from BU faculty during my first year? Perhaps singling out a helpful prof to write just one letter of support? Would this be worth my while? Should I avoid help from Wilcox and co. like the plague?
Thanks.
I've already applied to the texas schools for fall 2010, which isn't a big deal cuz the common app is cheap and it's my third time applying. I've made an alternate list the previous two cycles so I figure I might as well apply if I'm this close.
My question is should I pursue any help from BU faculty during my first year? Perhaps singling out a helpful prof to write just one letter of support? Would this be worth my while? Should I avoid help from Wilcox and co. like the plague?
Thanks.
Sorry it took so long - have been a bit busy.
I'll only mention the pure science classes, since I've already mentioned most everything else.
Biochem and Pharm in the Fall
Physio, Immuno, and Endo in the Spring
There is no option with biochem, so i have nothing to say. Yeah, it is hard, but I think an A- is relatively easy. You have to work for the A.
Pharm is an easy class, but I found it boring. It is 4 credits though, and it will require 4 credits worth studying/time commitment to the class.
6 credit physio is not very fun - it is very intense, very fast, but certainly A-able. If you take 6 credit histo with it, you will have no life - but STILL, certainly A-able (both).
Immuno and Endo are relatively easy. The only issue with immuno is that physio (6 credit) is ongoing while immuno begins, and ends. So, Physio is like Jan 26 - April 26 or something, and immuno is like march 17 to april 26. Approximate dates of course. So exam week of April 22ndish sucks. I believe there is a histo exam (6 credit) that week as well. Endo starts after physio and immuno are over. Only histo is ongoing at that point.
I think splitting the classes A/B do give you a better shot at getting A's, but of course there is always the possibility that taking 6 credit "looks" a bit better, seeing as how you actually sit in with the med students and are graded against them, not just your peers.
If you take 6 credit physio or histo, it is with the medical students. Immuno is with the med students. Endo, if taken in May, is with med students. It is possible the system has changed since my experience, but it is also possible that whoever you spoke to is just giving default answers to make everyone wait til orientation to find out more - not a bad idea by the way. This program does change every year.
You can only make changes at orientation - yes. From what I understand, everyone is registered as A/B, and 6 credit courses will be offered by your adviser at orientation. If there are too many people that want it, there will be a lottery. On the flip, if there are not enough people that want it, there will be a lottery.
No, not many want 6 credit physio/histo - in fact, most do not. Students go into the program trying to get a 4.0, and the general mentality is to do so at any cost, including split courses. After all, not many schools beyond BU will take particular note of when you took the classes.
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Yes, you pass without a grade.
Yes. That way, it looks like you worked in a lab while in the program. BU's way of helping out. Of course BU knows you didn't but not all other schools know this.
Histo and Physio are not offered as 6 credit in the Fall. Biochem is not offered in the spring. On the flip, you could start lab work right away, with Biochem, Pharm, Biostat, and Research (4).
Then in the Spring, physio, immuno, endo, biomed info, and some 4 credit elective, like path. Or even, two 2 credit electives.
Yeah, I just shot that down haha, sorry.
Yes you have to wait until orientation.
See my previous post about lotteries.
I posted small blurbs about a bunch of electives somewhere in this thread I think. Of course, all students are required to take Biochem, Physio, Biostat (if not waived), and Biomed Info. After that, almost every student takes 2 of 3: Histo, Immuno, and Endo. Then, fill in the credits as you wish, keeping in mind 4 credits total (between fall and spring) will be research.
There are also concentrations: Mental Health, Clinical Investigations, Forensic, and I think another one, something like Bioimaging? I don't know. These are worth looking into if you want something structured. But doing a concentration does not help you in your application to medical school.
