Choosing between Bryn Mawr, Goucher, and Hopkins

[DMBSatellite]

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Hey y'all,

I am lucky enough to have been accepted to the postbac programs at Bryn Mawr, Goucher, and Johns Hopkins for the upcoming year.

I am very much looking for personal experiences on the strengths and weaknesses of each of these programs (your own experience would be great but if you have a friend or close family member involved that works too). This obviously won't make my decision for me but would be EXTREMELY helpful in allowing me to make an informed choice. Since no well-publicized body of knowledge exists concerning these programs, posts and messages I'm reading here factor in quite a bit to what I perceive the experience to be like. I read a lot of the archives but would love new information, as these programs seem to change from year to year.

Although any advice would be welcome, I have a few specific questions:

For Hopkins and Goucher:
*Post bac cohorts in these programs are small. To what extent did you feel claustrophobic? Did you get tired of the same 25 people for a year, or are there some strengths to this arrangement that I'm not seeing?

For Hopkins:
*Most of your classes are integrated with undergrads. What are the strengths and weaknesses of this from your perspective?
*If you aren't from the area, was it hard to make social ties at the JHU program, given its structure? Do the postbacs hang out a lot, or do they mostly keep to themselves?
*How hard was it to come up with interesting and rewarding research activities? Baltimore is certainly a "medical town," and JHU is a premed factory- there are quite a few young gunners vying for the same opportunities. Did being a postbac give you a "leg up" for both volunteer work and glide year stuff? If not, what did you do to ensure that you were doing something meaningful?
*I understand that JHUMed does not link its own postbac, but how often do graduates of the program matriculate there?

For Bryn Mawr:
*A class size of 75 or so isn't huge, but is it too big to really ensure the success of each student? When you attended, did you feel like you were given individual attention and support?
*How the hell did you get through Pennsylvania winters?

For all three programs:
*If you elected to do a glide year, how did you acquire meaningful work for your gap year in between program completion and medical school? I would hate to have to complete the program and spend a year doing something that I did not feel was conducive to the career I want to pursue.




Conversely, I am also extremely happy to answer any questions about admission for each of these programs or go over interview questions. (I remember how nervous and unknowledgeable I was going into this and would have really appreciated the help).

Thank you in advance!

 

[drizzt3117]

I didn't go to any of these programs but applied to and was accepted at all three.

I went to Scripps, which is a similar but even slightly smaller program class size wise than JHU or Goucher, and I think small class size shouldn't be a serious concern. Also, getting work during your glide year will be easy at any of these programs, especially JHU.

As far as where I would recommend you go, this is totally dependent on a lot of factors. Are you interested in linking? Are you interested in research?

If I had to choose between these three programs right now, honestly, Id probably pick Hopkins. This cycle and last there have been a number of people come out of there with really stunning results and they were able to get amazing research opportunities. As I'm going into academic medicine, that'd be very attractive. All three programs are great though, and I'm sure you'd have success at any of them!

 

[DMBSatellite]

If it helps, I am very interested in linking and more interested in the clinical aspect of medicine than in research.

That being said, all comments are welcome, both for me and also for others in the same situation who will be reading this thread at some point in the future.

 

[drizzt3117]

If it helps, I am very interested in linking and more interested in the clinical aspect of medicine than in research.

That being said, all comments are welcome, both for me and also for others in the same situation who will be reading this thread at some point in the future.

If that's the case, I'd probably have BM at the top of my list.

 

[DMBSatellite]

Could you give a reason for that? (thanks for your advice, by the way- very helpful.)

 

[NewmansOwn]

Because BM has the most linkages. I successfully linked from BM to my medical school and am quite happy with the decision, especially as I talk to all my exhausted glide-year colleagues who have spent dozens of hours and thousands of dollars filling out secondaries and flying across the country to interviews.

I was offered plenty of individual attention but needed very little of it. I linked early in my postbac year and the process (literally) consisted of nothing more than forwarding my application for BM to my medical school. I interviewed a month or two later and was accepted. Done and done.

Philadelphia winters are not really any worse than Baltimore winters. This particular winter was a little brutal on the snow front, though.

75 seems large in comparison to other programs but honestly, it's not big enough. You spend so many hours every day with these people...it's nice to have a large group to integrate socially. I can't imagine going through in with the same 20-25 people.

 

[EJS1979]

Congrats on your acceptances! I'm at Goucher now, and I love the small size. I was a little worried about it at first, but after almost nine months, I can say that it's one of my favorite aspects of the program. Until now, I've never been in a group like this where I can honestly say that I absolutely enjoy everyone I'm around, but that is my situation here. Because of the size, everyone is really close, but in the best possible way. I can only speak for myself, but the small size allows me to feel more comfortable in the classroom because I know everyone so well. The majority of us live in the same apartment complex, so there's a never-ending supply of people for studying, going out, venting, etc. It seems like it would get old, but I love hanging out with every person in the program, and I don't think I would have gotten to know each person so well if it were any bigger.

I was facing the same decision last year, and I am really happy with my choice. Goucher has an incredibly supportive atmosphere; we work hard, but we are able to relax and have fun while we do it. The classes are challenging, but I love it here.

Please feel free to ask any other questions you may have, or you can PM me if you'd like.

(Oh, and as for linking, the two people who have had interviews so far have been accepted; one person just had an interview yesterday; and the rest of us who applied to link have interviews over the next three or four weeks.)

 

[drizzt3117]

Congrats on your acceptances! I'm at Goucher now, and I love the small size. I was a little worried about it at first, but after almost nine months, I can say that it's one of my favorite aspects of the program. Until now, I've never been in a group like this where I can honestly say that I absolutely enjoy everyone I'm around, but that is my situation here. Because of the size, everyone is really close, but in the best possible way. I can only speak for myself, but the small size allows me to feel more comfortable in the classroom because I know everyone so well. The majority of us live in the same apartment complex, so there's a never-ending supply of people for studying, going out, venting, etc. It seems like it would get old, but I love hanging out with every person in the program, and I don't think I would have gotten to know each person so well if it were any bigger.

I was facing the same decision last year, and I am really happy with my choice. Goucher has an incredibly supportive atmosphere; we work hard, but we are able to relax and have fun while we do it. The classes are challenging, but I love it here.

Please feel free to ask any other questions you may have, or you can PM me if you'd like.

(Oh, and as for linking, the two people who have had interviews so far have been accepted; one person just had an interview yesterday; and the rest of us who applied to link have interviews over the next three or four weeks.)

Aren't you concerned that you're interviewing so late for linking? I'm not sure what the timing is like at BM/Goucher but most linkage students at Scripps interview with the first group of normal pool interviewees in august/september so they know where they stand right away.

 

[picaresque]

I attended the Goucher PBPM several years ago, and successfully linked. I'm currently an MS2.

The links at Goucher occur at different times depending on which school you choose to link to. I personally interviewed at the end of February and got my acceptance over spring break. The nice thing is that you get presentations about the different schools, and lots of people arrange trips to go visit some of the schools and get tours, so by the time you choose to link (or choose not to link) you're making a really informed decision.

The things I liked best about the program were the small class size (great for forming high-functioning study groups and getting to know your profs, who help write your committee letter) and the fact that our classes were separate from the undergrads. Being in a class with even a handful of gunner undergrads can really make things unpleasant.
I don't have any complaints about Goucher. I knew what I was getting myself into in terms of workload, and I got exactly what I wanted out of it: acceptance to medical school without a glide year.

FWIW, in my year something link 10 people applied for links, and 9 of them achieved their goal. One person didn't get the 33 with straight 11's on the MCAT her school wanted, but she successfully applied for the next year and is an MS1 now. If linking is something you're really hoping for, you can probably get stats as to the rate of successful linking from the admissions office of the schools you're considering.

Hope some of this helps! Good luck with your apps, and with med school when that ship comes around!

 

[DMBSatellite]

Each of your replies has been extremely helpful so far- thank you so much. It sounds like I really can't go wrong with any of these programs.

As a side note, I was thinking to myself that an aspect of PBPM programs like BM and Goucher is that they seem to take really interesting people and put them together. Have you guys found that these programs facilitate meaningful friendships or -gasp- relationships in the case of people in your class?

 

[EJS1979]

Aren't you concerned that you're interviewing so late for linking? I'm not sure what the timing is like at BM/Goucher but most linkage students at Scripps interview with the first group of normal pool interviewees in august/september so they know where they stand right away.

As Picaresque said, the linkage application process occurs at different times for different schools. GW has their app due in October, and Tulane in September, but the rest have the primary due at some point in January and the secondary in February, so it's pretty standard for Goucher linkers to be interviewing throughout March. I liked having the due dates so late because it gave those of us interested in linking a chance to visit the schools and shop around a bit, plus it gave us Winter Break to get our AMCAS finished up.

To answer DMB's last question, friendships -- absolutely! I've met some of the kindest, smartest, most interesting people that I could imagine in the program. I wanted to live alone this year, and I was disappointed that my finances wouldn't allow that, but now I joke that I can't handle going more than a few hours without talking to one of my roommates. Actually, a bunch of us were talking the other day about how almost every one of us thinks we won the roommate lottery. Who knows what will happen when we all get busy in med school, but I have a pretty strong feeling that many of us will remain close even after the program. As for relationships, not in my class, but I'm not sure about previous years.

 

[drizzt3117]

Haha, I can say without elaborating that people in my postbac were 'close'. Med school is a whole different animal though, I think when everything is said and done 10-15 pairs from my class will tie the knot...

 

[kywii]

I went to the Hopkins post-bac, although it changed directors while I was there. I have had positive experiences with both directors though.

For Hopkins and Goucher:
*Post bac cohorts in these programs are small. To what extent did you feel claustrophobic? Did you get tired of the same 25 people for a year, or are there some strengths to this arrangement that I'm not seeing?
I loved the people I went to post-bac with and I really enjoyed having a small class. I felt like we each we able to participate in our own unique interests, yet still get together and have fun. In addition, I got to know some people outside of my post-bac by participating in other activities on the hopkins campus.

For Hopkins:
*Most of your classes are integrated with undergrads. What are the strengths and weaknesses of this from your perspective?
I think that having class with the hopkins undergrads was one of the more intimidating aspects of the hopkins program. Interestingly, generally it was the post-bacs who ruined the curve for the undergrads. Although I definitely had to work hard, I felt like after finishing my pre-reqs at hopkins no one could question whether or not I could handle the work in medical school. Also I felt like the professors generally liked the post-bacs due to the fact that they were a little more mature and focused.

*If you aren't from the area, was it hard to make social ties at the JHU program, given its structure? Do the postbacs hang out a lot, or do they mostly keep to themselves?
You are definitely part of a post-bac family at Hopkins. I spent a lot of time with my classmates and many of us got to be very close. Although we definitely had study groups, we also would go out together for restaurant week, have house parties, and other fun activites.

*How hard was it to come up with interesting and rewarding research activities? Baltimore is certainly a "medical town," and JHU is a premed factory- there are quite a few young gunners vying for the same opportunities. Did being a postbac give you a "leg up" for both volunteer work and glide year stuff? If not, what did you do to ensure that you were doing something meaningful?

Basically anything you could possibly want to do you can find it at hopkins. P.I.s are constantly looking for people to help them and most PIs who have worked with post-bacs before like to continue to recruit "in house." Most doctors are very open to having you work with them, all you have to do it send out a few emails.

*I understand that JHUMed does not link its own postbac, but how often do graduates of the program matriculate there?

Within my class four people that I know of got into hopkins. Many of them ended up going to other schools due to personal/financial reasons. Honestly, I would highly recommend doing a glide year or two. Although the linkages sound very nice that extra year is helpful in strengthenning your application and giving you time to focus on just applying.

For Bryn Mawr:
*A class size of 75 or so isn't huge, but is it too big to really ensure the success of each student? When you attended, did you feel like you were given individual attention and support?
*How the hell did you get through Pennsylvania winters?

For all three programs:
*If you elected to do a glide year, how did you acquire meaningful work for your gap year in between program completion and medical school? I would hate to have to complete the program and spend a year doing something that I did not feel was conducive to the career I want to pursue.

Most post-bacs either continued working with the PI they did their tutorial with or found a job through another post-bac. Many doctors know people at other institutions as well, so if you don't want to stay in baltimore for another year you can ask around see if anyone has any connections to other locations. Also never underestimate the value of an email. Although I'm not a huge fan of name dropping the hopkins name can definitely open some doors and when I was job hunting I definitely got an interview by just emailing the head of a department I was interested in at another institution.




Thank you in advance![/QUOTE]

 

[betterlate]

I'm also @ Goucher this year. My roommate and I were just saying that coming here was arguably the best decision we've ever made. I couldn't be happier.


For Hopkins and Goucher:
*Post bac cohorts in these programs are small. To what extent did you feel claustrophobic? Did you get tired of the same 25 people for a year, or are there some strengths to this arrangement that I'm not seeing?
Your mileage may vary on this one, obviously. For me, personally, I saw the small class size as a strength. After doing my research about various postbacc programs, the only place I applied was Goucher. (I submitted an app so early in the cycle that I knew I'd have plenty of time to apply elsewhere if I was rejected.) I think the small class size gives you a better chance to get to know your classmates and your professors. You're more than a name on a paper or a face in a crowd, which is not only helpful when you want to ask a prof (or even a classmate) a question but also critical when it comes to those committee letters.


I think the directors pay attention not only to stats but also to the overall personality of each class when they are considering applications. Our class is very cooperative, supportive, and there's little-to-no interpersonal strife. I think that is the main reason our small class size works so well. If even a few people were mean-spirited or crazy-competitive, I'd have a hard time spending a year in a room with them, you know? We don't have people like that in our class, and so I have no problem at all spending hours each day in a room with the same 30 people.


*If you elected to do a glide year, how did you acquire meaningful work for your gap year in between program completion and medical school? I would hate to have to complete the program and spend a year doing something that I did not feel was conducive to the career I want to pursue.
Many past students effectively pass on their glide year jobs. We get emails regularly from past students who are soliciting applications to fill their position when they matriculate to med school. If there is something specific you are interested in, I'm sure the program can put you in touch w/ either an agency or a past student who has done something similar and can answer questions for you.

 

[EJS1979]

Since someone earlier mentioned the strong admissions results of other programs, I just wanted to update the Goucher part of this thread now that more stats have come in --

As for linkages this year, we are batting a thousand. We have 11 people trying to link, 10 have already been accepted (including several to the new link with U Maryland) and one has an interview next week.

For the regular pool, the students currently on their glide year have pulled in acceptances to Hopkins, Chicago, Penn, Columbia, Yale, Mayo, etc. etc. and have already earned well over $1 million in total merit scholarship money. Overall, a pretty great showing so far.

For people concerned with their glide years, many of this year's students have gotten research jobs (some clinical, some bench) at the NIH, the FDA, and Hopkins, most of which are passed down from Goucher postbacs year after year.