GREs--??

they are only required for bme programs -- i am thinking about taking them for some scholarhips (dunno why, mstp should cover things, but just in case) like the nsf, howard hughes etc... i took a practice test cold and its not bad at all if standardized tests are your bag - after the mcat it should be a piece of cake (well maybe not). the subject tests can be trickier if you want to take them - but i dunno why one would. whatever you do, don't take them and not do well, that can only hurt. didn't none take them?

 

just to let you know, if you are on a MSTP grant, you are automatically ineligible for most of those scholarships (i don't know about NSF, but you definitely cannot apply for a howard hughes). i don't think it really helps you to have a GRE score...if you did extremely well it could help, but if you didn't do extremely well it could marginalize a good MCAT score.

 

hah oh man - thanks for the heads up vmn2 - that removes any thuoght of taking it - i was thinking i could sweaten a deal by grabbing a hhmi grant or something. i just checked about 3 other scholarships and the same rules applied -- that would have been a wasted effort ...

 

I took the GRE general test last year. BME graduate programs do generally require the GRE general test. Some of the grad programs will waive that requirement for MD/PhD applicants.

Last year, I know for sure that Michigan required the GRE for BME, and Ohio State, UVA, and UNC strongly recommended it.

I did pretty well, and asked other MD/PhD programs if they wanted me to send the scores. Hopkins told me not to worry about it.

I thought the GRE was fairly easy compared to the MCAT.

 

The VAST majority of MD/PhD programs do not require it. Some recommend it. If you take it and do well, it's not going to help a low MCAT score. If you take it and do poorly, it will bring a high MCAT score into question. My recommendation: do not take it unless you have a very specific reason for doing so. Once you have taken it, you must report the scores.

 

I agree, Michigan is the only program that i know for sure requires the GRE for BME (at least they did so last year).

But unless you are dead set on going to Michigan and doing BME/MD-PhD, then its not worth taking.

 

CASE requires the GRE for their BME programa and thier new program. I heard the subject test ares ridiciously hard.

 

how much prep did you do for the GRE general test?

what would you recommend?

and did you find the CAT format to be tricky?

thanks !!

 

I took the Biochem subject test to fill a graduation requirement, and it's actually pretty easy. I did far better on it than I did on the MCAT bio section...primarily because it was my area of study. I mentioned that I had taken it on my AMCAS, and on a couple secondaries that had space for it, but I never bothered to have official scores sent to any schools, and none of them asked for any either. Unless you like taking tests, and feel like it'd be a fun challenge ;-) , I wouldn't bother taking it.

Good luck,

Adam