Harvard Extension program

[medanthgirl]

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Hola amigos -

I have a question about HES program that i haven't been able to track down yet. Does anyone do HES solely for gpa raising/advanced bio classes? if you do, does that mean you can't apply for the certificate program? I have all my pre-reqs and got a 32 S on this august's mcat. my husband's job might be moving us to boston so i figure my options are either BU, but i'm not crazy about the 2 year program and the cost - I'm 27 and already have a masters in international health. I like the idea of taking 24 credits in things like immunology, physiology, etc. it doesn't look like there's a whole lot of options, but enough to keep you busy for a year while you're applying. has anyone used HES this way? any advice would be greatly greatly appreciated.

many thanks!!!

 

[microgin]

Hola amigos -

I have a question about HES program that i haven't been able to track down yet. Does anyone do HES solely for gpa raising/advanced bio classes? if you do, does that mean you can't apply for the certificate program? I have all my pre-reqs and got a 32 S on this august's mcat. my husband's job might be moving us to boston so i figure my options are either BU, but i'm not crazy about the 2 year program and the cost - I'm 27 and already have a masters in international health. I like the idea of taking 24 credits in things like immunology, physiology, etc. it doesn't look like there's a whole lot of options, but enough to keep you busy for a year while you're applying. has anyone used HES this way? any advice would be greatly greatly appreciated.

many thanks!!!

I can't really answer your question about HES, although if by certificate program you mean diploma program, I think that's only for people who haven't taken any of their pre-reqs, which of course, you would not be eligible for. You do realize that a 32S MCAT makes you quite competitive at allopathic schools, plus you have a Masters degree already. How low is your undergrad GPA? If it's at least in the average range, I would consider applying to med schools now.

 

[ltrain]

hey, i'm taking classes at HES now. like the poster said above, if you've taken any of your pre-reqs you can't get the premedical diploma. so, you don't get any kind of degree from them, but the advantage for many people is that the extension school will sponsor your application to med school if you take however many credits of "medical sciences" they tell you to (depending on your undergrad gpa) and get a b or better in them. here's the list of classes, though it sounds like you've found it...and also their sponsorship policy.

http://www.extension.harvard.edu/2005-06/courses/mdsc.jsp

http://www.extension.harvard.edu/2005-06/programs/hcp/sponsor/

 

[medanthgirl]

thanks for the replies! what do they mean by sponsorship? like they write you a letter of recommendation?

my undergrad gpa is pretty average/average-low, cumulative 3.1 , science i think i have gotten back up to 3.0 (it was 2.7). i was a double major in chem and anthropology, but a couple of d's and and f in my calculus series just tanked me. also a string of a C's in a few of my upper level chem classes and a physics class. but i've been taking (and in some cases retaking) a handful of science classes at the university i work at, and have been getting A's.

i guess i'm just nervous because boston u's program looks so formal and solid and everything, like they crank out people who get into med school constantly and harvard's looks a little bit more informal and like a brief stopping place for people that have good apps already. ideally i would just like to take classes for a year, but ultimately i just want to be a competitive candidate. esp. if we are still living in boston and my only realistic chances would be tufts and boston u. i guess that's my real worry...if i was going to apply to 12 places all over the country and my home state, i would def. do the HES program, but if I'm limited to boston, would i do better to go with BU?

i'll definately apply to both, and maybe this is a little premature, but i like to have an idea....

many many thanks!!!

 

[ltrain]

right, so when most undergrads apply to med school, they get a letter from a pre-med committee or adviser at their school. a lot of people who have been out of school for awhile don't have this option available to them. so the hes sponsorship is a letter that's submitted with your application in lieu of the committee letter. the hes office also organizes your letters of recommendation and sends them out to schools. they also charge you 500 bucks.

i don't know that much about the bu program. but i do know that applying to med school is a crap shoot and you can never be sure you'll get in someplace if you only apply to two schools. if you are set on going to med school in boston, i would contact the bu program and find out more about it. tell them that bu is your first choice med school and find out how many students from their program are accepted at bu every year. that info might help you make your decision. if it's a significant number, i would say the bu program would definitely give you an advantage over the hes program.

good luck!

 

[Sundarban1]

So I think the question is 1.) Does your undergraduate school have a pre-med committe willing to write you a letter, or are you going to get individual letters from undergraduate professors? If you do not have an undergraduate pre-med committee who is going to write you a letter for your application, the great thing about HES is that you can apply to the program and when you are accepted you will be eligible to qualify for sponsorship, which means they will write you a composate letter upon the completion of x credits (they determine how many credits you need to complete to qualify for sponsorship based on your GPA when you enter).

The down side is what I just said, they determine, based on your GPA how many credits you must complete. If you have taken all your pre-reqs and don't want to take another 20 credits (I just picked that number) than perhaps applying would not be worth the effort. You can just as easily take the classes on your own and apply when you're ready. However you won't be able to get a sponsorship letter from HES, but depending on your background and if you have a pre-med committee you plan on using, they may be a non issue anyway.

If you go to their website you can go to the sponsorship link and see the details for yourself. I beleive if your undergrad GPA is <3.2 they require over 20 credits or something to that effect. If you have no interest in taking that many credits than I would say it is not worth your time to apply. You can just take the upper level courses there on your own.

 

[medanthgirl]

the great thing about HES is that you can apply to the program and when you are accepted you will be eligible to qualify for sponsorship, which means they will write you a composate letter upon the completion of x credits (they determine how many credits you need to complete to qualify for sponsorship based on your GPA when you enter).

so does that mean there's a lag time ...i.e. you have to do those 20 hours, and then you get the letter? I was hoping to apply next summer to med school, gulp...(if i decided not to apply to boston u.'s program)

 

[Sundarban1]

so does that mean there's a lag time ...i.e. you have to do those 20 hours, and then you get the letter? I was hoping to apply next summer to med school, gulp...(if i decided not to apply to boston u.'s program)

Well yes I would assume you have to complete the credits before they write the letter. I would suggest calling one of directors, Owen Peterson or Bill Fixsen. I believe their information is on the website. They will be able to tell you the details you are looking for and they are super helpful.

 

[ltrain]

so does that mean there's a lag time ...i.e. you have to do those 20 hours, and then you get the letter? I was hoping to apply next summer to med school, gulp...(if i decided not to apply to boston u.'s program)

right, you don't get their sponsorship until you complete the credits. there's going to be this "lag" or "glide" year with any of the post-bacc style programs. but if you think you're ready to apply this summer, you could always go ahead and apply (without sponsorship) and update the schools after the first term with your academic progress.

 

[medanthgirl]

right, you don't get their sponsorship until you complete the credits. there's going to be this "lag" or "glide" year with any of the post-bacc style programs. but if you think you're ready to apply this summer, you could always go ahead and apply (without sponsorship) and update the schools after the first term with your academic progress.

ahh, that sounds great. so maybe HES's flexibility is a bonus then! many thanks for all of your help...