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Hopkins vs Goucher Postbac - Need Advice
- Thread starter dmachid9
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I only applied to Goucher, so I wasn't in the position of choosing between two programs that had accepted me, but I can tell you why Goucher was my #1 choice in the first place.
1) I liked that it was small.
2) I REALLY liked that it was self-contained (postbacc-only classes). I'd been out of school for a long time, plus have a learning disability affecting numbers/mathematics, and worried as a result that I might need extra help in some of my classes. I felt that I'd be better able to access the help I needed in a small, self-contained program than if I'd been just one of the crowd.
3) Related to #2, I liked the amount of support available in the program. There was a full-time TA, a 2-semester MCAT class that was included in the tuition, etc. etc.
4) Location. Towson is much more suburban and thus felt a helluva lot safer to me than Baltimore. (Plus, at the time I was living just north of DC and thought I would commute. Only did that for a summer before I moved to be closer to the school.)
5) I liked that there was one day a week set aside for shadowing, so I didn't have to figure out a way to fit that into my schedule.
For these, and a few other small, contributing factors, Goucher was my top choice for postbacc, and the only place I ultimately applied. Basically, they were all factors that made me feel like I had a good chance of succeeding there, for a variety of personal reasons.
I loved, loved, loved my time at Goucher. I had a fantastic class & am still in contact with many of my classmates, loved the leadership of the program & still swing by periodically to catch up with them. Ultimately, I did well in the program and, two years into med school, i can comfortably say that it prepared me well for what was to come.
You can't really go wrong with this choice: most likely you'll be successful at either program. I think that you, the student, are really what determines whether you'll succeed or fail at postbacc and/or med school. Just choose wherever you think you'll be the happiest. If you're happy, you're more likely to be able to focus on your studies and do your best.
good luck!
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Me too!! In the airport now getting ready to fly down to Baltimore now actually. Looking at threads from past years, it looks to be pretty laid back. Probably not a whole lot of curveballs or unexpected questions.
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Good luck to you both, EB & Superwann!
Very general advice: Be prepared for a fairly standard, conversational interview. Be prepared to answer the questions, 'why medicine?' and "why make the switch now?" Also be prepared to explain what you will add to your class if accepted. (What do you add in terms of diversity, what will help you fit in.)
Be professional but personable. Dress appropriately (full suit is not necessary, but office-appropriate attire is. Women, don't have a super-low neckline or super-short skirt. People will take note of it.). Don't do anything exceedingly unusual (ex: bringing someone with you on your interview day - if someone travels with you, cut them loose for the day!). Be respectful of the office staff!
Granted, those are all things that you should probably take for granted, but sometimes it needs to be explicitly stated. Again, good luck!
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Thanks for the advice betterlate! It's funny, this isn't the first time I've gotten advice that should be obvious. Makes me wonder what people have seen on their interviews that makes them feel like this stuff isn't obvious... Be interesting to hear stories.
Betterlate - thank you for sharing your thoughts about Goucher!
For those still applying, I completely agree with Betterlate's advice about the interview process and would add that you should have a very good understanding of who you are and what you presented in your application. Anything you mentioned is up for discussion.
None of the interview questions I had anywhere were surprising, but (I think) this means that the bar is set higher. A lot of applicants will be giving very good responses to these questions so you have to think about what you want to say that will give them a good understanding of who you are. There are no right answers. Just focus on being honest, passionate, and articulate. Maybe this is obvious advice but in my opinion, there's not much more to it than that.
Good luck!
For those still applying, I completely agree with Betterlate's advice about the interview process and would add that you should have a very good understanding of who you are and what you presented in your application. Anything you mentioned is up for discussion.
None of the interview questions I had anywhere were surprising, but (I think) this means that the bar is set higher. A lot of applicants will be giving very good responses to these questions so you have to think about what you want to say that will give them a good understanding of who you are. There are no right answers. Just focus on being honest, passionate, and articulate. Maybe this is obvious advice but in my opinion, there's not much more to it than that.
Good luck!
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Hi everyone,
I too am considering both Hopkins and Goucher, and I want to bring up a question that I don't think has been addressed yet. I'm sure many of you have perused the threads on post-bacs dating as far back as '05, and the advising has been unequivocally cited as a strength of both programs. Students of the Hopkins program (in recent years) immediately point out how wonderful Liza Thompson is, and students at Goucher (in the more distant past) have also praised Liza's personal and thorough attention. (Of course, the Goucher program continues to receive the same sort of exceptional praise).
Administrative changes at Ms. Thompson's level are bound to occur as schools like Hopkins seek to build their post-bacc programs. Clearly, Liza is an expert in the post-bacc community, and is highly regarded by everyone who was fortunate enough to receive her guidance. So, this is meant to be a very unfocused question, because the results of both programs speak for themselves and one would do fabulously at either. But I feel compelled to ask nonetheless, because this struck me as somewhat relevant in evaluating the two schools: has anyone considered Liza's transition from Goucher to Hopkins as a strength/weakness of either program, and if so, what were your thoughts?
I too am considering both Hopkins and Goucher, and I want to bring up a question that I don't think has been addressed yet. I'm sure many of you have perused the threads on post-bacs dating as far back as '05, and the advising has been unequivocally cited as a strength of both programs. Students of the Hopkins program (in recent years) immediately point out how wonderful Liza Thompson is, and students at Goucher (in the more distant past) have also praised Liza's personal and thorough attention. (Of course, the Goucher program continues to receive the same sort of exceptional praise).
Administrative changes at Ms. Thompson's level are bound to occur as schools like Hopkins seek to build their post-bacc programs. Clearly, Liza is an expert in the post-bacc community, and is highly regarded by everyone who was fortunate enough to receive her guidance. So, this is meant to be a very unfocused question, because the results of both programs speak for themselves and one would do fabulously at either. But I feel compelled to ask nonetheless, because this struck me as somewhat relevant in evaluating the two schools: has anyone considered Liza's transition from Goucher to Hopkins as a strength/weakness of either program, and if so, what were your thoughts?
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Memebot, that is an excellent question! I have to say that my meeting with Liza at Hopkins and what the current students had to say about her really made it obvious how much effort she is willing to put into advising and helping her students. One of the current students told me about how much individualized attention Liza put into reading over every section and essay of her medical school application - over Christmas break! She obviously goes above and beyond for her students.
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I think the performance of the Goucher program since the change in leadership stands on its own. There's been no dip in the admissions stats or the scholarship $$ per year offered to Goucher grads, and there's been an increase in the number of linkage opportunities available to Goucher postbacc students.
Speaking from experience, I can say that Betsy worked closely with each of us to edit our personal statements & secondaries, and our applications as a whole. She met with each of us individually to help us choose a list of med schools on the basis of our geographic preferences, stats, and stories.
Finally, Betsy has been at Goucher for around a decade, I believe. She's also well known in the med school community. The high regard the medical community has for her, and students from the Goucher program in general, is reflected in the ~100% admissions rate and the constantly increasing number of schools who are establishing linkages to the program.
With regards to Liza, I've never met her. I formed an opinion of her based solely on the way she interacted with some of my classmates upon receiving notification that they'd be attending the Goucher program rather than Hopkins. On the basis of those interactions, I concluded that I would personally not mesh well with her management style and thus would have been less likely to succeed at Hopkins than I was at Goucher. That said, that's a highly personal opinion based on an assessment of my own personality and past experiences; it clearly can't be applied broadly.
In either case, both programs have and will continue to have a high track record of success. When choosing between them, you have to assess nebulous things like 'fit' and gut feeling, since their performance stats in terms of admissions rates are pretty similar.
Best of luck to you!
Thanks betterlate, that was pretty much what I was hoping to hear. I felt a strong 'gut' connection to Goucher, but was allowing (or forcing) myself to consider these kinds of details. Like you said, the two programs are indistinguishable when it comes to med school admissions.
