Howard U: how good is it?

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Creightonite

Creightonite

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With such low entering stats, I am really wondering how good is this school? I have some doubts on how strong students are in that school. Any comments?
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Creightonite said:
With such low entering stats, I am really wondering how good is this school? I have some doubts on how strong students are in that school. Any comments?
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One of the mods on this site attended Howard and has great things to say about it. The fact of the matter is that the best schools aren't those that take the strongest students and churn out doctors, which is easy to do. The schools that take "weaker" applicants and produce awesome doctors really deserve some credit. Keep in mind that a "weaker" med school applicant is still someone who is intelligent and passionate about his/her field, and may just have had a few more obstacles to overcome in the process.
 
If it is true, would be interesting to see Howard's board scores....
 
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Creightonite said:
With such low entering stats, I am really wondering how good is this school? I have some doubts on how strong students are in that school. Any comments?
Click to expand...

I have a whole lot of friends that attend Howard and they love it there. They make a whole lot of great physicians. Some of the most respected minority physicians have come from Howard. It is definitely my #1. Lord willing I will be HUCM Class of 2011! :thumbup:
 
Creightonite said:
If it is true, would be interesting to see Howard's board scores....
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Board scores might not necessarily be the best determinant, as many schools train students specifically for specialties in primary care, where Step 1 isn't nearly as much of a factor as a desire to go into PC. A lot of 90%+ instate schools are like this.
 
interviewed at howard last month and was very impressed with the school. going into the interview, i obviously wanted to do well, but since howard was not exactly on number one on my list, i didn't stress about it. however, while at the school, i realized that it had a very strong purpose, which the admissions coordinator said played a large part in who received an interview and who didn't. she said no matter how great an applicant's numbers, if they haven't shown an volunteered in or worked with underserved populations and if they are not interested in doing so in the future, they automatically get rejected.

the faculty at howard were very impressive and friendly. several members of the faculty stopped by to talk to me and the other interviewees and offered their experiences while at howard. one doctor said that he had worked in many hospitals, from tulane, howard, umass, and harvard. he said that he had been at howard the longest because the atmosphere was so conducive to teaching the next generation of doctors. even though i wasn't really expecting to be, i was completely impressed by howard. people say they are disorganized, but i got an interview invite a week after my application was complete. they also took the time to e-mail me a reminder about my interview and then sent me an e-mail a couple of days ago stating that my file had gone before the committee, a decision made, and i'd receive a letter in the mail the beginning of next week. i have several interviews left to attend, but if accepted, i would be honored to attend howard.:thumbup:
 
Creightonite said:
With such low entering stats, I am really wondering how good is this school? I have some doubts on how strong students are in that school. Any comments?
Click to expand...

its not a research school, they are a school designed to produce doctors who serve underserved populations. medical education isn't extremely cerebreal, Howard's average student didn't get a 35 on the mcat, but that doesn't mean that they aren't just as able to learn medicine.
 
Yeah I interviewed there, and I was pretty impressed also. My mom went there and because of her experiences, she slightly discouraged me from applying, but I was truly impressed with the progress they've made and are still making. Like countrygirl said, their mission is to produce doctors that serve the underserved; flat out. That is why you will see them not even offering interview invites to 38 MCAT 4.0 GPA students, because if they don't have a history of volunteering and serving the underserved, then they dont' want them.

While there I learned that all the students get laptops (I know thats common these days, but they're tablet pcs, which isn't common!). I also learned that around 7 students just scored ABOVE the 90th percentile on their Step 1 boards. And there is more to praise them about.

Now they do have problems. They are quite unorganized. As with most black schools (I go to one), there is only one person that knows how to a very very important task. And if that person is gone, then that task doesn't get done. Also, they have a low retention rate (around 70%). But this is due to the fact that they take chances on people that no one else will. And although that may mean that the student repeats the first year (hence the low retention rate) in the end the student becomes a physician, and a good one at that. The facilities are not very new, but does that affect learning?...No.

If you are looking for a school with a huge endowment and lots of research, Howard isn't it. But if you just want to be a good doctor, who can hold his own with Gtown students are WashU students clinically, then Howard is fine (as are most schools).
 
Creightonite: What year are you at Creighton?
 
I'm a second year at Howard medical school and I love it. It is a great school that has a good learning environment and faculty who actually care about helping the students. Average stats of those accepted are really no indication of how good Howard is as a school. I once heard the saying its not whats going into the school its whats coming out of it ;)
 
hucm2009 said:
I'm a second year at Howard medical school and I love it. It is a great school that has a good learning environment and faculty who actually care about helping the students. Average stats of those accepted are really no indication of how good Howard is as a school. I once heard the saying its not whats going into the school its whats coming out of it ;)
Click to expand...

Wow. Can you find dome info on the boards averages? How about residency matches?
 
^
It's like you haven't read a post in this thread. Board averages and residency matches aren't going to show you what you're looking for if you're looking for raw numbers and competitive specialties. If your consideration of the school hinges on its statistics to this degree, the chances of you fitting in with its mission statements, which run contrary to competitive specialties and a focus on Step 1 performance, then how...ah heck, I'm done with this. :laugh:
 
sounds like people are making excuses on what now seems is poor perfomance on step I and not so good residency matches.
 
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Creightonite said:
sounds like people are making excuses on what now seems is poor perfomance on step I and not so good residency matches.
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I dont know exact stats except that board passing rate is over 80%, and last year 6 students were above the 90th percentile. I dont think anyone has to make excuses for howard. you asked for an opinion about howard and i gave it to you. I believe im getting a great education at Howard. Also, you really shouldnt base the school you choose on step 1 scores because you might end up somewhere where you'll be miserable.
 
that's a pretty high board failure rate, isn't it? What the nation average for US med school graduates?
 
I dont know what the failure rate is and i never stated one. I stated that i know the pass rate is over 80%. Well it seems like you arent interested in Howard seeing is how no matter what anyone says you ask about more numbers so I also am done with this:laugh:
 
Well, where there is a pass rate, there is a failure rate....unless you are including students who don't write the boards, which is highly unlikely...

What does it matter anyway, as long as the school provides a decent education and you are motivated enough to become a good doctor?
 
You cant be a doctor if you cant pass the boards, no matter good of a person you are. Environment is very important in learning. If I see other people doing well, I tend to better myself in studying habits etc. I need to see some hard info on residency matches and USMLE pass rate. They website has quite a bit of outdated info and is generally unhelpful. Usually, schools put out info on the residency matches, but I do not see that in HU. Which suggests that probably those matches are not good at all. That same goes for the USMLE scores. I think I asking legitimate questions. If you do not know the answer, it does not mean the question is bad.

BTW, I think is many med schools students are required to pass the board before they do hospital rotations.
 
JediBookworm said:
Well, where there is a pass rate, there is a failure rate....unless you are including students who don't write the boards, which is highly unlikely...

What does it matter anyway, as long as the school provides a decent education and you are motivated enough to become a good doctor?
Click to expand...

By saying that i meant that the pass rate could be anywhere from 80% to 90%, which is very near the national average if im not mistaken. The school does provide a very good education, no school you choose will pass the boards for you. People who do well on the boards at any school are the ones who do well. Those who dont do well didnt prepare well enough. The pass rates are based alot more on the student who doesnt pass than the school they attend
 
^^^

how good do the graduates match?
 
^^^
impressive. I wish their website was more helpful though. Thanks.
 
your welcome. the website does suck i always wonder why they dont get someone to fix the stupid thing lol
 
Creightonite said:
You cant be a doctor if you cant pass the boards, no matter good of a person you are. Environment is very important in learning. If I see other people doing well, I tend to better myself in studying habits etc. I need to see some hard info on residency matches and USMLE pass rate. They website has quite a bit of outdated info and is generally unhelpful. Usually, schools put out info on the residency matches, but I do not see that in HU. Which suggests that probably those matches are not good at all. That same goes for the USMLE scores. I think I asking legitimate questions. If you do not know the answer, it does not mean the question is bad.

BTW, I think is many med schools students are required to pass the board before they do hospital rotations.
Click to expand...
What are you getting at? The school largely accepts minorities, some of whom wouldn't have gotten in anywhere else, some of whom drop out/fail out because the school took a gamble on them. But more of them succeed, or else the school wouldn't still be in business.

What is a good match? Half derm at Harvard and half anesthesiology at Stanford? Or primary care in a rural area? Their match list isn't going to be much help, because you don't know what the applicants want to go into relative to where they got into.
 
doctajay said:
Yeah I interviewed there, and I was pretty impressed also. My mom went there and because of her experiences, she slightly discouraged me from applying, but I was truly impressed with the progress they've made and are still making. Like countrygirl said, their mission is to produce doctors that serve the underserved; flat out. That is why you will see them not even offering interview invites to 38 MCAT 4.0 GPA students, because if they don't have a history of volunteering and serving the underserved, then they dont' want them.
While there I learned that all the students get laptops (I know thats common these days, but they're tablet pcs, which isn't common!). I also learned that around 7 students just scored ABOVE the 90th percentile on their Step 1 boards. And there is more to praise them about.

Now they do have problems. They are quite unorganized. As with most black schools (I go to one), there is only one person that knows how to a very very important task. And if that person is gone, then that task doesn't get done. Also, they have a low retention rate (around 70%). But this is due to the fact that they take chances on people that no one else will. And although that may mean that the student repeats the first year (hence the low retention rate) in the end the student becomes a physician, and a good one at that. The facilities are not very new, but does that affect learning?...No.

If you are looking for a school with a huge endowment and lots of research, Howard isn't it. But if you just want to be a good doctor, who can hold his own with Gtown students are WashU students clinically, then Howard is fine (as are most schools).
Click to expand...

a. I don't get it, does having a high MCAT mean you are less likely to care about the underserved?
b. Judging by the match lists Howard students like to go into competitive money-making fields as much as students from any other school.
 
AmoryBlaine said:
a. I don't get it, does having a high MCAT mean you are less likely to care about the underserved?
b. Judging by the match lists Howard students like to go into competitive money-making fields as much as students from any other school.
Click to expand...
Answer to a) It was a generalization, but I think a correct generalization. Its NOT that they DON'T care for others. That IS NOT what I was saying. I was saying that people with those stats are usually geared more towards research, not serving the underserved. But I'm sure that some do, but if we talk about generally, then I'm right.
 
doctajay said:
Answer to a) It was a generalization, but I think a correct generalization. Its NOT that they DON'T care for others. That IS NOT what I was saying. I was saying that people with those stats are usually geared more towards research, not serving the underserved. But I'm sure that some do, but if we talk about generally, then I'm right.
Click to expand...

Eh, I'm still not convinced. I don't think that high numbers correlate very well with a true research interest because I don't think that very many people in med school are truly interested in research except to the extent that it will look good on an application.

Not to be a jerk, but it almost sounds like you're making the argument that there is an inverse relationship between intelligence and social conscience. That's not what you're trying to say is it?
 
AmoryBlaine said:
Eh, I'm still not convinced. I don't think that high numbers correlate very well with a true research interest because I don't think that very many people in med school are truly interested in research except to the extent that it will look good on an application.

Not to be a jerk, but it almost sounds like you're making the argument that there is an inverse relationship between intelligence and social conscience. That's not what you're trying to say is it?
Click to expand...
I'm sure you'll figure it out. The main point is that Howard is a good school, and it fully fulfills it's mission.
 
AmoryBlaine said:
a. I don't get it, does having a high MCAT mean you are less likely to care about the underserved?
b. Judging by the match lists Howard students like to go into competitive money-making fields as much as students from any other school.
Click to expand...

I think what he was trying to say is that you can have a 38 and 4.0, but if you have not demostrated an interest in working with the underserved by working in that enviroment then you will not get an interview. They want people with both a demostrated interest in working with the underserved, as well as a desire to continue to work with this specific patient population.
 
hiya!
I'm looking for anymore info you guys have on Howard. It's currently my top choice. Are they Canadian friendly? What is the atmosphere like on campus? Is it truely nice and non-competitive? what is a day like in the life of a howard med school student? I dont know what else to ask... TELL ME EVERYTHING:oops:

Lys
 
I interviewed at Howard last week. I agree that it is a great school with a unique mission. Furthermore, it takes a chance on students that some med schools may not in addition to the focus on treating the underserved.

I believe that the pass rate on step 1 was somewhere in the 80s% range which is really low but by the time students get to step 2 it's around the national average.

I wasn't that impressed by the school however. Most current students that I ran into asked or assumed that Howard was my only interview and that I would be matriculating there if accepted. They were pretty floored when I stated that it was my 5th interview of 8 so far. Students match well and the faculty is very interested in the students' success. I believe that many of its shortcomings can be attributed to its lack of financial resources but they are capable of producing GREAT physicians nonetheless.
:)
 
I have many frineds who go to Howard med school (from MS-1 students to MS-4). I understand ur concern since Howard tends to have below avg. MCAt and GPA scores. But don't let that fool u. The reason they do that is bcoz they r an HBCU. The want to give a chance to a student who may have done poorly on standardized exams but is really an intelligent, hard-working and caring person.

Take for example Dr. Lefall Lesalle. He is now a well-known expert in the field of oncology. He has been the head of the NAtional Cancer Society and other national medical associations. And he is a graduate of Howard med school. He almost didn't get in to Howard because of his low MCAt scores. But the school saw he had potential and gave him a chance. And now, he is one of the best.

Also, keep in mind that an avg is just an avg. There r very smart ppl at that school who could have chosen to go else where but didn't (probably coz the school's so cheap). One guy in the third year now got a 41 on his mCAT.

It is tru that howard does have its shortcomings. Like its location. or that the faculty don't encourage their students to work or do research. or that the adminstrative ppl have no ppl skills. or that the buildings r old. but don't doubt the quality of education u will get there. If u work hard, u will come out as the best.
 
TSK said:
I interviewed at Howard last week. I agree that it is a great school with a unique mission. Furthermore, it takes a chance on students that some med schools may not in addition to the focus on treating the underserved.

I believe that the pass rate on step 1 was somewhere in the 80s% range which is really low but by the time students get to step 2 it's around the national average.

I wasn't that impressed by the school however. Most current students that I ran into asked or assumed that Howard was my only interview and that I would be matriculating there if accepted. They were pretty floored when I stated that it was my 5th interview of 8 so far. Students match well and the faculty is very interested in the students' success. I believe that many of its shortcomings can be attributed to its lack of financial resources but they are capable of producing GREAT physicians nonetheless.
:)
Click to expand...


What about the school didnt impress you? And what are the short comings?

Lys
 
urmytiya said:
I have many frineds who go to Howard med school (from MS-1 students to MS-4). I understand ur concern since Howard tends to have below avg. MCAt and GPA scores. But don't let that fool u. The reason they do that is bcoz they r an HBCU. The want to give a chance to a student who may have done poorly on standardized exams but is really an intelligent, hard-working and caring person.

Take for example Dr. Lefall Lesalle. He is now a well-known expert in the field of oncology. He has been the head of the NAtional Cancer Society and other national medical associations. And he is a graduate of Howard med school. He almost didn't get in to Howard because of his low MCAt scores. But the school saw he had potential and gave him a chance. And now, he is one of the best.

Also, keep in mind that an avg is just an avg. There r very smart ppl at that school who could have chosen to go else where but didn't (probably coz the school's so cheap). One guy in the third year now got a 41 on his mCAT.

It is tru that howard does have its shortcomings. Like its location. or that the faculty don't encourage their students to work or do research. or that the adminstrative ppl have no ppl skills. or that the buildings r old. but don't doubt the quality of education u will get there. If u work hard, u will come out as the best.
Click to expand...

If u write like dis on yo apps, ain't no skool gonna 'cept u.
 
I'm a 1st year at Howard. I love it here, and I couldn't see myself at any other school. I was accepted at other schools, and chose HU over all of them because of the atmosphere and quality of doctors produced here. I'm very confident that I will be an awesome, more-than-competent, caring, leading physician when I leave here.

Also, I don't know much about the other classes here, but my class (2010) is filled with some of the smartest people I've ever known. The curriculum is great, the faculty is phenomenal, and the overall DC experience is the best! I guess the major difference between my undergrad and Howard is the level of colleague support and encouragement. It's kind of an understood thing here to help each other with academic resources, personal problems, etc.. Don't get me wrong. I love my undergrad university like no other, but Howard Med is a really good school - the perfect choice for me. And just like any of the other 124 AAMC accredited US med schools, HU has its pros and cons.

In short, I believe Howard is a wonderful school. Howard's current and past students are lucky to have been given the opportunity to study here.
 
Well, then another question. What is the % of white people in the school?
 
the % of caucasians at Howard is probably about 5%, and the total of non blacks is about 25%
 
so if I get in I will be the only white guy in the class. The white coat ceremony class picture would look weird, lol. Now, I understand how black people feel when they come to some of the midwestern colleges around here...
 
You definately wont be the only one in the class, but you will be one of a few. There are 6 or 7 in the class below us and 3 or 4 in our class. Each class is VERY diverse, there are many asians, indians, hispanics, midlle easterns, pretty much everything. But honestly, howard is really like one big family and no one could care less about what race you are.
 
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