I do NOT recommend UMDNJ's grad school

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syperidot

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I just want to warn whoever's thinking of attending UMDNJ not to even consider it. I REGRET terribly enrolling into this school. The administration sucks and the people who have the power to help you don't care as long as they save their butts. Money is tight in most departments...I asked one of my professors if I could volunteer at her lab..she flat out turned me down...I don't exactly know what she was saying because it didn't make sense, but something along the lines of not having money which didn't make sense because I would be volunteering.
Also, the neighborhood is pretty awful...I mean it's Newark. Everytime I go to McD's there's some random person bugging me to give them money. One time a woman wouldn't leave me alone till I gave her a dollar.
The facilities at the school are pretty rundown, and the library is so freakin hot all the time....it puts me to sleep...and people talk out loud all the time...INCLUDING the librarians. And never ask the librarian in the front for help...she's such a cocky woman. Didn't listen to what I was saying at all. Oh and if you're taking day classes there....and don't get there by 9am forget about finding parking. People illegal park all the time!!!
OVERALL, the schools SUCKS!!!
If anyone has any qustions feel free to message me
 
i'm so sorry you had a terrible experience there! 🙁 but thank you for sharing!
 
While I do agree with some parts of the above post (namely bureaucracy, parking, old facilities), I have had a distinctly different experience in this program, one that has strengthened my credentials and gotten me into several med schools so far.. At times, things may not have gone as smoothly as desired, but as long as you follow up with people and be persistent, things will work out..

abbeacon
 
abbeacon,
Believe me I've been persistent with trying to get my money back, but they refuse and there's nothing I can do. I'm not even registered for classes yet because I still have a balance. Yeah well I'm sure I can get into med school after this program. I'm doing pretty well so far, but I mean I would probably be a lot happier in another school. I'd probably end up in med school and much happier in a different masters program. I'm just saying you gotta be happy in the school as well.
 
Abbeacon,
Do you mind my asking what you scored on the MCATs, because I'm debating on whether I should retake my MCATs with a present score of 29.
 
syperidot,

I entered the program with a 26, and then retook the mcat this past August and got a 33. With a 29, I think you should be OK for the NJ medical schools, especially b/c you're in the program. If you're looking at other schools out of state, you may want to consider retaking the test and bumping it up a few more points.. One other thing, I felt that biochem and physio helped out tremendously on the bio part of biological sciences.. you applying this cycle or next cycle?

abbeacon
 
Yeah Ingoglia told me not to take physio because it is supposed to be alot of work...what do you suggest...it might be tos late to register for it already. Plus I think if I take my MCATs in the spring taking physio will be too much anyway. Outside of academics, what extracurriculars do u suggest.
 
Originally posted by syperidot
Yeah Ingoglia told me not to take physio because it is supposed to be alot of work...what do you suggest...it might be tos late to register for it already. Plus I think if I take my MCATs in the spring taking physio will be too much anyway. Outside of academics, what extracurriculars do u suggest.
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physio was definitely a lot of work, but I really enjoyed the class.. the connections to clinical medicine were readily apparent, as opposed to in biochem, and physio is pretty important on the usmle's--so if you can get into the class, I'd definitely take it.

I decided not to take the april mcat b/c I wanted to focus on academics, and opted to take the august test so I could spend my entire summer preparing w/no distractions. Taking the august test wasn't a disadvantage regarding the two NJ schools, as I was offered interviews at both places shortly after they got the scores (mid-october), and subsequent acceptances to both places. Because your mcat score is borderline, you might want to check with both schools and see if/when they recommend retaking the exam.

Regarding ECs, it really depends on your interests.. I had a decent variety of experiences: emt since high school, volunteering in the ER, working in a nursing home, doing research as an undergrad and throughout the MS program, etc. I'd explore your options at university hospital because I'm sure they wouldn't mind more students observing--I actually shadowed in the HIV clinic there.

abbeacon
 
Well I've spoken to Ingoglia, Wright and Heinrich and all of them have told me that it is not necessary to retake my MCATs and I really do not wanna take it in the summer because I do not wanna waste another summer to studying. I would rather do research or something. So if I do retake my MCATs it will definitely be in April. In addition, if I do decide to go to NJ Med my physio credit will not transfer over because it is integrated with cell bio which means I'll have to take the class eventually. I'm takin medical neuroscience instead which starts in april. But the big question is if I really wanna stay at this school or not??? Because if I do then my first year in med school would not be so bad. All I need to get into NJ med is to do well in this masters program or I could give myself extra work and retake the MCATs so I could keep my options more open. What do u suggest??
 
Originally posted by syperidot
Well I've spoken to Ingoglia, Wright and Heinrich and all of them have told me that it is not necessary to retake my MCATs and I really do not wanna take it in the summer because I do not wanna waste another summer to studying. I would rather do research or something. So if I do retake my MCATs it will definitely be in April. In addition, if I do decide to go to NJ Med my physio credit will not transfer over because it is integrated with cell bio which means I'll have to take the class eventually. I'm takin medical neuroscience instead which starts in april. But the big question is if I really wanna stay at this school or not??? Because if I do then my first year in med school would not be so bad. All I need to get into NJ med is to do well in this masters program or I could give myself extra work and retake the MCATs so I could keep my options more open. What do u suggest??
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Like you said, retaking the mcat ultimately depends on whether you'd be content to stay in the umdnj system, or would like to improve your credentials for out-of-state schools. If the former is the case, then I'd say spend next semester/next summer doing research--this will also help your application, in that your adviser could write you a letter of recommendation.

For all the bureaucracy and little annoyances of umdnj (most recently, I got a ticket parking in the norfolk deck b/c I parked in the yellow area by a stairwell, the ONLY spot I could find at 10am--I was absolutely livid.. and it's not just a umdnj ticket, it's a city of newark ticket), I know I will get a solid preclinical education and diverse clinical experiences that will benefit my future career.. so I'm pretty happy staying at njms..

I didn't know about the integration of physio & ctb. Dr. Heinrich said that in late January, they will have finalized the new curriculum that starts in august, so I'll be intrigued to see how placement works with biochem & physio. Despite the integration, I was planning to audit physio a year from now anyway, just to keep sharp. I heard medical neuro was pretty tough, but don't know anyone that took it who's finishing the program this year. I thought about taking genetics or neuro, but cramming all that material into 3 weeks of class wasn't too appealing...

take care,
abbeacon
 
Hi abbeacon,

Ok so this is what I've planned to do. Take my MCATs this april. and not take physio because next semester they have integrated ctb with physio and if you're wondering how its gonna work....the exam is actually gonna have questions marked ctb or physio so that the grad students do not have to answer the ctb questions. And even tho u've suggested takin physio I don't think it's worth it to have to take it over again if I go to this school. If you were wondering as well, I've taken genetics and biochem and topics in neuro, and starting next year they will be integrating gen and biochem...thank god I took genetics...because for all those who didn't and only took biochem will end up having to retake the whole course if they plan to go to NJ Med that is. So I my schedule as it appears now is that I'll be takin neural substrate and aggressive behavior, lab animal science and medical neuro. Iwas registered for regional anatomy but didn't get it because of my stupid account balance. Do u recommend any courses?? I'll also be applyin to med school this summer, so I'm gonna try to get my lab rotation in this coming semester that way I can get a recommendation in. Do u recommend any labs??..I'm open to any...I already asked my neuro prof but she told me no...so now I don't really care for anything in particular.
Oh and just wondering....what med schools have u heard from..interviews..acceptances???
 
Hey thanks for the info regarding the med courses & placement.. that's somewhat disappointing, because I had planned on taking one less class per semester during the first year.. Your plan for next semester sounds good, given that you won't be occupied w/physio. I heard the lab animal science course was pretty easy, but don't know about the two neuro-related courses you're taking.. It sounds like you're pretty much set for spring semester, but for the fall, I would recommend taking principles of pharmacology w/flynn.. it's a pretty easy course, but he's a great teacher and the material is interesting.. The other grad classes I took were OK, but nothing really stood out: stem cell biology, clinical trials overview, molecular/immunopath mechanisms of cancer, and principles of epidemiology (sch of pub health).

Regarding research, it kinda depends on what topics you are interested in.. I have always had an interest in oncology, and thus chose a research adviser who does cancer research. You should check out the "research locater" off the main gsbs page for ideas. I'd definitely recommend my lab, but I know my adviser can't take on any more students.

As far as my applications go, I have been accepted to NJMS, RWJMS, and eastern virginia medical school so far, and also interviewed at VCU/MCV. I just got a letter from drexel offering an interview, but I will decline the offer. I still haven't heard back from a handful of schools which I know is because I took the august mcat. I don't know if you applied before, but one word of advice: get your amcas and lor's submitted as early as you can! Even though I got my amcas in the first week of June, I knew that many schools wouldn't even look at my app until receipt of the august scores.. however, I knew taking the later test wouldn't adversely affect my chances of admission to the two nj schools, so I proceeded accordingly..
 
Sounds like you're doing pretty well abbeacon.
BUT I'm still pretty upset about the stupid 1500 dollars I had to pay the school for health insurance I did not need, and I STILL feel utterly cheated out of my money. Hope all you students thinking of applying to UMDNJ are reading this thread.
 
Originally posted by syperidot
I just want to warn whoever's thinking of attending UMDNJ not to even consider it. I REGRET terribly enrolling into this school. The administration sucks and the people who have the power to help you don't care as long as they save their butts. Money is tight in most departments...I asked one of my professors if I could volunteer at her lab..she flat out turned me down...I don't exactly know what she was saying because it didn't make sense, but something along the lines of not having money which didn't make sense because I would be volunteering.
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they dont have funding because even though ure volunteering your time free, they still need to pay for the supplies that you are using while u are being trained in experiments or running experiments.... its very very expensive. so thats why she probably said no (my mentor had to turn down a few students for the same reason)
 
I heard that UMDNJ actually gives grants for Master students....I don't understand why the school doesn't let the students know that.
 
Originally posted by syperidot
I heard that UMDNJ actually gives grants for Master students....I don't understand why the school doesn't let the students know that.
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This is not the case. But, let's just say it is for argument's sake. Are you receiving any of the aforementioned grants? And if not, why aren't you?

I am currently being paid as a research assistant out of my PI's grant, but that was an arrangement the two of us made independent of the graduate school--I have completed the program, and am continuing as a research assistant b/c of personal interest. But simply doing the required research rotation in the program does not mean you are "owed" grant money. Similarly, if you choose the master's thesis route, you receive credits applied to your transcript, not money.

I also did research two summers ago, and earned a stipend after submitting an application to an external funding source. The graduate school does not provide grants for masters students, but DOES provide stipends to first/second year Ph.D. candidates. Once they pass their qualifying exam, the PI then takes over paying student stipends from his/her grant money.

So my point is that students in the MS program do not receive funding for completing the research component of the degree. However, there are other ways to obtain funding while in the program, and this really depends on which research adviser you choose, and if he/she can afford to hire you as an assistant. And just like any other research pursuit, you are more than welcome to apply to any granting agency (like NIH, etc) to get funded for your research. Be sure to get your facts straight before passing misleading information about the MS program.

abbeacon
 
Originally posted by syperidot
Sounds like you're doing pretty well abbeacon.
BUT I'm still pretty upset about the stupid 1500 dollars I had to pay the school for health insurance I did not need, and I STILL feel utterly cheated out of my money. Hope all you students thinking of applying to UMDNJ are reading this thread.
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I don't know any details about your situation other than what you've posted. But regarding health insurance, the policy states that all students must have some form of health insurance prior to starting the program. If you already have insurance, you are required to submit an insurance waiver online, as well as submit copies of your insurance card to the grad school (and maybe the student health center as well--I can't remember). This was all detailed in a letter you received describing UMDNJ's student health insurance. This letter also said that if you did not submit the above-mentioned items before a particular date (I believe you had two months or so to submit these items), that you would be automatically enrolled in the university's insurance policy, which costs $1500/yr.

Of all the people in the program that have private health insurance, nobody that I know (including myself) has ever had a problem waiving the university's insurance. So like I've said in a previous post, it's simply good practice to follow up with people to ensure that fees are paid, forms are received, etc. This doesn't just apply to umdnj, but rather to anything you do in life, especially as a physician. When you delegate power, some onus must be on you to follow up with those people, and not just blithely assume that all is well.

I don't meant this to be a personal attack on you, but it appears to me that your "negative" experiences in the UMDNJ MS program stem largely from this health insurance issue, which, in all honesty, seems to be something you could have handled differently. Yes, there are definitely things about the program and the medical school that could be improved and invoke frustration at times, however I believe overall, the program has served its function of allowing me and others to prove that they can handle the rigors of medical school, as evident by medical school acceptances for myself and for others.

abbeacon
 
I don't know how much expeience you have in this area, but I'm wondering what you think about UMDNJ as a place to attend dental school. I used to work in Newark about a year ago (Park Plaza) and I know the place isn't the greatest in the world. I'm wondering if the health sciences campus is in a better area and if you have any comments about life over there.

The pictures look pretty decent, but I can't imagine anyone actually living in Newark so there must be a commute involved in attending UMDNJ. I remember seeing a UMDNJ shuttle bus in the morning every day so I guess they take of some basic transportation to and from Broad Street station and Penn Station.
 
To be honest, I don't know much about the dental school, aside from the fact that there appears to be an "adversarial" dynamic between medical students and dental students, even though they really don't spend much time together. Also, my dentist graduated from NJDS and talks about how much they focus on clinical training there, due in large part to the diverse and indigent patient population there.

The University Heights area of Newark is not too bad of an area. Many students live in the Society Hill apartment complexes which are within walking distance of the school. However, I would say the majority of people I know, including myself, commute. I'm currently leeching off my folks about 15 mins away from campus, but it's worth it, economically. There's a thread in the Allopathic forum (http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=95906) that talks about housing in the surrounding areas.

The university does provide shuttle service from Penn Station to campus which runs during the daytime/evening hours, with the last bus leaving around 8 or so (don't quote me on this, though). In addition, the CHEN shuttle runs between all Newark colleges (umdnj, njit, ecc, rutgers), and ultimately goes to Broad St. station. Hope this helps..

abbeacon


Originally posted by sxr71
I don't know how much expeience you have in this area, but I'm wondering what you think about UMDNJ as a place to attend dental school. I used to work in Newark about a year ago (Park Plaza) and I know the place isn't the greatest in the world. I'm wondering if the health sciences campus is in a better area and if you have any comments about life over there.

The pictures look pretty decent, but I can't imagine anyone actually living in Newark so there must be a commute involved in attending UMDNJ. I remember seeing a UMDNJ shuttle bus in the morning every day so I guess they take of some basic transportation to and from Broad Street station and Penn Station.
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i have a few questions

do you guys recommend staying for 1yr or 2yrs?
can you give me an idea of the structure of the curriculum...the website is a little vague. what exactly are the required classes? and what are the electives?
also, how much do they encourage students to participate in research? are the faculty willing to take students in their labs?
and lastly, how easy is it to complete the 30credits in a year while doing research?
 
I got questions too. Is it possible to complete the program in 1 year (when does it start and end)? Is there financial aid availalbe? Why do you guys drive to school, isn't there student housing? How many students enter the program each year?
 
I finished the program in 1.5 years which is the "typical" completion time. It is possible to finish in 1, and you can stretch out the program to 2 years. I know the "temptation" is to try to finish quickly and start medical school as soon as possible (i.e., not skipping an application cycle). However, I'd caution against this because you want to make yourself the strongest candidate possible when you do apply. Of the people in the program that followed this path, some were accepted but this occurred very late in the application season.

One thing to consider: since most people skip an application cycle (finishing the program in 1.5 yrs), they have two full semesters of coursework to present to medical schools. I know that this would be given higher weight with adcoms (especially at the two UMDNJ schools) than someone in the same program that only submitted one semester's worth of coursework in December. Your application is compared as much with the rest of the applicant pool as it is with your colleagues in the MS program who are applying that cycle. Also, it's important to strike the balance between taking a challenging courseload and doing well academically. It's definitely "doable" to finish the program in 1 year and simultaneously do research, but your grades may suffer. I personally think it's much better to really bust your as$ and do well in your classes over 1.5 years than to cram everything into 1.

As far as requirements, you must take biochemistry (either in the grad school or med school), a seminar, and do a research rotation. The remainder of your 30 credits are elective courses. You can substitute 5 of those credits of coursework with a master's thesis. They generally encourage you to split your credits 50/50 between the grad school and med school. Course offerings can be found off the main grad school page (http://www.umdnj.edu/gsbsnweb/) under the course/curriculum dropdown menu. Generally speaking, courses offered in the fall of one year will be offered in the fall of the next year (likewise with spring courses).

Like I said, you are required to do a research rotation and write a small paper at the end describing your experiences. Faculty are generally willing to take on students for these rotations throughout the NJMS basic science departments. Click the "research locator" link on the left side of the grad school homepage to browse by area of interest. I actually started doing research the summer before I began the program, and have continued to this day. The experience has furthered my interest in academic medicine, and has also given me a strong contact at NJMS, who offered to write a LOR.

Hope this helps.. let me know if you have other questions..

abbeacon


Originally posted by Ibrahim05
i have a few questions

do you guys recommend staying for 1yr or 2yrs?
can you give me an idea of the structure of the curriculum...the website is a little vague. what exactly are the required classes? and what are the electives?
also, how much do they encourage students to participate in research? are the faculty willing to take students in their labs?
and lastly, how easy is it to complete the 30credits in a year while doing research?
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See above post re: program completion in 1 year.. You can start the program either the fall semester (beginning in late August) or the spring semester (beginning in January), and take between 1 year and 2 years to complete it. The website may indicate that you can take courses in the summer (i.e., at Rutgers/NJIT/UMDNJ).. while this is technically true, don't bank on a large availability of courses during the summer months. You may want to consider doing the research rotation over the summer, as you have more free time to devote to the project and you can also apply for a summer stipend.

Financial aid is available (http://www.umdnj.edu/studentfinancialaid/). You should submit the FAFSA online and send it to schools your considering (regardless of whether you've been accepted yet). This makes things much easier in the long run. There is no student housing on campus, although many students live in an adjacent "townhouse" complex called Society Hill, which is within walking distance of the school. Many students also live in neighboring towns or at home and drive in every day. You can take the train from most places in NJ to Newark, and the school does provide a free shuttle service to & from the train station. Parking is a pain, and you should try to get there before 930am to make sure you get a spot.

I started the program in fall02 and there were ~25 people starting the program with me. I'd say that the entering class has doubled in number over the past two years, as the program has increased in popularity.

as far as your PM question about classes w/med students.. I definitely enjoyed these classes but I and other MS students generally kept to ourselves... the two med classes I took were in large lecture halls, but did include periodic small group sessions/labs, in which the grad students were all put together. I'd say there was some level of interaction with the med students, but not too much.

Hope this helps.. let me know if you have other questions.

abbeacon


Originally posted by speter33
I got questions too. Is it possible to complete the program in 1 year (when does it start and end)? Is there financial aid availalbe? Why do you guys drive to school, isn't there student housing? How many students enter the program each year?
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I'm currently finishing my second semester off with completing 27 credits, while also getting research experience at one of the labs at the school. finishing off 30 credits in a year is very doable, but usually three semesters is recommended. I personally would have liked to finish it in a year so I can work for a whole year at least before entering medical school, since I'll be applying this summer to get into next fall's entering class.
 
Whatever you do...do NOT take Medical Neuroscience without having a solid background in anatomy...esp upper limbs!!!! I got totally ripped on the shelf. I'm sure the med students breezed through it, taking that they already took a whole semester of gross anatomy. We did not have a single lecture on peripheral nerves in this class....I swear!!! I studied my butt off for NOTHING!!! I was totally not warned for the amount of PNS stuff we were responsible for!!!(...just venting...) Sometimes I feel like people in this school want me to do badly!!!
 
Sigh....I didn't do as badly as I thought...
 
Despite my better judgment (mainly garnered from a lifetime's experience in the New Jersey system), it seems I am going to the UMDNJ post-bacc, but part-time. i called Dr. Ingoglia and he suggested I take . I am looking for one more class to take, one that isn't going to kill me, but will be useful to a DO application. I was told to take either Stem Cell or Cell Pathology. Pathology sounds difficult. Has anyone at UMDNJ taken these courses, and how are they (ie, how many exams, how much material per exam...)? Also if anyone in the program has some ideas on other courses I could take, I'd appreciate it. (In fact, I'd appreciate any response, as I haven't had any for my other posts!)

THanks!
 
I would go for stem cell instead of cell path.. cell path, from what I hear, mostly caters toward PhD students and isn't all that interesting. stem cell was an interesting class in a subject for which I had little prior knowledge. The class wasn't too difficult from what I recall (I took it in fall02, so things might have changed since then), and there were many guest lecturers that provided a wealth of info on a variety of stem cell-related disorders.

as far as other courses, I thought principles of pharm. was interesting but not too difficult, studzinski's cancer course was also interesting but slightly more difficult, and the "business of science" course was pretty informative and not too taxing.

abbeacon

soonyi said:
Despite my better judgment (mainly garnered from a lifetime's experience in the New Jersey system), it seems I am going to the UMDNJ post-bacc, but part-time. i called Dr. Ingoglia and he suggested I take . I am looking for one more class to take, one that isn't going to kill me, but will be useful to a DO application. I was told to take either Stem Cell or Cell Pathology. Pathology sounds difficult. Has anyone at UMDNJ taken these courses, and how are they (ie, how many exams, how much material per exam...)? Also if anyone in the program has some ideas on other courses I could take, I'd appreciate it. (In fact, I'd appreciate any response, as I haven't had any for my other posts!)

THanks!
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mshheaddoc said:
With the post bacc program do you take any classes with med students?
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Hi there,

see abbecon's post #23.

jack
 
hey guys, i've applied for the umdnj msbs program, if accepted, i plan to try to finish the 30 credits in 1 year. do you think its a bad idea to submit amcas/aacomas and apply for med schools now too, to avoid the wait year or do most people apply to school the next year after the first 2 semesters? do you think njms or rwj would look favorably on an application, just for being in the program?
 
theres no way...u gotta do 2 years for a masters or at least 1.5 so ive heard
 
Personally, I think it's a bad idea not to have any graduate work on your AMCAS application, which is what would happen if you apply this cycle. I skipped a cycle and then had 2 semesters of grad work on my AMCAS, which definitely helped my application. Think of it this way: if you apply now, schools are just basing their decision on your undergrad work. Let's say you don't get accepted.. now you're going to shell out more money to repeat the process during the 2006 cycle, when, provided you do well in the program, you'll hopefully be accepted. I think it comes down to finances and the stressors that accompany applying..

I can't understate this: just being in the program does NOT guarantee your admission to NJMS and/or RWJMS. I wouldn't say the admission criteria are too stringent for the MSBS program.. so it doesn't matter that you're just IN the program, but rather how well you do in the program that will determine your admission to medical school. I finished the program in 3 semesters, and will start med school in the fall. I used my "glide" semester to do research and relax a bit, which seemed to have worked out well.

abbeacon

PublicEnemy said:
hey guys, i've applied for the umdnj msbs program, if accepted, i plan to try to finish the 30 credits in 1 year. do you think its a bad idea to submit amcas/aacomas and apply for med schools now too, to avoid the wait year or do most people apply to school the next year after the first 2 semesters? do you think njms or rwj would look favorably on an application, just for being in the program?
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not a problem.. my application timing was basically at the suggestion of the NJMS admissions folks.. Things seemed to work out well for me by skipping an application cycle and allowing schools to have 2 semesters of work for which I could be evaluated.. you considering the program, mshheaddoc?

abbeacon

mshheaddoc said:
Thank you for your input abbeacon ... i would tend to agree with you on the aspect of what I know of Med admissions.
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Yes, I am looking to start my post bacc to get my requirements out of the way and I'm looking at either here or drexel's program. NJ would be cheaper for instate tuition, PLUS then I might also be able to finish up my masters as well which would a plus. I'm about halfway done my MBA at camden campus rutgers.
 
Hey abbeacon,
I have a problem...I spoke with Dr. Heinrich today and he told me I should try getting a LOR from Ingoglia, but the problem is I didn't get to know him well...what do you think I should do??? My gpa is like a 3.8 in the program, probably more after i get one more grade in, but seems like its not enough. I've gotten to know my PI pretty well...but just not Ingoglia...am I screwed???
 
As a NY resident does UMDNJ's post bacc still make sense? I'm OK with out of state tution for the 1.5 years, but my concern is that I'm left with a credential that is most valuable to the NJ schools and thus NJ residents. Any thoughts?
 
are we talking about post-bacc or msbs? different beasts. all the acronyms make me crazy, just trying to keep things straight. umdnj has a msbs program, not a post-bacc program.
 
syperidot,

Congrats on doing well in the program. Regarding LOR's.. my personal view is that a LOR from your PI would carry more weight than one from Dr. Ingoglia because you've obviously had more quality interactions with the former as compared to the latter. In addition, I don't think that Dr. Ingoglia by and large writes LOR's for students in the program unless he had strong ties to those people during the program. So as long as you didn't have negative interactions with Dr. Ingoglia, I don't think this is a problem. Work on finding people, both in academia and in some of your EC's, that can speak to aspects of your character that you wish to highlight.. e.g., dedication, motivation, teamwork, etc. hope this helps. Are you applying this application cycle, and do you think NJMS is your top choice?

abbeacon



syperidot said:
Hey abbeacon,
I have a problem...I spoke with Dr. Heinrich today and he told me I should try getting a LOR from Ingoglia, but the problem is I didn't get to know him well...what do you think I should do??? My gpa is like a 3.8 in the program, probably more after i get one more grade in, but seems like its not enough. I've gotten to know my PI pretty well...but just not Ingoglia...am I screwed???
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lindyhopper,

You are probably correct that the masters program is most valuable when applying to the UMDNJ medical schools. However, I don't believe its value is limited to NJ schools--I was accepted to several medical schools this cycle, including the NJ schools as well as schools in VA & PA. I recall having to spend extra time in my VA interviews explaining the exact nature of the MS program b/c they hadn't heard about it, but this didn't seem to adversely affect my chances for admission.

As far as residency goes, I belive all matriculants in the NJ medical schools can qualify for in-state tuition prior to matriculation by showing proof of residence and/or change of driver's license--so as a NY resident now, you wouldn't be stuck paying out-of-state tuition for all 4 years like you would at other state schools.

abbeacon

Lindyhopper said:
As a NY resident does UMDNJ's post bacc still make sense? I'm OK with out of state tution for the 1.5 years, but my concern is that I'm left with a credential that is most valuable to the NJ schools and thus NJ residents. Any thoughts?
Click to expand...
 
this is strictly semantics, but to be accurate: UMDNJ has a master's program that lets you take medical & graduate courses, but this is NOT a formal post-bacc program where you could take/retake your science pre-req's. All grades earned in the UMDNJ program count toward your graduate GPA in AMCAS, while in a post-bacc grades would count toward your undergrad GPA.

abbeacon


daisyage said:
are we talking about post-bacc or msbs? different beasts. all the acronyms make me crazy, just trying to keep things straight. umdnj has a msbs program, not a post-bacc program.
Click to expand...
 
Hey abbeacon,

I'm applying this summer.
Heinrich strongly suggested getting an LOR from Ingoglia, but I most likely won't be able to, so yeah nothing I can do.
Well, I feel I have the best chance of getting into NJMS. I would love to go to a school in NYC, but I doubt I could get into any, I wouldn't mind going to either NJMS or RWJ, I could see myself happy at NJMS. It's a good school and I'm already familiar with the professors. I mean you got into several med school...what do u think are my chances of getting into NJMS or any other schools??? 29 MCAT, 3.8 grad gpa, 3.23 undergrad gpa, and I have a bunch of EC's (heinrich told me I was ok with that). Oh and another question...How did you send your recommendation letters out. There's no pre-health committee at UMDNJ, so I was going to send mine out through my undergrad school...but then Heinrich told me I shouldn't. I should just send them out seperately because the dean who would be writing my letter probably wouldnt right a strong lor since its been almost two years since I last saw him. What did you do and what do you think? And how many lor's did u get?

abbeacon said:
syperidot,

Congrats on doing well in the program. Regarding LOR's.. my personal view is that a LOR from your PI would carry more weight than one from Dr. Ingoglia because you've obviously had more quality interactions with the former as compared to the latter. In addition, I don't think that Dr. Ingoglia by and large writes LOR's for students in the program unless he had strong ties to those people during the program. So as long as you didn't have negative interactions with Dr. Ingoglia, I don't think this is a problem. Work on finding people, both in academia and in some of your EC's, that can speak to aspects of your character that you wish to highlight.. e.g., dedication, motivation, teamwork, etc. hope this helps. Are you applying this application cycle, and do you think NJMS is your top choice?

abbeacon
Click to expand...
 
syperidot,

I wouldn't worry about the LOR from Dr. Ingoglia as long as your other LORs are solid. I think you have a good chance at getting accepted, especially to the two NJ schools, as I know they tend to put a lesser emphasis on MCAT scores that other schools. The MCAT score <30 (albeit by 1 point) might work against you when applying to the NY schools, but who knows--it really depends on everyone else in the applicant pool for a given year. Also, it definitely helps that you're "in the system" as both NJMS and RWJMS know the master's program well.

Regarding LORs, I actually went through my undergrad prehealth committee. I had applied two years ago so my letters were still "on file," but I requested that they rewrite my composite letter based on my master's performance and the addition of new LORs from people at UMDNJ. If my memory serves me correctly, I had a total of 5 letters plus the composite letter. It might be advisable to go through your undergrad prehealth committee if you're applying to a bunch of schools because you can easily have them send all letters together in one package. Also, some schools say that if you don't use your prehealth committee, you must submit letters from specific people: e.g., a science professor, a humanities professor, and someone involved in a medical EC. That varies from school to school, and might not present a problem, unless some school says, "oh we need a letter from an english professor as well".

Regardless of whether you go through your undergrad institution, I'd highly recommend getting your LORs & secondary fees in as early as possible, and following up with the schools several weeks later to confirm that your application is complete. The earlier you're completed, the earlier you'll receive feedback.

good luck,
abbeacon


syperidot said:
Hey abbeacon,

I'm applying this summer.
Heinrich strongly suggested getting an LOR from Ingoglia, but I most likely won't be able to, so yeah nothing I can do.
Well, I feel I have the best chance of getting into NJMS. I would love to go to a school in NYC, but I doubt I could get into any, I wouldn't mind going to either NJMS or RWJ, I could see myself happy at NJMS. It's a good school and I'm already familiar with the professors. I mean you got into several med school...what do u think are my chances of getting into NJMS or any other schools??? 29 MCAT, 3.8 grad gpa, 3.23 undergrad gpa, and I have a bunch of EC's (heinrich told me I was ok with that). Oh and another question...How did you send your recommendation letters out. There's no pre-health committee at UMDNJ, so I was going to send mine out through my undergrad school...but then Heinrich told me I shouldn't. I should just send them out seperately because the dean who would be writing my letter probably wouldnt right a strong lor since its been almost two years since I last saw him. What did you do and what do you think? And how many lor's did u get?
Click to expand...
 
Hey abbeacon,
Do you know how long NJMS takes to get back to you with an interview after they get all you application material??
 
syperidot said:
Hey abbeacon,
Do you know how long NJMS takes to get back to you with an interview after they get all you application material??
Click to expand...

Nevermind, I just had my interview last week!!!.....Sorta tough........
 
Hey syperidot-

I've been keeping up with this thread for quite awhile now. Your advice as well as abbeacon's have been very helpful. I might apply to this program for the Fall of 2005. Good luck with the interviews! 👍

Phil 😀
 
Im currently a GSBSer and got accepted to the NJMS and RWJ for the entering class in 2005. Ill answer any questions anyone has about the program but I think abbeacon's impressions are for the most part very accurate.
 
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