MCAT, BU MAMS, OR GTOWN SMP??? Please Help!!

[etikit]

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I am confident I can get around a 29 on the MCAT if I take it this April. I have gotten into BU MAMS program with my GRE of 1340. Should I risk taking the MCAT a second time, if I do this, then I will have a shot at Gtown, because they are waiting until June for my results if take the test in April. Or should I say forget Gtown, take all summer to study more for the MCAT, sit for the test in August, and then attend BU MAMS.

I guess what I'm wondering is whether Gtown is worth all this, or is BU MAMS a quality comparable program? Are they both as well known and what not.

For some history, I bombed the MCAT last August and received a 24R. I am confident I can score high twenties this time, but I don't want to have to take it a third time. I am not confident that without the summer I can get a thirty or more.

I guess I sort of answered my own question, but any input would be helpful.

So BU MAMS, or risk it with the MCAT just for Gtown.

I also have acceptance into Wash U Med School in St. Louis Masters in Health Administration program. Would this help me get into med school, or would BU MAMS or Gtown help more.

Thanks a bunch, first time posting a thread, hope you can help.

 

[the alchemist]

I am confident I can get around a 29 on the MCAT if I take it this April. I have gotten into BU MAMS program with my GRE of 1340. Should I risk taking the MCAT a second time, if I do this, then I will have a shot at Gtown, because they are waiting until June for my results if take the test in April. Or should I say forget Gtown, take all summer to study more for the MCAT, sit for the test in August, and then attend BU MAMS.

I guess what I'm wondering is whether Gtown is worth all this, or is BU MAMS a quality comparable program? Are they both as well known and what not.

For some history, I bombed the MCAT last August and received a 24R. I am confident I can score high twenties this time, but I don't want to have to take it a third time. I am not confident that without the summer I can get a thirty or more.

I guess I sort of answered my own question, but any input would be helpful.

So BU MAMS, or risk it with the MCAT just for Gtown.

I also have acceptance into Wash U Med School in St. Louis Masters in Health Administration program. Would this help me get into med school, or would BU MAMS or Gtown help more.

Thanks a bunch, first time posting a thread, hope you can help.

i wouldn't suggest taking the mcat w/o proper preparation and if you're not confident you'll do well, its a big risk just to get into GU SMP which doesn't necessarily guarantee u an acceptance into medical school. best advice would be to present your "best foot" forward the 1st time you apply to med school - which would mean not having taken the MCAT multiple times if u don't have to (and/or low MCAT scores or scores that go down). i would say do either the BU MAMS (i went to BUMS for grad school and knew some GMS/MAMS students) which boasts like a 80% acceptance rate to allo schools (though GU is the better known and more respected program, BU is obviously good enough to get ppl into med schools; and GU's acceptance rate is not that much higher than BU's) or do the washu thing...up to you. if you're looking to apply earlier, the MAMS would probably be shorter (its 1-2 years depending when you write your "thesis"). my friend did BU MAMS in one year and is now at a DO school (he's really into the DO philosophy and OMT though).

 

[Vista04]

i went through the BU program and don't have any regrets. i will be beginning medical school at one of the two top 30 ranked schools i was admitted to this fall (i still have to make my decision). the one caution about the program at BU, however, is that with a lot of students in their program (150 my year, 185 currently), you really have to work hard to stand out. for those that stand out by getting good grades, all good things. for those that don't stand out, it can still be a difficult path to med school acceptance.

i also agree that you shouldn't take the MCAT again until you're fully prepared. you might want to consider even holding off on the MCAT until you have a year's worth of coursework from an SMP under your belt. i saw a lot of my fellow classmates scores improve substantially after a year of 1st-year med courses. plus most of us learned how to study more effectively in the program, which also helped in the end for the MCAT. this approach might mean one more year before you begin med school though, so that's something to think about.

good luck with the decision. no matter what program you do, be prepared to work harder than ever in order to do well.

 

[jlr18]

i went through the BU program and don't have any regrets.
i also agree that you shouldn't take the MCAT again until you're fully prepared. you might want to consider even holding off on the MCAT until you have a year's worth of coursework from an SMP under your belt.

How difficult is it to take the April MCAT during the spring semester of the MAMS program? Do most students take it then, or is there a better time in the program to schedule it? (I've been out of undergrad for a few years, so while I've been working in the biomedical field, things like "optics" aren't in the forefront of my mind!)
Also, how much does being enrolled for four semesters (!) set you back financially?

 

[jklasser17]

How difficult is it to take the April MCAT during the spring semester of the MAMS program? Do most students take it then, or is there a better time in the program to schedule it? (I've been out of undergrad for a few years, so while I've been working in the biomedical field, things like "optics" aren't in the forefront of my mind!)
Also, how much does being enrolled for four semesters (!) set you back financially?

While a few people did take the MCAT in April during the MAMS program, I would not recommend it. The BU program is tough, there is no doubt about that. The ones that did take the April MCAT had done extremely well first semester.

Don't rush things, take your time and make sure you put your best foot forward when you apply to med school. An extra year now could end up saving you a lot of time later.