Official Harvard Extension 2012 Thread

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Yeah, if you're not in the program you can't get federal financial aid and if you need loan money you gotta get private loans. You can start by seeing if your bank offers loan money for education and you can check out Sallie Mae. There are many sources of private loan money but make sure you read the terms and agreement of each carefully.
It's not advised to take out private loan money if you don't have to. See for yourself why that is.
 
Summer classes start on Monday! I finally checked how much reading I'm going to have to do for my two classes and my brain almost bored through the base of my skull. 10-12 chapters per week of biochem and molecular biology.

Stoked!
 
johnnyscans said:
Summer classes start on Monday! I finally checked how much reading I'm going to have to do for my two classes and my brain almost bored through the base of my skull. 10-12 chapters per week of biochem and molecular biology.

Stoked!
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Wow good luck. Are you taking Bio Chem I and II over the summer?
 
SpagoBMS said:
Wow good luck. Are you taking Bio Chem I and II over the summer?
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Biochemistry and Molecular biology. Two 4-credit courses, taught by the same prof. This fall/spring I'm taking the Organic Chemistry and Anatomy & Physiology sequences, in addition to TF-ing, researching and volunteering so I have no time for either of those two courses during the year (I want to take them before my MCAT).
 
Hey all, I just wanted to say...this thread has been an incredible resource for me in making my official decision to come in the fall. Thank you guys all so much for all the info!

Now for some quick volunteering qs: Anybody at BWH and heard of their Medical Career Exploration Volunteer Program? Has anyone done this before or have any insight? I'm looking into volunteering at least at BWH or BIDMC but am not sure yet which provide the best clinical v. research experience. And finding an unpaid v. paid research position is finding to be uber tricky =/
 
mdanitka said:
Hey all, I just wanted to say...this thread has been an incredible resource for me in making my official decision to come in the fall. Thank you guys all so much for all the info!

Now for some quick volunteering qs: Anybody at BWH and heard of their Medical Career Exploration Volunteer Program? Has anyone done this before or have any insight? I'm looking into volunteering at least at BWH or BIDMC but am not sure yet which provide the best clinical v. research experience. And finding an unpaid v. paid research position is finding to be uber tricky =/
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I do the MCEP program at BWH. It's a good program, but it's not anything you couldn't get at any other hospital. Volunteering, shadowing, and a LOR are built into the program, but this isn't anything special. You can get all those things by not being painfully shy at any other institution. MCEP is structured and will guide you through all the different phases of the program, whereas other experiences tend to be relatively "unstructured" and you have to take the initiative to get what you want out of your experience there.

I wouldn't place MCEP above other volunteer experiences. I went with it because it had volunteer positions that were more immediately available than MGH, Dana Farber, and Beth Israel at that time. IMHO, I would just go with whichever gives you a volunteer position first, unless you're dead-set on some type of research done by a particular PI at that institution.
 
I'm just gonna throw this out there as a hail mary-

I'm looking to buy mcat books, does anyone have the following for sale? Preferably with very limited writing in them:

EK 1001 gen chem
TBR- all subjects
TPRH verbal and science workbooks
 
Hey Everyone, I'll be taking a few classes at HES to bolster my application. I'll be taking Organic Chem and Biochem. I'd like to take one more class, preferably one that is a little easier so that I can cope with the other two courses?

In general, what are the general thoughts about organic and biochem, from reading this post atleast organic seems to be quite tough.
 
xcrunner18 said:
Hey Everyone, I'll be taking a few classes at HES to bolster my application. I'll be taking Organic Chem and Biochem. I'd like to take one more class, preferably one that is a little easier so that I can cope with the other two courses?

In general, what are the general thoughts about organic and biochem, from reading this post atleast organic seems to be quite tough.
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Organic Chem isn't the monster everyone makes it out to be. It's tough, but nothing you can't handle so long as you stay on top of everything.

If you're looking for an "easier" course to take in addition to those two, I'd say intro psych. The content is easy, but I warn you that even in easy classes you still have plenty of work to do. I'd be careful not to underestimate how many hours are required of you even in the easier courses.
 
MedWonk said:
I do the MCEP program at BWH. It's a good program, but it's not anything you couldn't get at any other hospital. Volunteering, shadowing, and a LOR are built into the program, but this isn't anything special. You can get all those things by not being painfully shy at any other institution. MCEP is structured and will guide you through all the different phases of the program, whereas other experiences tend to be relatively "unstructured" and you have to take the initiative to get what you want out of your experience there.

I wouldn't place MCEP above other volunteer experiences. I went with it because it had volunteer positions that were more immediately available than MGH, Dana Farber, and Beth Israel at that time. IMHO, I would just go with whichever gives you a volunteer position first, unless you're dead-set on some type of research done by a particular PI at that institution.
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Thanks for the info! They were the first ones to get back to me, and it looks like a great structured program. Did they bring up the whole full-time student requirement? I'd only be part time (I believe) if I just did chem/phys in the fall. I wonder if that would bug them, hmmmm
 
mdanitka said:
Thanks for the info! They were the first ones to get back to me, and it looks like a great structured program. Did they bring up the whole full-time student requirement? I'd only be part time (I believe) if I just did chem/phys in the fall. I wonder if that would bug them, hmmmm
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No, it won't. There are quite a few Extension students taking only 8 credits and being in the program. They're actually pretty flexible with course load when it comes to post-bacc students.
 
MedWonk said:
No, it won't. There are quite a few Extension students taking only 8 credits and being in the program. They're actually pretty flexible with course load when it comes to post-bacc students.
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Great to hear. Thanks MedWonk!
 
mdanitka said:
Hey all, I just wanted to say...this thread has been an incredible resource for me in making my official decision to come in the fall. Thank you guys all so much for all the info!

Now for some quick volunteering qs: Anybody at BWH and heard of their Medical Career Exploration Volunteer Program? Has anyone done this before or have any insight? I'm looking into volunteering at least at BWH or BIDMC but am not sure yet which provide the best clinical v. research experience. And finding an unpaid v. paid research position is finding to be uber tricky =/
Click to expand...

When I was in HES, I was part of the MCEP program at BWH. The people are nice, the patients are appreciative and it's very structured. But I hated that we were restricted in the number of hours we could volunteer. It took me an hour to travel to BWH and an hour to travel back, so limiting it to 3-hour shifts (was it 3? I forget) meant that it took me forever to move onto the next rotation. I never completed all the hours to qualify for an LOR before I finished the HES program. It's possible to, but the whole process didn't seem that worthwhile with so many lost hours.

I volunteered at other hospitals (in NYC) and got a lot more exposure to patients and staff. So, while structure is great, it can also be limiting.
 
ghostman said:
When I was in HES, I was part of the MCEP program at BWH. The people are nice, the patients are appreciative and it's very structured. But I hated that we were restricted in the number of hours we could volunteer. It took me an hour to travel to BWH and an hour to travel back, so limiting it to 3-hour shifts (was it 3? I forget) meant that it took me forever to move onto the next rotation. I never completed all the hours to qualify for an LOR before I finished the HES program. It's possible to, but the whole process didn't seem that worthwhile with so many lost hours.

I volunteered at other hospitals (in NYC) and got a lot more exposure to patients and staff. So, while structure is great, it can also be limiting.
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Yeah, it's usually three. Some positions let you do four. yay.
On the plus side, they let you do two shifts per week. I don't know if that's a recent thing or if it's always been that way. I agree, though, the limit is annoying for the same reason.
 
For those who have already taken physics, will we be needing a graphing calculator? Or will a scientific calculator suffice? Thanks!
 
For those who are already residing in Boston, what are your guys' impression of Belmont as a place to find an apartment? Pros and cons? Thank you all for your solicited opinions 🙂
 
ghostman said:
When I was in HES, I was part of the MCEP program at BWH. The people are nice, the patients are appreciative and it's very structured. But I hated that we were restricted in the number of hours we could volunteer. It took me an hour to travel to BWH and an hour to travel back, so limiting it to 3-hour shifts (was it 3? I forget) meant that it took me forever to move onto the next rotation. I never completed all the hours to qualify for an LOR before I finished the HES program. It's possible to, but the whole process didn't seem that worthwhile with so many lost hours.

I volunteered at other hospitals (in NYC) and got a lot more exposure to patients and staff. So, while structure is great, it can also be limiting.
Click to expand...

MGH Emergency Department family liaison is a great volunteer gig. You'll have great exposure to patients, physician/nurse interactions and the administration that goes on behind the scenes. Volunteers get a meal ticket and parking validated as well. The minimum commitment is 3 hrs/week but you can ALWAYS pick up additional shifts.

LAnative said:
For those who have already taken physics, will we be needing a graphing calculator? Or will a scientific calculator suffice? Thanks!
Click to expand...

Since we're allowed a crib sheet on exams, Dr. Rueckner doesn't have any hard and fast rules in regards to calculators. I used a TI-30 for both semesters. My recommendation: pick whichever calculator you're comfortable using.
 
LAnative said:
For those who have already taken physics, will we be needing a graphing calculator? Or will a scientific calculator suffice? Thanks!
Click to expand...

Hi LAnative, don't get a graphing calculator. If you're taking gen chem you can't use a graphing calculator for exams. I'm not sure about physics but a graphing calculator won't help you.

I highly recommend getting the TI-30XS multiview. I got mine at the harvard coop for around 20-25 bones. Can't remember. Get one calculator from the start and get familiar with it; you don't want to use an unfamiliar calculator for exams.
 
LAnative said:
For those who are already residing in Boston, what are your guys' impression of Belmont as a place to find an apartment? Pros and cons? Thank you all for your solicited opinions 🙂
Click to expand...

I've been living in Belmont for the past year.

Pros:
-Rent is relatively cheaper
-Residential neighborhood, quieter and more peaceful (away from main roads)
-buslines go right into harvard square, where the campus is.

Cons:
-further from campus, can't walk.
-in the area of belmont i live in stores don't sell alcohol. I need to buy alcohol in Cambridge and bring it back.
-the town is a little more spread out so convenience stores/supermarket might be a little ways away.

I like it here. I live here without a car and catch the bus to campus. You won't see a lot of harvard students on the buses because students tend to live in other areas closer to campus. If I had more money to spend on rent I'd probably choose to move to closer to school but i'm perfectly happy here.

Any more q's let me know.
 
Fun fact: Mitt Romney, hailing from MA has/had a house in Belmont where he is registered to vote.
 
smiley27 said:
Fun fact: Mitt Romney, hailing from MA has/had a house in Belmont where he is registered to vote.
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Myself, being raised as a liberal and from the state that Obama is from I don't like the things with regard to physician compensation that Obamacare is proposing might need to stray away from my roots.

Edit: meant to modify my post but accidentally made a new one.
 
smiley27 said:
I've been living in Belmont for the past year.

Pros:
-Rent is relatively cheaper
-Residential neighborhood, quieter and more peaceful (away from main roads)
-buslines go right into harvard square, where the campus is.

Cons:
-further from campus, can't walk.
-in the area of belmont i live in stores don't sell alcohol. I need to buy alcohol in Cambridge and bring it back.
-the town is a little more spread out so convenience stores/supermarket might be a little ways away.

I like it here. I live here without a car and catch the bus to campus. You won't see a lot of harvard students on the buses because students tend to live in other areas closer to campus. If I had more money to spend on rent I'd probably choose to move to closer to school but i'm perfectly happy here.

Any more q's let me know.
Click to expand...

Thanks so much for the 411. My roommate and I just leased a place in Belmont and since it's our first year, we figured it's the best option for us considering all our circumstances. We're relocating from the West side and look forward to this change. Thanks again! I really appreciate your input! 🙂
 
Never felt so old sitting in bio with a class room full of high school students.
 
Soco9087 said:
Never felt so old sitting in bio with a class room full of high school students.
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Holy **** dude I'm one of three people in my biochemistry class that has facial hair. I don't think any of them are smarter than me though 😀
 
Any advice on where to start looking for a research position?
 
Soco9087 said:
Any advice on where to start looking for a research position?
Click to expand...

Two options

1. Ask physicians you've shadowed or know if they know any PIs.

2. Visit hospital websites and look at their research staff. Find labs that you might be interested in and email the PI. Offer a > 1yr commitment, 20-30 hours a week, and be willing to work for free. Look for more post-docs than students. Oftentimes you'll get paired up with a post-doc who will train you.

The key is long term commitment. The student who I replaced offered at least 1.5 years of work when she was taken on. She quit at the 6 month mark and then asked for a LoR when it came time to apply. It was obvious she was just "checking the box". She did not receive a LoR.
 
Hi all,
I applied to HCP, but apparently applied too late for the fall semester as I was told they were full for the Fall (sent in my app in mid-June...can you tell I just discovered SDN?). I am planning on going ahead and enrolling in the courses for Fall outside the program. I was wondering:
1) can I begin the pre-med sequence as mapped out by HCP and get in to the program in the Spring semester?
2) Do people work fulltime and do HCP? I'm planning on doing the 2 year track, but wanted to know what the norm is for folks that work fulltime.

Any help you could provide would be greatly appreciated!
 
Lev11 said:
Hi all,

2) Do people work fulltime and do HCP? I'm planning on doing the 2 year track, but wanted to know what the norm is for folks that work fulltime.
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It wouldn't be easy between class, lab, studying, volunteering, research and other things in life.
 
Lev11 said:
Hi all,
I applied to HCP, but apparently applied too late for the fall semester as I was told they were full for the Fall (sent in my app in mid-June...can you tell I just discovered SDN?). I am planning on going ahead and enrolling in the courses for Fall outside the program. I was wondering:
1) can I begin the pre-med sequence as mapped out by HCP and get in to the program in the Spring semester?
2) Do people work fulltime and do HCP? I'm planning on doing the 2 year track, but wanted to know what the norm is for folks that work fulltime.

Any help you could provide would be greatly appreciated!
Click to expand...

Not sure about the answer to 1. Email Dr. Fixsen and ask him. He really is a remarkable resource.

2. Here's my schedule last semester. Volunteer research assistant 30-40 hours a week, 3 hours of clinical volunteering and 12 credits. I was BUSY. Like, really busy.

I imagine it's possible to work full-time, but you probably won't have much time for EC activities.
 
Lev11 said:
Hi all,
I applied to HCP, but apparently applied too late for the fall semester as I was told they were full for the Fall (sent in my app in mid-June...can you tell I just discovered SDN?). I am planning on going ahead and enrolling in the courses for Fall outside the program. I was wondering:
1) can I begin the pre-med sequence as mapped out by HCP and get in to the program in the Spring semester?
2) Do people work fulltime and do HCP? I'm planning on doing the 2 year track, but wanted to know what the norm is for folks that work fulltime.

Any help you could provide would be greatly appreciated!
Click to expand...

2. There are a few people who work full-time while taking classes, but they seem to be always busy. I wouldn't say it's the recommended path. GPA > ECs, but if you can pull it off, then I don't see why you couldn't do it. I had a much less busy schedule than johnnyscans and I still felt like I had plenty on my plate.
 
Lev11 said:
Hi all,
I applied to HCP, but apparently applied too late for the fall semester as I was told they were full for the Fall (sent in my app in mid-June...can you tell I just discovered SDN?). I am planning on going ahead and enrolling in the courses for Fall outside the program. I was wondering:
1) can I begin the pre-med sequence as mapped out by HCP and get in to the program in the Spring semester?
2) Do people work fulltime and do HCP? I'm planning on doing the 2 year track, but wanted to know what the norm is for folks that work fulltime.

Any help you could provide would be greatly appreciated!
Click to expand...

There are plenty of people in the program that work full time and do just fine. I work 35 hours/week because if I went to "full time" status at my job it would require me to work 55+ hours/week for all of spring semester. The 35 is manageable while still having enough time to study, volunteer, and have a (light) social life. But I also know of at least 3 people that work full time (40+) and do fine. I'm sure there are many more.
 
Working full-time and doing well is obviously preferable but in my case I would gave a really hard time working and taking classes.
I try to get as deep of an understanding as possible of the material and it takes a lot of time for me and if I were to work on top of school I would be compromising myself and my mcat score because I know I didn't learn the material as well as I should have the first time around.

I respect people that can work and do well in classes. I'm not one of them though I am thinking of picking up a part-time job.
 
smiley27 said:
Working full-time and doing well is obviously preferable but in my case I would gave a really hard time working and taking classes.
I try to get as deep of an understanding as possible of the material and it takes a lot of time for me and if I were to work on top of school I would be compromising myself and my mcat score because I know I didn't learn the material as well as I should have the first time around.

I respect people that can work and do well in classes. I'm not one of them though I am thinking of picking up a part-time job.
Click to expand...

Working full-time, while totally doable, is not really ideal. I negotiated my job down to 20-30 hours which is much more manageable. It has opened up a lot of other opportunities to me like working on events for the student group, shadowing, and doing research.

I would suggest thinking very long about taking on full-time work. I did it for a year and it totally sucked. My grades were good, but at the cost of my soul. I seriously had something akin to a nervous breakdown after finals. I slept for like 2 days.
 
Jennet said:
Working full-time, while totally doable, is not really ideal. I negotiated my job down to 20-30 hours which is much more manageable. It has opened up a lot of other opportunities to me like working on events for the student group, shadowing, and doing research.

I would suggest thinking very long about taking on full-time work. I did it for a year and it totally sucked. My grades were good, but at the cost of my soul. I seriously had something akin to a nervous breakdown after finals. I slept for like 2 days.
Click to expand...

This is probably the best answer to the original question.
 
Just a question about registration --- if you are registering for classes in the fall as suggested by Mr. Peterson while awaiting final acceptance, is there anything I will need specifically, other than tuition funds, come time to register? Thanks!
 
LAnative said:
Just a question about registration --- if you are registering for classes in the fall as suggested by Mr. Peterson while awaiting final acceptance, is there anything I will need specifically, other than tuition funds, come time to register? Thanks!
Click to expand...

Nope. It's a really simple process. Just funds and 10-15 minutes.
 
MedWonk said:
Organic Chem isn't the monster everyone makes it out to be. It's tough, but nothing you can't handle so long as you stay on top of everything.

If you're looking for an "easier" course to take in addition to those two, I'd say intro psych. The content is easy, but I warn you that even in easy classes you still have plenty of work to do. I'd be careful not to underestimate how many hours are required of you even in the easier courses.
Click to expand...
I'd prefer to do a BCMP class to boost my gpa in that area, as thats where I need the help. So any recommendations for "easier" BCMP classes? I'll be taking ochem and biochem and working as a research tech.
 
xcrunner18 said:
I'd prefer to do a BCMP class to boost my gpa in that area, as thats where I need the help. So any recommendations for "easier" BCMP classes? I'll be taking ochem and biochem and working as a research tech.
Click to expand...

I'd recommend A&P. Not easy, but important for medical school.
 
Hi all,

I'm attending HCP in the fall, and am looking for a place (preferably in Cambridge) to stay with with around 2 or 3 other roommates, preferably males. I'm from California, enjoy the beach, love sports, am an avid runner (400-meter dash), and am very studious. I'm not a night owl, like to get up earlier and am clean, and enjoy meeting new people. Is there anyone on here who is looking for a place too?

Please let me know if so, it would be great to hear from anyone! I'll keep checking back, or you can please PM me and that would be great too.

Thanks in advance.
 
Last edited:
johnnyscans said:
I'd recommend A&P. Not easy, but important for medical school.
Click to expand...

This. I don't think easy BCMP classes exist beyond classes like "Physics for Social Science/Humanities majors" where they dumb down the content.

On another note, if you think you'll be taking the MCAT in 2015, Psych and Biochem would be useful. If not, forget what I just said.
 
Hope everyone is having a successful summer semester!

I'm taking a poll for HEPS as we are considering a pre-semester gathering. How do y'all feel about a barbeque before school starts? We're interested in getting second/third year students to meet first years and vice versa (similar to the canoe trip last year). Feel free to throw out any suggestions as well.
 
Jennet said:
Hope everyone is having a successful summer semester!

I'm taking a poll for HEPS as we are considering a pre-semester gathering. How do y'all feel about a barbeque before school starts? We're interested in getting second/third year students to meet first years and vice versa (similar to the canoe trip last year). Feel free to throw out any suggestions as well.
Click to expand...

Will peter be cooking? If so, yes. If no, yes anyway, though not as enthusiastically 🙂.
 
Who's Peter? And yeah, sounds like a great idea 🙂
 
Sounds like fun! Peter sounds delicious.
 
Do you guys have any suggestions as to how to best go about completing the calculus requirement for med school application? Is it better to take it through HCP? Through community college?
 
LAnative said:
Do you guys have any suggestions as to how to best go about completing the calculus requirement for med school application? Is it better to take it through HCP? Through community college?
Click to expand...

During your application year, preferably through a 4-yr university.

Let's say you apply to university of X, which requires a year of calc for matriculation. You take Calc I in the fall. If you're invited for an interview to university of X you register for calc II in the spring. If you're accepted you finish. If not, you can finish or withdraw.
 
Is it just me or finding housing in Boston really hard?? Seems like all the places go within the first 24 hours..

I've been using Padmapper but recently they don't put up craigslist listings any more. I've tried using the Harvard housing website for vacant places but mot of their ads are out of date.

Do you guys have any other sites that might be worth checking out?
 
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