Official: Harvard Extension School 2004

[scooter31]

So I would just register for the courses I need (as a non-matriculating student) and ask for a recommendation at the end?

As a rec, meaning a letter of rec from a professor? Yes. Ask away.


Also, you can set up a letter of rec service with the Health Careers Office for a fee without having to be in the certificate program.

But yeah, you just register for classes online at the HES website, and take it from there. You would be a matriculating student, just not in the certificate program. Easy as pie

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[coffeeluver]

But yeah, you just register for classes online at the HES website, and take it from there. You would be a matriculating student, just not in the certificate program. Easy as pie

I'm still wondering why this is any different than taking classes ala carte at any other state university? Rather than spending thousands more on classes and living costs, wouldn't it be cheaper to stay in-state? Do you think that because you took extension courses at Haaavaaad that you might get a better edge than at a state university? I can understand if students are local, but why move across the country if you could do the same at a state university? I'm not trying to criticize anyone, just really curious if Harvard is worth the costs.

 

[scooter31]

I'm still wondering why this is any different than taking classes ala carte at any other state university? Rather than spending thousands more on classes and living costs, wouldn't it be cheaper to stay in-state? Do you think that because you took extension courses at Haaavaaad that you might get a better edge than at a state university? I can understand if students are local, but why move across the country if you could do the same at a state university? I'm not trying to criticize anyone, just really curious if Harvard is worth the costs.

Short answer, yes. If youre not in the certificate program, it is much like taking courses at your local state school. The classes arent that expensive, and may be just as much or less than many state schools. Also, the chance to start up a letter of recommendation service is there for you at HES, which isnt the case at many schools where you are not a full time student. Also, many people have jobs at some of the best hospitals in the nation, and have top notch experiences that go beyond the coursework taken at HES. Plus, many hospitals offer tuition reimbursement programs, and you can essentially go to school for free. This opportunity, coupled with clinical and research exposure to one of the top cities for medicine in world, attracts a lot of folks. But yes, you can go to your 4 year school down the street and essentially get the same courses out of the way, for the most part. Saying this, I have actually saved money by coming out here versus staying in CA and hooking up with either a UC or CSU to finish up my coursework and also pursue experience in the field.

Anyhow, there are a lot of plusses to coming out this way. There are also many downfalls to coming out here, mostly revolving around housing, work, and money related matters that pertain to the Boston area. Either way, if you have more questions, fire away, either on this thread of via PM.

Not every program is going to please everyone, but the HES experonce has certainly helped many students find their way through all of this, and for a reasonable price.

 

[omniatlas]

Also, many people have jobs at some of the best hospitals in the nation, and have top notch experiences that go beyond the coursework taken at HES. Plus, many hospitals offer tuition reimbursement programs, and you can essentially go to school for free. This opportunity, coupled with clinical and research exposure to one of the top cities for medicine in world, attracts a lot of folks.

I concur. Don't forget though, most of these professors will jump to exploit students like you and me, i.e. low wage; however you'll get to work with scientists that are VERY respected in their field. This equates to more grant funding and more high tech toys to play with

I'll be joining you all at HES this fall Currently taking classes at UMASS (also at a dirt cheap price), but the commute & traffic is killing me!

 

[starkid]

Does the program assign you an advisors who will "guide" you to help answer questions/volunteer/research concerns/etc?

Does the program have a Linkage program?

 

[scooter31]

Does the program assign you an advisors who will "guide" you to help answer questions/volunteer/research concerns/etc?

Does the program have a Linkage program?

No linkage. You have Dr Fixsen and Owen Petersen at your disposal for any class/med school related queries. They are both very capable fellas and know the ropes when it comes to the post-bac applying to med school. They can help you with other questions as well, and some of the current students have set up a webpage for any current of hopeful HES people who are applying to medschool for any other HES/Boston related things to do with the program or applying in general. I posted the link somewhere in this forum- otherwise I can find the link here soon.

 

[scooter31]

Hey Guys-

As I have just completed the basic classes for med school pre-reqs at HES and no longer need the books for it, I am looking to sell them at a song. Here's what I have:

Physics- College Physics text, by Urone. 2nd Edition. Light use. No marks.
College Physics solution manual, 2nd Edition. Light use, great shape.


OChem- Organic Chemistry text, by Bruice. 4th Ed. Good condition, slight tear in the front cover, nothing major. Otherwise tip top shape, some light pencil marks.
Organic Chemistry Study Guide and Solution Manual. Excellent condition, hardly used.
Organic Chemistry Molecular Modeling Workbook, with model kit. Never used. I was one of those lucky bastards that could see stereochemistry in his head.
Organic Chemistry Lab Survival Manual, by Zubrick. Older Edition (1997), but the same stuff as the brand new version. Got it used from someone else, but it'll get you through labs, for sure.


So. Anyone interested in making an offer for all or some of these texts? PM me if you're interested, as I'll be posting my stuff on Craigslist here shortly. Figured I'd give a fellow SDN'er first dibs on my stuff before I try and sell it to anyone else...

 

[CaptainJack02]

bump

whats going on folks. any news?

not much traffic in this thread these days.

 

[starkid]

are the courses (chem/physics/bio/ochem) taught by harvard college professors? or are they taught by any prof they can find? i was pretty sure this was the place where i wanted to finish up my requirements... but now i'm having doubts. suggestions anyone? i'm mainly concerned with the quality of how the material is taught (ex. non-harvard profs teaching the material) and how the program is viewed by medical school. thanks for any input.

 

[omniatlas]

bump

whats going on folks. any news?

not much traffic in this thread these days.

Busy

anyone have the low-down on Physics & Organic at H-ext?

 

[scooter31]

Starkid- Most of the classes are HU professors, normally the younger ones getting their feet wet with lecturing. Also, a lot of the courses I've taken are by MD's and PhD's with appointments at HSPH and HMS. I've yet to take a class where the lecturer wasnt Harvard faculty of one sort or another.


Omni- As far as OChem and Physics, whacha wanna know? Please notice that I have both class texts available, if youre interested

 

[Curious Tom]

I don't recommend buying physics text from previous years. The professor assigns the homework (which is about 20-25% of your final grade) out the designated textbook of each year. It's to your best advantage to spend the money and buy the new text.

As to Orgo, if the same professor will be teaching, it is totally up to what he decides. This year was his first year teaching and he heavily relied on the textbook, sometimes taking exam questions straight out of it. But the best way to study for it was making sure you memorize every little detail of the lecture slide note. I did that for the final (we are talking 3 inches thick lecture notes) and did very well. So it's up to your decision.

 

[scooter31]

I don't recommend buying physics text from previous years. The professor assigns the homework (which is about 20-25% of your final grade) out the designated textbook of each year. It's to your best advantage to spend the money and buy the new text.

As to Orgo, if the same professor will be teaching, it is totally up to what he decides. This year was his first year teaching and he heavily relied on the textbook, sometimes taking exam questions straight out of it. But the best way to study for it was making sure you memorize every little detail of the lecture slide note. I did that for the final (we are talking 3 inches thick lecture notes) and did very well. So it's up to your decision.

Oh, Rueckner changed editions? Then yeah, my book is probably worthless, as he does have assigned problems sets outta the book. OH well, I tried to help. It'll make a fantastic doorstop

I also agree with the lecture notes for OChem. I grabbed notes and usually left class and did well with just learning the notes with my text as a reference... 3 hours is an insane amount of time for me to sit still and focus.

 

[omniatlas]

Omni- As far as OChem and Physics, whacha wanna know? Please notice that I have both class texts available, if youre interested

Hi Scooter31 -- Is physics and ochem totally managable together /w a 40hr job?

Thanks

 

[scooter31]

Hi Scooter31 -- Is physics and ochem totally managable together /w a 40hr job?

Thanks

Yes, but man, you wont have much of a life. Both classes involve 3 hr labs, and will take over your enitre night 4 or 5 days a week. I didnt do them concurrently, but I know taking 2 classes and working is definitely a long haul. Saying that, they are both manageable classes, lecture wise, and both professors to a good job of making the concepts more palateable. Also, both are very good in providing notes and other resources if youre not a lecture type guy (like me). I say you can do it, just stay on top of things.

 

[omniatlas]

Yes, but man, you wont have much of a life. Both classes involve 3 hr labs, and will take over your enitre night 4 or 5 days a week. I didnt do them concurrently, but I know taking 2 classes and working is definitely a long haul. Saying that, they are both manageable classes, lecture wise, and both professors to a good job of making the concepts more palateable. Also, both are very good in providing notes and other resources if youre not a lecture type guy (like me). I say you can do it, just stay on top of things.

Thanks for the info -- I'm currently trying to manage a new job /w physics and its not working very well -- the commute each day after work is killing me and i don't have that much time to study. I'm going to try and sit for the MCATs next year -- is the physics section totally self-teachable?

Thanks again.

 

[traumamonkey]

Hi Scooter31 -- Is physics and ochem totally managable together /w a 40hr job?

Thanks

i did this in 2002-03. it was hell. will you be able to study at work? can you memorize things without lots of repetition? do you enjoy sleep?

i survived the year, but just barely. and i don't think i'd do it again. i guess it depends on how well you manage your time, what kind of a support system you have set up, and what kind of work you do. you'll have to be able to budget every minute and be really dedicated if you want to do well.

good luck!

 

[jlittlej]

I'm planning on heading to Boston for the program in the next couple years. I have no science or lab experience. What kind of health-related jobs can I land? Should I get EMT certified?

I'd really love to work in a hospital but don't have any experience in one.

 

[jays2cool4u]

I'm planning on heading to Boston for the program in the next couple years. I have no science or lab experience. What kind of health-related jobs can I land? Should I get EMT certified?

I'd really love to work in a hospital but don't have any experience in one.

You should go through the back door by volunteering at a local hospital. I volunteered in the O.R. as an orderly and was offered a full-time position. I turned down the offer because I was a full-time undergrad at the time.

 

[mandusi]

and those who are already there- is there anything like and email list for the post-bacs? with lectures, job leads, etc?
if not, perhaps we can form one? it is far better than just posting!

I myself am in India now and plan to return to the States (New Haven) and start looking for a place to live and a job only in August. So all moral support welcome!

 

[CaptainJack02]

and those who are already there- is there anything like and email list for the post-bacs? with lectures, job leads, etc?
if not, perhaps we can form one? it is far better than just posting!

I myself am in India now and plan to return to the States (New Haven) and start looking for a place to live and a job only in August. So all moral support welcome!

hey there

welcome to the fall04 hcp camp

for jobs, many ppl have recommended the Partner's website(with job postings for all the Harvard hospitals) at

http://sh.webhire.com/Public/635/index.htm

as for lectures, i'm sure that we can scan notes with ease and put them online. i haven't run across any such existing sites but others(scooter? curious tom?) may have...

ppl have recommended craigs list boston to look for an apt and i think it's a great site. (http://boston.craigslist.org, NOT!! .com. don't make the mistake of typing boston.craigslist.com when your sister's sitting in the couch right behind the computer )

alrighty, have fun in india. btw, wehre in india are you? sounds like a lovely, tropical, heat infested country in which to spend the summer

 

[ltrain]

Hi, I'm new.
I'm also considering starting HCP in the fall.

A few questions for those of you well-versed with HES.

1. Are the classes in Cambridge or in Boston by the med school?

2. Does following the recommended program of two classes with labs a semester qualify you to defer other federal loans (like from undergrad)?

3. Are the tuition rates for HCP posted anywhere online? Or can anyone tell me how much you're paying per course?

4. Anyone actually taking advantage of the Tuition Assistance Program? Know anyone who is? Is the program only for full-time employees of Harvard-affiliated hospitals?

5. Lastly, anyone who's at HES now - do you know of anyone doing an MPH at Harvard during the glide year? Is that an option?

Thanks

peace

 

[ltrain]

bump

 

[arciedee]

To answer some of ltrain's questions:

The majority of courses are at the Cambridge campus. I think there some more health related courses are taught in Boston, but the basic sciences are at the main college campus.

I believe that taking two courses will qualify you to defer college loans. Each course at the extension school is worth 4 credits, and I think you need 8 to qualify as being in school half-time for loan purposes.

Tuition rates will probably be posted with the course descriptions soon, but you can look at last year's site (there should be a link in the course section among others on the extension school site) and see what they were. Chances are they'll go up modestly, but it's still a good deal.

Don't know much about TAP, but it's for any Harvard employee, not just med school.

Don't know anything about their MPH program, either, sorry, but hope the other answers helped.

 

[CUDoctor]

Hey all,

I was wondering if there is a "cut-off" GPA for getting matriculated in Harvard's postbac program. I am an aspiring student at Columbia University looking to go into medicine. My gpa is a 2.7 and I am majoring in Biology. I was wondering if there is still hope for me to get into a postbac program like Harvard, or even Columbia's. Thanks.

 

[dfn27]

My gpa is around a 2.5. I enjoyed drinking and socializing a little too much in college and I am regretting it now!!! Anyway, I've been looking into ways to redeem myself, so I've looked into EVERY program in Boston. Tufts and BU have mininum GPA requirements of 3.0/3.3...i get the impression HES does as well, although it's not stated on their website. I've heard of many people getting rejected from HES Pre-med program. However, you can take as many courses as you want as a non-matriculating student. This is what I plan to do. HES is pretty cheap too..relatively speaking. BU and Tufts are both pretty expensive.

 

[scooter31]

No real cut off, per se, but they do come out and pretty much say that if youre below a 3.0, youll have to take more classes to complete the program and earn the certificate. They also will give you the impression that a sub- 3 GPA is the kiss of death, and that they have seen few people get in with that low of a GPA. Eh, so be it. SNoop around SDN long enough and you'll see that this isnt always the case, but lets be real-- its gonna take us sub-3'ers a little more work and time to get to the top of the mountain, so nothing new there. You can always do what dfn and myself have done--- take classes a la carte outside of the certificate program, rock them, do the other tangible and intangible things that are expected from an aspiring pre-med, and go from there. Oh, the cool thing? Youre doing it in Boston-- its not too shabby a town, from what I hear Booyah

 

[Tippy007]

There's no GPA cut off, which is nice. However, what the Harvard people say is that if you GPA is below 3.0 then you need to take more classes and score above 30 on the MCAT to obtain their sponsorship. That is not overly shocking because that what's you'll probably need to get into school anyway.

 

[AgmalLella]

hey...so in order to participate in the program, you have to take the MCAT? or do you do that afterwards. What's up with them sponsoring students? Also, i'm graduating next year, and i want to do a post-bacc, but i'm worried because i'm not very good in math...will that stop me from doing well in the pre-med courses? Sorry if you've answered these questions before.


sherry

 

[scooter31]

To answer ltrains queries, albeit belatedly:


4. Anyone actually taking advantage of the Tuition Assistance Program? Know anyone who is? Is the program only for full-time employees of Harvard-affiliated hospitals?


Yes. I am. Fulltime HU affiliates get 2K per year for tuition. Parttimers get 1000. You must have been employed continuously for 6 months in order for it to kick in.

5. Lastly, anyone who's at HES now - do you know of anyone doing an MPH at Harvard during the glide year? Is that an option?

Again, yes I do. Me. With a few twists and turns. The MPH program at HSPH is for people who have terminal degrees already (MD, JD, DVM, etc). You can, however, take up to 16 credits, as a guest student, if youre a HU employee. you just need to ask permission form the class instructor. From what I understand, most if not all units will transfer to other schools. For me, I'm pretty much done with the undergrad stuff for med school, and was already hoping to come out of all of this as either MD,MPH or MD,PhD, so this was a nice way to do things concurrently, and have a backup plan in case the MD secondaries dont come piling in my way (ie, do the MPH/PhD before the MD. It stinks doing it like this, but so does my GPA). Again, a very convoluted route, but a route, nonetheless. Cliff's note's version: no MPH at Harvard during the glide year. You can take a nice chunk of classes there to apply to a MPH later on down the road.


Alright. Who's next? You, in the green sweater....

hey...so in order to participate in the program, you have to take the MCAT? or do you do that afterwards. What's up with them sponsoring students? Also, i'm graduating next year, and i want to do a post-bacc, but i'm worried because i'm not very good in math...will that stop me from doing well in the pre-med courses? Sorry if you've answered these questions before.


sherry

No MCAT necessary. Though for sponsorship, they want you to have a 30 or above. For sponsorship, if you stay above a 3.0 during the postbac and get a 30+, they'll write a kickass letter of rec and you'll be officially certified as a 100% super duper post bac'er. No MCAT prep incorporated into the syllabus, either, a la Drexel or UCD post bac programs. in recent years, they've also awarded qualifiers a date with Scooter 31 (moi), all expenses paid, to the Hong Kong. No takers as of recent... OK, enough silliness. Some people really need this boost, others dont. If youre not a fullblown post-bac'er, you can still take classes and get a letter of rec service started through the office. Math. You dont have to be great at it, and its not a requirement for the certificate program (at least I dont recall), but be warned that some med schools DO require some form of calculus-based math. Do your homework, and if nowhere you wanna go needs it, then by all means, skip it. Calc MAY come in handy for physics, but at HES, its heavily based in the theoretical aspects of physics, versus the plug and chug, pull out my abacus side of the genre. Aside: physics sucks. I gave the class a big middle finger after the last final, now I do research related to MR physics. Godammit. Why?

Alright. Question time has come to an end for now. Pop quiz on Thursday. Bring your scantrons and number 2 pencils....


For real though, any more questions, please post away or PM me. I'm not really this sarcastic in real life. Honest.

 

[doctalaughs]

Hi, I'm new.
I'm also considering starting HCP in the fall.

A few questions for those of you well-versed with HES.

1. Are the classes in Cambridge or in Boston by the med school?

2. Does following the recommended program of two classes with labs a semester qualify you to defer other federal loans (like from undergrad)?

3. Are the tuition rates for HCP posted anywhere online? Or can anyone tell me how much you're paying per course?

4. Anyone actually taking advantage of the Tuition Assistance Program? Know anyone who is? Is the program only for full-time employees of Harvard-affiliated hospitals?

5. Lastly, anyone who's at HES now - do you know of anyone doing an MPH at Harvard during the glide year? Is that an option?

Thanks

peace

I took bio and orgo at HES a while ago. I can tell you the profs are good, most of them teach undergrads at the college. The TFs however aren't as good at all and you should pick one after doing some research on them or go to a few sections and switch into the one you like.

2 classes is very manageable w/ 40 hour job if you keep up.

Classes are in the yard (cambridge) in the science center.

Tuition when I took it was around $1600/course/semester not including books.

 

[RaistlinMajere]

I took bio and orgo at HES a while ago. I can tell you the profs are good, most of them teach undergrads at the college.

I took ochem last year at HES and it was the profs first year teaching. They were working out the kinks in the beginning, but overall the course was solid and more than prepares you for the MCAT.

The bio teacher is awesome. Hard class, but in a good way.

 

[spudbunny]

Hello,

In one of the prior messages in this thread it was mentioned that 85% + of the students that finish this program matriculate in a medical school. Does anyone know which schools students end up at - I know that Harvard does not have a formal linkage program and with a success rate like that I am surprised that they do not advertise where their former students gain acceptance.

 

[scooter31]

Hello,

In one of the prior messages in this thread it was mentioned that 85% + of the students that finish this program matriculate in a medical school. Does anyone know which schools students end up at - I know that Harvard does not have a formal linkage program and with a success rate like that I am surprised that they do not advertise where their former students gain acceptance.

There is one poster, whose name escapes me, that is at Mt Sinai currently. Other than that, I have no idea... any former HES success stories to add?

 

[ltrain]

One of my professors from undergrad has a son who went through the HES program. He's currently at Tufts and his girlfriend (who also went through HES) is at BU. He also said some of his friends from HES got into some "fantastic" med schools. From him I got the impression that if you do well in your HES classes you can be looked-upon well by admissions committees.

 

[harvardpremed]

Hey, my roommate last year attended HES pre med program, turns out he's going to be my roommate this year and he's at Harvard Medical School this year. Hope that helps. I also have met a lot of people on campus that have gone to Yale, UPENN, Johns Hopkins, Einstein and others, from HES, I've seen it, it happens. Best of Luck!

 

[CaptainJack02]

There is one poster, whose name escapes me, that is at Mt Sinai currently. Other than that, I have no idea... any former HES success stories to add?

and goldie was his name-o

 

[OpenIntro]

Not sure if this has been answered before, but I'll throw it out anyways....

I graduated with a B.S. in Biology and a Chem Minor in 1998.....I have completed all my pre-req's, but my GPA is relatively low, as is my science GPA. I have looked into HES a bit, but am not sure if it is geared more towards those who need to finish their science pre-reqs or if it is for those that are looking to boost their GPA as well as take and excel in upper level science courses.

Any insight would be appreciated

 

[dfn27]

How old is the average HES pre-medical student?

 

[RaistlinMajere]

Does anyone know which schools students end up at?

I know people who finished the program last year at Columbia, Colorado and a school in Cali.

 

[scooter31]

You can take upper division courses a la carte and get that gpa up and show them you can deal with tough classes. Thats what I have done and its worked thus far.... PM me for more details if you'd like. Basically-- you'll be fine to do that at HES if wanted to

Not sure if this has been answered before, but I'll throw it out anyways....

I graduated with a B.S. in Biology and a Chem Minor in 1998.....I have completed all my pre-req's, but my GPA is relatively low, as is my science GPA. I have looked into HES a bit, but am not sure if it is geared more towards those who need to finish their science pre-reqs or if it is for those that are looking to boost their GPA as well as take and excel in upper level science courses.

Any insight would be appreciated

 

[scooter31]

How old is the average HES pre-medical student?

I'd say mid-late 20's, with a range of 22-about 50. Just by guestimation

 

[dfn27]

I'll be taking classes at HES in the fall. I'm going to take chemstry, still deciding if I'm going to take Biology too. I'll be working full-time so I don't want to risk anything. I have a low GPA so I need get the best grades possible. Anyway, if all goes well in the fall and next spring, I plan on applying to the certificate program, however my GPA still may be too low. In that case, I'll just keep taking them a la carte....can't hurt.

 

[jays2cool4u]

I'll be taking classes at HES in the fall. I'm going to take chemstry, still deciding if I'm going to take Biology too. I'll be working full-time so I don't want to risk anything. I have a low GPA so I need get the best grades possible. Anyway, if all goes well in the fall and next spring, I plan on applying to the certificate program, however my GPA still may be too low. In that case, I'll just keep taking them a la carte....can't hurt.

Since you have a low undergrad GPA, you should just start off with chemistry to get a running start in order to build confidence. Working full-time is already time consuming but adding chemistry AND Dr. Fixsen's bio class is suicidal. Call Dr. Fixsen to get his opinion and I'm sure he will concur with my point of view.

JRJ

 

[medique]

Do you have to be accepted to the Extension Health program before you can take any of the required classes? Ie, can I start taking classes and then apply to the program a couple months into the semester? Thanks

 

[scooter31]

Do you have to be accepted to the Extension Health program before you can take any of the required classes?

Nope.

Ie, can I start taking classes and then apply to the program a couple months into the semester?

Yes

Thanks

No problem.

 

[Curious Tom]

Do not fear so much. If you enjoy learning science, the courses are fine. Getting an A shouldn't be a problem. If your intellectual capacity is average and you are taking the courses just to get into med school, then you may have some trouble getting A's.
If you need help, there are plenty of people including the professors who are willing to help you.

 

[PositivePostBac]

Do not fear so much. If you enjoy learning science, the courses are fine. Getting an A shouldn't be a problem. If your intellectual capacity is average and you are taking the courses just to get into med school, then you may have some trouble getting A's.
If you need help, there are plenty of people including the professors who are willing to help you.

Tom, I don't agree that getting an A is no problem; that may be your experience and if so I would argue you are quite gifted, because I believe most people in the class are of well-above average intelligence and interest level / dedication, but the average in all the core premed classes remain around a B+... I believe the grading scale at the extension school is similar to the grading scale at harvard undergrad, namely: hard to fail, easy to get a C, not too tough to get a B, definately hard to get an A... but than again, that's just my personal experience...

 

[omniatlas]

Alrighty I'm pumped to start the program.

Anyone else here starting H-ext in the fall and planning to row?

Weld Boathouse (http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~weldbh/row/welcome.html) is open to all H-affiliated students, faculty and staff.

Perhaps if we could get a team together we can race against all the other harvard crews.

Just a thought

 

[stoleyerscrubz]

What book does Harvard Extension use for General Chemistry?