RFU Biomedical Sciences 2018-2019

[steely97]

Thought I might start a thread for the BMS program.

Anyone applying this year for the program?

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[steely97]

From what I've heard BMS students won't be taking any classes with other medical students, e.g. neuroscience, physiology etc.

 

[xcrunner28]

I am interested in applying for Fall 2018- does anyone know when the application will open? I clicked "apply now" on the website and made an account, but the masters in biomedical sciences is not showing up as an option for me to apply to. Is anyone else running into this? I just want to double check there is not something wrong with my account because the BMS application is not showing up at all while some of RFU's other programs that don't have the application available yet are showing up, just greyed out.

 

[steely97]

I think the application opens up sometime in November.

 

[hamidun9]

So I called the admissions office. Applications open up ~November 1st for the BMS program.


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[hamidun9]

Does anyone have any information about how the program will change with the new curriulum?

So apparently, BMS students (if accepted to RFU medical school) will no longer be considered of M1A status. The curriculum to my understanding will no longer have courses with their medical school students.


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[steely97]

Will this affect the linkage rate? Usually 50% of the students from the BMS class get into CMS. Will the number remain the same?

 

[hamidun9]

Will this affect the linkage rate? Usually 50% of the students from the BMS class get into CMS. Will the number remain the same?

Shouldn’t affect the linkage as long as you’re able to do well in the program. In other words, still get an interview based on your academic record in the program.


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[hamidun9]

Can you talk about what else admissions discussed with you. Is the curriculum for BMS still the same (biochem, phys, neuro, etc.)

To be honest, I haven’t talked to admissions regarding the actual curriculum. I talked more on the linkage with the medical school and application.


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[piotrkol1]

From what I thought I’d read in previous threads, it wasn’t as though BMS students were actually taking classes with the med students, it was just that they were all being graded together. Someone correct me if I’m wrong! So this change to taking away M1A status may actually make it easier for BMS students so that they’re just being graded against each other.

I am currently in BMS and over the course of the year we take 4 classes with the medical students. However, due to the curriculum change the next BMS class will not be taking classes with the medical students.

However, I don't know if there was a curve in the classes or anything of that nature. I was just under the impression that to have a chance at CMS, you would need to get at least a B in each class (i.e. 80%) and then perform well in the interview.

Currently the tests are curved to 80% if the medical students average score falls below this (so if their average is 78%, everyone gets 2 percentage points added). If you go back to previous years' BMS threads it was mentioned that in rare cases people with a C got accepted and during August orientation the head of the BMS program mentioned this as well. Still, there's also some people who manage to avoid getting a C and still don't get in so you never know.

 

[MTRN406]

I am currently in BMS and over the course of the year we take 4 classes with the medical students. However, due to the curriculum change the next BMS class will not be taking classes with the medical students.


Currently the tests are curved to 80% if the medical students average score falls below this (so if their average is 78%, everyone gets 2 percentage points added). If you go back to previous years' BMS threads it was mentioned that in rare cases people with a C got accepted and during August orientation the head of the BMS program mentioned this as well. Still, there's also some people who manage to avoid getting a C and still don't get in so you never know.

Is the fact that BMS students are not going to be taking classes with the med students going to change the historical linkage rate? I cannot imagine that the medical school will not think more lowly of this program, since they will no longer have a basis of comparison to judge BMS student performance against medical student performance. Are the days of the historical 50% or so of the students from the program being accepted to the medical school over?

 

[piotrkol1]

Is the fact that BMS students are not going to be taking classes with the med students going to change the historical linkage rate? I cannot imagine that the medical school will not think more lowly of this program, since they will no longer have a basis of comparison to judge BMS student performance against medical student performance. Are the days of the historical 50% or so of the students from the program being accepted to the medical school over?

I don't know the details concerning the new program, but during orientation they said they were going to try and come up with something so that its still a viable program.

 

[MTRN406]

I don't know the details concerning the new program, but during orientation they said they were going to try and come up with something so that its still a viable program.

That's scary. It sounds like this is a program that should be run away from. Too high risk at this point.

 

[steely97]

That's scary. It sounds like this is a program that should be run away from. Too high risk at this point.

Exactly. If we aren't taking the same classes as medical students how will the admissions committee know how good we are?

I don't think there's any harm in applying. It's still very early. I'm guessing they'll probably tell us more information about the BMS program in the coming months.

 

[aspiringdoctor23]

Hey everyone! I'm a current BMS student and would be happy to answer any questions about the administration, classes, or anything else! Good luck to everyone applying this year!

 

[MTRN406]

Hey everyone! I'm a current BMS student and would be happy to answer any questions about the administration, classes, or anything else! Good luck to everyone applying this year!

Any word on what curriculum changes are in store for next year's class and if the ~50% of BMS students ultimately matriculating to RFU is likely to change?

 

[aspiringdoctor23]

Any word on what curriculum changes are in store for next year's class and if the ~50% of BMS students ultimately matriculating to RFU is likely to change?

Hey! So what we know right know is that the curriculum is changing for medical students to become systems based, and since that is happening and currently BMS students take Medical Biochemistry, Clinical Molecular Cell Biology, Medical Physiology and Medical Neuroscience, they wouldn't be able to do that anymore because all the classes are integrated. What will happen is there will be special classes that will be taught by separate faculty and you will only be in class with other BMS classmates. This should not change the fact that you will need to get B's or higher and perform well on your interview to be accepted to CMS. You shouldn't worry, as long as you put in the work you are not compared to anyone else and will have just as likely have a chance to becoming accepted as a BMS student this year! I think this program will be just as great as in previous years!

 

[aspiringdoctor23]

Thanks for offering to answer questions! 🙂 I'm with MTRN406 in wondering about changes to the curriculum, but I'd also like to know how early interviews start being offered to BMS students? Meaning has the administration given you all a timeframe for when you might expect to be offered an interview if you meet whatever the criteria is? Also, considering that the class size is typically 100+, are you all assigned faculty advisors or mentors from BMS students who matriculated into CMS? And finally, just throwing this one out there, do you know what the health administration track is like?

Hi! I talked about the curriculum changes in the previous comment, basically you won't be taking classes with the medical students it will just be with your BMS cohort, but you can be assured that they will still challenge you and make them as difficult as medical school courses, and the basic premise of the program won't change! Do well in your classes and the interview and you'll have a great shot at getting in! One thing I think people get confused about is they think you're competing against your classmates for a seat in CMS, which isn't true. Theoretically, 100% of the class could matriculate and they told us that, however the two main reasons of not getting in is getting a C or underperforming on the interview.

For the timeline, there is no criteria for getting an interview other than being currently enrolled in the program. You could have gotten a C in your first two classes and you'd still have a chance to interview, but your likelihood of being accepted to CMS would be low but they interview you anyway because it's guarenteed. The two classes that you will have grades from before the interview are Clinical Molecular Cell Biology (CMCB) which ends at the end of fall quarter so it just ended on a Friday for us and Medical Biochemistry, which ends 3 weeks later. Generally, interview invites begin in mid to late January to February and you should find out if you got conditionally accepted within a week. A conditional acceptance means your matriculation is contingent upon you maintaining B's or higher in the rest of your courses and maintaining professionalism, integrity, etc.

For mentors, you are assigned a mentor at the beginning of the year. It will be either Dr. Weiand, the director of the BMS program, Dr. Pomarico, a professor, Dr. Sukowski, or one other. For student mentors, during orientation week we were in groups of 6-7 students who had an Orientations Advisor who had been through BMS the previous year. Our OA still keeps in contact with us and is readily available to answer any questions or concerns we have throughout the year.

For Health Administration, I unfortunately do not know as much about it since I am in the Nutrition track. If anyone has questions about that track let me know! Basically for each track there are 4 classes; you take 1 during fall quarter, 2 during winter quarter and 1 during spring quarter. My friends have told me that for the fall quarter class for health admin they have weekly discussion posts based on weekly readings where you also comment on other people's posts and 5 papers, 3 short 2 page double spaced ones and 2 longer 4-6 page papers. All classes have the same basic set up with discussion posts and are generally easier than the medical classes. For my first nutrition class, we had one short double spaced paper and weekly online quizzes based on the readings!

I hope that helps! If there's anything else or something you need clarified let me know 🙂 Good luck!

 

[TonySoprano]

Hey guys,

I did BMS in 2013. Now I am an M4 getting ready to match into Internal Medicine, hopefully in cali. I just want to say that BMS is the best, and allowed me this opportunity. My classmates have been fantastic. I think our school is more laid back compared to the other Chicago area schools. The BMS program is really such a boon for premed students who want get into medical school, specifically CMS. Sad to see that the curriculum is changing so drastically that it will affect the BMS students, and you will not get M1A status anymore(M1A year was so chill!). I wish you all the best of luck with applying to med school and BMS, and maybe I can answer some questions about the school if you'd like.

 

[derozan1]

Hello,
I applied last year and got accepted to the BMS program, but decided not to attend for personal reasons. I have decided to apply again, but I was just wondering if anyone has spoken to the admin office about the guaranteed interviews, and if it still applies after the curriculum change?

Thanks

 

[Dochopeful13]

Hi! I talked about the curriculum changes in the previous comment, basically you won't be taking classes with the medical students it will just be with your BMS cohort, but you can be assured that they will still challenge you and make them as difficult as medical school courses, and the basic premise of the program won't change! Do well in your classes and the interview and you'll have a great shot at getting in! One thing I think people get confused about is they think you're competing against your classmates for a seat in CMS, which isn't true. Theoretically, 100% of the class could matriculate and they told us that, however the two main reasons of not getting in is getting a C or underperforming on the interview.

For the timeline, there is no criteria for getting an interview other than being currently enrolled in the program. You could have gotten a C in your first two classes and you'd still have a chance to interview, but your likelihood of being accepted to CMS would be low but they interview you anyway because it's guarenteed. The two classes that you will have grades from before the interview are Clinical Molecular Cell Biology (CMCB) which ends at the end of fall quarter so it just ended on a Friday for us and Medical Biochemistry, which ends 3 weeks later. Generally, interview invites begin in mid to late January to February and you should find out if you got conditionally accepted within a week. A conditional acceptance means your matriculation is contingent upon you maintaining B's or higher in the rest of your courses and maintaining professionalism, integrity, etc.

For mentors, you are assigned a mentor at the beginning of the year. It will be either Dr. Weiand, the director of the BMS program, Dr. Pomarico, a professor, Dr. Sukowski, or one other. For student mentors, during orientation week we were in groups of 6-7 students who had an Orientations Advisor who had been through BMS the previous year. Our OA still keeps in contact with us and is readily available to answer any questions or concerns we have throughout the year.

For Health Administration, I unfortunately do not know as much about it since I am in the Nutrition track. If anyone has questions about that track let me know! Basically for each track there are 4 classes; you take 1 during fall quarter, 2 during winter quarter and 1 during spring quarter. My friends have told me that for the fall quarter class for health admin they have weekly discussion posts based on weekly readings where you also comment on other people's posts and 5 papers, 3 short 2 page double spaced ones and 2 longer 4-6 page papers. All classes have the same basic set up with discussion posts and are generally easier than the medical classes. For my first nutrition class, we had one short double spaced paper and weekly online quizzes based on the readings!

I hope that helps! If there's anything else or something you need clarified let me know 🙂 Good luck!

Does anyone know how the science gpa is calculated? Is it the same rules as AMCAS where Math is included or is it just strictly science classes?

 

[NeverLoseFaith]

Hey guys I was wondering if anyone who applied already has heard back, I applied 12/7 myself

 

[NeverLoseFaith]

I submitted my app in November and was told that they wouldn't start making decisions until January just fyi

I think I screwed up then, called the admissions office and they let me know that they wouldn’t accept any updated marks or transcripts.. and I had great grades this semester.. applying early actually backfired 🙁

Thanks for the info

 

[NeverLoseFaith]

No prob. Also, I’m not sure why the admissions office told you that?! I was told that I could submit updated transcripts and grades through the app system itself.

Interesting.. she specifically told me that they don't do the updated marks thing and will judge my application on what was submitted prior. Not that it messes up my app, but updating increasing grades would definitely add to my application.

In any case, good luck in the application process! I'll update on any new information.

 

[RinShanKaiHo]

I am an international kid with 514 MCAT and 3.7 GPA 3.5 sGPA from a top 10 undergrad.
This cycle I applied late because of a sickness and have only 1 MD interview till now..
I am thinking about this program... Do you guys think I should apply and do you think I have a chance?
I am waiting to hear back from one MD school and was accepted to 2 DO schools...
I really wanted RFU which is in Chicagoland though

 

[Dochopeful13]

I am an international kid with 514 MCAT and 3.7 GPA 3.5 sGPA from a top 10 undergrad.
This cycle I applied late because of a sickness and have only 1 MD interview till now..
I am thinking about this program... Do you guys think I should apply and do you think I have a chance?
I am waiting to hear back from one MD school and was accepted to 2 DO schools...
I really wanted RFU which is in Chicagoland though

Congrats on your DO acceptance. If I was you I would take the DO acceptance and not look back. Why dig yourself into deeper debt when you already have a med school acceptance?

 

[RinShanKaiHo]

Congrats on your DO acceptance. If I was you I would take the DO acceptance and not look back. Why dig yourself into deeper debt when you already have a med school acceptance?

Hmmmm I have some $ in my bank account and money is not the biggest issue for me... I really want a good medical education. Doesn't mean the DO schools are bad, just that there are fundamental differences between MD schools and most DO schools especially in terms of clinical education....

 

[DelayedGratification]

Hmmmm I have some $ in my bank account and money is not the biggest issue for me... I really want a good medical education. Doesn't mean the DO schools are bad, just that there are fundamental differences between MD schools and most DO schools especially in terms of clinical education....

NSU has a very strong reputation in florida, and KCU is often listed as a top 5 program; i really dont think you can go wrong unless you are looking at the top tier specialties. You seem highly intelligent, i am sure you won't have any issues wherever you go

 

[Dochopeful13]

Hmmmm I have some $ in my bank account and money is not the biggest issue for me... I really want a good medical education. Doesn't mean the DO schools are bad, just that there are fundamental differences between MD schools and most DO schools especially in terms of clinical education....

You really don't need to do a SMP. Your stats are really good. If you don't want to go DO, take a gap year and apply day one when the MD cycle opens. With your stats you will get multiple acceptances. Trust me you will be happy down the line you didn't waste $40,000 on a one year masters you don't even need.

 

[NeverLoseFaith]

Hey! So to update everyone else that may wanna know, I recently got accepted to the BMS program (I never ended up sending the updated marks). I have a bunch of questions about courses, general next steps, the university in general, etc. so if someone would be willing to PM me or give me any additional help, that would be much appreciated! Thanks! 🙂

 

[Dochopeful13]

Hey! So to update everyone else that may wanna know, I recently got accepted to the BMS program (I never ended up sending the updated marks). I have a bunch of questions about courses, general next steps, the university in general, etc. so if someone would be willing to PM me or give me any additional help, that would be much appreciated! Thanks! 🙂

Congrats. Would you mind if asked what your stats are? I am trying to get see how competitive my app is.

 

[steely97]

....

 

[steely97]

.......

 

[NeverLoseFaith]

Congrats. Would you mind if asked what your stats are? I am trying to get see how competitive my app is.

3.42 c and 3.29 sGPA with an upward trend; marks were really good this year but never sent them. MCAT is 504 and ECs are pretty average I think.

In terms of the linkage, it really depends on who you talk to because I've been told that it shouldn't change from previous years :/

 

[deleted289061]

I would speculate that since this program hasn’t really changed much over the years, ADCOMs kind of know by now the correlation between performance in this program and performance in medical school. I don’t think having a medical students in your class is necessary to gage how BMS students are doing.

 

[steely97]

Any more people who applied or got accepted? What were your stats?

 

[nekoknuckles]

Any more people who applied or got accepted? What were your stats?

Hey! I'm currently in the BMS program right now. I got in with a 3.7-3.8 GPA and a 509 MCAT. However, RFU accepts people from a wide range of stats.

 

[semitrash]

Hey! I'm currently in the BMS program right now. I got in with a 3.7-3.8 GPA and a 509 MCAT. However, RFU accepts people from a wide range of stats.

Current BMS student here too.. and I definitely agree that RFU accepts a wide range of students. Looking at the class profile on the RFU website would be a good representation of what you would need. Last year I applied in feb, and got accepted about 2 weeks later. If you guys have any other questions about this program, if you post it here hopefully one of us can answer it for you.

 

[deleted289061]

Hey! I'm currently in the BMS program right now. I got in with a 3.7-3.8 GPA and a 509 MCAT. However, RFU accepts people from a wide range of stats.

Why did you attend the BMS program with those stats? You probably could’ve applied to schools and been admitted.

 

[deleted289061]

Current BMS student here too.. and I definitely agree that RFU accepts a wide range of students. Looking at the class profile on the RFU website would be a good representation of what you would need. Last year I applied in feb, and got accepted about 2 weeks later. If you guys have any other questions about this program, if you post it here hopefully one of us can answer it for you.

Has the curriculum for the medical students changed yet or do you still attend classes with them? If it has changed, have you heard anything about how this would affect the BMS program? Thanks.

 

[semitrash]

Has the curriculum for the medical students changed yet or do you still attend classes with them? If it has changed, have you heard anything about how this would affect the BMS program? Thanks.

The curriculum hasn't changed yet, and we are still taking classes with the med students. Unfortunately, we haven't received much information on the changes, so I can't really comment on how it will impact the BMS program. Personally, I feel that since the BMS and CMS program has had a relationship for years, I don't see the linkage drastically changing, and I wouldn't be surprised if it was similar to previous years. I'll see if I can find out some more info about this.

 

[aeryna]

I am currently in the process of applying to SMPs as well and really like this program. Does anyone know how long the personal statement should be?

 

[cdnguyen]

Hey guys,

I have been super interested in the program for awhile, planning to apply this cycle, but I was just wondering about my chances of acceptance. I was hoping if anyone would be able to give me a little insight or any advice about my application and flaws that I should improve on for the program.

I'm 25 and have been out of school for 2 years. Graduated from SFSU in 2015 (BS Kinesiology) with a cGPA 3.5 and sGPA 3.7 (upward trend).
I'm currently studying for the upcoming March 24th MCAT (doesn't look so well, hoping for at least a 500 at this point).
I started late with my ECs - clinical volunteers: 350-400 hrs, non-clinical volunteer: ~25 hrs, shadowing (MD): ~30 hrs, no research, worked in a clinical lab for 2 years as a clinical lab assistant. I don't have much ECs, which worries me about my application as well as my future MCAT score.

Any feedback would be helpful and greatly appreciated! Thank you

 

[Tensor Fasciae Latte]

Hey guys,

I have been super interested in the program for awhile, planning to apply this cycle, but I was just wondering about my chances of acceptance. I was hoping if anyone would be able to give me a little insight or any advice about my application and flaws that I should improve on for the program.

I'm 25 and have been out of school for 2 years. Graduated from SFSU in 2015 (BS Kinesiology) with a cGPA 3.5 and sGPA 3.7 (upward trend).
I'm currently studying for the upcoming March 24th MCAT (doesn't look so well, hoping for at least a 500 at this point).
I started late with my ECs - clinical volunteers: 350-400 hrs, non-clinical volunteer: ~25 hrs, shadowing (MD): ~30 hrs, no research, worked in a clinical lab for 2 years as a clinical lab assistant. I don't have much ECs, which worries me about my application as well as my future MCAT score.

Any feedback would be helpful and greatly appreciated! Thank you

If you can get more non-clinical volunteering hours, that would really help. I talked to one of the admissions people a while back, and she said that volunteering in your community is really important for them. You still have time, so get those hours up, and if you get a 500 on your MCAT, you should be good.

 

[aspiringdoctor23]

I am currently in the process of applying to SMPs as well and really like this program. Does anyone know how long the personal statement should be?

There’s no minimum or maximum for the personal statement! I would say just use your discretion as to how long you think it should be, long enough to get your point across but not too long where it’s boring to read. Mine was 1.5 pages single spaced of that helps. Good luck with the application process!

 

[aspiringdoctor23]

Hey guys,

I have been super interested in the program for awhile, planning to apply this cycle, but I was just wondering about my chances of acceptance. I was hoping if anyone would be able to give me a little insight or any advice about my application and flaws that I should improve on for the program.

I'm 25 and have been out of school for 2 years. Graduated from SFSU in 2015 (BS Kinesiology) with a cGPA 3.5 and sGPA 3.7 (upward trend).
I'm currently studying for the upcoming March 24th MCAT (doesn't look so well, hoping for at least a 500 at this point).
I started late with my ECs - clinical volunteers: 350-400 hrs, non-clinical volunteer: ~25 hrs, shadowing (MD): ~30 hrs, no research, worked in a clinical lab for 2 years as a clinical lab assistant. I don't have much ECs, which worries me about my application as well as my future MCAT score.

Any feedback would be helpful and greatly appreciated! Thank you

Hey I think you have a really good shot if you can get at least a 500 on your MCAT! Everything else looks great, I would also agree that you should maybe try to get more non-clinical volunteer hours, especially in underserved communities. Rosalind Franklin University is very big on volunteering in the community so that would help. Otherwise I would just say try your hardest on the MCAT and you should be good! Good luck!

 

[Tensor Fasciae Latte]

Hi! I talked about the curriculum changes in the previous comment, basically you won't be taking classes with the medical students it will just be with your BMS cohort, but you can be assured that they will still challenge you and make them as difficult as medical school courses, and the basic premise of the program won't change! Do well in your classes and the interview and you'll have a great shot at getting in! One thing I think people get confused about is they think you're competing against your classmates for a seat in CMS, which isn't true. Theoretically, 100% of the class could matriculate and they told us that, however the two main reasons of not getting in is getting a C or underperforming on the interview.

For the timeline, there is no criteria for getting an interview other than being currently enrolled in the program. You could have gotten a C in your first two classes and you'd still have a chance to interview, but your likelihood of being accepted to CMS would be low but they interview you anyway because it's guarenteed. The two classes that you will have grades from before the interview are Clinical Molecular Cell Biology (CMCB) which ends at the end of fall quarter so it just ended on a Friday for us and Medical Biochemistry, which ends 3 weeks later. Generally, interview invites begin in mid to late January to February and you should find out if you got conditionally accepted within a week. A conditional acceptance means your matriculation is contingent upon you maintaining B's or higher in the rest of your courses and maintaining professionalism, integrity, etc.

For mentors, you are assigned a mentor at the beginning of the year. It will be either Dr. Weiand, the director of the BMS program, Dr. Pomarico, a professor, Dr. Sukowski, or one other. For student mentors, during orientation week we were in groups of 6-7 students who had an Orientations Advisor who had been through BMS the previous year. Our OA still keeps in contact with us and is readily available to answer any questions or concerns we have throughout the year.

For Health Administration, I unfortunately do not know as much about it since I am in the Nutrition track. If anyone has questions about that track let me know! Basically for each track there are 4 classes; you take 1 during fall quarter, 2 during winter quarter and 1 during spring quarter. My friends have told me that for the fall quarter class for health admin they have weekly discussion posts based on weekly readings where you also comment on other people's posts and 5 papers, 3 short 2 page double spaced ones and 2 longer 4-6 page papers. All classes have the same basic set up with discussion posts and are generally easier than the medical classes. For my first nutrition class, we had one short double spaced paper and weekly online quizzes based on the readings!

I hope that helps! If there's anything else or something you need clarified let me know 🙂 Good luck!

Have you had your interview for CMS yet? Hope it went or goes well and that you get accepted! How have your classes been so far and how difficult would you say that they are? Also, do you still like the nutrition track?

 

[firsttimer123]

Hi guys - I'm 26 years old and have been out of school for several years. My MCAT is a 506 and GPA is a 3.4. I have been trying to get into med school for the past few years and got no luck. I am interested in this SMP. What are my chances of getting accepted? In March too late to apply? I am very worried cause i have been trying to get into med school for so long now. thanks guys

 

[semitrash]

Hi guys - I'm 26 years old and have been out of school for several years. My MCAT is a 506 and GPA is a 3.4. I have been trying to get into med school for the past few years and got no luck. I am interested in this SMP. What are my chances of getting accepted? In March too late to apply? I am very worried cause i have been trying to get into med school for so long now. thanks guys

I can only speculate, but based on your MCAT and GPA it seems like you would have a good chance at getting accepted. RFU does like to look at applications holistically, so your experiences also play a factor in your acceptance. I applied last year in Feb and I know that there were people who applied later in the application cycle and got accepted.

 

[semitrash]

Have you had your interview for CMS yet? Hope it went or goes well and that you get accepted! How have your classes been so far and how difficult would you say that they are? Also, do you still like the nutrition track?

Personally, I would say that the material taught isn't particularly difficult, but the volume of material is something that takes some getting used to.