Rosalind Franklin BMS for Fall 2009/2010

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thechampion said:
I applied early May and I received my unofficial acceptance email about 2 weeks later. I then received my offical letter acceptance and had less than two weeks (because you have 2 weeks from when the letter is dated) to decide if I wanted to give my $100 deposit to hold a spot for me.

Hope this helps.
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Thanks!

thechampion,

Is it true that roughly 70-75% of RFUMS BMS students get into CMS?
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mr2trd3 said:
Thanks!

thechampion,

Is it true that roughly 70-75% of RFUMS BMS students get into CMS?
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No problem!

Here is my understanding of that stat. I have also heard that percentage being thrown around to attract prospective BMSers, but I think it is somewhat misleading. While historically 70-75% BMSers eventually do receive an acceptance from CMS, this is only taking account for those who completed the program. Also, this is not the percentage for those who got accepted right after their BMS yr (no gap). I think the actual percentage for those who have historically been accepted w/o a gap yr is somewhere around 40-50%. But again, this is only out of those who stuck with the entire program. Because the program is very challenging (like all SMPs), a number of students end up dropping out (I think 20 or so did last yr), and these students are not included in the calculation.

So, in summary, I would take that statistic w/ a grain of salt. Just plan to work your butt off and if you are also applying to med school for 2010, you are at least guaranteed an interview.
 
Hey guys, that stat I posted is what we were given last year prior to starting the program. That stat is based on those that completed the program. There is no gap year in the BMS program, after you are accepted into the med school, you start the following year as an M1a, so that stat is accurate. However, I do not know the percentage of our class that has been accepted. Good luck everyone, I'm sure everyone will do great next year! If you have any questions about the program just PM me and I'd be more than happy to help you out!
 
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I was just accepted into cms from the bms program and my grades were nowhere near what the previous posters stated. The majority of my close friends in bms were in a very very similar position in terms of gpa, and every single person I've talked to thus far has been accepted.

I'm gonna go out on a limb here, but docry are you my blonde headed friend from yellow 3? yellow 3s unite! and stop scaring off the new bmsers! 3.6+ will get you the "nod" but people with gpas much much lower than this are being accepted to cms en masse. docry is also a machine and has no human emotion.

In response to floopy: I commuted to school from a northern suburn of chicago and if I could do it over again I would definitely opt to stay in the woodlands. There are 2 very strong reasons why:

1) Some days you only have 1 class. You will spend close to 3 hours of commuting time for 1 hour of class. Obviously this is not a very efficient use of your time. Even worse, you may decide that you don't want to attend this class and you could miss out on very important information.

2) Group studying. Near the beginning of the school year, I worked with people in scheduled and organized groups. This was great until people start working at different speeds and it became impossible to keep everyone up to speed + keep the group moving. What eventually happened was that spontaneous groups would form and really you just have to be there to be a part of it. At orientation, Steve Wieland will show you really how important it is to (at least occasionally) study in a group.

I did see some other fallacies in this post and I'll try my hardest to debunk them as soon as possible.
 
docRy24 - Thanks for the clarification on that stat.

Denjang - Congrats on getting accepted to CMS! And thanks for the insight. I plan to commute but I live about 30 mins away. Hopefully I'll still be able to partake in study groups.

Anyways, right now I'm just about ready to send in my AMCAS but I'm not sure how many schools I should apply to. Because I'm doing the BMS, obviously RFU is my best chance (granted I do well in the program). I also plan to apply to other IL schools (UIC, Loyola, Rush, SIU). Do you think it's worth my time (doing secondaries) and money (very much in debt) to apply to more schools? How many other schools did you/other BMSers apply to? Thanks for any advice.
 
Hey everybody,

I just finished the BMS program as well and was accepted into CMS. I finished the program with about a 3.6. I think one of the underrated things about this program is the Healthcare Administration and Management "track". When you go into the BMS program, you can choose HCAM (which is all online) or clinical research. Being that I've been published already and I hated research, I chose to do HCAM. You only take 1-2 classes per quarter, but the classes are very easy and boost your gpa.....even greater is how it can transfer into next year. As the other M1a's have mentioned, you don't have to retake the core classes you take in the BMS year. So, you have all the time and half the classes. In place of this time, you can continue the HCAM track and get yet another masters. So, at the end of CMS you would end up with an M.D., M.S. from the BMS program, and an M.A. from the HCAM program. This is a pretty sweet deal considering CMS is not a top program and you're finishing essentially in 5 years. From the doctors I've talked to, it's a big boost when applying for residencies.

All in all, I was crushed when I had to enroll in this program last year. I went to a top 20 school and did pretty well with a good mcat. I got waitlisted at Loyola, Rush, and UIC. The truth is....it's one year. NOT a big deal in the grand scheme of things. Don't worry about quick fixes and jacking up your mcat to look better. This program is great because you can kick med schools students in their ass at their own game (med students here tend to be pretty jealous of how well BMSers do). If you put in the work, this is a great program to be in.
 
This program is really starting to look like a diamond in the rough. I'm suppose to hear back next week so :xf:
 
mr2trd3 said:
This program is really starting to look like a diamond in the rough. I'm suppose to hear back next week so :xf:
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Woot woot!!! Just been accepted! I'm 90% sure I'll see some of you guys at RFUMS this fall!
 
FF430 said:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/member.php?u=269112msk86

Did you get into any other medical schools in this cycle? if so, which ones and r u planning on going there instead of CMS. Also, how are the online classes structured? do they just give u material to read and an online exam at the end?
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I didn't apply to any other schools this time around. The only thing wrong with my application was really the mcat, so I didn't want to reapply to other schools without improving my score. Realistically I could've gotten into probably 1 or 2 more schools, but I was content with CMS.

The online material is SUPER easy. You basically post 3 days a week and respond to 1-2 questions. At the end of each class you have a paper or a project that doesn't really require that much effort. So, basically, while the clinical research people are busting their butts at their non-medical classes and actually having to attend class, the HCAM people have more free time to spend on the classes that matter.
 
Thanks for the info msk.

Do you think if you hadn't been accepted to CMS this year, would that application have hurt your apps now?

I'm probably attending BMS in the fall and I'm debating about applying just to CMS now or delaying a year and apply to CMS plus more schools. I need a better mcat and rigorous academic course load. Originally i was going to do a 1 yr masters and up my mcat the summer after i graduate then apply. But I have heard about so many people getting into CMS from the BMS with low mcats from this thread that I'm thinking of applying just to CMS right now. But I don't want that application to hurt my app the other schools if I don't get in and have to go with my original plan.

Also, do you mind sharing what your mcat is?

Thanks
 
I understand where you're coming from. That was my plan early this year because CMS was not my first choice. After I talked with one of the BMS advisors she told me that I had a much greater shot of getting in this year than waiting until after. The main negative of waiting until after the program is they can't guarantee you an interview (as you would be this year).

I can't remember my mcat exactly...took it sophomore year of college....but I think it was 12V 13B 12P.
 
I just got into the BMS program, but have not received my packet yet. I was wondering what the differences were between the track selections. I see that there are 5 certificate track programs.
1) Clinical Bioanalysis
2) Health Professions Education
3) Healthcare Administration and Management
4) Nutrition
5) Women's Health
I notice that all the tracks take the same general courses, then each one has specific courses that must be taken. I was wondering if medical schools appreciated one of these programs more over another, and what the relative difficulties of each program were. I am leaning towards a program that might be better respected when medical schools look at my application rather than difficulty, but any info would be great...please let me know. Thanks!
 
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to all who got accepted, did you guys all have gpa's higher than 3.0, healthcare experience, and really high GRE scores? I am not sure whether to send out my application or not... I don't feel like I am qualified enough now
 
jrbooey said:
I just got into the BMS program, but have not received my packet yet. I was wondering what the differences were between the track selections. I see that there are 5 certificate track programs.
1) Clinical Bioanalysis
2) Health Professions Education
3) Healthcare Administration and Management
4) Nutrition
5) Women's Health
I notice that all the tracks take the same general courses, then each one has specific courses that must be taken. I was wondering if medical schools appreciated one of these programs more over another, and what the relative difficulties of each program were. I am leaning towards a program that might be better respected when medical schools look at my application rather than difficulty, but any info would be great...please let me know. Thanks!
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Read post #56 of this thread. Msk86 has some pretty good insight on this.

Edit: Also check out post #60. I think I will end up doing the HCAM track just to make sure I perform exceptionally well in the core classes.
 
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helpme911 said:
to all who got accepted, did you guys all have gpa's higher than 3.0, healthcare experience, and really high GRE scores? I am not sure whether to send out my application or not... I don't feel like I am qualified enough now
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My gpa was just a hair above the 3.0 mark and I have a 30 MCAT. I have no GRE score for comparison. I don't know if you must have an MCAT score to apply to the BMS program. If you have a solid GRE score (given that they take it), just apply. You never know!
 
I have another question, are the rest of the HCAM classes that you need to earn your M.A that you take in the first year of medical school difficult??

And to answer helpme911, I had a GPA of just under a 3.3 for engineering and a 33 MCAT, but I don't think this program requires MCAT score if I remember correctly from when I filled out the application a couple of weeks ago. I think some sort of test score would be good for the ap though, since it had the option of listing about 5 different tests including the GRE.
 
I got my acceptance email last week. I still haven't gotten my packet but i believe it was mailed out yesterday. I'm pretty excited about the BMS program because i've heard a lot of good things. I have heard its tough though, but i think i can manage to work my butt off! As far as the certificate tracks... is the clinical research one really that tough? I was planning on doing that one since i just started researching.. i thought it would be helpful... but i really don't want to do it if its tough and takes away efforts i can be putting toward the core courses...

I was semi interested in HCAM and actually may considerate it if it is less extensive.

A few questions.. if i have a 28 MCAT, and i get a 3.6+ GPA in BMS (hopefully) will that be competitive for CMS and other med schools if i'm applying right now for the fall 2010 term?

Also.. what are you BMSers doing for housing?? On campus housing seems expensive, around 1000/month?

Thanks guys for all your help! i'll be on this thread often!
 
chitown09,

Congrats on your acceptance. Sounds like you are set on attending this program so maybe I'll see you this fall.

As for your question, several BMS grads have shared in this thread that the 3.6 GPA is virtually THE golden ticket, but students with ~3.0 in the program commonly get into CMS as well. Remember, a 3.0 in the program is not that bad because it is the average grade for the first-year med students, a B. Also, I've been told by the program director that typically 60 BMS students are admitted into CMS every year. Sometimes more, sometimes less, but usually around 60. Based on the number of students actually finishing the program (65-75 of 95-100), roughly 80% or greater get into CMS which is AWESOME! That is not to say that this program will be a walk in the park though. I hope that this alleviates some of your concerns. Hopefully others with experience will chime in.

As far as housing goes, I've been referred to the Woodlands. However, a quick Google revealed some negative reviews. I, too, am stressed over housing. It appears that housing near campus is very expensive so I may have to consider living further, possibly in Waukegan. If anyone has any input on housing, PLEASE let us know. Thank you!
 
Hey everyone, I am still waiting on a response from RF BMS and was recently accepted to BU MAMS. I was totally planning on attending BU until i read this thread. 60-70% acceptance that is awesome! I just have a few questions for you BMS graduates with CMS acceptances:

Did you apply to the medical school the year before you started the program? If so, how did the Medical school view you app? did they immediately give you secondaries with intentions of holding off until your full year grades came through? Essentially, how did they base their decision? Please enlighten me.
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thanks in advance.
 
DrBO,

There is no gap year so you would be submitting your application before/during the BMS program. The admissions office will hold on to all applications from BMS students and review them in the spring. I've been told that there is no advantage in submitting your application early (only applies to CMS) because the adcom will review BMS-->CMS applicants randomly. This means that even if you held a 4.0, you will not necessarily be among the first to be accepted into CMS from the BMS program.

I've been told that the adcom will rely heavily on your performance in the BMS program when making the decision, but you will obviously need a decent MCAT score (this number I don't know, I'm guessing <25).

Hope that helps.
 
The program has changed. There are now four medical school classes as opposed to five. Other programs like BU, Tufts, and Gtown offer 1-3 more classes. BU is very flexible as you get to choose from wide variety of graduate and medical electives.

It's tough choosing between these programs.
 
For BMS graduates, which would you recommend?

Near-campus is very expensive, but convenient. Off-campus (Waukegan) is a lot cheaper, but will require some commuting (~10mins).

Is it worth it to live within walking distance to RFUMS? If you have any compelling reasons for either cases, please let me know so I can decide.
 
I'd say live closer to campus this year. It's REALLY dull, but it's good to be close. Even though I lived in the woodlands, I only spent 2-3 hours a day at the school. Commuting is really just a waste of time that could be spent studying. So, for this year I would recommend just sucking it up and living close and just know that it's easy to move if you get into CMS.
 
Dr. Pharmacy is correct, they bumped clinical embryology off the curriculum. How in the world did you catch that? I'm not exactly sure why they removed the course from the BMS curriculum, but here's some background information that may shed some light on the issue.

Embryo was the smallest class (3 credits).
Last year the embryo final was squeezed in between a biochem midterm and physiology final.
Was offered during the second quarter - M1a students (BMS students turned CMS students) only had 1 academic course during that quarter.

You'll also find that people who have taken anatomy (m1s take anatomy throughout the first two quarters) are at a tremendous advantage, essentially because they know where things are supposed to end up.

I personally enjoyed the course and thought it was an easy A, but I also happened to take gross anatomy the summer before I started BMS.
 
Denjang,

Did you take medical school Gross Anatomy or an undergraduate version. If medical, where? I know some medical schools open summer courses to undergraduates/post-bacs. Did CMS give you permission to enroll in their Gross Anatomy during the summer before the BMS program?


Embryo was the smallest class (3 credits).
Last year the embryo final was squeezed in between a biochem midterm and physiology final.
Was offered during the second quarter - M1a students (BMS students turned CMS students) only
Denjang said:
Dr. Pharmacy is correct, they bumped clinical embryology off the curriculum. How in the world did you catch that? I'm not exactly sure why they removed the course from the BMS curriculum, but here's some background information that may shed some light on the issue.
had 1 academic course during that quarter.

You'll also find that people who have taken anatomy (m1s take anatomy throughout the first two quarters) are at a tremendous advantage, essentially because they know where things are supposed to end up.

I personally enjoyed the course and thought it was an easy A, but I also happened to take gross anatomy the summer before I started BMS.
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Admissions said they would sending out e-mail acceptances today. Has anyone heard back?
 
I called Scott Garland from admissions today and he said that i was currently on the wait list and that i could expect a decision hopefully by next friday. Also, he said that now that the deadline has passed they will be sending out acceptances every week as oppose to every two weeks. Apparently there are 25 people on the wait list. When i asked about movement from the list and the number of open spaces he said he told me that he didnt have the numbers in front of him... guess he managed to dodge answering both of those questions... anyway my application was only complete this past monday so he told me it's typical for the committee to review applicants in multiple weeks. just wanted to give those of you still waiting the heads up! good luck to all!

Also a quick question for graduating BMS students or people familiar with north chicago, how long is the commute to downtown chicago ? is it convenient? shuttle? subway?
 
Depending on where you live in Chicago, it is at least an hour metra train commute. There is a school shuttle at Lake Bluff station that takes you to school. Schedule is on the Rosalind Franklin University website. A lot of students live in Chicago and commute daily. It's study time for them. For the 3rd and 4th year of medical school, you have to live in the city anyway.

DrBO said:
Also a quick question for graduating BMS students or people familiar with north chicago, how long is the commute to downtown chicago ? is it convenient? shuttle? subway?
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I just got accepted to the BMS Program today. I'm so excited!!!
 
does anyone know or do they tell somewhere what the average stats for people accepted into the program? i'm curious because I have a 3.3 overall with a 3.0 science and taking the MCAT in july. by the time I apply I should have my grades up more because i'm retaking 1 class and have an easy fall semester.

thanks a lot
 
I was accepted to this program as well as the Georgetown SMP.
It's a tough decision to make. I graduated undergrad (2.8 GPA, crappy!) in three years with an Economics BA that included one year of General Chemistry. ....all with no debt...thankfully.

I graduated May 2008 and immediately began finishing pre-reqs at Harvard Extension School in summer 2008. I am in my last term right now finishing physics. So far my post-bac GPA is 3.8. My MCAT is 32(I had physics in high school and reviewed from there).

I'm applying to MD schools for 2010 and am finishing a SMP program during the 2009-2010 gap year.

I am leaning against the RFUMS BMS program because it only has four medical school courses, whereas the Georgetown SMP program has six.

Any opinions, especially from recent BMS alumn?
 
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Just accepted to RF BMS and im pretty sure im choosing this over BU MAMS strictly because i do not care where i go to medical school and with this program i would have no gap year.

For people attending RF BMS in the fall, who would be interested in rooming with me? 22 yr old guy, i get along with basically everybody, play soccer, i'm trying to 4.0 this program but i also have friends in chi town and im trying to go out hard every now and then (probably only twice a month tops, based off what ive read from this forum). Just PM me.

For DrPharm, from what ive read on SDN (which is basically everything about post-bacs/SMPs) it seems to me that Georgetown is the best SMP out there. It is very reputable, lots of Med classes, and a heavy emphasis on getting kids in without a gap year. Rosalind Franklin on the other hand is relatively newer, only reputable in the Illinois area, and will pretty much only help you get into CMS. Your decision should rest in whether or not you want to go to an SMP with very promising statistics in getting students into its own medical school, RF, or a school with promising statistics of getting students into LOTS of schools around the country, Georgetown. Also factor in cost of living, and the difference between living in North Chicago and DC are too obvious for me to need to comment on. Hope this helped.
 
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Congrats to all those recently accepted.
 
Does anyone have advice/suggestions regarding track selection? Any info on difficulty of women's health track compared to others? Thanks! I appreciate any advice you can give me!
 
Is anyone here considering living on campus? i don't think i'll have a car for the school year so i'm pretty sure i'm gonna have to live on campus. DO you guys know when to start applying for on campus housing? also anyone hear how it is? good/bad? how are the rooms?
 
chitown09 said:
Is anyone here considering living on campus? i don't think i'll have a car for the school year so i'm pretty sure i'm gonna have to live on campus. DO you guys know when to start applying for on campus housing? also anyone hear how it is? good/bad? how are the rooms?
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I believe student housing is filled up already. I called last week and was told that there is currently a very long wait list.
 
THanks for ur info mr2trd3! Are you still considering woodlands? i'm pretty sure i want to settle with that if they still have rooms available.. would u be interested in rooming together? If anyone else is looking for a roomate let me know, message me on here or you can email me at [email protected]
 
Hi I am a 22 year old guy and I just got accepted to the bms program. I am looking for getting a two bedroom in woodlands and want to see if any of you guys are interested to get one of the rooms. honestly I want to share the rent and do not want to the get the one bedroom. I am very studious and clean. at the same time I want to have my fun on the side once in a while.

well please pm me back if interested or email me at [email protected].

Thank!

Manny
 
Does anyone know the start date of orientation? I haven't received my packet in the mail yet and I'm trying to make my travel arrangements.

Thanks,

Jami
 
I have some questions for you guys:

1) How likely is it that all students on the student housing waitlist will get a room?

2) When applying for an apartment at Woodlands, I was told that my credit score is too low and that I would need a co-signer. They want another $50 to process the co-signer application. Is this normal? Also, is it not enough that I will be receiving financial aid to help cover rent?

3) Which is better, student housing or Woodlands?

Thanks!
 
chitown09 said:
THanks for ur info mr2trd3! Are you still considering woodlands? i'm pretty sure i want to settle with that if they still have rooms available.. would u be interested in rooming together? If anyone else is looking for a roomate let me know, message me on here or you can email me at [email protected]
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chitown09,

Thanks for the offer, but I already have a deposit down on a one bedroom at Woodlands. Besides, I'm a pretty lazy and messy guy. :)

They still do have single bedroom with den apartments available, but only three left, I think.

Good luck and hope to meet you this fall!
 
Ok so a few things..

1) are any one of you looking for a roomate? at this point i don't have a perference i want to get a 2br room at the woodlands and space is running out! Let me know if you're interested.. email me at [email protected], m or f. I'm a clean, studious, easy going 22 year old guy. email me if u want to knw more!

2) Also does anyone know how the wait list for on campus housing works?
 
Hey orientation is from the 11th-14th, which is mandatory. Classes start on the 17th. I might be looking for an apartment/roommate if housing falls through. I'm not going to know for a while though
 
mdabns said:
Don't have a lot of time to reply to you're message hwpo, as we're in the middle of finals...

But you'll be taking Med Cell Bio, Medical Biochem, Medical Embryo, Medical Physio, Medical Neuroscience, and a few BMS specific courses -- like clinical research, health care management, or physio pathology, etc... But you'll be taking all of the med school classes with the med students -- and be treated no differently by the professors throughout the year... In fact, all the course directors love the BMSers, because we care so stinking much about learning this stuff...

CMS is very respected within the Chicagoland, and board scores / residency match lists are terrific -- which is the only thing that really matters in the end... Someone posted the CMS 2009 match on studentdoc somewhere, so look for it... It was outstanding this year, as always!!
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do you know the lowest mcat score of what someone had that got into the CMS program after the Doing well in the BMS program?
 
slick53 said:
do you know the lowest mcat score of what someone had that got into the CMS program after the Doing well in the BMS program?
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I don't know the exact score, but I can say that after speaking with the office of admissions manager, the MCAT is NOT a deal breaker. This was verified by the program coordinator as well. Of course, the higher your MCAT, the better your chances. If you are looking for a number, I'd say at least a low 20 with a very solid performance in the BMS program along with excellent extracurriculars. This is the range that some former BMSers had and were accepted into CMS.
 
mr2trd3 said:
I don't know the exact score, but I can say that after speaking with the office of admissions manager, the MCAT is NOT a deal breaker. This was verified by the program coordinator as well. Of course, the higher your MCAT, the better your chances. If you are looking for a number, I'd say at least a low 20 with a very solid performance in the BMS program along with excellent extracurriculars. This is the range that some former BMSers had and were accepted into CMS.
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I can 100% confirm this. I was just in north chicago two days ago and spoke to Shannon in the admissions office. she confirmed everything said on this thread. Large CMS acceptances with no gap year. And to quote her exactly "Once you are a BMS student your GPA and MCAT are not as important". She went on to tell me that your performance in the 4 core group med courses you take throughout the year are by far the most important part of your application to CMS. I told her i had a 28 on the MCAT and was retaking it this July. She told me not to and that a 28 is a high MCAT coming from BMS. Hope this gives everyone an idea of how sweet this program is for "low GPA/MCAT" american allopathic hopefuls.
 
I am deciding between Rosalind Franklin BMS and Boston University MAMS. I have visited both and could go to either, have a gf in Michigan, so like RFUMS's location, but I also like the city life of Boston University. Boston has a better reputation after a gap year with about 90% graduates getting in, but RFUMS offers an automatic interview for Chicago Medical School without a gap year at about a 70% acceptance rate. My GPA is a 3.6, MCAT 25 and I dont want to take it again. I'm applying to D.O. and CMS if I choose RFUMS for 2009-2010. Does anyone have any advice on what school to attend. I NEED to figure this out ASAP.
 
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