I have the options of pursuing Brown's ScM in Medical Sciences or Duke University's Masters in Biomedical sciences. To give a background, I have 3.8 cgpa, 3.7 sgpa, 700~ research hours, 600~ non-clinical volunteering hours, 60 clinical hours.
Both programs are designed to give you the same curriculum as one would receive from the first year of each respective medical school. The difference is that Brown's program has classes taken alongside medical school students. Additionally, a lot of the students that comprise Duke's MBS are a mixture of nursing and PA students (this fact I find odd b/c the program is designed for health professions, yet gives an MD education approach).
Based on the written reviews I have read for Duke, the program is excellent in giving students guidance through MD application and adequate experiences to get into medical schools. I think from last year's class, 7/30 have matriculated into Duke medical school. Because it's top 10, I consider this significant. What I find most important is that you are able to make close relationships with your advisors and professors who are also teachers of the medical school and can write stellar recommendations provided you do well in their classes (this is also found in Brown's program). Duke's program offers EMT certification and a lot of hours working EMT shifts, and getting clinical time.
I love the fact that Brown's classes are taken alongside medical students and are evaluated the same way. This gives me an amazing opportunity. What I don't necessarily know how to do is judge which one conveys my abilities to do well with medical school material better -- this supposes I do well in both. Brown's medical school is ranked lower (34), yet has classes w/ med students. Duke's medical school is ranked higher (10). Brown's ScM has a capstone project and really makes you evaluate health disparities in Providence and make -> implement solutions. Also, the program states that Brown's medical school will favor applications from this masters program but cannot guarantee acceptance.
I also compared the faculty of both programs -- this was an attempt to find something to sway me -- but each have faculty that have amazing backgrounds. The only thing that pops out to me as a ground to choose one over the other is the ranking of the medical schools. This is the only way I can really see how admissions committees would evaluate my master's program when they look at my app, although, I am acknowledging that this is not sound because the medical school is not indicative of the masters program (unless it is -- then please enlighten me).
If you have any insight as to how I should compare these to programs to find the best one, or know which one is better, please let me know. Sorry for the blocky writing.
Both programs are designed to give you the same curriculum as one would receive from the first year of each respective medical school. The difference is that Brown's program has classes taken alongside medical school students. Additionally, a lot of the students that comprise Duke's MBS are a mixture of nursing and PA students (this fact I find odd b/c the program is designed for health professions, yet gives an MD education approach).
Based on the written reviews I have read for Duke, the program is excellent in giving students guidance through MD application and adequate experiences to get into medical schools. I think from last year's class, 7/30 have matriculated into Duke medical school. Because it's top 10, I consider this significant. What I find most important is that you are able to make close relationships with your advisors and professors who are also teachers of the medical school and can write stellar recommendations provided you do well in their classes (this is also found in Brown's program). Duke's program offers EMT certification and a lot of hours working EMT shifts, and getting clinical time.
I love the fact that Brown's classes are taken alongside medical students and are evaluated the same way. This gives me an amazing opportunity. What I don't necessarily know how to do is judge which one conveys my abilities to do well with medical school material better -- this supposes I do well in both. Brown's medical school is ranked lower (34), yet has classes w/ med students. Duke's medical school is ranked higher (10). Brown's ScM has a capstone project and really makes you evaluate health disparities in Providence and make -> implement solutions. Also, the program states that Brown's medical school will favor applications from this masters program but cannot guarantee acceptance.
I also compared the faculty of both programs -- this was an attempt to find something to sway me -- but each have faculty that have amazing backgrounds. The only thing that pops out to me as a ground to choose one over the other is the ranking of the medical schools. This is the only way I can really see how admissions committees would evaluate my master's program when they look at my app, although, I am acknowledging that this is not sound because the medical school is not indicative of the masters program (unless it is -- then please enlighten me).
If you have any insight as to how I should compare these to programs to find the best one, or know which one is better, please let me know. Sorry for the blocky writing.
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