Thanks so much for all the info!
How intensive is the program? How many hours do you study outside of classes? Are classes mandatory or they are recorded? I know MSBS students required to do 10 hours of research weekly. How intensive is the research work, and how likely it is to get published ? How are the faculty? How are the program coordinators?
Yes the program is definitely intensive. It is basically a mock year of medical school as you learn very similar content and are taught by many of the same instructors.
The studying question is a bit tricky for me, because I am the worst procrastinator on the planet😂 I tend to cram two days before the exams and really stress myself out.. would NOT recommend this lol.. however, I think the majority of the class would say that you should study a little everyday to keep up with the material. Really just depends on the type of learner you are and how easily you pick up on things!!
Classes are mandatory and we usually have sign in sheets. They are still recorded if you want to rewatch later. The nice thing is that for the most part, you do not have several classes going on at a time, so that helps out when studying. Schedule starts out pretty chill in the beginning of the fall and you will have a lot of free time. BUT, towards the end of the semester, say goodbye to the freedom. Between anatomy lecture and lab and studying and research, you will be pretty busy. Spring semester is busier than beginning of fall, but not as busy as end of fall! Summer is really just research and a few seminars, but should be fairly chill.
Your research experience will vary completely depending on what kind of lab you choose to join. Some of my friends joined wet labs where they have to physically go to the lab to do their research -very time consuming (not my cup of tea). I chose to join a clinical lab that would allow me to do my research from my computer whenever I want and I do not regret my decision at all. I will admit that the students in my lab have done significantly less work than some of our fellow classmates. You will have the opportunity to meet with several PI’s and discuss their lab and expectations before you need to choose one, so just go with what you know you’ll enjoy! (and that you feel you can handle)
I think that it is fairly likely that you will get a publication out of your research in MSBS, but again, that is something you can bring up and discuss during your meetings with the PI’s!!
I have had very good experiences with all of the instructors and faculty. Obviously some professors are more interesting to listen to than others, but overall I do not have any complaints.
Program coordinators are AMAZING. Anita is the sweetest ever and you can go chat with her whenever you want to. She is like our MSBS mother lol
Overall my only complaints so far are that admissions does not prioritize you at all. They wait to interview you until the very last moment and it causes a lot of stress throughout the spring semester. As I said, I am unsure how the decisions process will play out for this years class, but will happily update when we know more.
