-difficulty of gaining entrance?
If I remember correctly, about 1/4 of applicants were accepted to the genetics program. It's getting tougher every year, since the # of applicants keeps increasing.
-the difficulty of the coursework?
Varies wildly from class to class. Expect a lot of work from biochemistry and molecular genetics. Don't expect anything more difficult than senior level undergrad work.
-the quality of the faculty?
Also varies. My experience was that there were some professors who were so caught up in their clinical work that the program came as somewhat of an afterthought. However, each course had its merits and what one class lacked was covered in another, since they overlap so well. I liked this feature since it reinforced ideas from different perspectives.
The strength of the faculty lies in the varied fields they work in. You get administrative clinicians, clinicians, genetic counselors, researchers, and clinical researchers. They teach you exactly how the material fits into their context and then a greater context for physicians. So in short, the faculty was not one-sided.
-how affective is this program at getting you into Tulane medical school?
The bad news:
I believe that the professors aren't fit to promote you as medical students. They either don't understand the current difficulties we are facing, or are too caught up with their own work to devote time to it. I was very disappointed with this factor of the program, since I was led to believe that the faculty would take an active role to specifically promote their students to Tulane's Medical admissions.
On a side note, I believe the ACP program is much better at promoting their members, and perhaps has a higher success rate of getting their students into Tulane Med.
The good news:
It's simple to get around this problem. You need to take matters into your own hands and 1. Ask your teachers for recommendations – they are more than willing but sometimes slow to deliver. 2. If you want to be noticed by the Tulane Medical School, email Barbara Beckman ([email protected]) BEFORE interviews are handed out and tell her that you are enrolled in the program and why you think Tulane is the perfect place for you. If she notices you, your chances for getting into Tulane medical school will increase for the year you take the program and thereafter. 3. Encourage Dr. Weissbecker to contact the admissions office and promote your class.
How do you promote yourself at other medschools?
1. Get those recommendations and don't wait to ask for them until after the program is over. 2. Know that if you are applying to medschool while you apply to the genetics program, you can get the courses listed on the AMCAS, but most schools don't care until you get all your grades. The truth is that the grades you achieve in this program will be helpful towards getting you into other med schools the year after your program.
-did you feel you learned a lot?
Yes, the core classes were thorough and my medical vocabulary is much larger now.
-was it worth it to you?
Yes, I enjoyed myself despite the various struggles with the program. I assume all programs have their weaknesses, but the fact that I have a masters degree after one year impresses the people who count.
Also, living in New Orleans is a fantastic experience. Get ready for a fun time!
-Other notes
Lab work, while extensively covered in lecture, (cytogenetics and molecular genetics), is not physically practiced much. Don't expect to be in lab for more than 4 days in the entire program.
Exposure to the genetics clinic is very important. This comes in the second semester and allows students to see patients with the diseases covered in class. This was a very rewarding experience!
You will be required to write a large paper at the end of the program. This is a great experience which ties everything together and allows you to make a good connection with your "thesis advisor."
My happy ending:
I applied to Tulane the same time as I applied to the Genetics program (very early!), I was interviewed at Tulane the year that I entered the program. I didn't hear anything back for a while, and at the last minute got off the waitlist. Later, after speaking with Barbara Beckman in person, she was very surprised that my teachers didn't inform her that I was in the genetics program. While I had been sending update letters to Tulane and writing about my experiences with the program, she said that my chances would have been even greater had she been told of my Tulane status personally. Alas, in the end I can't be 100% sure that being in the program helped me gain entrance to Tulane. What I do know is that applying early was the only reason I was the only one out of 13 other students that got interviews at Tulane.
If I remember correctly, about 1/4 of applicants were accepted to the genetics program. It's getting tougher every year, since the # of applicants keeps increasing.
-the difficulty of the coursework?
Varies wildly from class to class. Expect a lot of work from biochemistry and molecular genetics. Don't expect anything more difficult than senior level undergrad work.
-the quality of the faculty?
Also varies. My experience was that there were some professors who were so caught up in their clinical work that the program came as somewhat of an afterthought. However, each course had its merits and what one class lacked was covered in another, since they overlap so well. I liked this feature since it reinforced ideas from different perspectives.
The strength of the faculty lies in the varied fields they work in. You get administrative clinicians, clinicians, genetic counselors, researchers, and clinical researchers. They teach you exactly how the material fits into their context and then a greater context for physicians. So in short, the faculty was not one-sided.
-how affective is this program at getting you into Tulane medical school?
The bad news:
I believe that the professors aren't fit to promote you as medical students. They either don't understand the current difficulties we are facing, or are too caught up with their own work to devote time to it. I was very disappointed with this factor of the program, since I was led to believe that the faculty would take an active role to specifically promote their students to Tulane's Medical admissions.
On a side note, I believe the ACP program is much better at promoting their members, and perhaps has a higher success rate of getting their students into Tulane Med.
The good news:
It's simple to get around this problem. You need to take matters into your own hands and 1. Ask your teachers for recommendations – they are more than willing but sometimes slow to deliver. 2. If you want to be noticed by the Tulane Medical School, email Barbara Beckman ([email protected]) BEFORE interviews are handed out and tell her that you are enrolled in the program and why you think Tulane is the perfect place for you. If she notices you, your chances for getting into Tulane medical school will increase for the year you take the program and thereafter. 3. Encourage Dr. Weissbecker to contact the admissions office and promote your class.
How do you promote yourself at other medschools?
1. Get those recommendations and don't wait to ask for them until after the program is over. 2. Know that if you are applying to medschool while you apply to the genetics program, you can get the courses listed on the AMCAS, but most schools don't care until you get all your grades. The truth is that the grades you achieve in this program will be helpful towards getting you into other med schools the year after your program.
-did you feel you learned a lot?
Yes, the core classes were thorough and my medical vocabulary is much larger now.
-was it worth it to you?
Yes, I enjoyed myself despite the various struggles with the program. I assume all programs have their weaknesses, but the fact that I have a masters degree after one year impresses the people who count.
Also, living in New Orleans is a fantastic experience. Get ready for a fun time!
-Other notes
Lab work, while extensively covered in lecture, (cytogenetics and molecular genetics), is not physically practiced much. Don't expect to be in lab for more than 4 days in the entire program.
Exposure to the genetics clinic is very important. This comes in the second semester and allows students to see patients with the diseases covered in class. This was a very rewarding experience!
You will be required to write a large paper at the end of the program. This is a great experience which ties everything together and allows you to make a good connection with your "thesis advisor."
My happy ending:
I applied to Tulane the same time as I applied to the Genetics program (very early!), I was interviewed at Tulane the year that I entered the program. I didn't hear anything back for a while, and at the last minute got off the waitlist. Later, after speaking with Barbara Beckman in person, she was very surprised that my teachers didn't inform her that I was in the genetics program. While I had been sending update letters to Tulane and writing about my experiences with the program, she said that my chances would have been even greater had she been told of my Tulane status personally. Alas, in the end I can't be 100% sure that being in the program helped me gain entrance to Tulane. What I do know is that applying early was the only reason I was the only one out of 13 other students that got interviews at Tulane.
