Binghamkid, could you tell us about some of the nice perks or pros about attending UMB. I was offered an interview there, but I've already been accepted to a school much closer to home. I'm still a little undecided about whether to attend the interview or not as it will cost me over $300, but since you attend there I was hoping you could give me (us) some insight. thanks man.
I will tell you that UMB is a very very amazing school. The faculty is always supportive if you want them to be, and you have a very close-knit network with your upperclassmen. You get A LOT of opportunities to explore, do research, find internships, etc. etc. I am the first year class president, and I can tell you I'm kept extremely busy because I'm always running everything doing about 100 things at once. It's very rewarding, but as it is a top 10 institution, the coursework definitely keeps you busy. You will study a LOT for your exams.
As for me, I spent far more than $300 to go to UMB's interview =) I'm from California. I can tell you I don't regret it at all. UMB has an excellent experiential rotation department, and you can get a lot of opportunities to explore what you want to do in the career of pharmacy. It also helps that the school's reputation is very solid; you won't have trouble finding a very nice job.
Cons about the institution? Like all schools, no place is perfect. UMB is in Baltimore; it's not the safest city in the world. We do have excellent security guards and police patrols and even a free night-time caravan service that takes you almost everywhere you need to go. There is SAFE housing available if you so choose; you can also opt for much cheaper housing where you may live in areas where crime is higher. I can tell you that if you are smart about what you do and where you go, nothing wrong will happen.
In addition, sometimes I feel the classes are scheduled badly where sometimes we'll have one day with only two hours of class...and the next day we'll go from 9 to 4. Doesn't really make sense, but it only happens occasionally. It definitely doesn't detract from the experience. I love my fellow classmates, and it's a lot of fun to be with them in class.
However, if you are from North Carolina, and you got accepted to Chapel Hill...go to Chapel Hill =) I know someone who goes there is on SDN and she sounds like she's enjoying herself =). Unless, of course, you just want to see what Baltimore is like and see if it is to your liking.
