VCU CERT vs Bluefield MABS

[thapanda]

Hello everyone!

I woke up a few days ago and discovered I had received two acceptance letters from two master's programs! However, I am struggling to decide which program to attend, and I would like to get some insight or help with my decision-making process.

VCU Cert
Pros:

• It is a local program in a city I very much enjoy living in, so I wouldn't have to move. I could see the building where my classes would be from my apartment.
• Affiliated with a state school MD program with a guaranteed interview if benchmarks are met (3.5 gpa in the program and 508 MCAT).
• More variable options for courses and electives. Only three courses are required for all students; the rest are electives.
• Included MCAT prep course with the tuition.

Cons:

• Only a graduate certificate program. If I wanted to continue on to a master's, it would be another year of direct study.
• 2k more expensive than MABS
• A guaranteed interview does not mean guaranteed admission.
• Urban program where there may be distractions involved with cities (I get distracted easily when studying, thanks ADD).
• Would need to retake the MCAT and get a 508 or above after the program ends

Bluefield/VCOM MABS:

• Affiliated with VCOM, where if benchmarks are met, I get guaranteed admission to its affiliated DO program (3.5 gpa and a 497 MCAT)
• I have the Mcat score (499) for half of the benchmark. So I can solely focus on classes.
• 2k less expensive than VCU
• It is located in a mountain college town with more outdoor activities options. The location is arguably better, with fewer distractions.
• Master's degree in biomedical sciences awarded at the end of the program.

Cons:

• Affiliated with a DO program. I am shooting for admission to an MD school.
• It is considered to be more intense, and more time is needed to study to meet the 3.5 GPA requirement.
• Less flexibility with electives. The curriculum is set.
• It starts in July, so I need to quit my job and move relatively soon.
• The mission of the affiliated DO program does not resonate with me completely, and it would not be the best fit for my future goals.

I know it might seem like an obvious decision, but I am terrible at making decisions and commitments.

Thanks!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[linkhyl]

So I graduated from the CERT recently, and I recommend the program if you want a sincerely rigorous experience and want to see what med/grad school is like (work load, the cadaver lab, etc). The professors are good and you will learn a lot.

But if you are trying to go to VCU, I would NOT recommend it, as out of all those previous CERT students who applied this cycle (from all the various years of CERT graduates), they basically have not accepted a single CERT student this cycle thus far. I have a decent MCAT (510+), and I was able to get the guaranteed interview, so they "kept up their side of the bargain..." but it is NOT useful if you are trying to go to VCU.

I know that you said you want to go MD, but with a 499 MCAT, I would recommend that you should consider some DO schools. If you want to go to VCOM, MABS offers a guaranteed interview (which will work with your MCAT) and their program is probably easier and cheaper than VCU, honestly.

And, I did not think the included MCAT review was that useful, although the Kaplan books are pretty decent.

 

[thapanda]

So I graduated from the CERT recently, and I recommend the program if you want a sincerely rigorous experience and want to see what med/grad school is like (work load, the cadaver lab, etc). The professors are good and you will learn a lot.

But if you are trying to go to VCU, I would NOT recommend it, as out of all those previous CERT students who applied this cycle (from all the various years of CERT graduates), they basically have not accepted a single CERT student this cycle thus far. I have a decent MCAT (510+), and I was able to get the guaranteed interview, so they "kept up their side of the bargain..." but it is NOT useful if you are trying to go to VCU.

I know that you said you want to go MD, but with a 499 MCAT, I would recommend that you should consider some DO schools. If you want to go to VCOM, MABS offers a guaranteed interview (which will work with your MCAT) and their program is probably easier and cheaper than VCU, honestly.

And, I did not think the included MCAT review was that useful, although the Kaplan books are pretty decent.

Thanks for responding! I greatly appreciate it! I have a few questions, if you would not mind me asking.
How did they help with med school applications? Did they have any workshops such as mock interviews, personal statement help, or general advising? Did you take the MCAT after the program? If so, do you think the courses helped?

 

[linkhyl]

No problem!

They had workshops that were helpful to some degree (eg, they introduce you to VCU's writing center for personal statement help [I never used], info about getting a masters [with a 2nd year equally research], how to use Anki, etc). They also have 3 students (the "coordinators") who have applied the cycle before (and are waiting to hear from schools) that sheperd you through to the extent they are able and give you MCAT advice etc. You are able to have a mock interview through VCU, but I did not use it as its only avaliable within 1 year of graduating (I graduated on time in 2 semesters, but I applied the following cycle after being advised I needed "hundreds of hours" of community service (which was a lie and a big mistake--I should have applied the cycle I graduated from CERT as VCU accepted some CERT students in that cohort.))

I want to reiterate that I did learn some applicable stuff (anatomy, physiology, etc) and it shows you the volume and pace of grad/med school. But I want you to know that most of the students do not get the guaranteed interview. The Graduate Physiology course is seriously no joke. My year, 60% got C or below (with a laughable 0.5% curve at the end). The way that class is structured, all questions are equally weighted (a total of 260 questions for the entire course including the tests and final exam). You can only miss 10% for an A (26 questions). There are people who will not take it seriously and miss that or more ln the first test and are screwed for the rest of the semester. People have to retake that class (needed to "graduate" from CERT) and still many don't do well the second time round, which looks pretty bad. (You have to graduate in 2 semesters to be eligible for the "guaranteed interview")

I did take the MCAT afterwards, and I did find some of the material helpful (eg you have several lectures on kidneys/glomerular filtration etc, so if you get a question on the MCAT about renal function, you are more likely to get it correct). But I will tell you that there are plenty of people who don't do CERT (and due UWorld etc) and do fine or better than those from the program.

The 2 Biochemistry required courses are pretty BS. They arent well defined and the test questions are either a joke or from left field. I will say the anatomy professor is awesome though. She really cares and you do get to see cadavers a few times in the lab.

The program director is a decent man. But, he is not the admissions committee and cant "get students in" to VCU SOM.

I know people with 513 MCATs who had great resumes and never got an interview at VCU. I had the guaranteed interview due to doing well in the CERT program (3.5+, which is basically you can only get 1 course with a B) and having a 508+ MCAT required, but that's all it was--an interview. They basically haven't accepted CERT students this year (I know of only 1) (down from at least 15 CERT students a cycle, 3-4 years ago).

I honestly can't imagine the MABS program being more rigorous or difficult than CERT. That being said, I never took that program. Unless you are connected or have other factors in your favor, if your MCAT is below 510, you need to seriously consider applying to DO schools (before it's too late). Knowing that there isn't a DO on the planet who preferred going DO to MD, I know what it's like wanting to go to an MD school. However, I am very grateful that I was advised to apply to DO schools and fortunate enough get in. Applying to med school will likely be one of, if not the most discouraging processes in your life up to this point. I am grateful that I have somewhere to go and do not have to go through the process again.

Lastly, I did appreciate the CERT program when I was in it, the other students are good people, but don't do it if you are hoping to go to VCU SOM. The way they have treated (and not accepted) the CERT applicants this cycle is a spit in the face.

Let me know if you have any further questions.