BUMAMS starting Fall 2008

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I spoke with Ms. Hall today, she said she has my application and just has to look it over this Friday and Ill have my decision next week. I'm not sure if thats bad or good. I have my fingers crossed. Complete 4/22.

Vince: I dont think it ever hurts to show interest and inquire on your application status. Everyone I've spoken to at BU has been really nice. Just be polite and thank them for their help.

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yea that is very true, ill try calling them tomorrow.
 
Did you call yet Vince? I think I might also try giving them a call today....
 
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nope, not yet, ill call them after they eat lunch, people are always happier after eating. hehe
 
Good point let me know what they tell you I will also call this afternoon and post my findings.....
 
I recently got accepted to the program! I am set on doing the program this Fall so I hope to see you guys soon. For those still waiting around, don't give up and have a little bit of hope. I submitted my application last week of February and was complete first week of March. I only heard back last week. It took FOREVER to hear back from them but it was definitely worth the wait.

BTW, now that I have housing to worry about, if you are looking for potential roomates, PM me! I think it might be an easier arrangement to live with other GMSers instead of living with random people. Good luck to all!
 
called and they said i was in a batch for review and that a decision would be made either by tomorrow or friday and a letter would be sent out. Hrmmmm, they can't say a decision over the phone? hehe im just anxious and worried, my application's weakness is my mcat score.

wicked how did u hear back from them, by phone mail or email?
 
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Called as well was told that my app was under review and I would receive a letter when it was finished being reviewed. No time frame was given.
 
Hey, I found a real nice place in Langham court...it's just a five minute walk from the medical campus. Does anyone know anything about it first hand? From my research and talking to a few ppl from Boston it seems like a nice place.
 
Hey, I found a real nice place in Langham court...it's just a five minute walk from the medical campus. Does anyone know anything about it first hand? From my research and talking to a few ppl from Boston it seems like a nice place.

You found a place there? I called yesterday afternoon and they said no 2 or 3 brs were available. Did you find a studio or something?
 
One of my close friends lives in Langham Court - her place is nice, very spacious, though I'm not sure how much she pays. Her only complaint was that they turn on the AC a little late in the summer and the heat a little late in the winter. I'm sure you can control the temperature within your apt., but the landlord only makes it available after a certain date, or else when the temperature hits a certain threshold outside. She likes it though and is staying again next year.

Hey, I found a real nice place in Langham court...it's just a five minute walk from the medical campus. Does anyone know anything about it first hand? From my research and talking to a few ppl from Boston it seems like a nice place.
 
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To any former GMSers out there:

About how much should we new GMS students be expecting to spend on books? Also, is there anyway we can find out in advance what textbooks we will be using? I ask the second question just on the off chance that I'll be able to shop around for cheaper prices elsewhere before having to bite the bullet and paying full price at BU campus. Any other words of wisdom in the book buying realm would be appreciated!
 
Do we decided whether we want to finish in a year or two years at orientation?

Who here is planning to finish in a year? I'm still debating on whether to submit my amcaas app.
 
Also, should I be scared that I still haven't found a place to live at? Where is everyone living this upcoming year?
 
im planning on finishing it in 2 years with the lab thesis. i guess im applying for 2010 admissions instead of 2009. I just dont want to rush things. I want to apply when my stats are strongest and that is probably after the 1st year is done. it just depends on how confident u feel if u can get into a med school. you'll prob get more options after 1 year than 1 semester? i dunno.

maybe now is a good time to be looking for a place, its not late. there is a housing fair sometime in july that can help. I might be living in brookline which is about a 30 min commute to the med campus.
 
I'm a former GMSer that is now a med student at BUSM and I always got the advice from older GMS students or med students that I never needed the textbooks for pretty much any of the classes, I never listened and now I have a bookshelf of GMS textbooks, some of which I only looked at once or twice during a course. It is also not a good idea to buy textbooks thinking that they'll serve as a good reference during med school or clinical practice, because by the time it is published it is already about 2 years out of date and medical information has such a short half-life anyways.

The point is, and this is something you'll need to know for any medical school you end up attending, you will never have enough time to read the textbook for a course. You need to learn as fast as possible how to get the most out of lecture (whether that means reading before hand, or rewatching the lecture video after class). At BUSM, we were rarely tested on textbook material - this of course is very different from undergrad. courses so it takes some getting used to. There will be assigned readings for some of your GMS courses, but again, if you go to lecture and read the syllabus, you shouldn't need to read the textbook.

I of course bought all of the textbooks because I wanted to do everything right in GMS. If you still want the textbooks, but maybe want to save some money: some alternatives may be to use the course reserve textbooks in the library. You will need your BU ID to checkout a reserve textbook. There is no overnight checkout and the maximum checkout time is 2 hours – the book cannot leave the library during this time.

Also, the MAMS program is currently working on a peer advising mentoring program, so you may have the opportunity to ask former MAMS students to borrow their textbooks, though keep in mind some students may not be willing to lend their old textbooks or will have a number of other mentees or friends in the MAMS program who have already asked them for their books.

Finally, you can e-mail the course managers ahead of time and ask which textbooks you will need and then find them online. I believe all of you will be taking Biochem. in the Fall. Some of you will also be taking either Histology or Physiology. These are the most recent names I have for course managers, though they may have changed:

Biochemistry - Dr. Karen Symes
[email protected]

Histology - Dr. Deborah Vaughan
[email protected]

Physiology - Dr. Judith Saide
[email protected]

These professors will be very important to your admissions at BUSM so please be respectful if you e-mail them. Additionally, I would recommend that only 1 person from SDN e-mail them and then post their reply on this site, to limit the number of e-mails they receive. Good luck!

To any former GMSers out there:

About how much should we new GMS students be expecting to spend on books? Also, is there anyway we can find out in advance what textbooks we will be using? I ask the second question just on the off chance that I'll be able to shop around for cheaper prices elsewhere before having to bite the bullet and paying full price at BU campus. Any other words of wisdom in the book buying realm would be appreciated!
 
No, you will not need to tell them whether you plan to finish in 1 year or 2 years at Orientation. In fact, I don't think any concrete decision needs to be made until maybe a few weeks before the next semester, when you have to register for classes.

Though it is a good idea to clarify for yourself whether you want to finish in 1 year or 2 years. If you want to finish in 1 year, you will need to take the summer immediately following GMS to complete your Master's research thesis - this should not be started during your 1st year of GMS as this time should be used only for focusing on academics.

If you know you'll need to complete your research thesis the summer following the 1st year of GMS, more than likely you will complete a library thesis which can be completed in a shorter period of time. This means that you will not get the 8 or so credits of 4.0 that students receive for honors (almost all students get this) on a laboratory thesis. However, if you have already been accepted to med. school by this point, this GPA booster will not matter to you.

You should start figuring out what lab you will want to be in over winter break or by Jan. 2009 as some of the best labs get filled quickly. This advice goes for someone who also plans to take 2 years to complete GMS.

Basically, if you think your application is competitive enough that you have a good shot at being accepted to medical school for the Fall of 2009, then definitely plan to complete GMS in a year. Keep in mind though that BUSM traditionally does not take any students who are in their 1st year of GMS. The majority of your class who gains acceptance to BUSM will matriculate in the Fall of 2010 or even of 2011.. Additionally, if you choose to apply while you are in GMS (i.e. submit your AMCAS application now), you will not have any GMS grades to submit to these schools as your secondary applications should already be completed by the end of the Fall semester. However, you can send an update to schools after you receive your 1st semester grades and definitely should explain the benefits of the program during your interviews.

Finally, only a handful of GMS students were accepted to medical school during their 1st year of GMS, and almost all were accepted to their state schools. Also keep in mind that if you have already applied to medical school prior to GMS, that some schools do accept applications from individuals applying for the 3rd time (on the off chance you aren't accepted this year), so you should submit your application when you feel that it is at its best, which for most people will be after they complete 1 year of GMS. Good luck with everything!

Do we decided whether we want to finish in a year or two years at orientation?

Who here is planning to finish in a year? I'm still debating on whether to submit my amcaas app.
 
I'm currently working on a mentoring program with another former GMS/now BUSM med student. Here is answers we've been working on to some FAQ for housing that might help:

1. What is the best living solution? Do most people live on campus?

Unfortunately the best living solution is not the cheapest. The majority of students live in and around the South End of Boston (not to be confused with South Boston, or “Southie”) which is the home of the medical campus. Formally, the South End runs from the eastern side of Massachusetts Avenue (Mass Ave.) and extends eastward to Arlington Street. The southern border is generally considered to be Albany St. and the northern border is Columbus Ave. In general anything within these bounds is considered safe with respect to a large city. BU has one building for graduate student housing called Harrison Court, which is directly behind the medical school. It is a very safe building, but it is rather expensive and many feel it is not as nice as comparably priced apartments in the area. Despite that fact it is a good place to live because everyone in the building is a graduate student and are very respectful of people’s studying needs (i.e. the building is very quiet). Most people live in non-campus housing and choose to rent from either local management companies or individual owners.

Additionally, since some of the MAMS courses are not blocked or consecutive, you will often find yourself with a few hours gap between classes. It I nice to live close to the South End to be able to run home for a hot meal, to be able to study somewhere where you’re more comfortable or even to take a nap.

A small minority of students choose to live in the surrounding neighborhoods or along the BU shuttle line because it can be cheaper. In general we would discourage this because the winters can be rather severe in Boston and your commute time is often unpredictable. Some students have loved living away from campus, whereas others have seen a sharp rise in their GPA after moving closer to campus. In general, your MAMS classes are not blocked as the medical students are, so you can often find yourself with 2-3 hours of time between classes. It is nice for students to live close in order to go home for a hot lunch, nap, studying, etc.

Lastly, the majority of you will live in the South End, and the social life generally exists in or near the South End. Public transportation ceases at 1am, but bars close at 2am, so you should factor the cost of a taxi home into your budget if you live outside the South End. Taxis can range from $10-20 to the surrounding areas.

2. How to find housing?
BUSM maintains a housing website to assist in finding housing and roommates: http://www.bumc.bu.edu/Dept/Home.aspx?DepartmentID=375
You should also search Craigslist as well as the Student Doctor Network forums. Many outgoing students as well as current BUSM students will post if they are moving out of their old apartment and need to find a tenant. If you want to see how far a potential apartment will be from BUSM, use the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) trip planner:
http://www.mbta.com/rider_tools/trip_planner/
For your ending address, use 715 Albany St. Boston, MA 02118 (the instructional building for the medical school. The MBTA Trip Planner is an important tool because even though Boston is a very small, walkable city. Areas that are only 3 miles apart can take over an hour to get to. For example, it takes about an hour to get from the South End to Coolidge Corner in Brookline. Keep this in mind when deciding where you want to live and how much time you want to spend commuting each day.

Additionally, if you are interested in living on the BU Shuttle line (which runs between the main campus and the medical campus), information on where the shuttle picks up can be found at the Boston University Shuttle (BUS) website at:
http://www.bu.edu/thebus/
Keep in mind that this shuttle can often be very crowded, particularly in the mornings and often you will have to stand in the aisles and will not have a place to sit down. In other words, the shuttle is very convenient, but you will most likely not be able to use that time productively by looking at flashcards, reading, etc.

3. What are the most important things to consider when looking for an apartment?
Be sure to ask what is included with your rent (heat, hot water) and ask the previous tenants to see a copy of their electricity bill to gauge how much you will have to budget for utilities. Some apartments have more efficient heat sources/AC than others. Central air conditioning is preferable to a window unit. Also many of the apartments are old with poor insulation, window sealant, so if you may have to worry about energy efficiency and hearing a lot of noises from the street below (this may be important in deciding whether to live on a main street or a quieter side street). Also be aware, that Boston in general has a pest problem (mice), so it may be better to live in higher floors vs. basement apartments and to be sure your landlord will invest in pest control should you have a problem.

4. What do I do if I want to live in Harrison Court? I heard there’s a waiting list.

If you are interested in living at Harrison Court, we advised that though the management may tell you there is a waiting list to get in, you can get into Harrison Court early, by other means. Students that are leaving their apartments are responsible for finding a replacement tenant. The only way the waiting list would get used at Harrison Court is if an entire apartment is vacated at once, which does not generally happen as most students are at different years in their schooling. Vacancies are often advertised by tenants through the Student Doctor Network and Craigslist. If you are also visiting Boston, I highly suggest gaining access to the building (you will need someone to buzz you into two sets of double doors) and check the glass case next to the elevators. Vacancies at Harrison Court are often posted here. We will also try to keep a listing on MAMS PAC website when vacancies arise.


Also, should I be scared that I still haven't found a place to live at? Where is everyone living this upcoming year?
 
I just got accepted! I am still waiting to hear from VCU and Cinci but I think I am going to BU regardless. I lived outside of Boston for 4 years when I went to Brandeis and I am not too excited about the cost of living in Boston again.

I was wondering: If I choose to do the program in 2 years with my thesis at the end do I have to pay 2 years worth of tuition? Is there any added costs to doing the thesis over the second year instead of combining it into 1?
 
Also I am planning on looking for places along the T line in Alston/Brighton, Quincy and Jamaica Plains. It is way too expensive to live in the South End and these areas are decent places to live. I am a 23yo male from Pittsburgh. It would be cool to get a group of people together to find a house or apartment to take the costs down a bit. PM me if you are interested in finding a place
 
Hey Guys, I'm just starting the housing and roommate search as well, so continued tips and advice are appreciated :)
I'm 23, male, from Irvine, California; graduated from USC '06
 
I had the same question as you and this is the answer that I got from Millie Agosto ([email protected]) in the GMS office. Granted, this was back in 2006 when I was in the program, so prices have probably gone up a bit.

For the MAMS program, you have to be registered for 4 semesters total. That can either be Fall, Spring, Summer I and Summer II if you do it in 1 year or Fall, Spring your 1st year and then Fall and Spring again of the 2nd year. If you do it the latter way, you will not have to pay for the 2 summer sessions in between. That last semester you pay for sets your thesis deadline, so if you pay for your last semester in the Spring, you will need to submit your thesis by May, or whenever the deadline is, or else you'll have to pay for an additional 5th semester.

When you're only doing your research thesis, you only have to pay a continuing student fee, not full tuition. In 2006, tuition for continuing study was equivalant to two credits or $1,970 per semester.


I just got accepted! I am still waiting to hear from VCU and Cinci but I think I am going to BU regardless. I lived outside of Boston for 4 years when I went to Brandeis and I am not too excited about the cost of living in Boston again.

I was wondering: If I choose to do the program in 2 years with my thesis at the end do I have to pay 2 years worth of tuition? Is there any added costs to doing the thesis over the second year instead of combining it into 1?
 
Hey! I'm a 22 y.o. F looking for a female roommate. I just got back from Boston and reserved an apartment (via BU housing) in the Kenmore/Fenway area. Apartment is already furnished. Rent is $1325/month, so it would be ~$663/person. Electricity, heat, gas, hot water all included in the rent. Laundry service is in the basement of the building. It's a ~5 min. walk to the nearest shuttle stop and ~10 min. commute to the medical campus via the free shuttle service. BU facilities all within short walking distance. If you are interested and would like more information, please PM me. Thanks! I look forward to seeing you all in the fall!
 
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anybody know of the class size for this fall? is it really 200+?
 
i got into the bu masters program, the tulane masters in cell and molecular bio, and im still waiting to hear from loyola, anyway i know boston is the best school out of the three but im not a strong writer so the thesis might be difficult for me. im just having trouble deciding which one to go to since im really scared of having to write the thesis and tulane is a non-thesis program so can somebody give me some advice on this please? thanks i would really appreciate it.
 
hey, yea writing a thesis can be a scary task. I felt scared too, but you have at least 2 months to write it, which i think is more than enough time.

I did an honors thesis at my undergrad as a senior. It came out to be 46 pages! but once you get writing it goes pretty fast, i say i worked on it for at least 2 weeks. plus graphs, data, figures can take up more than half of the paper, so all of it isnt just writing.

i found the lab work to be the hardest, cause i couldnt get "good" data. but that could not be a problem if you are doing a library thesis. a lab thesis would be more "fun" and interactive, and probably easier to write about since you are the expert on the project.

you do get feedback from your supervisor and they help alot in grammar and content. you just have to write very simple and to the point. you dont have to be eloquent or creative in science papers. just write down the facts, results, conclusions and discuss about it from your knowledge on the topic and refer to other science papers from online sources such as pubmed. in fact, It is frowned upon when you include the slightest fancy wording. So writing should not be the hard part, its just a long process.

Since you are the expert on the subject, not many people will denounce what you say. i dont think its a very serious thesis because it doesnt include an oral defense.

hope my advice helps. if you wanna know more just pm with questions.
 
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Hey...I got a quick question. I just received my schedule of classes in the mail from BU. I'm registered for biochem (GMS BI 751) which is fine, but I am also registered for for a course abbreviated REL MED SCI (GMS MS 971)...does anyone know what that course is? I tried searching for it on the BU GMS site and on BUs student link, but with no luck. Also, shouldn't I be registered for biostats too?
 
We'll be able to change/talk to our advisors about our schedules during orientation.
 
what kind of GPA do you need to get into the BU masters program? I have a 3.2 overall GPA (but its from a state school) and a 2.9-3.0 science GPA, and have not taken MCAT yet...
 
If you think BUSM has the best program for you, you should definitely come here and not worry too much about the thesis. The benefit of doing the thesis is that you have the opportunity to work closely with a faculty member, either Ph.D., M.D. or both. Some PIs will also be admissions committee members or may advocate for your acceptance to BUSM. But most importantly, it's important in these post bacc programs to face your fears. If you don't think you're a strong writer or scientific writer, this is your opportunity to become a good one - it is a skill you'll use again in your career in medicine. You will receive a lot of support from your PI and after reading a number of journal articles that will be required to write your introduction, you will feel more comfortable with your topic and able to write a solid paper. One final benefit of completing a master's thesis is that it will be an interesting talking point during your interviews, especially if you don't have a strong research background from undergrad.

The thesis needs to be approved by your 1st reader (your PI) and a 2nd reader of your choice. Basically it just needs to meet your expectations and your PIs, but it does not need to be journal grade - though some MAMS students do get their research published. The MAMS office also keeps copies of previous theses, so you will have an opportunity to see what is expected from you.

It's likely that you're scared about the thesis because it's 'unknown', so feel free to ask me any more questions you have about it. Most importantly, you should go to the school that you think will be the best fit for you and has the best acceptance rate into medical school. Good luck!



i got into the bu masters program, the tulane masters in cell and molecular bio, and im still waiting to hear from loyola, anyway i know boston is the best school out of the three but im not a strong writer so the thesis might be difficult for me. im just having trouble deciding which one to go to since im really scared of having to write the thesis and tulane is a non-thesis program so can somebody give me some advice on this please? thanks i would really appreciate it.
 
The Related Medical Sciences course is not really a course. It is filler credits. I can't remember how many credits you take each semester, but say you have 12 credits from your courses in Physio and Biochem for example. Then they give you a number of credits in Related Medical Sciences to get you up to the max. number of credits you can take that semester. Think of these credits as being research related. If you do a lab thesis (this option is not available for the library thesis) and you receive honors, then you can get a 4.0 of some number of Related Medical Sciences credits. I'm sorry, I can't remember how many credits off the top of my head, but it is enough to give a good GPA boost.

Also, zoonotic is right, you will meet with your advisor during orientation and have a chance to alter your schedule then: sign up for Biostats, etc. So don't worry that it's not on your schedule right now.


Hey...I got a quick question. I just received my schedule of classes in the mail from BU. I'm registered for biochem (GMS BI 751) which is fine, but I am also registered for for a course abbreviated REL MED SCI (GMS MS 971)...does anyone know what that course is? I tried searching for it on the BU GMS site and on BUs student link, but with no luck. Also, shouldn't I be registered for biostats too?
 
wow..thanks for answering all our questions on this board FrVerona
 
FrVerona, you are truly the best! Thanks so much for answering my question earlier.

I have two questions for anyone out there:

1) I applied to only the MA program but am toying with the idea of doing the MA/MPH dual degree (since I already plan on staying for two years). Do many people do this? And are people happy with this dual degree program of choice?

2) How tight is the competition to get into "a good lab" if you decide to do the lab thesis? I received my packet in the mail two days ago that has our orientation schedule and FAQs. In the FAQs it said that students tend to seek out thesis advisors around February and March. Do students find that this is enough time to figure out what they will be doing their thesis on?
 
Does anyone know if BU accepts recommendations via Interfolio?
 
Hey guys, is anyone still in their housing search? Time is running out and I'm starting to scramble:( Is anyone planning on going to this off-campus housing fair on the Friday the 18th? I'm from California and need to figure out if this is worth making the trip for, because I'll need to request time off from work and drop a few hundred to fly out. Of course, if anyone still needs a roommate, I'm still looking:oops:
ochf2.jpg
 
hey guys! I am a 23F for the GMS program in the fall. i got a 1yr lease for a 1 bedroom apt at Harrison Court. It is expensive (1800/month) but definitely worth it because its the only apt building on campus. I'm looking for a roommate for the year who is in our program. This apt can easily be converted into 2 bedrooms because of the large living room and design. Send me a message if you are interested!
 
Did anyone do the lab-based thesis? How does that compare?
 
Hi everyone,

I'm feeling the housing crunch and there aren't too many viable options on craigslist at least when it comes to the South End area. If anyone's in need of a roommie in Harrison Court, I'd be very interested. About me: non trad 30/m Korean, clean, quiet, nonsmoker/drinker/partyer. From LA.

Thanks in advance.
 
accepted but have not sent in my deposit yet does anybody know of the orientation and start of classes dates???
 
Another question for current or graduated GMS students, on the programs home page it says that since 1986 661 students have completed the program if each new entering class is approximately 180 students is there a high drop out rate? Seems like more students should have completed the program since its inception....
 
For anyone who's still looking for housing, i've got a great place thats been perfect for my year in GMS (i'm now entering my second year). Its a 5 minute walk from the free direct BU shuttle to the med school, as well as from the brand new undergrad gym and Trader Joes (awesome local grocery store). I know a lot of you want to live right next to campus, but if anyone is looking to save some money and live in a really convenient spot let me know. The commute to and from school is 20 minutes each way, which was good for me to be able to separate my personal life from my academic life. Plus since I like to stay active, having the gym right there was a huge stress reliever that definitely helped me out during crunch time. Our lease ends Aug 1 so we're looking for someone to replace us asap! The house is huge, its 3 BR with large living and dining rooms (separate) as well as a large kitchen. Rent per month is 2300, and the landlord is a really great guy. Oh yeah, and it has a great looking yard and we were able to negotiate a parking spot from the landlord for free. Like I said, great guy. Feel free to PM me if you're interested!
 
Another question for current or graduated GMS students, on the programs home page it says that since 1986 661 students have completed the program if each new entering class is approximately 180 students is there a high drop out rate? Seems like more students should have completed the program since its inception....

(Reposting my response from another thread in case anyone here's interested)

If you read the "Letter from the Chairmen" on the MAMS page, you'll see that the statistics are not up to date. It says "Over the past 14 years this program has been one of the best in the country ... In fact, of the 661 graduates, 572 have been admitted to MD or MD/PhD programs." If the program was founded in 1986, then the letter would have been written in 2000 (1986 + 14 years --> 2000). I'd really like to know what the current stats are. My guess is that they're probably considerably lower due to the increased enrollment. Any thoughts?
 
I agree I had noticed the later had said in the past 14 years wonder why the state have not been updated. I think I remember a post a while back where the poster mentioned he called and asked for some more detailed satistics and was told it was confidential strange. I am trying to decide between BU and tufts updated info would be most helpful. Anyone else hve any ideas on this issue specifcly along with the choice between BU and tufts....
 
I worked with a girl that did the BU MAMS program back in 2006 and she said there were tons of kids that dropped out...don't really know how to quantify tons. Probably kids who couldn't hack it or changed their minds about their career..
 
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