Congrats on your decision to relo and pursue the med path.
My wife and I both graduated from UMB more than a decade ago and I returned there this past spring taking a full course load as a refresher before beginninng the HArvard post-bacc program. Regarding living in town and life at Umass here's some advice:
living:
1. UMB is in Dorchester and given a choice you would not want to live there.
2. Although places like Allston and Brighton are cheap student ghettos, they are where you'll find 5 roomies to one bath in a rather crappy part of town. If you like trees, a relaxed neighborhood, cool things within walking, proximity to Longwood (the Brigham, Beth Israel, Children's, Harvard Med), and reasonable rents in cool old victorians, then Jamaica plain is your place. JP is about a 10-15 minute T ride to school.
3. You should expect to pay about $500-650/month with a roomie for a 2-bed , 1-2 bath in JP.
working:
1. Boston is the premeds dream for job opps or voluteering. ALL of the hospitals have structured volunteer programs that are all worthwhile. Once in you can network with Docs to find a project they are working on or a lab they participate in. Tell everyone you are a premed, be mature and responsible and many doors will open up for you...including for-pay positions where you were a volunteer.
2. Some profs at UMB are running projects and once you havea few classes under your belt, you can connect with them (professors Hagar and White from Bio are both researchers who are happy to enlist bright students).
UMB profs
1. I can only really speak for Bio which I just completed with an A- in the Spring but here's the skinny from myself and other premeds. I had Hagar for bio, he is cnosidered harder than White (who is teaching 111 this fall). Either prof is excellent with some folks thinking Hagar is a better prep for MCAT. White, it is believed, does more spoon-feeding of the material. For physics, the word is to avoid Mollow if you can. Orgo and chem you shoudl check the "official UMB thread" here and read up.
2. All in all the profs at UMB are the reason to go there. The facilities (in all honesty) are a bit sub-par, you will find some students to be sub-par and the labs could be run a little tighter, but the profs are always there to help you and bring you along.
Gotta go chase my toddler...more later, good luck,
ockhamsRzr
boomerang said:
Hi,
Thanks for your response. I do have a car but I am planning to
use it only when necessary. I would rather the T if possible.
Plus, I'm from Georgia and it doesn't snow here, so I rather not drive
in snow if I didn't have to.
Volunteering: I am open to anything, as long as it fits around my class schedule. I read a thread about Brigham and Womens volunteer opportunity
and one about Mass Gen Hospital. I would like to know more about these.
Place to live: I have been searching on Craigslist and would rather something
close to the college but if I find somewhere quiet and cheap I am willing
to live further; especially if this place has a private bathroom that I don't have to share [ on craigslist there are 5 people and 1 bathroom-- not cool...LOL]
