Official: BU MAMS - Entering Fall 2006

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DR1225 said:
I finished the coursework in one year, and finished my research this summer. I will be writing up my paper, and hope to turn it in by December.

I live downtown, near government center, its about 5-10 minutes away from the south end and back bay, which I'm guessing you probably live.

Let me know if you have any other questions
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If you finish your coursework during the year, is it possible to do a library thesis during the summer and finish the program by mid august?
 
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anybody down for meetin up early Wednesday night?
 
TLM Sushi said:
If you finish your coursework during the year, is it possible to do a library thesis during the summer and finish the program by mid august?
Click to expand...

It is quite possible. You don't even necessarily have to be in Boston to finish up the library thesis.
 
hello everyone... which books are necessary for biochem and physio (should we buy any books at all or just use the notes that are given during class?)...also i'm not in the 2 semester physio, should I take a class in place of it and which class would be best??
 
biochem- buy the lippincott review book for biochem.. you dont necessarily need the main text (i didnt use it at all). take good notes.

for physio- buy the cardiovascular review book, the other usmle review (both small paperbacks) and the textbbook is a good idea for clarifying stuff. Take very good notes.. especially when Dr Obrien is lecturing. he is great, but you will need to write fast to keep up.

histo- I only bought the 'color textbook of histology' but never opened it. I didnt use any books, just the syllabus/lecture slides and good notes and did really well.. but it depends how you learn. if you have a laptop, bring it to lab and look at the www.bu.edu/histology slides to compare with your slides.

pharm- dont buy the book. you will never ever use it. dont need to take crazy notes either.. the lecture slides are enough to get As on both exams.

biostats- Dont buy the book. it is a waste. this was originally an online course, so everything you will need is online. it is also really boring. really really really boring. think Ben Stein in Ferris Beulers day off. After half a semester, a few of us just ended up dropping off homework and sneaking out the back... everything is online.

endo- dont need anything at all. the syllabus is comprehensive.
 
what would you take first semester in addition to histo and biochem?

anything or just do 12 credit hrs with 4 research? I think i have the option to waive biostats...wondering if i should take that in addition to histo and biochem to help the GPA...or if I should waive and take intro to med pharm...or just waive and take only the two, histo and biochem.

any advice?
 
My advisor suggested since it is a big work load to start with that I just take the two (Histo and Biochem) along with the research credits. Look at the sample schedule in our binder, you can take the other interesting courses in the spring.
I just don't want to bury myself right from the start.
 
Go Lance! said:
My advisor suggested since it is a big work load to start with that I just take the two (Histo and Biochem) along with the research credits. Look at the sample schedule in our binder, you can take the other interesting courses in the spring.
I just don't want to bury myself right from the start.
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I hear ya man...I was thinking the same thing, I just figured that if Biostats was really that easy it may be beneficial to take it.
 
biochem and histo will be MORE than enough, trust me. good luck with the first week of classes.
 
I am currently enrolled to take biochem and physio this fall. I was planning to take this 2 cr elective science-based class (molecular neuro. diseases), but recently sat-in the "counseling tech" (3 cr) class that was quite interactive--which I think is a great break from a "rigorously taking notes" course. the only thing that makes me hesitant to take this class are reasons that some of my classmates chose not to take it--(1) the fact that it isn't a science class, (2) isn't the whole objective of this medical science masters program to take as many science/medical school classes and do well in them, and (3) counseling tech?!?!--. Am I wasting my time taking a course that medical admissions would just glance over?

And if I chose to work to obtain a concentration in mental health, should I take the basic neuro (3 cr) class alongside this counseling tec class this fall so I can take (if I can) neuroscience in January? Is the basic neuro science course too difficult? Am I setting myself up for an unbearable workload?

Also, I recently found out that I can waive out of my biostats requirement since I had taken it as an undergrad, however, after reading many of the previous posts…should I try to waive out of it if this class is one that many receive an “A” in?

And my last question (thanks for being so patient with me- :oops: ) is which advisors do you recommend I should talk and get to know well--that are full of info, great advice, caring, and might even be on the admissions committee? My advisor right now has no clue what's going on (he's new to all this)--and I feel that I really do need more guidance.
 
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yeah i'm enrolled in biochem and histo as well. my advisor suggested just taking those 2 courses this semester but i wanted to make sure i was doing enough. i would enroll in the 2 cr. biostats but it conflicts with histo. is anyone taking the 4 cr. biostats on saturday?

also, does anyone feel like meeting up sometime this week for dinner? i'm brand new to boston and would love some company to go exploring, especially before classes get too busy. PM me or we could all set something up together.
 
My advisor said that the 4 cr biostats on Sat was a great course. I am in your boat with the Histo/Biochem and have decided to just stay with those two classes.

Appearantly they don't offer the 4 cr biostats in the spring, and I really thought about taking it now. Unfortunately, I know that I would just dread going on Sat morn to another class. I think that I would get burned out.

Just my opinion though, and maybe others could power through it. It just depends on what you want out of the semester.
 
Just curious, how many people are planning on staying as a second year GMS'er? And why?
 
Do any former GMSers in the area - bat28, jklasser, etc - have a Biostats text (John T Roscoe, Fundamnetal Research Statistics) that they could lend/rent me for the semester? Out of all the Biostats texts ever written, Killiany chose one that was only published in 1969 and 2004, and the bookstore is completely out of the latter... (plus, I'm not keen on spending $70 for that book regardless) :rolleyes:
Thanks!
 
not a single person in my class got the stats book. you dont need it.. there is one table that you cant find outside the book.. and it is needed for one problem in a homework assignment...

dont bother, everything you need to get an A is one the courseinfo site.
 
Go Lance! said:
My advisor said that the 4 cr biostats on Sat was a great course. I am in your boat with the Histo/Biochem and have decided to just stay with those two classes.

Appearantly they don't offer the 4 cr biostats in the spring, and I really thought about taking it now. Unfortunately, I know that I would just dread going on Sat morn to another class. I think that I would get burned out.

Just my opinion though, and maybe others could power through it. It just depends on what you want out of the semester.
Click to expand...

doing that can you still finish by august 07?
 
makoto00 said:
doing that can you still finish by august 07?
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you only need 24 hrs to graduate and 8 research hours. that is the min. course work possible. histo and biochem is 12 hrs. take 12 next semester and you're okay...if that's what you choose to do.
 
if you take histo/biochem this semester and physio/immuno/endo in the spring and do some research over the summer...you'll be all set
 
Do you guys recommend reading the textbook for histology?
 
HouseIsMyHero said:
Do you guys recommend reading the textbook for histology?
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it definitely helped me do well in the class (it helps me to get a grasp of the material by reading different sources), so if you're like me, definitely get them!

otherwise, most people opted not to get the book. all the slides you need for the class is on the web. and the coursereader will be your best friend.

honestly looking back, buying textbooks were a waste of money but if you "feel better" just having them, more power to you!
 
bat28 said:
biochem- buy the lippincott review book for biochem.. you dont necessarily need the main text (i didnt use it at all). take good notes.

for physio- buy the cardiovascular review book, the other usmle review (both small paperbacks) and the textbbook is a good idea for clarifying stuff. Take very good notes.. especially when Dr Obrien is lecturing. he is great, but you will need to write fast to keep up.

histo- I only bought the 'color textbook of histology' but never opened it. I didnt use any books, just the syllabus/lecture slides and good notes and did really well.. but it depends how you learn. if you have a laptop, bring it to lab and look at the www.bu.edu/histology slides to compare with your slides.

pharm- dont buy the book. you will never ever use it. dont need to take crazy notes either.. the lecture slides are enough to get As on both exams.

biostats- Dont buy the book. it is a waste. this was originally an online course, so everything you will need is online. it is also really boring. really really really boring. think Ben Stein in Ferris Beulers day off. After half a semester, a few of us just ended up dropping off homework and sneaking out the back... everything is online.

endo- dont need anything at all. the syllabus is comprehensive.
Click to expand...

very nice to know... best way to study for phsyio? class notes and the review books? and lecture slides for pharm? i think im good with biochem, I had it as an undergrad and everything so far is just refresher stuff, so im a little ahead of the game there for the time being.
 
Hey guys. Sorry to interrupt all of the excitement, but I wanted to get some feedback about the BU MAMS. I just took the MCAT and received a 24O
(VR 6 PS 8 BS 10). I am a Zoology major (Overall GPA = 3.76, Science GPA = 3.65) and have completed all of my prereqs. at the U. of Florida, but I want to strengthen myself as an MD applicant. I would like to try to go to medical school at BU, U of Miami, or Brown and I wanted to apply to the BU MAMS program for the Aug. 2007 start. Does this sound like the right program for me? My boyfriend attends medical school at Brown, and I fell in love with the Boston area. Please let me know any advice you may have. Thanks!
 
I came to BU because I had a horrible undergrad GPA and needed to remidy that. Unless money is no object, I would save the money and spend money on a Kaplan course to boost the MCAT. You seem like you could get into a decent school with your GPA and a better MCAT score. If you want to boost your chances at the more selective medical schools than BU could definitely help, but tuition is about 34K a year. I can't say enough good things about the environment at BU and for me it's been worth every penny of borrowed money I've used so far. Best of luck deciding what to do.
 
BKMD said:
I came to BU because I had a horrible undergrad GPA and needed to remidy that. Unless money is no object, I would save the money and spend money on a Kaplan course to boost the MCAT. You seem like you could get into a decent school with your GPA and a better MCAT score. If you want to boost your chances at the more selective medical schools than BU could definitely help, but tuition is about 34K a year. I can't say enough good things about the environment at BU and for me it's been worth every penny of borrowed money I've used so far. Best of luck deciding what to do.
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I don't have the money, but I would just borrow it in loans since I only took out around 10k for my four years of undergrad. I guess the unavoidable thing is that I would have to retake the MCAT, but I need to also do something with the year off in between. Is there any preference given to BU MAMS students when it comes to their medical school's selection process, or would the fact that I would be in it while applying be a problem, since I haven't completed it yet.
 
pandulce321 said:
Hey guys. Sorry to interrupt all of the excitement, but I wanted to get some feedback about the BU MAMS. I just took the MCAT and received a 24O
(VR 6 PS 8 BS 10). I am a Zoology major (Overall GPA = 3.76, Science GPA = 3.65) and have completed all of my prereqs. at the U. of Florida, but I want to strengthen myself as an MD applicant. I would like to try to go to medical school at BU, U of Miami, or Brown and I wanted to apply to the BU MAMS program for the Aug. 2007 start. Does this sound like the right program for me? My boyfriend attends medical school at Brown, and I fell in love with the Boston area. Please let me know any advice you may have. Thanks!
Click to expand...


Even if you want to attend med school in the Boston area, you would be wasting a lot of money on BU's MAMS program. Your gpa is excellent, above average for BU's incoming class. The only thing that will impede your applications, is your MCAT score, which is terrible. Fortunately, its a *lot* easier to improve low MCAT scores than a low gpa, so you really should be focusing on that. Also, note that even if you attended BU's MAMS program and aced it, you would still be a longshot compared to the other MAMS applicants, because of that low MCAT. In fact, you'd be a longshot anywhere with that score. But, tons of people manage to pull a sub 25s into the near 30s, which is a mamoth improvement. So you should be reading MCAT review books, and attending a $1500 Kaplan class instead of dropping $50k on BU.

There is no preference given to MAMS students, per se. Every student is assigned an advisor, and they meet from time to time to discuss the MAMS applicants. If you do well, your advisor will push to get you an interview at BU Med, and that will certainly get your foot in the door, but thats about it. From there, its up to BU Med, and not the MAMS program or their instructors and advisors (except for Dr. Vaughn, who's on the adcom at BU Med). They will consider your MAMS grades, but that low MCAT will still torpedo your chances.

You should also know that getting As in the classes here are no joke. A lot of people who enter this program have ridiculously high MCAT scores, and a reformed attitude towards school. They spend hours on end doing nothing but studying, and still only manage a 3.6-3.7 gpa. If your MCAT score is that low, it probably indicates that you would have a hard time adapting to the coursework. Keep that in mind.
 
I greatly appreciate your input. Just to clarify, I was scoring anywhere between 27-31 on my last 4 AAMC practice tests, so my performance on that day is not indicative of how well I can do. I am well aware that I need to retake the MCAT, but I will also have a year off before (hopefully) med. school, and I would like to use that time to strengthen myself as an applicant.
 
Hi,
could some of you guys who have been accepted into the program at BU post your stats (gpa, mcat, ec's)? I tried doing a search for it but did not find anything helpful.

thanks
 
shewholives said:
Hi,
could some of you guys who have been accepted into the program at BU post your stats (gpa, mcat, ec's)? I tried doing a search for it but did not find anything helpful.

thanks
Click to expand...

MCAT 29N
GPA 3.35 overall, 2.5 BCPM gpa
ECs: Cancer research 1 year, research intern 6 months, volunteering 8 months (100 hours) at a cancer hospital. Mentoring foster kids 1 year.
 
next semester im going to take the 6 credit physio class and i was wondering if it would be possible to take the 6 credit histo at the same time or is it way to much work... i heard it might be a little too much....past GMSers your input would be greatly appreciatedd :)
 
taking the physio 6 units on top of the histo 6 units is going to be tough. if possible, try to work out taking histo with the 3 credit physio. you want to be able to get the best possible grade out of this year. you only get a year so you dont want to decrease any likelihood of messing up b/c this is ultimately your last chance at "proving" yourself.

what classes are you taking right now? most GMSers who take spring physio 6 units are taking histo right now....they're able to dedicate their spring to excelling in physio, which is a handful. whta makes it so difficult for us GMSers is, medshcool students just need to pass thier classes. we need to go above and beyond in each and every one of the courses we take.

gluck!:luck:
 
youre pretty much doing what I did, my MCAT was better than yours but my gpa was lower. I love the program, but mainly did it to get myself back into school mode before medical school since i had a year off. Plus I'm going to have a huge advantage when i start med school in the fall considering I took most of the material already.

But anyway, I wouldn't recommend you take the program given your situation. I wouuld DEFINITELY get that MCAT up to a 30... and in your year off you NEED to do activities showing your desire to pursue medicine. The head of the admissions committe actually called me up and told me that the committee wanted to accept me, but needed to know exactly what my plans were for the coming year off. I told him I was doing the program and they accepted me the next week.

You should definitely be doing some really good volunteer work (shadowing, EMT, anything you can do at a hospital). If you're gonna work, try to get a job in research. Whatever you decide to do, it won't matter unless you get that MCAT score up
 
hey guys.. i been trying to do some research into the program on my chances of actually getting in. I am worried that the only thing that might keep me out is my relatively low MCAT...

my GPA is a 3.30
BCPM is 3.20
and MCAT was a 26M
i have research experience
lots of clinical experience
and i am graduating in the May.. so i am still hopefully picking up my GPA more before then..

i just sent out my application out the other day, relatively early in comparison to the deadline.. but i am not really sure how i stand compared to the competition. if you guys can give me some information i would greatly appreciate it.
 
GRKP09 said:
hey guys.. i been trying to do some research into the program on my chances of actually getting in. I am worried that the only thing that might keep me out is my relatively low MCAT...

my GPA is a 3.30
BCPM is 3.20
and MCAT was a 26M
i have research experience
lots of clinical experience
and i am graduating in the May.. so i am still hopefully picking up my GPA more before then..

i just sent out my application out the other day, relatively early in comparison to the deadline.. but i am not really sure how i stand compared to the competition. if you guys can give me some information i would greatly appreciate it.
Click to expand...

hey there GRK, sounds like you're a pretty solid applicant for BU MAMS. just make sure to call often to check about your app. i went through the program and applied pretty late in the game with April MCAT, which further held up my app. not only that, i think my gpa was on the lower end BUT i hassled (politely, of course) the office and they pretty much new who I was....natasha "bumped me up" in the application process, which helped me to get in. so yeah, sorry for rambling but a long winded way to say, you'll be fine. gluck!!:luck:
 
hey guys--

have u guys heard anything about basic neurosci (2) or the ethnics (3) class? i'm planning to take physio (6 units), endo, and immo--but wanted to take an additional class. which isn't that much work?
 
Hey shareesh... I’m taking basic neuroscience now, its extremely easy I must say, on the midterm I practically got a perfect score. If you put the effort in you'll def get an A.
 
I know that admission is a rolling basis. But i want to know how early you should apply for fall semester if you want to get a financial aid. Can someone tell me?
 
nanaschool2000 said:
I know that admission is a rolling basis. But i want to know how early you should apply for fall semester if you want to get a financial aid. Can someone tell me?
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as long as you fill out FAFSA by their deadline you should be fine. i applied pretty late into the application year (march i think?) and didnt hear back until July. I filled out FAFSA around feb/march (i dont remember but pretty close). As long as you're okay w/ FAFSA, financial aid probably wont be a problem.
 
gh said:
as long as you fill out FAFSA by their deadline you should be fine. i applied pretty late into the application year (march i think?) and didnt hear back until July. I filled out FAFSA around feb/march (i dont remember but pretty close). As long as you're okay w/ FAFSA, financial aid probably wont be a problem.
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Thanks gh.
 
gh said:
as long as you fill out FAFSA by their deadline you should be fine. i applied pretty late into the application year (march i think?) and didnt hear back until July. I filled out FAFSA around feb/march (i dont remember but pretty close). As long as you're okay w/ FAFSA, financial aid probably wont be a problem.
Click to expand...

Thanks gh.
 
Hi guys! I'm starting the BU MAMS program next sememster which means I'll be moving to Boston in the beginning of Jan. I'm going to try take the CBT MCAT in Jan before classes start ...anyone interested in being my study buddy? :)
 
mannn i messed up this semester at BU :( I got a B in biochem and B+ in another course (i took a total of 12 units)--4 research units. what really upsets me is that I really studied--especially for the last biochem exam--which I ended up getting a B in. can i recover? or did i really just screw myself? i'm enrolled in physio, endo, and immo--and basic neuro with you shareesh (if you still plan to take it). any words of advice?
 
i agree with gh---ur stats are good for the program. but there most likely many applicants--- just call them up frequently so they know how interested you are.-- might even bump you up :) good luck.
 
GRKP09 said:
hey guys.. i been trying to do some research into the program on my chances of actually getting in. I am worried that the only thing that might keep me out is my relatively low MCAT...

my GPA is a 3.30
BCPM is 3.20
and MCAT was a 26M
i have research experience
lots of clinical experience
and i am graduating in the May.. so i am still hopefully picking up my GPA more before then..

i just sent out my application out the other day, relatively early in comparison to the deadline.. but i am not really sure how i stand compared to the competition. if you guys can give me some information i would greatly appreciate it.
Click to expand...


I know people in the program who have similar stats. I can't imagine you will have any problem getting in if you applied now.
 
thanks... good to hear that... i wasn't really sure what to expect

i sent everything out, and when i called them a while ago to make sure my application was complete, i was surprised to hear the lady recognize my name from looking at the applications earlier.. so we'll see
 
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