Tufts MBS 2010-2011 Thread

[tay33]

Thanks for this~ I didn't realize Wayne's was more of make-your-own curriculum method...
I'm definitely looking for support in a program, and I've been hearing a lot about Tufts (and other equal SMPs) great support system. I actually haven't heard that much about Wayne and even my own advisor seemed iffy in introducing it to me as an option...

Is anyone attending the open house that's in the end of May? Does it seem like it will be useful and worthwhile? Especially in terms of maybe looking at housing options?

And is anyone looking into the second-year MPH option or anyone have any opinions about it?

Thanks to everyone who contributes to this... It's amazing

I'll be attending the open house since I was already planning on being in the area. Plus I think it will be a good opportunity to look for housing.

I think the MPH is a nice option so you're not left with another empty gap year while applying to med school. I'm personally interested in health care economics/policy and I think it would fit nicely with my double major in biology & economics. I'm not necessarily sure how useful the MPH will be in practice, but it is another thing to add to the resume, albeit an expensive one.

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[klmnop]

what are the benefits of the MPH and when do you have to decide this. I more or less figured that it was of little benefit if you were accepted to a medical school anyway. I'd rather get a job and make some of that loan money back, albeit a tiny amount. If you can land a job in the healthcare field I think it would be more productive on a number of levels.

And i'll be attending in May, and hopefully I'll have some housing ideas squared away before that, I've heard cheap stuff fills up fast. I've also heard its very informative and its a nice way to meet the administration and get the ball rolling.

 

[tay33]

hey guys i applied to the tufts mbs and my app was complete about 1-2 weeks ago.

how long do you think it will be until i hear a decision?

do you think i'll get accepted/rejected/waitlisted?

some background: 3.2 overall gpa from uc berkeley, 3.1 science, 4.0 non-science. took the GRE, got 700 verbal 97th percentile, 800 quant 94th percentile, and 5.0 writing 81st percentile. did research at UCSF and Stanford, have 2 publications.
BUT. i'm taking my MCAT laaaate in april, thinking about switching to a may date because im not feeling ready.

i think because i don't have an MCAT score and only have a GRE score, i got waitlisted to the Georgwtown SMP. do you think Tufts will waitlist me too?

thanks a bunch!

I received a decision about 3 1/2 weeks after my application was complete. Your credentials make you a strong candidate for this program, but as you said they may wait list you until they can see your MCAT scores. Do you have any clinical experience? I got the impression that Tufts really values patient care (take a look at their mission statement and various public health programs.) Did you state on your app that you will be taking the April MCAT? If you did they will likely hold off on any decision until they receive your results. That being said, don't stress too much about the class filling up. Just focus on getting an awesome MCAT score, even if it means putting the test off until May.

 

[momoparadise]

[deleted]

 

[gujuDoc]

Hi everyone,

I'm new to this, so bare with me. I just got accepted to Tufts MBS program, but I'm having a dilemma deciding between going to Tufts or staying at UCLA. My option at UCLA includes: applying to the master's of phy sci (includes doing research as part of the curriculum) and/or working as a sort of research coordinator for the lab I'm at. The lab I work at have a few people leaving (going to med school) and they need to fill those positions. They tell me they dish out a lot of published papers every year, so that would be a good opportunity for me to get published. In the meantime I figured I could get a master's in phy sci at ucla, TA a bit, do research.

You guys have been really helpful about information on the Tufts MBS (from what I've read on SDN). I feel like Tufts would be a great stepping stone to getting into med school. Also, I wouldn't mind going to Tufts if it means getting a guarantee interview at the end (assuming I do well, fingers crossed).

Some stats about me: 3.55 gpa, neuroscience major, MCAT = 29 (8V, 9PS, 12BS), not a cali resident.

I do plan on taking the MCAT in April. Which brings me to question 2: Should I apply this June if I do well on my 2nd MCAT? Or should I just wait it out, go to tufts or ucla, then apply the next round?

Any comments/suggestions would be great. Thanks!

I think tufts = better option. will reply in more detail later

 

[jslo85]

I think tufts = better option. will reply in more detail later

I personally disagree with gujudoc on this and i have the most respect for her and the other veteran members of SDN so this is really my own opinion. Your GPA is not the problem in my opinion and your MCAT is low for MD acceptances, 32 is roughly the minimum score that I would perosnally say puts you into the competitive scheme of applicants. Seeing that you are already planning on retaking the MCAT, I would say base most of your opinions around that, if you have a solid score, I would have no reservations about applying straight into medical school.

I have several friends who graduated from UCLA and Berkeley, I myself graduated from UC Davis and I of course may be biased in this regard, but I see a Masters coming from an insitution like that as a definite positive on your application. The point being, you have a Masters from a reputable instituion. Other positive include an extensive research background and with a reasonably probable chance of publishing. This (publication) and the Masters will help you in the future in some residencies when applying after medical school and less so in others such as Emergency (from what I have read and heard from interviewers).

Positives of an SMP. This is Tufts, one of the top SMPs in the nation, often mentioned in the same context of Georgetown and other SMPs who have a great reputation for success. Of course if you do well this will undoubtedly be a great positive on your application as well but this also comes with a great deal of other things worthy of consideration. You will be taking alot harder classes among equally competitive peers and coming out of it with a less than stellar performance may actually hurt your application seeing that your GPA is between 3.5-3.6. Generally those who take the SMP route have a deficiency in an otherwise strong application who generally are aiming to enter a medical school (i'm just generalizing, of course Georgetown and Tufts have a reputation of getting ppl into alot of other medical schools as say compared to a linkage based SMP like EVMS). Another point of consideration I would have is SMPs are still considered a "new" thing in the minds of some Adcoms, and usually the name of the school that the applicant takes the program holds alot of weight, possibly more so than the actual rigorous curriculum offered.

Just weigh out the pros and cons in your head, put them on paper if you must but I just feel that the benefits of the UCLA program as opposed to that of Tufts is safer if you will. Just my two cents.

 

[gujuDoc]

I personally disagree with gujudoc on this and i have the most respect for her and the other veteran members of SDN so this is really my own opinion. Your GPA is not the problem in my opinion and your MCAT is low for MD acceptances, 32 is roughly the minimum score that I would perosnally say puts you into the competitive scheme of applicants. Seeing that you are already planning on retaking the MCAT, I would say base most of your opinions around that, if you have a solid score, I would have no reservations about applying straight into medical school.

I have several friends who graduated from UCLA and Berkeley, I myself graduated from UC Davis and I of course may be biased in this regard, but I see a Masters coming from an insitution like that as a definite positive on your application. The point being, you have a Masters from a reputable instituion. Other positive include an extensive research background and with a reasonably probable chance of publishing. This (publication) and the Masters will help you in the future in some residencies when applying after medical school and less so in others such as Emergency (from what I have read and heard from interviewers).

Positives of an SMP. This is Tufts, one of the top SMPs in the nation, often mentioned in the same context of Georgetown and other SMPs who have a great reputation for success. Of course if you do well this will undoubtedly be a great positive on your application as well but this also comes with a great deal of other things worthy of consideration. You will be taking alot harder classes among equally competitive peers and coming out of it with a less than stellar performance may actually hurt your application seeing that your GPA is between 3.5-3.6. Generally those who take the SMP route have a deficiency in an otherwise strong application who generally are aiming to enter a medical school (i'm just generalizing, of course Georgetown and Tufts have a reputation of getting ppl into alot of other medical schools as say compared to a linkage based SMP like EVMS). Another point of consideration I would have is SMPs are still considered a "new" thing in the minds of some Adcoms, and usually the name of the school that the applicant takes the program holds alot of weight, possibly more so than the actual rigorous curriculum offered.

Just weigh out the pros and cons in your head, put them on paper if you must but I just feel that the benefits of the UCLA program as opposed to that of Tufts is safer if you will. Just my two cents.

I'm not saying they absolutely need an SMP. They might not even need one with 3.5 as a GPA and even with that MCAT depending on other factors like home state, ECs, etc. Don't know the full details of the person's apps.

My point, and I couldn't expand cuz my keyboard at the other computer I was using was not properly working, is as follows:

A MS is good and fine and all from any institution, but for the purposes of getting into med school that other MS will be nothing short of a good EC for several schools and not really be something they take into big consideration in considering you. There are several people even within SMPs who have done other MS degrees and they haven't helped them much into getting into med school. You don't know why the other people were doing the MS there who did it. They might have had 35 MCAT scores and high GPAs and decided to do it for other reasons. So assuming that it is a positive record of getting into med school because of it is not something I can believe.

The sample size of people is too small and the situation is not well reported. So I'd be careful to assume that doing it will get you into med school.

So that's all I'm saying. I would consider Tufts if the purpose of you doing an MS is to get into med school. If you believe your GPA and MCAT is strong enough to get in somewhere and just really want to do research in that field before going onto med school then do that program. But a regular MS is not used in terms of gauging your ability to handle med school the way an SMP which is medical school courses is. Just saying. its something to think about.

 

[DbDan]

I'm not saying they absolutely need an SMP. They might not even need one with 3.5 as a GPA and even with that MCAT depending on other factors like home state, ECs, etc. Don't know the full details of the person's apps.

My point, and I couldn't expand cuz my keyboard at the other computer I was using was not properly working, is as follows:

A MS is good and fine and all from any institution, but for the purposes of getting into med school that other MS will be nothing short of a good EC for several schools and not really be something they take into big consideration in considering you. There are several people even within SMPs who have done other MS degrees and they haven't helped them much into getting into med school. You don't know why the other people were doing the MS there who did it. They might have had 35 MCAT scores and high GPAs and decided to do it for other reasons. So assuming that it is a positive record of getting into med school because of it is not something I can believe.

The sample size of people is too small and the situation is not well reported. So I'd be careful to assume that doing it will get you into med school.

So that's all I'm saying. I would consider Tufts if the purpose of you doing an MS is to get into med school. If you believe your GPA and MCAT is strong enough to get in somewhere and just really want to do research in that field before going onto med school then do that program. But a regular MS is not used in terms of gauging your ability to handle med school the way an SMP which is medical school courses is. Just saying. its something to think about.

Less to do with acceptance rates and more with other practical measures. One thing the poster left out is the Phy Sci masters program at UCLA is also a stipend position in the majority of cases. Since the OP has been in the state for the 4 years doing neuroscience the in-state tuition applies and tuition is included in the stipend. Thats 40k+ for Tufts vs. Stipend at UCLA...

IMO the 3.55 GPA in Neuro from UCLA is impressive, you are also going to have to take a couple of Phy Sci classes if you haven't already before you begin your masters program, starting with 107 I believe so that is something else to take into account. I'm not entirely sure if those will count towards a graduate GPA, since they aren't graduate classes, or if they count towards your UG GPA. You do have the time while pursuing the masters to take the night Kaplan classes in Westwood as well, as 2 of the people in my MCAT class did that were phy sci masters students. If you can improve your MCAT to 32+ with your 3.55 and a masters in Phy Sci IMO you'd be fine for acceptance into most programs.

FYI, If you couldn't tell I was a Phy Sci major at UCLA and may be applying for the Masters program next year. However, in my case an SMP would definitely be better since I have such a low GPA. My fear is that I won't get into an SMP and I am pretty sure I can get into the masters program since I've grown close with some of the faculty

 

[jslo85]

I'm not saying they absolutely need an SMP. They might not even need one with 3.5 as a GPA and even with that MCAT depending on other factors like home state, ECs, etc. Don't know the full details of the person's apps.

My point, and I couldn't expand cuz my keyboard at the other computer I was using was not properly working, is as follows:

A MS is good and fine and all from any institution, but for the purposes of getting into med school that other MS will be nothing short of a good EC for several schools and not really be something they take into big consideration in considering you. There are several people even within SMPs who have done other MS degrees and they haven't helped them much into getting into med school. You don't know why the other people were doing the MS there who did it. They might have had 35 MCAT scores and high GPAs and decided to do it for other reasons. So assuming that it is a positive record of getting into med school because of it is not something I can believe.

The sample size of people is too small and the situation is not well reported. So I'd be careful to assume that doing it will get you into med school.

So that's all I'm saying. I would consider Tufts if the purpose of you doing an MS is to get into med school. If you believe your GPA and MCAT is strong enough to get in somewhere and just really want to do research in that field before going onto med school then do that program. But a regular MS is not used in terms of gauging your ability to handle med school the way an SMP which is medical school courses is. Just saying. its something to think about.

Of course it's something to think about but my thinking was with his relatively high GPA coming from a reputable institution with a relatively hard major (neuroscience) I wouldn't be worrying if he can "handle" medical school courses. His problem frankly is his MCAT which if he retakes and gets a higher score (31-32 min) which is of course a big IF, I really can't see him having that many problems. I mean I agree with you, these two things are only parts of his application, we don't know everything else like his CV or his LOR or his personal statement but based off what he gave, I really can't see why he would need to prove any further he can "handle" medical school classes. Furthermore if his CV really is the issue, staying where he's at (UCLA) will probably allow him to take advantage of his comfortable surroundings to find places to volunteer at/doctors to shadow or w/e. From my understanding of reading most posts about the "elite" SMPs, most of your time is delegated to studying/taking classes anyway preventing him from improving on other aspects of his application.

THEN you take into account the stipend. Paying 35-40K for an SMP to improve a 3.5-3.6 GPA further just doesn't seem conducive to me.

 

[RogueUnicorn]

a 3.55 is not SMP worthy, it's too high not to be raised even further with some cheap post-bac classes, and with a higher mcat score it's not even an issue.

 

[gujuDoc]

a 3.55 is not SMP worthy, it's too high not to be raised even further with some cheap post-bac classes, and with a higher mcat score it's not even an issue.

This person is not californian, but i often see cali and sometimes ny kids who do with such. but i agree. depending on home state, and other stuff and new mcat, might not be worth it.

 

[drizzt3117]

I would definitely do the MS rather than the SMP. You don't need a SMP with a 3.55 and to be honest, if I was reading the app, I'd chalk it up as lack of knowledge if they had one and weren't incredibly successful in it. For the record, hard science masters degrees aren't "nice ECs" especially to those adcom members who happen to be PhDs. While they might not have the same impact as a SMP to those applicant with weak GPAs, and while they might not be a panacea to those applicants with low GPAs... all else equal, I don't know that I wouldn't prefer an applicant with a 3.55 GPA, thesis-based MS from a top tier school with good research, presentations, and publications to a ~3.7 student straight out of undergrad all else being equal.

 

[premedchelli]

I would definitely do the MS rather than the SMP. You don't need a SMP with a 3.55 and to be honest, if I was reading the app, I'd chalk it up as lack of knowledge if they had one and weren't incredibly successful in it. For the record, hard science masters degrees aren't "nice ECs" especially to those adcom members who happen to be PhDs. While they might not have the same impact as a SMP to those applicant with weak GPAs, and while they might not be a panacea to those applicants with low GPAs... all else equal, I don't know that I wouldn't prefer an applicant with a 3.55 GPA, thesis-based MS from a top tier school with good research, presentations, and publications to a ~3.7 student straight out of undergrad all else being equal.

I agree, a 3.5 is fairly competitive. That with an MCAT around 32 ish and an application turned in EARLY is guaranteed to get you a seat somewhere, not sure about cali but even that is a possibility if you turn it in early. I would totally go with the MS over the SMP.

I understand what gujudoc is saying, because an SMP might be a better guarantee, but if you already have a 3.5 it might not be worth the money. You'll probably do better in the MS than the SMP anyways.

Also, wouldn't this poster come off as actually being interested in their subject if they do a masters over doing an SMP, does that speak for anything?

*disclaimer* This is coming from someone who didn't want to do an SMP this year and chose to do research instead (I also had a 3.5 applying this cycle with a 30). I'm pretty much on the fence... but I wanted to apply this cycle and see if I could get in without an expensive SMP. I really hope I was right and didn't have to do an SMP to get in this cycle

 

[gujuDoc]

I would definitely do the MS rather than the SMP. You don't need a SMP with a 3.55 and to be honest, if I was reading the app, I'd chalk it up as lack of knowledge if they had one and weren't incredibly successful in it. For the record, hard science masters degrees aren't "nice ECs" especially to those adcom members who happen to be PhDs. While they might not have the same impact as a SMP to those applicant with weak GPAs, and while they might not be a panacea to those applicants with low GPAs... all else equal, I don't know that I wouldn't prefer an applicant with a 3.55 GPA, thesis-based MS from a top tier school with good research, presentations, and publications to a ~3.7 student straight out of undergrad all else being equal.

depends on the school. i have heard adcoms in this website admit that isall they consider a MS. just ask qofquimica or tildy or LizzyM. they are all adcoms. but at my old school it would count for more. so depends on the school

 

[drizzt3117]

I'm aware of what they've said about it, I just don't agree and would evaluate an application in a different way, I'm sure I'm not the only person who feels that way, the only hard and fast rule in med school admissions is that there are no hard and fast rules.

I tend to feel that SMPs are potentially valuable but they're for a very specific type of applicant, the one with a GPA that is just above 3.0 but can't really be improved by postbac coursework and an above average MCAT. That is where you get bang for the buck with a SMP, because if you don't do well in it, you wouldn't have gotten in anyways so it's an acceptable risk.

With candidates whose GPAs are above 3.5 but below the matriculant mean,I'd recommend MS/MPH or qualitatively improving your application in other ways. I feel that the issue with these candidates is separating themselves from other similar candidates, and a MS, MPH, good research experience, or exceptional volunteer/service experience, or high MCAT does this. While excelling in a SMP might help them, it won't really until the year after. Yes some schools update your file with grades but the timing is variable and might not have as big an effect as you'd think, I wouldn't bank on it being really effective unless your grades are all Hs/As etc. Doing mediocrely or poorly in a SMP will hurt you, in my eyes, it would a lot.

Also, there's a specific subset of schools that generally consider SMPs to be especially beneficial. Were you in the 3.5+ range, and if you had an average MCAT, you'd likely be competitive for most if not all of those schools in the first place.

 

[gujuDoc]

I'm aware of what they've said about it, I just don't agree and would evaluate an application in a different way, I'm sure I'm not the only person who feels that way, the only hard and fast rule in med school admissions is that there are no hard and fast rules.

I tend to feel that SMPs are potentially valuable but they're for a very specific type of applicant, the one with a GPA that is just above 3.0 but can't really be improved by postbac coursework and an above average MCAT. That is where you get bang for the buck with a SMP, because if you don't do well in it, you wouldn't have gotten in anyways so it's an acceptable risk.

With candidates whose GPAs are above 3.5 but below the matriculant mean,I'd recommend MS/MPH or qualitatively improving your application in other ways. I feel that the issue with these candidates is separating themselves from other similar candidates, and a MS, MPH, good research experience, or exceptional volunteer/service experience, or high MCAT does this. While excelling in a SMP might help them, it won't really until the year after. Yes some schools update your file with grades but the timing is variable and might not have as big an effect as you'd think, I wouldn't bank on it being really effective unless your grades are all Hs/As etc. Doing mediocrely or poorly in a SMP will hurt you, in my eyes, it would a lot.

Also, there's a specific subset of schools that generally consider SMPs to be especially beneficial. Were you in the 3.5+ range, and if you had an average MCAT, you'd likely be competitive for most if not all of those schools in the first place.

Just so we are clear, I was not disagreeing with your viewpoint. I was just stating factually what some people seem to believe. I do agree with you that if I was an adcom I wouldn't discount it if it improved them in other ways.

I think the reason why I also mentioned the other factors are important like considering home state etc. what a 3.5 means in california is not the same as in Fl. i.e. that sometimes a 3.5 is not good enough for a californian vs. say a Floridian. Or even in my current state where 3 out of 4 MD schools are private top tier or mid tier ranked schools in Massachusetts. So it depends what purpose this person is doing a MS for. I guess we need the original poster to explain what their situation is in full.

 

[drizzt3117]

I think the reason why I also mentioned the other factors are important like considering home state etc. what a 3.5 means in california is not the same as in Fl. i.e. that sometimes a 3.5 is not good enough for a californian vs. say a Floridian. Or even in my current state where 3 out of 4 MD schools are private top tier or mid tier ranked schools in Massachusetts. So it depends what purpose this person is doing a MS for. I guess we need the original poster to explain what their situation is in full.

The whole CA thing is pretty overblown. The data just doesn't bear it out. I was a CA resident when I applied to med school. My GPA wasn't much higher than a 3.5 and I interviewed at every med school in the state of CA except for Loma Linda. Yes it's harder to get into your home state med schools as a CA resident than if you're say, a TX or OH resident. The average stats of accepted applicants are a little higher.

That said, it's not absurdly higher by any means.

http://aamc.org/data/facts/applicantmatriculant/table21-mcatgpastatemat09.pdf

Matriculants into med school had an average GPA of 3.63 and average MCAT of 32.1. That seems pretty close to the national average. For comparison's sake, FL residents had an average GPA of 3.67 and average MCAT of 30.2 Massachusetts residents had an average GPA of 3.63 and average MCAT of 32.6. If anyone has it hard, it's Canadian matriculants into US med schools, who had an average GPA of 3.78 and average MCAT of 33.5.

That said, I think the greater difference is simply candidates differentiating themselves from the crowd. There are lots of med schools in the US that take plenty of OOS students, though.

 

[momoparadise]

[deleted]

 

[QofQuimica]

For the record, hard science masters degrees aren't "nice ECs" especially to those adcom members who happen to be PhDs.

Yes they are, at least at my school. Applying to med school with an MS is so common as to be unremarkable. It's particularly not uncommon for people who don't get into med school on their first go-round to spend a year or two doing an MS while reapplying. Not that there's anything wrong with getting an MS, but we aren't exactly salivating over applicants who have them as if it were such a novel and amazing EC to have.

That being said, I do agree that someone who is successful in research, either with or without an MS, will be looked upon favorably. If you apply with a paper or two, especially in big-name journals or first-author, yes, that will impress people. But it's not the MS degree itself that would impress adcoms.

momo, I agree with the others who have said that with a 3.55 GPA, you don't really need an SMP. The average GPA for allo matriculants is around a 3.6, so you're pretty much dead-on there. Your MCAT score is a bit low (average for allo matriculants is approximately a 31), and retaking it is a good idea if you believe that you can bring it up by at least a few points. If you know you didn't prepare for it as well as you could have last time, it's an especially good idea to retake as long as you really study this time. However, don't retake it if you are unlikely to improve. Two scores in the high 20s are not better than one.

As for whether to stay at UCLA, it sounds like you have a decent research gig there, so if you want to do research, there's no reason I can think of why it would be advantageous to pick up and move clear across the country to do an SMP to rehabilitate an already acceptable GPA.

Concerning where you apply to med school, it's fine to have some "dream schools" on your list, but make sure that you have a good mix of schools. As you yourself have realized, the CA schools are very competitive, and you should not limit yourself to only applying in CA, especially since you are not even a state resident. For sure you should apply to your own state schools. I would also recommend getting an MSAR and choosing other schools that take residents of your state, and that have average stats in your range and a school mission that is in keeping with your own career goals.

Best of luck to you.

 

[RogueUnicorn]

Thanks for the replies everyone. I really appreciate it. I'm still deciding, but I think I'm leaning towards staying at UCLA. I guess the most fundamental question I had was whether a 3.55 will get me into a decent enough school. I know "decent" is relative, so I think what I'm trying to say is, will it get me into a top tier school?

Don't get me wrong, I don't like falling into the whole "this med school is better than this one due to its rank," but I just want to know where I stand -- assuming I do well on my MCATs (I'm aiming for 34) and that I continue my extracurriculars.

Again, I applied to Tufts MBS program at first thinking that it would give me a higher chance of getting into a med school like Tufts. I guess it doesn't quite fit my app. Like I said before, I felt like my gpa wasn't high enough.

Also drizzt3117, do you mind if I ask where you ended up? Did you stay in CA and did you meet a lot of out of state students?

The reason why I ask is because I have CA resident friends with >3.7 GPA and 34+ MCAT, who are waiting on UCs - rejected or have not heard from most and they're just waiting on ucla.

Thanks.

the general vibe i get is that smps tend not to lead to top tier acceptances. 34 though is not really a top tier mcat score either.

 

[gujuDoc]

Thanks for the replies everyone. I really appreciate it. I'm still deciding, but I think I'm leaning towards staying at UCLA. I guess the most fundamental question I had was whether a 3.55 will get me into a decent enough school. I know "decent" is relative, so I think what I'm trying to say is, will it get me into a top tier school?

Don't get me wrong, I don't like falling into the whole "this med school is better than this one due to its rank," but I just want to know where I stand -- assuming I do well on my MCATs (I'm aiming for 34) and that I continue my extracurriculars.

Again, I applied to Tufts MBS program at first thinking that it would give me a higher chance of getting into a med school like Tufts. I guess it doesn't quite fit my app. Like I said before, I felt like my gpa wasn't high enough.

Also drizzt3117, do you mind if I ask where you ended up? Did you stay in CA and did you meet a lot of out of state students?

The reason why I ask is because I have CA resident friends with >3.7 GPA and 34+ MCAT, who are waiting on UCs - rejected or have not heard from most and they're just waiting on ucla.

Thanks.

Everyone has a dream school. But be realistic. If you get into cali schools, many of them are top ranked med schools and maybe even if not cali resident, you will get a chance for having done undergrad there. but don't plan your life around getting into a top 20 school. Play the game the best you can and hope you can get into somewhere that will fit with you. Neither program itself is going to wow someone so much that they take you just for that. Publications might but even if you do research at this place and they have publications, who is to say you will get one? likewise, who is to say Tufts SMP is going to get you a higher tier school acceptance either? If you want a MS do one, but don't assume it will wow someone at a top 50 ranked school.

 

[drizzt3117]

Thanks for the replies everyone. I really appreciate it. I'm still deciding, but I think I'm leaning towards staying at UCLA. I guess the most fundamental question I had was whether a 3.55 will get me into a decent enough school. I know "decent" is relative, so I think what I'm trying to say is, will it get me into a top tier school?

Don't get me wrong, I don't like falling into the whole "this med school is better than this one due to its rank," but I just want to know where I stand -- assuming I do well on my MCATs (I'm aiming for 34) and that I continue my extracurriculars.

Again, I applied to Tufts MBS program at first thinking that it would give me a higher chance of getting into a med school like Tufts. I guess it doesn't quite fit my app. Like I said before, I felt like my gpa wasn't high enough.

Also drizzt3117, do you mind if I ask where you ended up? Did you stay in CA and did you meet a lot of out of state students?

The reason why I ask is because I have CA resident friends with >3.7 GPA and 34+ MCAT, who are waiting on UCs - rejected or have not heard from most and they're just waiting on ucla.

Thanks.

I think a lot of that is qualitative in terms of not getting much attention from UCs. A lot of applicants look the same and if you don't do anything particularly different, it's hard to separate yourself from the pack. There are some OOS students at UCs but obviously not many at any of them except for UCSF. I ultimately chose to go to a school in the Midwest for family and financial reasons. My profile is also a lot different than the average ~3.6 applicant as well for a number of reasons. If you're interested, PM me.

 

[drizzt3117]

Yes they are, at least at my school. Applying to med school with an MS is so common as to be unremarkable. It's particularly not uncommon for people who don't get into med school on their first go-round to spend a year or two doing an MS while reapplying. Not that there's anything wrong with getting an MS, but we aren't exactly salivating over applicants who have them as if it were such a novel and amazing EC to have.

That being said, I do agree that someone who is successful in research, either with or without an MS, will be looked upon favorably. If you apply with a paper or two, especially in big-name journals or first-author, yes, that will impress people. But it's not the MS degree itself that would impress adcoms.

Yeah, I mean I don't think the degree in and of itself sets you apart from others, but I don't really think it's that common either. There are definitely more people with MPHs or SMPs than pure science masters. In any case, I think everyone can agree a SMP probably isn't the best course of action for this applicant. Given that they've mentioned they can probably get published at the lab they're at and get the degree as well, IMO it seems like a good course of action.

 

[tastyb33f]

Sorry to abruptly change the subject, folks. A couple of questions:

1) How long did it take for you guys to hear back from Tufts MBS after your application was entirely complete? I submitted mine in mid-February.

2) Is anybody else having a lot of trouble with the Application Management System login page thing where you check your application credentials? I can't log in at all. I'm positive that I'm using the right username/password that they sent me, so that's definitely not the problem. Page simply is not loading at all.

 

[RogueUnicorn]

GUYS i got into tufts mbs!!!!!! can anyone with first hand experience tell me about the program?

hello, future classmates

PM Moo746, he's a 1st year destroying the program.

 

[klmnop]

PM Moo746, he's a 1st year destroying the program.

then pass on what he says cause we all wanna know

 

[diva09]

GUYS i got into tufts mbs!!!!!! can anyone with first hand experience tell me about the program?

hello, future classmates

Hello,

Congrats on your acceptance!!!

I applied to the program and my application was complete since January 27, 2010 but I still have not heard back from them. When I called yesterday I was told my application is still under review.

I am trying to understand why I haven't heard back from them yet and why is it taking so long to receive a decision. When was your application complete if you dont mind sharing?

Thanks

 

[gujuDoc]

Hello,

Congrats on your acceptance!!!

I applied to the program and my application was complete since January 27, 2010 but I still have not heard back from them. When I called yesterday I was told my application is still under review.

I am trying to understand why I haven't heard back from them yet and why is it taking so long to receive a decision. When was your application complete if you dont mind sharing?

Thanks

I applied last year when I was applying to SMPs, and it took me more then a month to find out. They say at least 5 weeks, but when I emailed Tara Risi about it she explained that if they want you right away and know for sure, they may send an acceptance within 2-3 weeks. However, otherwise you may here in 5-6 weeks. Seems like 4 have gone. So only another 1-2 to wait. Also, if you get waitlisted, that does not mean you won't eventually get in. There are some classmates at BU that got into Tufts last minute, but chose BU. So it is possible.

 

[gujuDoc]

GUYS i got into tufts mbs!!!!!! can anyone with first hand experience tell me about the program?

hello, future classmates

Also talk to not just Moo, but centralMD and Goobers. who posted on the first couple of pages of the thread. They were kind enough to answer questions earlier. I'm sure they will if you try to get in touch with them.

 

[TXtaco25]

Hey guys I was thinking of applying to Tufts post-bacc program but am unsure if I have a decent chance of getting in. For those of you who have got accepted could you maybe give me some insight? I hear nothing but great things about the program and there really isn't any many options in Texas as far as post-bacc programs are concerned.

my numbers

cGPA: 3.34 sGPA: 2.98 MCAT: 26P

any honesty would be appreciated!

 

[jslo85]

Actually there is more than a couple in Texas. UNTH (TCOM) has a GSBS Masters program and there was another thread of one in Dallas that is a hybrid of a pre-req finisher as well as an academic enhancer. My friend goes to Texas A&M and I remember her telling me that many in her class went through a Masters of physiology at the university before matriculating into their medical school.

I'd suggest you stay within Texas if possible b/c programs taken within the state at one of the medical centers are usually regarded much higher by the respective medical schools. It'll not only be cheaper by far easier for you to get accepted into a medical school close to where you live.

Of course if you wanted to apply broadly with your stats, I would probably aim for UDMNJ Masters, Mississippi masters, and EVMS just to name a few. With your stats, application to EVMS's SMP should be pretty feasible if it isn't too late in the process. Someone like Dr. Midlife would know this better than me. Also look at other threads in this forum, usually you'll find posts from students with their stats and whether they have been accepted/interviewed or not to gauge where you stand.

 

[TXtaco25]

Thanks for the reply jslo, I actually went to Texas A&M and it is actually a veterinary physiology degree, not your standard physiology major. TCOM is the only aamcas backed program in Texas. I am not familiar with the other program you speak of. I appreciate your suggestions. I will take those into consideration, and will also still apply to Tufts, BU, Cincy, Loyola, and Columbia. The way I see it is it doesn't hurt to try! Someone out there will give you a shot. Let them be a part of your story!

 

[klmnop]

Has anyone made a definite decision on attending Tufts, or are people still waiting to here from other schools. Just trying to get a consensus on attending the open house, and if people are thinking about roommates/apartment locations.

Congrats to those that got in, sounds like a new wave of letters is coming out now.

 

[senshi25]

Am i too late to apply right now?

 

[RogueUnicorn]

Am i too late to apply right now?

not at all, but get movin.

 

[sjs887]

Am i too late to apply right now?

Hey senshi25, I'm in the same position. I started filling out my application but I also have to complete my dental shadowing, get my LORs, and take my GRE (Beginning of April)...anyone else planning on applying late in the game and anyone apply/get in who are pre-dental?
I'm also applying to UMDNJ both Newark and Stratford and i'm considering applying to RFU and Gtown.

Gujudoc, could you tell me what program you applied to at Gtown? The only one I thought I could apply to was the Masters in Biotech...

 

[gujuDoc]

Hey senshi25, I'm in the same position. I started filling out my application but I also have to complete my dental shadowing, get my LORs, and take my GRE (Beginning of April)...anyone else planning on applying late in the game and anyone apply/get in who are pre-dental?
I'm also applying to UMDNJ both Newark and Stratford and i'm considering applying to RFU and Gtown.

Gujudoc, could you tell me what program you applied to at Gtown? The only one I thought I could apply to was the Masters in Biotech...

It is the one there is a thread for on this postbac forum. Called Gtown SMP.
smp.georgetown.edu

But if you are predental, I would do Tufts MBS, UMDNJ Newark campus MBS, or BU MAMS cuz they are all highly connected with dental schools. At BU look at the oral health track GMS program at BU Dental. Its different then the med one.

 

[atlanta213]

1

 

[atlanta213]

2

 

[drizzt3117]

anyone?

Call them.

 

[tay33]

anyone?

Call them.

Seriously...I bet I can predict users who will never make it into med/dent school just by some of the questions they ask. I hate to sound like an ahole but take the damn initiative to contact the admissions office. Also if you had read the thread you might have seen that buckfmp had the same issue, so you could try pming him.

 

[jslo85]

Seriously...I bet I can predict users who will never make it into med/dent school just by some of the questions they ask. I hate to sound like an ahole but take the damn initiative to contact the admissions office. Also if you had read the thread you might have seen that buckfmp had the same issue, so you could try pming him.

 

[klmnop]

Seriously...I bet I can predict users who will never make it into med/dent school just by some of the questions they ask.

Haha, never agreed more. But to their credit, if you just joined the site and don't know how it works it can be daunting and confusing to start all the way at the beginning... but then again so can med school so your point holds true.

 

[tay33]

Haha, never agreed more. But to their credit, if you just joined the site and don't know how it works it can be daunting and confusing to start all the way at the beginning... but then again so can med school so your point holds true.

Glad I'm not the only one who feels this way. But to atlanta213 (who I see deleted his/her original posts) I didn't mean to personally attack you so I hope I didn't scare you off. A lot of us our happy to provide help but many common questions can be answered by doing a quick search and a little reading. However, a specific question like yours would be best answered by someone at Tufts.

 

[laddr]

A lot of us our happy to...

Apparently, you're one of those people too...

 

[tay33]

Apparently, you're one of those people too...

If you want to play Grammar Nazi you should know there's no comma necessary before "Apparently" in your sentence above. Small grammatical errors on a web forum are not important. However, frequently repeated and misdirected questions are irritating if you're a frequent visitor to this site. And by saying "I'm one of those people" I think your missing my point entirely, which is that Dr.'s should be able to: 1) take initiative 2) know what questions to ask 3) know where to find answers AND 4) not be expected to have information spoon fed to them.

But enough of this pissing match. Back to the topic at hand: Tufts MBS 2010-11

 

[klmnop]

i've unintentionally lit a few sparks in other threads related to this issue and would like the Tufts-MBS perspective if people could.

2009, applied MD and few DO as backup (thus far no interviews, but MSUCOM waitlist and guaranteed 2011 acceptance)

2009, applied SMP (thus far only accepted to Tufts MBS)

question is, I am not entirely sold on the DO philosophy. Granted the SMP will be very difficult, is there anyone that can justify the Tufts MBS for next year if I am not accepted off the MSUCOM waitlist.

 

[tay33]

i've unintentionally lit a few sparks in other threads related to this issue and would like the Tufts-MBS perspective if people could.

2009, applied MD and few DO as backup (thus far no interviews, but MSUCOM waitlist and guaranteed 2011 acceptance)

2009, applied SMP (thus far only accepted to Tufts MBS)

question is, I am not entirely sold on the DO philosophy. Granted the SMP will be very difficult, is there anyone that can justify the Tufts MBS for next year if I am not accepted off the MSUCOM waitlist.

Let me know if I understand your question correctly. Since your guaranteed admission at a DO school, should you take the year off or attend Tufts and reapply to MD schools?

If cost isn't an issue, I would attend Tufts, reapply to med school and best case scenario you get into an MD school for 2011. Worst case, you still have the guaranteed spot at MSUCOM. If you perform well, you may be able to pass out of first year classes.

If cost is an issue, you really need to decide whether DO is the right path for you. If you attend Tufts, you're not only paying for tuition, living expenses, etc. but you're also losing wages you could be earning working full-time. This money can go a long way towards reducing the amount of student loans you need. I guess the best thing to do is talk with as many DOs as you can and discuss the MD vs. DO debate. If you decide DO is OK, take the year off. If not, do Tufts

 

[gujuDoc]

Glad I'm not the only one who feels this way. But to atlanta213 (who I see deleted his/her original posts) I didn't mean to personally attack you so I hope I didn't scare you off. A lot of us our happy to provide help but many common questions can be answered by doing a quick search and a little reading. However, a specific question like yours would be best answered by someone at Tufts.

So what did they ask? I'm curiosu to see what the drama was since I missed it. haha

 

[klmnop]

So what did they ask? I'm curiosu to see what the drama was since I missed it. haha

i believe they had an issue with their acceptance, in that the online system made it appear that they were waitlisted when the letter indicated they were accepted... or something of that nature.