<p>what med schools do duke premeds normally go onto?Also, do you by any chance know the average MCAT scores of duke students?</p>
<p>they usually matriculate to schools all across the US, some to their home state schools, some to out of state privates (and publics). duke students have an 85% acceptance rate into med school with an average GPA of 3.5 overall, 3.3 BCPM. they tend to do score pretty high on the MCAT - the average is 34.</p>
<p>thanks leejwwc! it was very helpful!</p>
<p>Hey hey,
Also a Duke '08 grad, took an entirely different path (English and Econ AB, MMS certificate, and enough credits for an Art History minor, standard 4 yrs) if anyone has any questions. (Basically, I know nothing about med school, but a lot about on campus job recruiting & I love talking abt Duke social life)</p>
<p>To answer Wneckid99's questions:</p>
<p>what were your stats coming out of high school?
-I honestly don't remember exactly... I sent my ACT score (34) and was in the top Decile of my graduating class. We didn't rank, and our GPAs were out of some random number. I was just really, really involved on campus and in my community (2 season varsity athlete & captain, editor in chief of Yearbook, managing editor of newspaper, started a not-for-profit with a friend, interned at Rock the Vote, area all state chorus, leadership positions in other clubs, etc)</p>
<p>what is your favorite "fun" thing to do on campus?
-I'm really involved in Greek life, so stuff with my sorority, and frat parties that my friends' frats are throwing. I'm also a huge fan of all the campus-wide events that the Union throws (lots of cocktail events, dress up -- one was old south themed, one was at the library, stuff in the Nasher -- all are SO nice, all are great opportunities to see a huge cross section of the student population, and they're just FUN events). This year I've loved going to all the special "Senior class" events - we've had throwback parties at Parizade (a club that was hosted every Thurs night of our freshman year) and pub crawls, picnics, dinners, etc... all been fun. I always have fun at lacrosse games and watching basketball games with friends at home/sports bars (don't get me wrong, Cameron is a ton of fun, but it's incredible watching big games -- even if they're away games -- with your friends. And if you can't get into Cameron for the UNC game, or want to watch the away game, def go to a sports bar since it's fun seeing the entire community get involved). I have friends in bands, and I LOVE going to go see them play.</p>
<p>what did you think about durham- since there isnt much to do in the actual city
-I'm from NYC and I actually really, really enjoyed Durham and there are cool things to do in the city. For starters, the restaurants in Durham are FABULOUS. There may not be a ton of bars/clubs/lounges, but there are enough, and while some may appear seedy, they're a blast. Durham Bulls games (the minor league team) are cheap and fun, esp on college night. There's the Carolina Theater which plays great movies, has film series and hosts a film festival -- there's also plays and it serves as a venue for bands on tour. Durham's close to Chapel Hill which is a more quintessential college town, and you can get there free from campus on the Robertson Bus during the day and in the evening, but if you're going out there at night, you'll need a cab or a DD to get back to Duke. I'll be the first to speak out about the Durham PD, just be smart and stay safe because they're ruthless. And just in general - have street smarts. Don't walk around late at night by yourself, especially if you're drunk. Try and avoid going to an ATM alone at night. Exercise common sense, Durham can be a bit sketchy, but honestly, I can't remember ever feeling unsafe here.</p>
<p>k, so I'm a rising sophomore but I have a question about move-in on west - do you know how we get our room/bathroom keys and between what times we can get keys?</p>
<p>you'll get an email about that in august closer to move in date, but from what i remember, you just go to a designated common room in your quad and pick them up. you pretty much have an all day window to do so over several days, and if you get there after hours, there's a number to call. but aim to get there during the day/afternoon.</p>
<p>Hi all, </p>
<p>I'm looking at taking Economics/Public Policy at Duke. What are your opinions of the following programs at Duke? </p>
<p>How would you describe the students at Duke? Is there an active social scene?</p>
<p>What is the competition like? leejwwc touched on that point, but it was pertaining to premeds. What's it like among students studying the social sciences? </p>
<p>How is the career office/job placement at Duke? I intend to enter the banking industry/consultancy. </p>
<p>A big thanks to anyone who can offer any advice!</p>
<p>What are suggested freshman courses for someone who is looking to go into medicine. I've already taken AP BC Calc (5), AP Chem (5), and AP Bio (I'll find out in July). Should I still take the intro courses in order to get a better foundation, or should i just taken the harder courses. What do most people take who are on the pre med track?</p>
<p>DON'T take math 103. A lot of kids come in with 5s on BC and think they should take 103 for whatever reason and then get Cs, which are killer for med school, especially since taking multivariable doesn't help you at all. Also try to avoid bio 26 if possible. It sucks, and is not necessary.</p>
<p>Math 32 (Calc 2) has an even worse curve than 103 (Multivar/Vector Calc) (C range vs. B range, respectively). Really, most of the intro and core courses for premeds are curved to a C or low B. My philosophy was to take courses that would best prepare me for med school and not look too much into the grading, since lower grades in advanced courses look better than similar grades in intro courses. That being said, I would recommend to others to start out with Chem 23 (Adv Gen Chem) rather than Chem 151 (Orgo) unless you are really strong in Chem. Bio 118 (Genetics/Molecular Bio) or Bio 103 (Microbio) are good first courses for students with AP credits. Taking Bio 103 which has a lab will also knock out one of the premed requirements, but it also tends to fill up quickly and freshmen may have a hard time registering for it. Another option is to start the physics track (Phy 53 and 54). Keep in mind that there are a ton of general ed reqs that also need to be fulfilled. So take courses broadly in your first year and don't focus exclusively on premed coursework. Otherwise, you'll end up done with those but behind on general graduation requirements.</p>
<p>so, i have a question. i am probably going to do premed, but i really can't stand bio classes (too much memorization). i really love and am good at chem and physics. what is the minimum number of bio classes i can take but still be a legit premed candidate (i am BME and econ double-major and chemistry minor). basically, can i only take two or three bio classes and have BME cover for "biology"?</p>
<p>I am interested in applying for the Research Fellows Progarm for uprising sophomores.</p>
<p>I was wondering how selective the program was and what criteria they use such as standardized test scores, lab experiences, to select the students.</p>
<p>We are visiting in a few weeks to see if Duke is a good fit.
I know its summer and few students will be on campus.
What should we be sure to visit and see? What do you
wish you had seen/known before you arrived? How
might we take a summer visit and envision a regular
campus life? Thanks!</p>
<p>gilberto118 - in terms of basic requirements, you will need two BIO or BAA classes with lab components. This is most easily done by taking BIO25L (General Bio 1) and BIO26L (General Bio 2). Others to consider if you have AP credit (but may be harder to get into due to high demand, and limited spaces) are BIO103 (Microbio), BIO108 (Vertebrate Anatomy), and BIO151L (Animal Physiology). These courses have only BIO25 or AP credit as a prereq if I recall correctly. It will be harder to find a BAA class with lab since they all tend to have a BAA93 (Intro BAA) prereq which does not itself have a lab.</p>
<p>sparke - I'm not very familiar with the program, other than it exists. I think it used to be called the Howard Hughes Summer Research Forum. Maybe someone else can comment?</p>
<p>roble - Taking a structured tour is best; I'm pretty sure they operate daily and give a great overview of main West facilities, school history, academics, and culture. Some additional considerations:
-check out some of dining options on campus - grab a bit to eat at one of the on-campus eatieries maybe in the Bryan Center or West Union. There is also an Asian restaurant (Grace's) on Central campus that serves a mean bubble tea (Duke</a> University Dining)
-I think that the tour only covers West campus, but Duke's campus is much larger...you should also take a look at East campus (where all the freshman residence halls are located), Central campus (where upper-class apartments, the Duke Gardens, on-campus grocery store, Nasher Museum of Art, Freeman Center for Jewish Life, etc. can be found), and the Science Drive area (where research labs, basic sciences including bio, chem, and physics and engineering bldgs. are located). Here's a map: Welcome</a> to Duke University - Campus Map
-Also if you can get in, take a look at the dorms on East, on West, and maybe an apartment on Central. That gives you a good exposure to the types of living arrangements over all the Duke years.
-If you have time, check out the Duke Forest and Lemur Center. It's unfortunate that I graduated without ever having visited the place, and I was a bio major for shame! I heard from ppl. who've been that its pretty cool.
-Sit in on a class that interests you. That's a great way to get a feel for academics. After all, it will be what you're paying for. Here's a list of all the summer classes in session: Schedule</a> of Courses
Good luck!
-and almost forgot, of course - check out the athletic facilities - it is Duke afterall! Brodie Rec is on East, Wilson Rec is on West, and there's always Cameron Indoor, K-Ville, Wade Stadium, etc.</p>
<p>SparkECrash-</p>
<p>I did the Howard Hughes Research Fellows program last summer. I think there were more than 70 applicants and 30 students were admitted. I heard that it was even more competitive this year. I think they look for students that don't have much research experience but are passionate about a specific topic that they want to do research in. You also need a recommendation from a professor at the beginning of second semester so make sure you get to know a professor well enough during first semester so that they can write one for you. They don't use GPA as a very heavy factor since it's only one semester. Just make sure that you put a lot of detail into your essays about two areas that interest you. I really enjoyed the program because a lot of my friends were in it and we were also paid really well. Many students continued working in the same lab during the school year.</p>
<p>If it's so hard to do well in premed courses, how do people get into good medical schools? Do only the top few do? How hard is it to get an A when a class is curved to a B or a C. this is scary!!! Are there any success stories you guys can share with me?</p>
<p>People get A's. Its just important that you realize that it won't necessarily be you getting A's in every class anymore. That said, it could still be you getting A's in every class. You'll find out when you get here.</p>
<p>Oh and I think it is important to note that in the US every medical school is a good medical school. It isn't like undergrad where there are clearly defined tiers. (whether you agree with those tiers or not whatever, they are there) For medical schools there are the top 10 or so and then there is everything else. Obviously there might be a couple of exceptions but pretty much any US medical school you will get the same quality of medical education.</p>
<p>But if you mean "how do student get into the top 10 medical schools"? The answer is: study, study, volunteer, be brilliant, be authentic (thats a big one, nothing kills a good application like a big faker; it comes across in interviews) and study. Most people at Duke for undergrad will not end up at Duke or Johns Hopkins or WashU for medical school. Thats just the way it works.</p>
<p>Edit: Oh and the answer to how to get A's when the class is curved to a B-/C+ is do a lot better than the average. There is no magic trick to it, you just do really well.</p>