<p>would really like to hear your opinion on these three schools as intend for premed. Didn't get any financial aid from any school so have to pay full price for both Jhu/Duke, but Berkeley as in-state.</p>
<p>JHU BME
Berkeley, college of chemistry
Duke, biochemistry</p>
<p>Academic Choice: Hopkins
Cost Choice: UC Berkeley</p>
<p>I'd see if you can visit both to see if either school is what you've pictured and what you're looking for. There is no point in going to Cal if you're going to hate it and there is no point in going to Hopkins if it is not what you're looking for.</p>
<p>Ditto to WealthofInformation. Berkeley is hard to beat if you're instate. But if you're actually interested in biomedical engineering, and not just a good way to get to med school, then I'd lean towards Hopkins. If you're not really interested in engineering (realize that the BME major is one class away from a math minor and includes some pretty intense core engineering classes like Thermo, Control Systems etc) or see yourself doing research (a huge advantage of Hopkins, IMO. The majority of people here do some sort of research at some point) then I'd still consider Hopkins, but probably lean towards Cal. </p>
<p>Also, (from my one day tour of Berkeley), it seems like the culture at both schools is quite different, so if you're still Hopkins after considering what I said above, then try to visit both places. I think you just have to balance your academic interests, your financial situation and the fit at each school and pick with works best for you.</p>
<p>Tanman, so are you saying that JHU BME is a bad choice if one wants to use that as a stepping stone into medicine? i thought BME kids have to take lots of bio and chem too.</p>
<p>I think what TanMan is trying to say is that BME is Engineering and that is the primary focus of the department. If you choose to go on to Medical School (or law school for that fact) after, you can do so however it is a research & design-based curriculum. </p>
<p>Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics: 46 Credits
Biomedical Engineering Core Courses: 34 Credits
BME Focus Area: 21 Credits
Humanities/Social Science: 18 Credits
Computer Programming: 3 credits
Electives: 6 Credits</p>
<p>Program Overview: JHU</a> BME - Undergraduate Program Requirements</p>
<p>BME is a good route to medical school only if you're actually interested in engineering. In reality, you can get into med school with any major. If your hate math or physics, don't enroll in BME because it seems like an easy way to med school - you'll end up having a really hard time - just look at the requirements WealthofInformation posted. You can always switch out later, but if you're not interested in engineering, I would just caution against enrolling as a BME major</p>
<p>go with Duke</p>
<p>why jct30? because you are going to Duke? Please give us a better reason than that...</p>
<p>1.) We have access to a world-class medical center. It's close and we're actually allowed - and helped! - to do stuff in it. Some schools like Columbia don't have their hospitals nearby, so it's difficult for students to volunteer or do reseach there. Not only is it literally like two minutes from the dorms to the hospital (walking), but Duke has programs explicitly set up (HCIP) to get undergraduates volunteering in the hospital.</p>
<p>2.) Astonishingly wonderful advising systems. We have famous premedical advisors. I've ranted about this a little bit on a thread relating to UCB in the Premed topics forum (Berkeley is a good place to pursue pre-med?) but the bottom line is that advising is both key and really wonderful here. They've earned their reputation as being among the best in the country.</p>
<p>This is reflected in their numbers.</p>
<p>3.) World-class faculty in small classes. Duke's philosophy in hiring faculty is that we want absolutely brilliant faculty on the cutting edge of their fields, and we will put up with almost anything to get them. The one thing we will not put up with, however, is an unwillingness to make teaching their absolute top priority. That means that the faculty we have here love students and will go far out of their way to make sure we learn. This means partly that we learn better, which helps us once we actually get into med school, but it also means that we get better letters of recommendation, which are huge.</p>
<p>This to me is the most important point: Yes, there are schools with similarly or perhaps even more qualified faculty as leaders in their fields. But at what other school do undergraduates have real, worthwhile access to those leaders on a routine basis? Where else will a health economist who is cited repeatedly in every textbook hold multiple review sessions, some of them on Sunday evenings, just to make sure we really learn the stuff? Where else will a world famous chemist respond to freshmen questions via e-mail during his Thanksgiving day? Some schools have wonderful faculty who will do this - but I don't think any of them will top us in the access we have to brilliance.</p>
<p>4.) An encouragement to pursue co-curricular activites. And yes, I did just call them co-curriculars rather than extra-curriculars. Duke understands that we're training young men and women here, not just scholars, and so I've never heard of a student here who had anything short of astonishing extracurriculars. I'm a tour guide, and I make it a habit when I'm on my tours to mention the accomplishments of the various students I run into - I can afford to do this because Duke students are simply astonishing. Friends of mine have discovered new chemical structures, signed up for internships with the bioterrorism department of the government - it seems everybody has something incredible that they view as normal because that's what Duke students do.</p>
<p>We have a department entirely for the purpose of helping students arrange interesting, educational, or service-oriented (but usually all three) summer projects.</p>
<p>This is crucial - medical schools need good qualifications, yes, but they are also looking for people who will make good doctors. People who have shown themselves to be committed to helping others, who can dive into the intellectualism known as research, and who have proven that their interest in health is more than just "hypothetical" are standout candidates.</p>
<p>5.) Warmth. Premeds here - knowing that we will all do well in the process - learn together. You won't hear of us stealing each other's notes or sabotaging projects. We study together. We encourage each other. Frankly speaking, we take care of each other. Duke students are warm, and we will support each other through rough times along the premedical track. Is this a stereotype? Absolutely. Has it proven true for me? Also absolutely.</p>
<p>6.) Location in the research triangle. This is one of the more minor points, but our location amongst the high-powered pharmaceutical companies does make it easier to attract biotechnology-oriented professors, faculty, companies, internships, etc. Duke Medical Center attracts a lot of exciting research for this purpose, and that may impact the premedical experience somewhat.</p>
<p>That doesn't even begin to talk about reputation, courses that prepare you for the MCAT, a pre-professional slant at Duke (which is good for pre-professional students like pre-meds), really world class science buildings like the French Science Building and CIEMAS, a commitment to genomics and science as a future, the interdisciplinary focus of most of our science programs, including medical humanities classes and the excellence of our biomedical engineering.</p>
<p>PM me if you have anymore questions. Hope you decide to become a Dukie!:)</p>
<p>"5.) Warmth.......... You won't hear of us stealing each other's notes or sabotaging projects. We study together." </p>
<p>Uh, are you alluding to the urban legend of Hopkins? cause that's quite a weak argument of "why duke"</p>
<p>Otherwise</p>
<p>"Why Duke" sounds like what someone would write if they were to respond "Why Hopkins"</p>
<p>no offense thats just generic material pre made.... any dimwit who is a tour guide has to do this... at least make it spontaneous and like from the heart...</p>
<p>No one is doubting that Duke, UCB are not good schools... but if you want the best of the best, in a major you prefer, in a major you know you'll love... go to the best school for that major... in terms of medicine, i mean come on.... JHU is world renowned... is the best medical school for specialists in cardiovascular anatomy and physiology.... IS THE BEST IN PATHOPHYSIOLOGY DUE TO ITS AMAZING RESEARCH FACILITIES... even my mentor, Dr. Al-Ghaity- Neurosurgeon, at the civics hospital in CANADA, knows more about the things doctors do that are all graduates from JHU, and has heard a few from those other schools mainly cuz they arent as well known... and in terms of being subjective, the doctors he has made friends with from JHU are actually quite extrovert, very brilliant, easy to relate to, down to earth, and are willing to help influence future candidates of med school- like myself.... so i mean you gotta go with preference... you should take initiative to meet with people... not be a turtle in a shell with ur acceptance letters and base it on nothing... you have a mouth, a mind, and fingers to type in a phone number.. do it and ask to talk to head of faculties and medical schools for each university...</p>
<p>there done now you dont have to ask for everyone's opinion...</p>
<p>hopkins is tough to get into for BME... you'll be getting the most academically at JHU (by very very little over duke)... why don't u do duke BME? it's almost as prestigious and as good IMO as hopkin's... they're just focused on different things in their BME... </p>
<p>i am going to duke, just b/c i love the social scene there... idk about JHU's, but i DO know that it isn't as good at Duke's... then again, it depends on what u call a "social scene"...</p>
<p>Berkeley is also great... i think u should give duke a chance</p>
<p>you'll do as well when it comes to medical school whether u go to any of the 3... choose the one you'd enjoy the most and which one suits you</p>