<p>Anyone get in?</p>
<p>called up tcnj and they said that they'll be gettin' the list of acceptees in roughly a week. Last year, they sent out admissions notifications around april 15th....well that's what the lady told me.</p>
<p>They're sooo bad....they should really get things in faster!</p>
<p>They started coming out starting from today =)</p>
<p>got in but not likely going</p>
<p>Hi All,</p>
<p>My S just got accepted in TCNJ/UMDNJ 7 year BS/MD program.</p>
<p>Anyone else on-line who has been accepted?</p>
<p>Just got the call - accepted! So unexpected! =]</p>
<p>i got the call yesterday. did anyone else apply for the math degree?</p>
<p>Pharmagal, I have tried to PM you, but your file is full. I think my letter may help others deciding on the program. So, I've decided to post it.</p>
<p>Hi!
Congrats on your son's admission into the program. This year there was a record number of applicants, so you should be very proud of your son's scholarly achievement.
I'm currently in the program with Rutgers, finishing my second year of the "undergraduate experience". I have to say that the program has lived up to its expectations, in so far as granting me a spot in medical school. I'm doing the program in 6 years (I don't think TCNJ allows you to do this, though). So, I'll be starting NJMS this August. Overall, I've enjoyed my undergraduate years, knowing that I have a spot saved for me at medical school as long as keep a 3.3 GPA (very easy) and score average on the MCAT (that's a lot of pressure off my back). I'm sure your son will be (has been) accepted into many other prestigious institutes and programs and will be deciding where he wants to go. It's a very hard decision to make. It was odd when my high school friends heard that their valedictorian is going to Rutgers instead of HPME or Yale. Yet, for the most part, I think that a joint program trumps an ivy league any day of the week. Many people go crazy over name (brand loyalty, I guess), but, then again, they know little about what's important in becoming a doctor (residency!). Not to say that a degree from Harvard Medical school means little (by far, I think anyone would opt to go there if given the chance), but the outcome changes little if you want to stay on the clinical side of things. NJMS has a strong list of applicants who got into some of the best residency programs (please check my posting at my website: <a href="http://med.h3k.googlepages.com/%5B/url%5D">http://med.h3k.googlepages.com/</a> for this year's match list). I'm sure your son will be able to get into one of these prestigious residencies at the end of his 7 years, as I am guessing he will do equally well on the USMLE Step 1 for residency selection as he did on his SATs.
There are many talented students that enter the program through TCNJ and your son will thoroughly enjoy their companionship over the next years. Last year, a girl, who was her class's valedictorian and received a 2370 on her SATs, left Princeton to go to TCNJ-NJMS. So the caliber of students in the program is quite high. Yet, I do have to admit, outside my small group of BA/MDers at Rutgers, I feel somewhat isolated from the rest of population -- that is, in an intellectual sense. So that, along with other factors, propelled me to finish my undergrad. earlier. Yet, in the long run, I think I would not have enjoyed the Ivy League experience being a pre-med (not to mention the additional debt...)
If your son does plan to marticulate into the program, I would suggest that he do well in his classes, score high on the MCAT, and continue his extracurricular activities. This will give him the opportunity to receive merit aid from NJMS, if he plans to stay. But, if he wants to apply out of the program, he will be strong candidate at many schools. Yet, a facet of the program that learned during the later years is that once you apply to another medical school your admissions into NJMS is rescinded. I scored very well on the MCAT (in the 99 percentile) and have a 4.0 GPA. But, I am going to stay in the program -- mostly because I save two years, finances, and my lack of strong ECs at college. A few years back, a person with a score like mine applied out of program and was admitted into Harvard Medical School. So, in a way, you could use the 7 year as a medical school backup. Nonetheless, I have emphasized that it is residency that matters (unless you want to go into research, in which case the school's reputation also plays some factor). So, it is comparitively easier to get a higher class rank at NJMS and that, combined with a strong performance on Step 1, will get you into some of the most desired residencies. For example, this year someone got a dermatology residency at Harvard's affiliated MGH (extremely difficult).
I know that you must also be concerned with the recent scandals that are occuring at UMDNJ. This, sadly, has lowered the reputation of the institution in the eyes of the public. Nonetheless, these scandals involve the hospital and associated administration and has little impact on NJMS as a medical school. NJMS has accreditation for the next 8 years, so the school is doing fine.
I think I've covered many things and am sure that you may have additional questions. Please feel free to PM me if you need help in deciding where to go or related issues. Also, if you want, I'm sure TCNJ can have you speak to a student currently in the program.</p>
<p>my Son got in too (calls from TCNJ and stevens)</p>
<p>haven't gotten a call...boo that</p>
<p>Hydrogen3k,
Greatly appreciate your detailed response. This is very much what I needed to hear, especially, the link on residencies for graduating students.
If I were your Prof, I would give you an A+ for your detailed response. With your communication skills, I have no doubt you will excel in your interactions with your patients. </p>
<p>I have let my S know where to find you. He will most likely follow up with you by PM. Many thanks again for helping us in our decision-making process.
Best regards,</p>
<p>No problem. I know its hard to make such a decision, especially when it means that you have barely a month to chose where you'll be for the next several years. Again, please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any additional questions.</p>
<p>Hydrogen3K,</p>
<p>Any chance you could post a link for UMDNJ 2006 match list as well? It would be good to have historical data.</p>
<p>Thanks much,</p>
<p>2006 NJMS
Anesthesiology 4% 8
Dermatology 1.6% 3
Emergency Medicine 6.3% 12
Family Practice 4.7% 9
General Surgery 5.7% 11
Internal Medicine 15.6% 30
Medicine-Pediatrics 1.6% 3
Medicine-Preliminary 11.5% 22
Medicine Primary 0.5% 1
Neurology 1.0% 2
Neurosurgery 1.6% 3
Obstetrics-Gynecology 6.3% 12
Ophthalmology 2.1% 4
Orthopaedic Surgery 4.7% 9
Otolaryngology 0.5% 1
Pathology 1.0% 2
Pathology/Comb-Anat. & Clin. 1.0% 1
Pediatrics 5.7% 11
Pediatrics-Primary 0.5% 1
Plastics and Reconstructive Surgery 0.5% 1
Psychiatry 3.6% 7
Radiation Oncology 1.0% 2
Radiology-Diagnostic 5.2% 10
Surgery-Preliminary 5.7% 11
Transitional 6.3% 12
Urology 2.1% 4</p>
<p>Would appreciate thoughts (pros, cons) on the various BS options Rutgers Newark vs TCNJ primarily.. (I assume Drew and Stevens are not as good)
Those who are planning to accept the NJMS offer which BS will you opt for?</p>
<p>Please find the additional lists on my website (just updated):
<a href="http://med.h3k.googlepages.com%5B/url%5D">http://med.h3k.googlepages.com</a>
The trend is that its been getting better; I believe this is correlated with the popularity of the BA/MD program. Many of the kids from the program are getting those great residencies.</p>
<p>4peace,
That's a good question and I'm sure many people in the program have had to choose between the two. I, for one, did not know of TCNJ and only applied through Rutgers. I know relatively little about TCNJ, so I can't talk much about it and, thus, my response will focus on Rutgers.
The pros of Rutgers are:
1. Good scholarship opportunities. I, for one, am receiving a full tuition and, as I don't stay on campus, I get a 11,000/year stipend check for my own spending.
2. Rutgers allows you to do the program in 6 years if you want. I don't believe TCNJ allows this to be so.
3. Rutgers is a bigger university, so there are many opportunities and classes one can choose from.
4. Rutgers has a stronger research establishment and many recognized scientists that you can work with.
5. It's very easy to keep a 3.3 GPA at Rutgers.
6. Overall, Rutgers has better recognition across the country. Many know of Rutgers, but few of TCNJ. This may be a plus if you wish to apply out to other medical schools.
7. There are talks of merging Rutgers with UMDNJ and NJIT (so, I guess that may help the institute(s) ).
8. Rutgers is close to NJMS. So, you'll know the community better and be better adapted for the medical school experience. Moreover, you can start doing some research there during undergrad and continue into medical school. So, working with the same person for such a long period would give you an extremely strong recommendation letter and a chance for a publication (this will greatly help your residency application).
9. We're close to NYC. So, if you want something to do over the weekend, the train will get you to the city in 15 minutes. Moreover, there are a few people who have a research position at Cornell/Columbia medical schools in the city.</p>
<p>There are many other things, but nothing is coming to mind (I just had an exam...)</p>
<p>In regards to cons:
1. I guess for some, Newark is not an attractive place. The campus is TCNJ is supposedly better -- I haven't been there, so I can't say anything. But, if your coming here for medical school, its good to know the city (where and where not to go). I haven't encountered any trouble during my last two years, but I wouldn't suggest walking around Newark late at night alone. But, in the university area, there is ample security. NJIT, Rutgers, Essex CC, and UMDNJ are all in the same area (university heights), so we have a combined additional police and security force.
2. I guess there aren't that many people that have the same intellectual curiosity at Rutgers Newark as there would be at, let's say, MIT or an Ivy. For example, on my first organic exam, I got a 98, while the average for this 100 person class was a 35. But, the people on campus are very, very friendly. Moreover, this is a good thing, as you don't have to try that hard to keep up a GPA. But, at times, you feel a little isolated (but this has been a rare experience for me -- as a matter of fact, many people respect me for my scores and I always try to help them raise their grade). I don't know if this is the case at TCNJ. Moreover, at TCNJ, there are a few more people who go to the BA/MD program. So, its good to have 10 people that you will be with for the next several years and a few more who are a year a two ahead of you. This can build some strong relationships. At Rutgers, however, there are some people in the BA/MD program, and we're like one big family. But, in my year, TCNJ had only a couple more people than we did; the next year, however, more people chose TCNJ.</p>
<p>So, in general, I think you'll be happy wherever you go. Moreover, it matters little, as at the end of the day you'll have that MD from NJMS.</p>
<p>Do rejections come later than acceptances?</p>
<p>I guess TCNJ calls the accepted people, but sends rejections via mail. Rutgers sends both at the same time via mail.</p>