Stoneybrook V. CUNY HUNTER

Let Us Help You Get Accepted into Medical School.
This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
D

DocRo

Junior Member
10+ Year Member
5+ Year Member
15+ Year Member
Joined
Jul 18, 2004
Messages
22
Reaction score
0
Members do not see this ad.
I'm planning on attending one of these schools as a post-bacc starting this summer (2005) and was wondering the benefits each has, if one has a higher acceptance rate into medical school than the other and if one is more academically challenging than the other. Any advice is highly appreciated. Thanks!
 
DocRo said:
I'm planning on attending one of these schools as a post-bacc starting this summer (2005) and was wondering the benefits each has, if one has a higher acceptance rate into medical school than the other and if one is more academically challenging than the other. Any advice is highly appreciated. Thanks!
Click to expand...

Having been an undergrad at Stony Brook for three years and a year and a half at a CUNY, I'd say Stony Brook science courses are more rigorous and challenging. Also, Stony Brook's graduate programs in physics and math rank around 20 by USNEWS and its graduate biology and chemistry programs rank around 50. However you take these rankings (and they are graduate programs only), Stony Brook is known for its hard science programs.

The health professions committee will even write you a recommendation letter if you take most of the premed classes at Stony (http://ws.cc.stonybrook.edu/spd/graduate/premed.html)

Anyway, I was also deciding between the two programs, but ultimately chose Stony Brook. If you start this summer, you can finish all your premed classes in one year. They offer general chemistry 1 and 2 with labs in the summer so you can take OChem in the fall and spring semesters(http://www.stonybrook.edu/summer/PreUndergrad%2005.htm).

I have no idea what the acceptance rates are for both schools, but I'd assume that you'd have a better chance if you could do "as well" in a more challenging school(and it helps more in preparing for the MCAT). However, there are lots of Hunter post-baccs here who have applauded its quality(take a look at the "Hunter, hunter, hunter" thread), so maybe there isn't a difference in academic quality after all.

If you want to finish the program in as little time as possible, you'd have no problem registering for the premed classes you want (although they might be full for a little while, dozens of students ALWAYS drop the classes a few days before the first day and more will drop during the first week.)

Tuition is about the same. Stony seems to be better academically. Classes are always open. They will write me a committe letter(as will Hunter). It was an easy choice for me.

HTH!

🙂
 
mikem,

Do you know if it would be possible to complete most of the pre-med reqs during the evening at Stony Brook? I'm still trying to decide where to start taking my classes next Fall. It's either going to be on an informal basis at Suny Farmingdale, Hunter or Stony Brook. Thank you.
 
dok101 said:
mikem,

Do you know if it would be possible to complete most of the pre-med reqs during the evening at Stony Brook? I'm still trying to decide where to start taking my classes next Fall. It's either going to be on an informal basis at Suny Farmingdale, Hunter or Stony Brook. Thank you.
Click to expand...

Historically, Gen Chem-1, Orgo-1 are offered in Fall and Summer-1only, during DAYTIME ONLY. Similarly, Gen Chem-2 and Orgo-2 are offered in Spring and Summer-2 only, during DAYTIME ONLY. That rules out any possibilities of taking these classes in the evening.
If you prefer to talk to the Chemistry department at SUNY-Stony Brook, you call reach them at Telephone: (631) 632 7880. If you want, you can download the course catalog for the Spring 2005 semester and search for CHE class 132, 322 and 327 (orgo lab). http://www.stonybrook.edu/registrar/forms/UG.pdf
Orgo lab is offereed during both Fall and Spring semesters and Summer-1 and Summer-2 sessions.
Hope this helps. Feel free to PM me with any more questions. Good luck.
 
Doc2b,

Thanks for the response. I guess that rules out Stony Brook. I see that you will be attending NYCOM starting in the fall. Congrats! I have a friend who is a 2nd year, another who is a 4th year and another who graduated last year from NYCOM. They all think very highly of the school. My friend who is graduating this year matched up with a Pediatrics residency and the other one who already graduated will begin his Radiology residency next year at NUMC. Anyway, good luck and thanks again for responding to my question.
 
This was great advice thanks! Also, is it a bad idea to try and push to finish all these sciences in one year in order to make the august MCAT?? I'll be finishing with Phyisics II during summer session I.
 
I think they've been offering gen chem1 & 2, physics 1 & 2, and the required math/english courses in BOTH the fall and spring semesters since I started as an undergrad back in 1996. However, gen chem 1 lab is only offered in the fall and in summer 1 while gen chem 2 lab is offered only in the spring and in summer 2. You get the option to take the chem labs after you have taken chem courses.

As for biology, there are three sequences(bio 201, bio 202, and bio 203) to introductory biology, but any two of them will satisfy the premed biology requirements. Though there is a pre-req class for these three classes, it is waived for post-bacs. Bio 201 is only offered in fall, while bio 203 is only offered in spring, and bio 202 is offered in both semesters.
 
DocRo said:
This was great advice thanks! Also, is it a bad idea to try and push to finish all these sciences in one year in order to make the august MCAT?? I'll be finishing with Phyisics II during summer session I.
Click to expand...


Hey Doc,

It depends on how many classes you need to take. It seems like you will already have some of the courses taken care of by this summer? I started the post-bac this semester (well today... first day of class today 🙂 ). I only need to take all the science courses and I plan to take some advance bio courses. Well, here's how I have planned my schedule for three semesters (and summer).

Spring '05
1) physics 1 and lab
2) gen chem 1
3) bio 203

Summer 1 '05
1) gen chem lab

Summer 2 '05
1) gen chem 2 and lab

Fall '05
1) physics 2 and lab
2) o-chem 1 and lab
3) bio 201
4) bio 202

Spring '06
1) o-chem 2 and lab
2) cell biology
3) genetics
4) April MCAT
............................

If you want to finish in a year, this is how you can do it if you start in the summer(and I'm sure these courses will be offered for that semester they're listed under):

Summer 1 '05
1) gen chem 1 and lab

Summer 2 '05
1) gen chem 2 and lab

Fall '05
1) physics 1 and lab
2) o-chem 1 and lab
3) bio 201 AND/OR bio 202

Spring '06
1) physics 2 and lab
2) o-chem 2 and lab
3) bio 203 AND/OR bio 202

If you need to, you can squeeze in the math and English requirements during Fall and Spring (you could do the English in summer 05 or summer 06 also). However, you won't be able to take advance bio or advance chemistry courses because all of them have o-chem OR bio 202 & 203 as pre-requisites.

If you're doing it full-time and not working at a job, three science courses a semester (plus 1 math or English if needed) shouldn't be an overload. Good luck!
 
I do actually only need to take my sciences and the schedule you planned out is what stoneybrook planned for me too, minus the physics I in the fall semester. I was afraid of the overload with orgo and bio because I'm really dry on my sciences (haven't taken them since freshman year), but I guess it is doable right? I just don't want to mess up like I did freshman year.
 
mikem said:
If you start this summer, you can finish all your premed classes in one year. They offer general chemistry 1 and 2 with labs in the summer so you can take OChem in the fall and spring semesters.
Click to expand...

hi mikem! is that 1 year full time?
 
DocRo said:
I do actually only need to take my sciences and the schedule you planned out is what stoneybrook planned for me too, minus the physics I in the fall semester. I was afraid of the overload with orgo and bio because I'm really dry on my sciences (haven't taken them since freshman year), but I guess it is doable right? I just don't want to mess up like I did freshman year.
Click to expand...


One Orgo, one bio, and one physics combine for 12 credit hours and that is the minimum to be considered full time (12 credits) at Stony Brook. The average full time undergrad takes about 15 credits (four to five classes), so you should be fine taking 12 credits if you're doing it full time.
 
hsl227 said:
hi mikem! is that 1 year full time?
Click to expand...

Yes, that's one year starting in the summer I term.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top