Thursday, December 18, 2008
UNC Decision
I was officially rejected by UNC today. I assumed this was coming since UNC never even asked me for a secondary application. UNC is a competitive school and only a few spots are available for out-of-state applicants. I'm not bothered by UNC's decision because I have acceptances to some excellent schools and I can't realistically expect to not be rejected at some schools.
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Eastern Virginia Decision
I received a letter today saying that I had been accepted at EVa. I am not accepting a spot in their class. I didn't like the school and don't want to hold a spot that someone else may want. I am sending EVa a letter to withdraw my application.
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Update
At this point I'm definitely leaning towards going to OSU. All of the pieces seem to come together to indicate that OSU is a great fit for me. Because I am fairly certain OSU is where I want to go, I'm not going to reschedule my interview with NEOUCOM. I'm also going to withdraw my application from Toledo and Wright State so that someone else can take my spot since I have no intent to go there. I'm not ready to withdraw my application from Wake Forest yet just in case something changes. Wake Forest is an excellent school, but it is more expensive and further away than OSU.
Of the schools I haven't heard from yet, the only school from whom I would accept an interview invitation would be Cincinnati. None of the other schools seem as though they would be a good fit in comparison to OSU. If I interview at Cincinnati, I would definitely go with an open mind and consider it, but I still think it's likely that OSU is where I will end up.
Of the schools I haven't heard from yet, the only school from whom I would accept an interview invitation would be Cincinnati. None of the other schools seem as though they would be a good fit in comparison to OSU. If I interview at Cincinnati, I would definitely go with an open mind and consider it, but I still think it's likely that OSU is where I will end up.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
NEOUCOM Interview Recap
I actually didn't go to my interview at NEOUCOM today. I woke up not feeling well and called to let them know I could not make it in. I'm not sure at this point if I will reschedule or not.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
OSU Decision!
I got accepted at OSU! I'm really excited about that because OSU is looking as though it is my first choice. I'm not entirely certain it is where I will go yet, but I'm definitely leaning that way.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Penn State Decision
I received a letter from Penn State today informing me that I have been placed on their wait list. The wording of their letter was a little unclear, and I'm not sure if they continue to evaluate the wait list throughout the season or whether they wait until May to look at the list again. Either way, Penn State is not a top choice for me, so being put on their wait list is not something that bothers me. I really liked Penn State, but their tuition for an out of state student is too high to justify when I have acceptances from great schools that cost less.
Friday, November 14, 2008
Eastern Virginia Interview Recap
I was not impressed with EVMS (Eastern Virginia Medical School) or the city of Norfolk. The traffic in Norfolk was terrible - after my interview it took us 40 minutes to make it five miles down the highway. The campus itself wasn't terrible, but it was a little outdated. EVMS seems behind the curve on technology and curriculum. Their curriculum is the old method, which is much like most high schools where you have multiple courses going on at once. Most med schools have switched to a block approach where you only have one main course at one time and it is intense and condensed, but you have less to focus on. In a block/integrated approach, you may have a month where all you learn about is the kidney, but when you're done with that block, you move on. At EVMS, you have an anatomy class, a histology class, a physiology class, and some others all going on at the same time. Because of this, exams are tough. The students had just had six exams in two weeks when I was there. With a block approach, you have fewer exams at one time because you have fewer courses.
The day started at 10:00am with an interview group of seventeen applicants. We then went to a presentation by the clinical skills staff. This presentation was really useful and interesting. What the clinical skills staff does is train the students to work with standardized patients. SPs are members of the community who are trained to act out certain diseases/symptoms. So a SP may be given a case about depression and will act that way for a med student to figure out. The benefit of SPs is that they give med students a way to practice with patients in a setting where mistakes don't matter. If you misdiagnose a SP, no one gets hurt. SPs also give you feedback after the interaction to tell you how they felt you did from a patient's perspective. These interactions can be very useful and most med schools take advantage of SPs to some degree. EVMS seems to have a really developed program for SPs, but I don't think that an SP program matters nearly as much as the curriculum itself. The presentation was fun because we were able to actually interview a SP and see what it is like.
Around 11:15am we went on a tour of the children's hospital. The hospital was nice, but since I've seen St. Jude, I think I'm a little harder to impress than most. After we saw the hospital, we were given a tour of the med school building. As I mentioned, the facilities weren't bad but they weren't overly impressive either.
After the tours, around 12:45pm, we ate lunch with some medical students and also had a short financial aid presentation. By this point in the day I had realized that EVMS was not a good fit for me at all. From 1:45pm to 3:30pm I had absolutely nothing to do and sat around and chatted with a few other applicants while we waiting for our interviews.
At 3:30pm my interview started. The interview was a panel format, meaning I was interviewed by three people at the same time. Two of them were faculty members and one was a student. One of the three was on the admissions committee, and I wasn't supposed to know which one, but by halfway through the interview I could tell which one was on the committee. The format was difficult itself, but the questions they asked were the most difficult I have had as well. They asked me to compare the US healthcare system to other countries'. I don't know much of anything about international healthcare, but I was able to come up with a somewhat effective answer. The ethical question they asked later was the most difficult. The scenario started with a 14-year-old asking for an abortion and how I would handle it. Every time I would come up with something to say, they would change the scenario. By the end of the scenario, it had changed to a 14-year-old that had been impregnanted by being raped by her father. It was really tough to handle and figure out where to go with the conversation.
At 4:30pm, I was done and heading back. When I left, I knew that EVMS was not an option for me. Other than being close to the beach, EVMS didn't have much that appealed to me.
Strengths:
Close to the beach!
Warmer weather
Strong SP program
Weaknesses:
Cost
Distance from home
Mediocre program
Curriculum
Terrible town
Old technology
High cost of living
I didn't like EVMS at all. Even if they extend an acceptance to me, I would not hold a spot in the EVMS class. Out of respect for other applicants, I would not want to take a spot in a class that they may be waiting on.
The day started at 10:00am with an interview group of seventeen applicants. We then went to a presentation by the clinical skills staff. This presentation was really useful and interesting. What the clinical skills staff does is train the students to work with standardized patients. SPs are members of the community who are trained to act out certain diseases/symptoms. So a SP may be given a case about depression and will act that way for a med student to figure out. The benefit of SPs is that they give med students a way to practice with patients in a setting where mistakes don't matter. If you misdiagnose a SP, no one gets hurt. SPs also give you feedback after the interaction to tell you how they felt you did from a patient's perspective. These interactions can be very useful and most med schools take advantage of SPs to some degree. EVMS seems to have a really developed program for SPs, but I don't think that an SP program matters nearly as much as the curriculum itself. The presentation was fun because we were able to actually interview a SP and see what it is like.
Around 11:15am we went on a tour of the children's hospital. The hospital was nice, but since I've seen St. Jude, I think I'm a little harder to impress than most. After we saw the hospital, we were given a tour of the med school building. As I mentioned, the facilities weren't bad but they weren't overly impressive either.
After the tours, around 12:45pm, we ate lunch with some medical students and also had a short financial aid presentation. By this point in the day I had realized that EVMS was not a good fit for me at all. From 1:45pm to 3:30pm I had absolutely nothing to do and sat around and chatted with a few other applicants while we waiting for our interviews.
At 3:30pm my interview started. The interview was a panel format, meaning I was interviewed by three people at the same time. Two of them were faculty members and one was a student. One of the three was on the admissions committee, and I wasn't supposed to know which one, but by halfway through the interview I could tell which one was on the committee. The format was difficult itself, but the questions they asked were the most difficult I have had as well. They asked me to compare the US healthcare system to other countries'. I don't know much of anything about international healthcare, but I was able to come up with a somewhat effective answer. The ethical question they asked later was the most difficult. The scenario started with a 14-year-old asking for an abortion and how I would handle it. Every time I would come up with something to say, they would change the scenario. By the end of the scenario, it had changed to a 14-year-old that had been impregnanted by being raped by her father. It was really tough to handle and figure out where to go with the conversation.
At 4:30pm, I was done and heading back. When I left, I knew that EVMS was not an option for me. Other than being close to the beach, EVMS didn't have much that appealed to me.
Strengths:
Close to the beach!
Warmer weather
Strong SP program
Weaknesses:
Cost
Distance from home
Mediocre program
Curriculum
Terrible town
Old technology
High cost of living
I didn't like EVMS at all. Even if they extend an acceptance to me, I would not hold a spot in the EVMS class. Out of respect for other applicants, I would not want to take a spot in a class that they may be waiting on.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Ohio State Interview Recap
My Ohio State interview went really well. The campus is really pretty and the buildings all look really nice. If you go off campus too far, the area isn't very nice or safe, but the campus itself is impressive. OSU also has a tunnel system for days when Ohio weather is a little too much. OSU's technology is incredible. They give all of their students a new iPod touch and students can wirelessly download videos of all lectures and access medical software from the iPod (which has built in wireless internet). They also have a laptop program where students can purchase discounted high-tech laptops at enrollment.
I checked in around 9:45am and the interview group was about fifteen students. The group that I was interviewing with was pretty intimidating. There were interviewees from Stanford, Notre Dame, Northwestern, UCLA, Cornell, Duke, and other top-ranked schools.
From 10:00am to 11:30am, we were in a conference room and had presentations on financial aid, curriculum, research opportunities, and med school life. The med school life presentation was given by a fourth year medical student, and talking with her was helpful to see what med school is like throughout the process. Ohio State's curriculum is interesting because after ten weeks of anatomy you can choose to do the more traditional integrated pathway which involves lectures and small-group learning or you can choose the independent study pathway which involves almost entirely self-directed learning.
At 11:30am, lunch was brought in for us and six medical students joined us. There were three first-year students, two second-year students, and one fourth-year student. Some of the students were doing the independent study pathway, and some were doing the integrated pathway. About 80% of class does the standard integrated pathway - which is what I think I would choose if I went to OSU. I think I would do better with the more structured system than trying to rely on my own timing and motivation.
After lunch, we went on a short tour to see the anatomy lab, clinical-skills lab, library, and lecture halls. I was a little disappointed by the tour because I felt as though we didn't get to see much. Because the tour was so short, we had a lot of time before our interviews started. I wish the tour had been longer so that I hadn't sat in the conference room with nothing to do for over an hour.
At 1:50pm, I had my student interview, which only lasted fifteen minutes. The student knew all about my application and essays but did not have access to my MCAT score or GPA. I think this interview went well and fifteen minutes goes really quickly. Her questions were all pretty standard, and she just wanted to know more about activities I had listed on my application and things that I had done.
My faculty interview started at 2:15pm and lasted about forty-five minutes. I think this interview went extremely well. A few things I said really impressed her and none of her questions caught me too off guard. The question that made me think the most was when she asked me to define success. She was extremely nice and I enjoyed talking with her. A few times in the interview she was so impressed with my response that she had me pause so she could write it down.
Overall, my interview day was really laid back. Interviews get easier the more that I do, and having some acceptances takes a lot of pressure off of me. By 3:00pm, I was heading home.
Strengths:
Phenomenal reputation
Excellent hospitals
Close to home
Low tuition
Excellent technology
Good research opportunities
Low cost of living
Curriculum
Weaknesses:
Large class size (210)
Not the safest area
Going into this interview, I was almost hoping that I wouldn't like the school so that my decision would be a little easier. Because I liked OSU so much, the choice is going to be difficult between OSU and Wake. I don't know for sure if I will be accepted, but I should hear from OSU in about ten days. If I am accepted to OSU, I will have a lot of thinking to do about OSU and Wake Forest. Both places have some excellent strengths, and at this point I'm undecided on where I would want to go.
I checked in around 9:45am and the interview group was about fifteen students. The group that I was interviewing with was pretty intimidating. There were interviewees from Stanford, Notre Dame, Northwestern, UCLA, Cornell, Duke, and other top-ranked schools.
From 10:00am to 11:30am, we were in a conference room and had presentations on financial aid, curriculum, research opportunities, and med school life. The med school life presentation was given by a fourth year medical student, and talking with her was helpful to see what med school is like throughout the process. Ohio State's curriculum is interesting because after ten weeks of anatomy you can choose to do the more traditional integrated pathway which involves lectures and small-group learning or you can choose the independent study pathway which involves almost entirely self-directed learning.
At 11:30am, lunch was brought in for us and six medical students joined us. There were three first-year students, two second-year students, and one fourth-year student. Some of the students were doing the independent study pathway, and some were doing the integrated pathway. About 80% of class does the standard integrated pathway - which is what I think I would choose if I went to OSU. I think I would do better with the more structured system than trying to rely on my own timing and motivation.
After lunch, we went on a short tour to see the anatomy lab, clinical-skills lab, library, and lecture halls. I was a little disappointed by the tour because I felt as though we didn't get to see much. Because the tour was so short, we had a lot of time before our interviews started. I wish the tour had been longer so that I hadn't sat in the conference room with nothing to do for over an hour.
At 1:50pm, I had my student interview, which only lasted fifteen minutes. The student knew all about my application and essays but did not have access to my MCAT score or GPA. I think this interview went well and fifteen minutes goes really quickly. Her questions were all pretty standard, and she just wanted to know more about activities I had listed on my application and things that I had done.
My faculty interview started at 2:15pm and lasted about forty-five minutes. I think this interview went extremely well. A few things I said really impressed her and none of her questions caught me too off guard. The question that made me think the most was when she asked me to define success. She was extremely nice and I enjoyed talking with her. A few times in the interview she was so impressed with my response that she had me pause so she could write it down.
Overall, my interview day was really laid back. Interviews get easier the more that I do, and having some acceptances takes a lot of pressure off of me. By 3:00pm, I was heading home.
Strengths:
Phenomenal reputation
Excellent hospitals
Close to home
Low tuition
Excellent technology
Good research opportunities
Low cost of living
Curriculum
Weaknesses:
Large class size (210)
Not the safest area
Going into this interview, I was almost hoping that I wouldn't like the school so that my decision would be a little easier. Because I liked OSU so much, the choice is going to be difficult between OSU and Wake. I don't know for sure if I will be accepted, but I should hear from OSU in about ten days. If I am accepted to OSU, I will have a lot of thinking to do about OSU and Wake Forest. Both places have some excellent strengths, and at this point I'm undecided on where I would want to go.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Toledo Decision
I just received an acceptance for Toledo. I'm going to hold a spot in the class because I am still really unsure of where I will go. This could be a really tough decision between where I really want to go (Wake at this point) and where is much more affordable (Wright or Toledo).
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Case Western Decision
I've been put on "hold" for Case. It's a version of a wait list. Basically, they aren't ready to accept me yet, but they'll keep reviewing my file throughout the year. They could accept me in two weeks, in 2 months, in 6 months, never...who knows. To be blunt, I don't really care what Case does with my file. The chances of my going there are slim to none even if they accepted me. I've gotten an offer from Wake Forest, which is cheaper and a better program - so at this point, I really don't see any reason why I would go to Case. I'm not saying I'm going to Wake for sure, I'm just saying they are a much better offer than Case.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Wright State Decision
I just got an acceptance letter from Wright State. I'm going to hold a spot in this class as well just to keep my options open still. I don't need to decide where I'm going for sure for quite a while.
Monday, October 13, 2008
Toledo Interview Recap
My interview at Toledo went well. The school is not located in the heart of Toledo, but rather in a nice outer part of the city. The campus itself is pretty with lots of trees. A really cool thing about their campus is that there are tunnels connecting every building, so when Ohio weather is at its finest, you never have to go outside. The buildings themselves look pretty nice from the outside but most of them are quite outdated. Toledo seems to be behind the curve with technology in general.
I checked in around 9:15am along with nine other applicants. At 9:30am, we had a financial aid/admissions presentation. After about two of these, they all sound the same.
At 11:00am I had my first interview. My first faculty interviewer was an ethics professor, so he asked me some pretty challenging questions. Overall, I think my interview went really well. The most challenging question he asked me was probably "at what point should the physician overrule the parent's desires for treatment if the physician doesn't feel the parents are acting in the best interests of a dying child?" The question wasn't asked exactly like that, but it was the basic idea he was getting at. He also asked if the physician should be considered the captain of the ship, so to speak. My response to that question really impressed him - he literally said "That was a really good answer!"
At noon, we had lunch and a tour with three third-year medical students. They were informative and helpful. The tour of the facilities was not especially impressive, as I mentioned earlier. A good example is that the anatomy lab (which consumes hours of time) is in the basement of a building with poor ventilation and only three monitors (some schools have one monitor per station).
At 1:15pm I had my second faculty interviewer. She was extremely nice and this interview went really well. She began the interview by reading to me all of the criteria the admissions committee wanted her to evaluate me on so that I knew what she was looking for. She asked me some challenging questions, but none were exceptionally difficult. The ethical question she asked me was, "If an elderly patient is dying and the family asks you not to tell the patient of their prognosis (probable outcome), do you tell them anyway?" At the end of this interview she said, "I really hope you get in and decide to come here. Keep me posted!"
By 2:00pm I was done and heading home.
Strengths:
Location
Cost
Decent reputation/program
Low cost of living
Nice campus
Weaknesses:
Poor technology
Outdated Buildings
Large class size
I should hear from Toledo in 4-6 weeks. All things considered, I think Wake Forest is still my top choice of the schools I have interviewed at. Case is still last. I'm not really sure what order the remaining three would be in yet.
I checked in around 9:15am along with nine other applicants. At 9:30am, we had a financial aid/admissions presentation. After about two of these, they all sound the same.
At 11:00am I had my first interview. My first faculty interviewer was an ethics professor, so he asked me some pretty challenging questions. Overall, I think my interview went really well. The most challenging question he asked me was probably "at what point should the physician overrule the parent's desires for treatment if the physician doesn't feel the parents are acting in the best interests of a dying child?" The question wasn't asked exactly like that, but it was the basic idea he was getting at. He also asked if the physician should be considered the captain of the ship, so to speak. My response to that question really impressed him - he literally said "That was a really good answer!"
At noon, we had lunch and a tour with three third-year medical students. They were informative and helpful. The tour of the facilities was not especially impressive, as I mentioned earlier. A good example is that the anatomy lab (which consumes hours of time) is in the basement of a building with poor ventilation and only three monitors (some schools have one monitor per station).
At 1:15pm I had my second faculty interviewer. She was extremely nice and this interview went really well. She began the interview by reading to me all of the criteria the admissions committee wanted her to evaluate me on so that I knew what she was looking for. She asked me some challenging questions, but none were exceptionally difficult. The ethical question she asked me was, "If an elderly patient is dying and the family asks you not to tell the patient of their prognosis (probable outcome), do you tell them anyway?" At the end of this interview she said, "I really hope you get in and decide to come here. Keep me posted!"
By 2:00pm I was done and heading home.
Strengths:
Location
Cost
Decent reputation/program
Low cost of living
Nice campus
Weaknesses:
Poor technology
Outdated Buildings
Large class size
I should hear from Toledo in 4-6 weeks. All things considered, I think Wake Forest is still my top choice of the schools I have interviewed at. Case is still last. I'm not really sure what order the remaining three would be in yet.
Wake Forest Decision!
I received an acceptance letter from Wake Forest today! I'm really excited about it because at this point, Wake Forest is my top choice of the schools I have already visited. I have to let them know in writing that I accept their offer and place a deposit to hold my spot in the class (which is refundable if I decide to not go there - which makes me wonder why there is any point). I am allowed to accept positions at multiple schools until May 15.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
NEOUCOM Interview Invite
I just scheduled an interview with NEOUCOM for November 26. It will be the day just before Thanksgiving, but I did that intentionally. NEOUCOM is much closer to home than it is to school and I knew I'd be home for Thanksgiving break. My interview day will start at 10:45 and will last about four hours.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
OSU Interview Reschedule
I was able to get my OSU interview rescheduled for 11/5, which is two months earlier than they told me it would be. That should significantly help my chances of admission.
Monday, October 6, 2008
Case Western Interview Recap
Case Western went pretty well. My interviews went well, but I don't like the school itself. The traffic on the drive in was only the beginning of the things I didn't like about Case. I needed to be in Cleveland by 8am, so to give time for traffic I had to leave my house by 6am. Getting up at 4:30am was not a good start to my day!
I checked in to the admissions office around 8:00am. There were refreshments out to keep us occupied while we waited for the other applicants. This interview group was the largest I had been a part of, with fifteen applicants. Around 8:30, we had a welcome/introduction session with the director of admissions.
At Case, all applicants had an interview with a faculty member and one with a student. All student interviews took place in the afternoon. Some faculty interviews were in the morning and some were in the afternoon. From 9:00-11:15am was an interview block. Applicants had interviews with different faculty members at different times, but not everyone even had an interview during this block. My faculty interview was from 10:00-10:45am. He spent more time talking about himself and the school then he spent asking me questions. I think he only asked me three or four questions. None of the questions were difficult. I didn't like the interview block format because everyone had down time with nothing to do. I sat for an hour without much to do. Some of the applicants had nothing to do for this entire time. We could go sit in on a class if we wanted, but by the time I would have found the classroom, I would not have had time to make it back to be ready for my interview.
At 11:15am, we met the dean of admissions. She was really friendly and wanted to know who we were, where we were from, and something interesting about each of us. I don't think most (if any) of the other applicants noticed, but while we were talking to her, the director of admissions was in the background taking notes. I'm guessing he was taking notes on our communication skills in a group or something. It's key at any interview day to act as though everyone is interviewing you - even when it isn't a structured interview time. I've heard of schools even getting input from their secretaries on the applicants.
Around 11:30am we had a financial aid presentation. This was about the same as every other presentation I've heard. Case does have a decent number of merit-based scholarships, but even with their scholarships (if I got any), the price may end up higher than state schools (Case is private - which means no in-state advantage).
At noon we had lunch with the director of admissions. While we ate he went over the curriculum in much more detail. Case has a unique curriculum, and it's really strange. Very little time is spent in lecture halls (6-10 hours a week). The larger part of your "class time" is in small learning groups. Each group is mentored by a faculty member, but you are essentially on your own. The groups are given cases to review and research. Much of the work at Case is done independently or in these small groups. Case thinks this new approach is revolutionary. I think it's ridiculous to be paying so much in tuition to be taught by your peers who are as clueless as you are. Case also uses a Pass/Fail system rather than a grading system. I think that a lack of grades encourages students to skate by doing the minimum work - there is no reason to strive for excellence.
After lunch we had a student-led tour. The hospitals were impressive. We didn't see much of the hospitals, but there are four extremely well-ranked hospitals in Cleveland. Not only are there an unusual number of quality hospitals, but Case is the only medical school in the area - so their students have wide access to the faculty and clinicians in the hospitals. The campus itself is definitely a city campus. There is not much green space, but the buildings are pretty. However, if you venture even a block or two in the wrong direction, you can be in a somewhat dangerous part of the city.
From 1:30pm-2pm, we had a student Q&A session. Two second-year medical students were available to answer any questions we had. As I talk with more and more students at various medical schools, I have found it interesting that students always seem happy with the school they have chosen.
From 2:00-4:00pm was another interview block. Some applicants had both their faculty and their student interview during this time. Since I had my faculty interview in the morning, I only had my student interview in the afternoon. She didn't ask me any questions that were out of the ordinary. My interview was at 2:45pm, so I again had some time with nothing to do. When my interview was done at 3:15, I was free to go and was heading back to school.
Strengths:
Phenomenal hospitals
Good reputation for research
Low cost of living
Close to home
Weaknesses:
Cost
Arrogance
Curriculum
Pass/Fail System
Located in Cleveland (unsafe, run down, etc)
Required research
Case is probably at the bottom of my list at this point. The tuition is high and I don't like much about their school. I should hear from them in about four weeks.
I checked in to the admissions office around 8:00am. There were refreshments out to keep us occupied while we waited for the other applicants. This interview group was the largest I had been a part of, with fifteen applicants. Around 8:30, we had a welcome/introduction session with the director of admissions.
At Case, all applicants had an interview with a faculty member and one with a student. All student interviews took place in the afternoon. Some faculty interviews were in the morning and some were in the afternoon. From 9:00-11:15am was an interview block. Applicants had interviews with different faculty members at different times, but not everyone even had an interview during this block. My faculty interview was from 10:00-10:45am. He spent more time talking about himself and the school then he spent asking me questions. I think he only asked me three or four questions. None of the questions were difficult. I didn't like the interview block format because everyone had down time with nothing to do. I sat for an hour without much to do. Some of the applicants had nothing to do for this entire time. We could go sit in on a class if we wanted, but by the time I would have found the classroom, I would not have had time to make it back to be ready for my interview.
At 11:15am, we met the dean of admissions. She was really friendly and wanted to know who we were, where we were from, and something interesting about each of us. I don't think most (if any) of the other applicants noticed, but while we were talking to her, the director of admissions was in the background taking notes. I'm guessing he was taking notes on our communication skills in a group or something. It's key at any interview day to act as though everyone is interviewing you - even when it isn't a structured interview time. I've heard of schools even getting input from their secretaries on the applicants.
Around 11:30am we had a financial aid presentation. This was about the same as every other presentation I've heard. Case does have a decent number of merit-based scholarships, but even with their scholarships (if I got any), the price may end up higher than state schools (Case is private - which means no in-state advantage).
At noon we had lunch with the director of admissions. While we ate he went over the curriculum in much more detail. Case has a unique curriculum, and it's really strange. Very little time is spent in lecture halls (6-10 hours a week). The larger part of your "class time" is in small learning groups. Each group is mentored by a faculty member, but you are essentially on your own. The groups are given cases to review and research. Much of the work at Case is done independently or in these small groups. Case thinks this new approach is revolutionary. I think it's ridiculous to be paying so much in tuition to be taught by your peers who are as clueless as you are. Case also uses a Pass/Fail system rather than a grading system. I think that a lack of grades encourages students to skate by doing the minimum work - there is no reason to strive for excellence.
After lunch we had a student-led tour. The hospitals were impressive. We didn't see much of the hospitals, but there are four extremely well-ranked hospitals in Cleveland. Not only are there an unusual number of quality hospitals, but Case is the only medical school in the area - so their students have wide access to the faculty and clinicians in the hospitals. The campus itself is definitely a city campus. There is not much green space, but the buildings are pretty. However, if you venture even a block or two in the wrong direction, you can be in a somewhat dangerous part of the city.
From 1:30pm-2pm, we had a student Q&A session. Two second-year medical students were available to answer any questions we had. As I talk with more and more students at various medical schools, I have found it interesting that students always seem happy with the school they have chosen.
From 2:00-4:00pm was another interview block. Some applicants had both their faculty and their student interview during this time. Since I had my faculty interview in the morning, I only had my student interview in the afternoon. She didn't ask me any questions that were out of the ordinary. My interview was at 2:45pm, so I again had some time with nothing to do. When my interview was done at 3:15, I was free to go and was heading back to school.
Strengths:
Phenomenal hospitals
Good reputation for research
Low cost of living
Close to home
Weaknesses:
Cost
Arrogance
Curriculum
Pass/Fail System
Located in Cleveland (unsafe, run down, etc)
Required research
Case is probably at the bottom of my list at this point. The tuition is high and I don't like much about their school. I should hear from them in about four weeks.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Ohio State Interview Invite
Ohio State invited me to interview today. Rather than asking me to schedule an interview, they assign an interview day. My day, as of now, is January 7. I'm hoping to be able to move that earlier since the earlier I can interview the better my chances at acceptance are. OSU's interview day will be from about 9:45am until around 4:00pm.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Eastern Virginia Interview Invite
Eastern Virginia invited me to interview as well. My interview with them is scheduled for November 14. They won't interview out-of-state applicants until November, which is why it won't be until November 14. My interview day with them will be from 10:00am until around 4:30pm. The drive to EVa is about ten hours. I'm hoping to be able to schedule my other Virginia (University of Virginia) interview around that same date to save some driving time.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Penn State Interview Recap
My day at Penn State went well. The campus was absolutely beautiful. The medical school and hospital complex is set on 550 acres of land. A large portion of that land is grassy area and the complex is situated in the middle of the Pennsylvania mountains. The drive to campus was really pretty as well. The town itself is a small town with the infamous chocolate factory and theme park. Considering just the campus aspect, Penn State is my favorite that I have seen to this point.
I checked in to the admissions office around 10:30am. The format was similar to Wright State where there was a morning interview group and an afternoon interview group. The morning group of five applicants had already done their interviews when I arrived on campus. Both groups were given a presentation about the school around 11:00am.
Following the presentation, the eight applicants ate lunch with five medical students. Four of the students were first-year students and one was a second-year student. As usual, we asked them lots of questions about the school, housing, student life, etc.
After lunch, around 1:00pm, we were led on a tour of the facilities. The medical school and hospital share a building, which is convenient. The building itself is nice, and the area is constantly being improved and added to. Penn State is currently completing a brand new cancer center and the next project is to build a brand new pediatric hospital which is expected to be completed around 2012. There is housing on campus specifically for medical students. The location is extremely convenient and the price is reasonable. There is also a brand new fitness center that is available free of charge for students.
After the tour, the afternoon group of three applicants had their interviews scheduled from 2-4pm. For some reason though, my first interview wasn’t until 2:45 so I had some time to sit around and talk with some medical students. I was impressed that as the medical students passed us in the hall, at least twenty of them wished us good luck (we were all dressed up so they knew we were interviewing). A few of the students stopped what they were doing and talked with me for roughly twenty minutes about anything I wanted to know. All of the students I ran into at PSU were extremely friendly and helpful.
My first interview was around 2:45 and was with a doctor in the complex. He was a nice guy, but it was extremely hard to read him and get a sense for what he was thinking. The interview was somewhat awkward because of the way he was acting, but I think it went well overall. The strangest question he asked me was what my opinion was on the Wall Street bailout. Shortly after he asked me, he got a phone call (which he answered) telling him the bill had been turned down. This interview lasted around thirty or forty minutes.
My second interview was at 3:30pm and was with an extremely nice and enthusiastic doctor. This interviewer said he was impressed with my application and that he didn’t really know anything else he wanted to know about me. He asked a few questions, but most of the time I was just asking him questions about the school. This interview went really well and only lasted about fifteen minutes and he couldn’t think of anything else he needed to know about me.
Around 3:45, I was basically done. I had a short survey to fill out asking for feedback on my day then I was free to go. Because the school is in Hershey, PA I was also given a Hershey’s kiss on my way out. (The school itself was largely funded by Milton Hershey’s foundation at its start).
Strengths:
Located in a beautiful area
Small town feel, extremely safe area
Connected to a good hospital
Good reputation
Friendly atmosphere
Good class size
Reasonable cost of living
Weaknesses:
Cost (much higher than anywhere else I’m looking)
Distance from home
At this point, based on what I know – I think Wake Forest would be my top choice of the three interviews I’ve had so far. Although I loved the setting of PSU, the cost seems unrealistic. Those decisions will come later though, when I see who I will actually receive acceptances from. PSU told me I could expect to hear from them in 6-8 weeks.
I checked in to the admissions office around 10:30am. The format was similar to Wright State where there was a morning interview group and an afternoon interview group. The morning group of five applicants had already done their interviews when I arrived on campus. Both groups were given a presentation about the school around 11:00am.
Following the presentation, the eight applicants ate lunch with five medical students. Four of the students were first-year students and one was a second-year student. As usual, we asked them lots of questions about the school, housing, student life, etc.
After lunch, around 1:00pm, we were led on a tour of the facilities. The medical school and hospital share a building, which is convenient. The building itself is nice, and the area is constantly being improved and added to. Penn State is currently completing a brand new cancer center and the next project is to build a brand new pediatric hospital which is expected to be completed around 2012. There is housing on campus specifically for medical students. The location is extremely convenient and the price is reasonable. There is also a brand new fitness center that is available free of charge for students.
After the tour, the afternoon group of three applicants had their interviews scheduled from 2-4pm. For some reason though, my first interview wasn’t until 2:45 so I had some time to sit around and talk with some medical students. I was impressed that as the medical students passed us in the hall, at least twenty of them wished us good luck (we were all dressed up so they knew we were interviewing). A few of the students stopped what they were doing and talked with me for roughly twenty minutes about anything I wanted to know. All of the students I ran into at PSU were extremely friendly and helpful.
My first interview was around 2:45 and was with a doctor in the complex. He was a nice guy, but it was extremely hard to read him and get a sense for what he was thinking. The interview was somewhat awkward because of the way he was acting, but I think it went well overall. The strangest question he asked me was what my opinion was on the Wall Street bailout. Shortly after he asked me, he got a phone call (which he answered) telling him the bill had been turned down. This interview lasted around thirty or forty minutes.
My second interview was at 3:30pm and was with an extremely nice and enthusiastic doctor. This interviewer said he was impressed with my application and that he didn’t really know anything else he wanted to know about me. He asked a few questions, but most of the time I was just asking him questions about the school. This interview went really well and only lasted about fifteen minutes and he couldn’t think of anything else he needed to know about me.
Around 3:45, I was basically done. I had a short survey to fill out asking for feedback on my day then I was free to go. Because the school is in Hershey, PA I was also given a Hershey’s kiss on my way out. (The school itself was largely funded by Milton Hershey’s foundation at its start).
Strengths:
Located in a beautiful area
Small town feel, extremely safe area
Connected to a good hospital
Good reputation
Friendly atmosphere
Good class size
Reasonable cost of living
Weaknesses:
Cost (much higher than anywhere else I’m looking)
Distance from home
At this point, based on what I know – I think Wake Forest would be my top choice of the three interviews I’ve had so far. Although I loved the setting of PSU, the cost seems unrealistic. Those decisions will come later though, when I see who I will actually receive acceptances from. PSU told me I could expect to hear from them in 6-8 weeks.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Wake Forest Interview Recap
I was extremely impressed with Wake Forest. The area is absolutely beautiful. The medical school/hospital area is set in a residential area so it does not have a bit city feel at all. The city itself isn't big anyway.
I had to be at the admissions office by 10:00am. We then had "hospitality" until 10:30, where there were cookies out and we just chatted with the other applicants - there were six of us total. We then had a welcome/orientation presentation which gave us an overview of the school itself. Around 11:00, we had a presentation from financial aid - which was extremely informative, but somewhat overwhelming. The costs associated with going to medical school (especially out of state or a private school) are daunting.
At 11:45am, the six of us joined two second-year medical students for lunch where we could ask them anything we wanted. All of the students I talked to throughout the day seemed to really love WF (which is probably why they are chosen to talk to applicants!).
At 1:00pm, the six of us were split in two groups. Three of us went on a tour first, while the other three did interviews first. I was in the first tour group. My tour was led by a 4th year medical student. This was the first time that I had been able to talk to a student that was almost done with the process. She brought a different perspective than the 2nd year students - and we took advantage of being able to ask her lots of questions. The hospital that is part of the complex is big and pretty. There is some interesting architecture, and the buildings are taken care of well. The technology that is used at WF is impressive. Everything is based on computers - so much so that they provide all incoming students with a brand new nice laptop computer.
At 2:00pm, the groups switched and it was time for my interview. The format of WF's interviews were a little interesting. We had three 15min one-on-one interviews. We would go into an interview with a faculty member, and when it had been 15 minutes, there would be a knock on the door signifying that time was up. We would then wrap up the interview and the interviewer would spend a few minutes writing notes, then the three applicants rotated to the next interviewer.
The interviews were also a semi-closed file interview - meaning the interviewers did not know the applicant's scores, GPA, or other credentials. All the interviewers knew about us was what we had written in our essays. This format is designed to remove some bias that is associated with the scoring. Interviewers opinions could be impacted by scores alone, and WF was trying to evaluate us on a personal level without the impact of our scores. When the committee votes on our admission, they will factor in our scores as well as the interviewers' decision. The three interviewers had a vote at the end of the day for each applicant on whether they thought they should be admitted - majority rules.
Because the interviews were so short, there wasn't much time to really get in too much conversation with my interviewers. Unfortunately, I was not really given time to ask them any questions. They did manage to ask me a few really interesting/difficult questions. One interviewer asked me to "name a famous physician from more than 100 years ago that made a significant contribution." When I was able to come up with a good answer he said, "Ok - now name another one." That guy was tough - but I think I did pretty well! I was also asked to name "some things that are easier for you than they are for others" and likewise to name "some things that are harder for you than they are for others." Those were somewhat difficult to come up with a good answer for. Overall, I think I did well in the interviews.
By 3:00pm, the day was done and I wad back in the car for the long drive back. (I figured out that between my last two interviews, I've spent 26 hours of the past six days in the car - and I'll be heading to Penn State next weekend!)
Strengths:
Beautiful, safe area
Small, cooperative class
Case-based learning
Small town feel
Friendly atmosphere
Amazing technology
Low cost of living
Excellent reputation
Weather!
Weaknesses:
Tuition cost
Distance from home
So far, I am extremely impressed with WF. The only big negative I can think of is the cost of attendance. Tuition there is roughly $38,000/year. If I go to a state school tuition is closer to $25,000/year. That difference is hard to justify - but at this point I'm just waiting to see how things come together. It's still too early in the process to know what will happen.
I should hear a decision from WF on or around October 15.
I had to be at the admissions office by 10:00am. We then had "hospitality" until 10:30, where there were cookies out and we just chatted with the other applicants - there were six of us total. We then had a welcome/orientation presentation which gave us an overview of the school itself. Around 11:00, we had a presentation from financial aid - which was extremely informative, but somewhat overwhelming. The costs associated with going to medical school (especially out of state or a private school) are daunting.
At 11:45am, the six of us joined two second-year medical students for lunch where we could ask them anything we wanted. All of the students I talked to throughout the day seemed to really love WF (which is probably why they are chosen to talk to applicants!).
At 1:00pm, the six of us were split in two groups. Three of us went on a tour first, while the other three did interviews first. I was in the first tour group. My tour was led by a 4th year medical student. This was the first time that I had been able to talk to a student that was almost done with the process. She brought a different perspective than the 2nd year students - and we took advantage of being able to ask her lots of questions. The hospital that is part of the complex is big and pretty. There is some interesting architecture, and the buildings are taken care of well. The technology that is used at WF is impressive. Everything is based on computers - so much so that they provide all incoming students with a brand new nice laptop computer.
At 2:00pm, the groups switched and it was time for my interview. The format of WF's interviews were a little interesting. We had three 15min one-on-one interviews. We would go into an interview with a faculty member, and when it had been 15 minutes, there would be a knock on the door signifying that time was up. We would then wrap up the interview and the interviewer would spend a few minutes writing notes, then the three applicants rotated to the next interviewer.
The interviews were also a semi-closed file interview - meaning the interviewers did not know the applicant's scores, GPA, or other credentials. All the interviewers knew about us was what we had written in our essays. This format is designed to remove some bias that is associated with the scoring. Interviewers opinions could be impacted by scores alone, and WF was trying to evaluate us on a personal level without the impact of our scores. When the committee votes on our admission, they will factor in our scores as well as the interviewers' decision. The three interviewers had a vote at the end of the day for each applicant on whether they thought they should be admitted - majority rules.
Because the interviews were so short, there wasn't much time to really get in too much conversation with my interviewers. Unfortunately, I was not really given time to ask them any questions. They did manage to ask me a few really interesting/difficult questions. One interviewer asked me to "name a famous physician from more than 100 years ago that made a significant contribution." When I was able to come up with a good answer he said, "Ok - now name another one." That guy was tough - but I think I did pretty well! I was also asked to name "some things that are easier for you than they are for others" and likewise to name "some things that are harder for you than they are for others." Those were somewhat difficult to come up with a good answer for. Overall, I think I did well in the interviews.
By 3:00pm, the day was done and I wad back in the car for the long drive back. (I figured out that between my last two interviews, I've spent 26 hours of the past six days in the car - and I'll be heading to Penn State next weekend!)
Strengths:
Beautiful, safe area
Small, cooperative class
Case-based learning
Small town feel
Friendly atmosphere
Amazing technology
Low cost of living
Excellent reputation
Weather!
Weaknesses:
Tuition cost
Distance from home
So far, I am extremely impressed with WF. The only big negative I can think of is the cost of attendance. Tuition there is roughly $38,000/year. If I go to a state school tuition is closer to $25,000/year. That difference is hard to justify - but at this point I'm just waiting to see how things come together. It's still too early in the process to know what will happen.
I should hear a decision from WF on or around October 15.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Wright State Interview Recap
Thank you to everyone who was supportive of me for this interview. I really appreciate it!
Overall, my interview went well with Wright State. I like that the school is not in a big city, but is still close enough to a big city to have access to a variety of hospitals.
The day started at 11:30am with an introduction and short video about the school. There were four other applicants in this intro.
At noon, lunch was brought in and two second-year medical students joined us. Applicants that had morning interviews also joined us - for a total of eight applicants including myself. The ten of us ate lunch and we asked the med students lots of questions about medical school and about Wright State.
After lunch, the ten of us took a tour of the medical school campus. The medical building is brand new - as in, was completed within the last year. The facilities are really nice and up to date with technology. The campus itself is pretty as well.
Next we had a meeting with a financial aid adviser. She covered some basic information and showed us the estimated budget. After that meeting, they fitted us for a white coat. They wanted to get our sizes so that if we chose to go there, they would know what to order us. It was a cool feeling to put a white coat on.
Then, starting at 2pm, I had my interviews.
My first interview was with a second-year medical student. He was really friendly and laid back. The interview was very low pressure and conversational. It felt more like talking to a friend than being drilled by an admissions person. He asked straight forward questions such as, "Your application says you shadowed a physician at St. Jude - tell me more about that." When I asked him what he would consider a weakness of the school, he had a really hard time coming up with anything - which is a good sign. The interview lasted about 30 minutes.
My second interview was with a faculty member. The impression that I got from him was that he didn't really want to be there and he was in an extremely bad mood. His questions were a little harder, but the hardest part of the interview was that he was not friendly or conversational at all. He wouldn't respond to much of anything that I was saying, except to go on tangents about how his son went to the same college I did. The strangest question he asked me was, "If I cornered your boyfriend at McDonalds and asked him what he thought of you, what would he say?" Although that, and a few other questions, caught me a little off guard none of them were extremely difficult or puzzling. Mostly his demeanor just made the interview difficult. His interview lasted 45 minutes.
By 3:30, I was done and heading back home.
Strengths:
Facilities
Campus
Location - not a big city, low cost of living, etc
Students all seemed extremely happy and not stressed out
No University Hospital (more community-based, real life medicine)
Small class size
99-100% board passing rate
Focus on team learning
Highly computer based
Research is optional, not required
Weaknesses:
Location (southern Ohio - not close to family, etc)
No University Hospital (no specialized teaching hospital)
Mediocre reputation
Relatively young medical school (30 years)
I was told that I should hear a decision from them in 4-6 weeks. Overall, I would say that I was impressed with Wright State, but I'm not sure if they would move up on my list much. I need to wait until I have more interviews and get a better feel for how they vary. At this point, I will probably accept any acceptances I receive to keep my options open. Multiple acceptances are allowed to be held until May 15.
Overall, my interview went well with Wright State. I like that the school is not in a big city, but is still close enough to a big city to have access to a variety of hospitals.
The day started at 11:30am with an introduction and short video about the school. There were four other applicants in this intro.
At noon, lunch was brought in and two second-year medical students joined us. Applicants that had morning interviews also joined us - for a total of eight applicants including myself. The ten of us ate lunch and we asked the med students lots of questions about medical school and about Wright State.
After lunch, the ten of us took a tour of the medical school campus. The medical building is brand new - as in, was completed within the last year. The facilities are really nice and up to date with technology. The campus itself is pretty as well.
Next we had a meeting with a financial aid adviser. She covered some basic information and showed us the estimated budget. After that meeting, they fitted us for a white coat. They wanted to get our sizes so that if we chose to go there, they would know what to order us. It was a cool feeling to put a white coat on.
Then, starting at 2pm, I had my interviews.
My first interview was with a second-year medical student. He was really friendly and laid back. The interview was very low pressure and conversational. It felt more like talking to a friend than being drilled by an admissions person. He asked straight forward questions such as, "Your application says you shadowed a physician at St. Jude - tell me more about that." When I asked him what he would consider a weakness of the school, he had a really hard time coming up with anything - which is a good sign. The interview lasted about 30 minutes.
My second interview was with a faculty member. The impression that I got from him was that he didn't really want to be there and he was in an extremely bad mood. His questions were a little harder, but the hardest part of the interview was that he was not friendly or conversational at all. He wouldn't respond to much of anything that I was saying, except to go on tangents about how his son went to the same college I did. The strangest question he asked me was, "If I cornered your boyfriend at McDonalds and asked him what he thought of you, what would he say?" Although that, and a few other questions, caught me a little off guard none of them were extremely difficult or puzzling. Mostly his demeanor just made the interview difficult. His interview lasted 45 minutes.
By 3:30, I was done and heading back home.
Strengths:
Facilities
Campus
Location - not a big city, low cost of living, etc
Students all seemed extremely happy and not stressed out
No University Hospital (more community-based, real life medicine)
Small class size
99-100% board passing rate
Focus on team learning
Highly computer based
Research is optional, not required
Weaknesses:
Location (southern Ohio - not close to family, etc)
No University Hospital (no specialized teaching hospital)
Mediocre reputation
Relatively young medical school (30 years)
I was told that I should hear a decision from them in 4-6 weeks. Overall, I would say that I was impressed with Wright State, but I'm not sure if they would move up on my list much. I need to wait until I have more interviews and get a better feel for how they vary. At this point, I will probably accept any acceptances I receive to keep my options open. Multiple acceptances are allowed to be held until May 15.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Wright State Interview Invite
Wright State called me today, and I scheduled an interview with them for next Wednesday (9/17). Their interview day goes from 11:30am - 4:00pm. They only do interviews on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, so I couldn't do it with a weekend as I have been trying to do for the other interviews - but since it isn't very far away the scheduling shouldn't be a problem.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Toledo Interview Invite
I now also have an interview with Toledo which is scheduled for 10/13. I'm up to four Mondays in a row! I don't know any details about the Toledo interview yet - I believe they are mailing me more information.
Friday, August 29, 2008
Penn State Interview Invite
I now also have an interview scheduled for Penn State, which is in Hershey, PA. I'll be traveling there to interview on 9/29. My interview day will go from 10:30am-4:15pm and will include interviews, a lunch, and a tour.
Monday, August 25, 2008
Case Interview Invite
I just received an invitation from Case Western to come for an interview. My interview with them is scheduled for October 6. Their interview format includes a 45 minute interview with a faculty member and a 30 minute interview with a student. Also included in their planned day is a tour, a Q&A panel and information sessions. Case's interview day goes from 8:15am - 4pm.
Monday, August 18, 2008
Wake Forest Interview Invite
My interview for Wake Forest is scheduled for 9/22. The interview day is from 10am-3pm for WF. During the day I will attend a welcome orientation, meet with financial aid, be interviewed by a few people, and be taken on a tour of campus by a medical student.
Wake Forest is in Winston-Salem, NC, which will be almost a nine hour drive.
I will post more regarding the interview after it happens.
Wake Forest is in Winston-Salem, NC, which will be almost a nine hour drive.
I will post more regarding the interview after it happens.
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Interview!
I just received my first invitation for an interview from Wake Forest! I don't know when I'll interview yet - I have to call and schedule the interview with their admissions office. Although Wake Forest is not a top choice at this point, reaching the interview stage is really exciting! I'm hoping that hearing from WF this early is indicative that I will hear from many more schools and have options on where I can go for medical school.
After I interview with WF, they'll let me know if they want to admit me or not. I'm not sure how long it will take for them to let me know.
After I interview with WF, they'll let me know if they want to admit me or not. I'm not sure how long it will take for them to let me know.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Secondary Application Submissions
I am officially caught up on all of the secondary apps I have received! The two schools I have not received yet (UNC and Loyola) may not request secondary apps from me at all. With my luck, I will receive an app soon since I just got caught up. Both of those schools are ones which screen applications before sending any requests. My chances at hearing from Loyola are greater than those of hearing from UNC, but I anticipate that I may hear from both eventually.
Q&A
"What is the next step after secondary applications?"
After secondary applications, all I have to do is ensure that all of my letters of recommendation come through and wait to hear decisions from the schools. Each school will notify me if they would like to interview me or not. If I am invited for an interview, I have to travel to the school to meet with their admissions office for an interview. Schools vary on their interview procedures as well. I will post more on that once I hear from schools and they fill me in on their procedures.
Q&A
"What is the next step after secondary applications?"
After secondary applications, all I have to do is ensure that all of my letters of recommendation come through and wait to hear decisions from the schools. Each school will notify me if they would like to interview me or not. If I am invited for an interview, I have to travel to the school to meet with their admissions office for an interview. Schools vary on their interview procedures as well. I will post more on that once I hear from schools and they fill me in on their procedures.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Half Done With Secondary Apps!
I've officially reached the halfway point with secondary applications. I have two that I am currently working on, but I may get more at any point. I'm still waiting to hear from five schools.
The most time-consuming part of the applications is contacting those I need to write recommendation letters for me. Each application I get asks for a different form to fill out for the professors, then I have to email them with the form and the address it all needs sent to. It will be nice for applicants when they finally get the universal letter service set up.
The applications vary drastically. Some are online while others I have to print and mail in. Some have multiple page-long essays, others have no essays at all. Some cost $25, while others cost $95 to send in. Even within the applications that are entirely online, the sophistication of the website varies drastically. I'm beginning to think that to some extent I may be able to tell how a school is by their secondary application.
The most time-consuming part of the applications is contacting those I need to write recommendation letters for me. Each application I get asks for a different form to fill out for the professors, then I have to email them with the form and the address it all needs sent to. It will be nice for applicants when they finally get the universal letter service set up.
The applications vary drastically. Some are online while others I have to print and mail in. Some have multiple page-long essays, others have no essays at all. Some cost $25, while others cost $95 to send in. Even within the applications that are entirely online, the sophistication of the website varies drastically. I'm beginning to think that to some extent I may be able to tell how a school is by their secondary application.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Secondary Application Submissions
I've now submitted six secondary applications! Some are much more time consuming than others, but overall they have not been too bad. It has been nice that I've had time between applications and they didn't all come at once.
I'm still (somewhat patiently) waiting on nine applications!
I'm still (somewhat patiently) waiting on nine applications!
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Submitting Secondary Apps
I've been working hard to submit secondary applications as I receive them. I have been able to submit OSU, UM, and Cinci. Within a few days I'm going to be ready to submit UVa. As of now, I have not received any more secondary applications on which to get started. At the rate things have been going, I anticipate I will hear from a few schools this week.
I've added a table to the right side of this page to get quick status updates on which applications I've submitted and received. I'll also use that to post interview decisions and enrollment decisions as I hear about them further down the road.
I've added a table to the right side of this page to get quick status updates on which applications I've submitted and received. I'll also use that to post interview decisions and enrollment decisions as I hear about them further down the road.
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Secondary Applications Starting and Q & A
I've finally started receiving some secondary applications from med schools. Last Wednesday, I received emails from OSU and UM. (Oh, the irony.) I'm hoping to turn those applications in soon since I should be getting more applications coming.
Q&A
"Which schools do an initial screening before sending out a secondary application?"
Of the schools to which I am applying, six of them do a screening before sending out secondary applications. Those schools are Toledo, UNC, Wake Forest, Eastern VA, NEOUCOM, and Loyola. Because of this, I expect it to take longer to recieve any messages from those schools.
Q&A
"Which schools do an initial screening before sending out a secondary application?"
Of the schools to which I am applying, six of them do a screening before sending out secondary applications. Those schools are Toledo, UNC, Wake Forest, Eastern VA, NEOUCOM, and Loyola. Because of this, I expect it to take longer to recieve any messages from those schools.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Primary Application Submitted!
I submitted the primary application this morning to AMCAS (American Medical College Application Service) - which is the company that runs the online primary application.
Now I just have to wait. (The med school application process is definitely a hurry up then wait cycle!) Some of the medical schools may be contacting me any day now with secondary applications.
I also need to work on contacting the people that I will ask to write reference letters for me.
Now I just have to wait. (The med school application process is definitely a hurry up then wait cycle!) Some of the medical schools may be contacting me any day now with secondary applications.
I also need to work on contacting the people that I will ask to write reference letters for me.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Where I'm Applying
I've finally finalized my list of schools to which I am applying. I've put them in to three groups, with group one being the schools I am currently most interested in and group three being the schools I am least interested in. Within each group there is no method to the ordering. It's mostly random or by state. Other than Ohio State being my top choice right now, there is no other order within groups. I will admit that at this point my rankings are somewhat naive as I have not done a whole lot of research into each school's program. Mostly the rankings are based on my perceived chances of getting in and program strength as well as tuition cost with a minor consideration for location (one's near Virginia Beach!). If you're curious about why a specific school is in a certain group, ask me.
The groupings allow me to prioritize which secondary applications I will fill out and send in first. Each secondary application will take up quite a bit of time and I'll need to know which ones to focus on first.
Group One
Ohio State (Columbus, OH)
University of Toledo (Toledo, OH)
University of Cincinnati (Cincinnati, OH)
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (Chapel Hill, NC)
University of Michigan (Ann Arbor, MI)
Northwestern University (Chicago, IL)
Group Two
Wake Forest (Winston-Salem, NC)
Loyola University (Maywood, IL)
Eastern Virginia University (Norfolk, VA)
Case Western Reserve University (Cleveland, OH)
Group Three
Wright State (Dayton, OH)
Northeastern Ohio University College of Medicine (Rootstown, OH)
University of Virginia (Charlottesville, VA)
Rush University (Chicago, IL)
Pennsylvania State University (Hershey, PA)
For those of you who understand what I'm talking about, I do realize the horror of applying to both OSU and UM - but I can't help that they're both great schools with great programs. Obviously, I would much rather go to OSU. :)
My list has fifteen schools and I hope to receive secondary applications from most of them because only six of the schools do an initial screening before sending secondary applications. I do not expect to receive interview invitations from all of them - but I have no way to reasonably predict my chances at any of the schools. I'm hoping for interviews with half of them.
I'm almost finished with my primary application which will be submitted to these schools on June 4. I anticipate I will almost immediately get electronic secondary applications from some, but I'm not sure.
The groupings allow me to prioritize which secondary applications I will fill out and send in first. Each secondary application will take up quite a bit of time and I'll need to know which ones to focus on first.
Group One
Ohio State (Columbus, OH)
University of Toledo (Toledo, OH)
University of Cincinnati (Cincinnati, OH)
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (Chapel Hill, NC)
University of Michigan (Ann Arbor, MI)
Northwestern University (Chicago, IL)
Group Two
Wake Forest (Winston-Salem, NC)
Loyola University (Maywood, IL)
Eastern Virginia University (Norfolk, VA)
Case Western Reserve University (Cleveland, OH)
Group Three
Wright State (Dayton, OH)
Northeastern Ohio University College of Medicine (Rootstown, OH)
University of Virginia (Charlottesville, VA)
Rush University (Chicago, IL)
Pennsylvania State University (Hershey, PA)
For those of you who understand what I'm talking about, I do realize the horror of applying to both OSU and UM - but I can't help that they're both great schools with great programs. Obviously, I would much rather go to OSU. :)
My list has fifteen schools and I hope to receive secondary applications from most of them because only six of the schools do an initial screening before sending secondary applications. I do not expect to receive interview invitations from all of them - but I have no way to reasonably predict my chances at any of the schools. I'm hoping for interviews with half of them.
I'm almost finished with my primary application which will be submitted to these schools on June 4. I anticipate I will almost immediately get electronic secondary applications from some, but I'm not sure.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Med School Application Process
The application process for med schools is quite extended with many steps.
The first step would be the MCAT. Before the MCAT though, you have to be sure you take all of the necessary pre-med courses in preparation. The MCAT is usually taken in spring of your junior year of college.
After the MCAT is the primary application, which happens early summer after your junior year. This application is through an organization called AMCAS and only needs to be filled out once for all MD schools to which you want to apply. (DO schools use a separate primary application.) The primary application is mostly basic information such as classes taken, grades, demographic information, and extracurricular activities.
Also included in the primary application is what is known as the personal statement. For this essay you are given 5,300 characters (about a page and a half) to tell them everything you want them to know about why they should let you in. This essay is your first shot to really connect with the admissions officers and convince them to let you in to their school. Obviously, the personal statement is very important and can have a huge impact on your application.
This year, the earliest date you can submit the primary application online is June 4. It is beneficial to submit the application as soon as possible because almost all med schools have rolling admissions, which means they admit qualified candidates as they come along, and once their class is full no one else can get in. The longer you wait to apply, the slimmer your chances are of getting admitted because some spots will have already been filled.
Once the primary applications are submitted, secondary applications begin to come in. These are applications exclusive to each school that contain anything the med schools want to know about you that wasn't asked on the universal primary application. Often the secondary applications will contain more essays such as, "Why do you want to come to this school?" or "Describe a memorable moment which led to your decision to pursue medicine." As with the primary applications, it is advantageous to submit these as soon as possible - especially for schools that you really want to attend.
Some schools will only send secondary applications to those applicants they feel are qualified after an initial screening of the primary applications. Most schools send secondary applications to everyone that applies because they want to collect the fees you have to pay to turn in the secondary applications. Most secondary applications will come in mid summer.
After schools look at your secondary applications, they will decide to either turn you down or invite you for an interview. If you are asked for an interview, you have to travel to the school and meet with their admissions committee. This gives the committee a chance to get a better sense of who you are with an in-person interview. These usually happen in late summer or early fall, but it depends on when you turned in your applications.
Once you've interviewed, schools will accept, deny, or wait list you. If you are accepted, you have a spot in their class if you want it. Typically you have two weeks from the time they let you know you are accepted to decide if you want to attend that school or not. If you are denied, there is nothing else you can do to get in to that particular school that year. If you are put on a wait list, it means that you weren't qualified enough to be guaranteed a spot, but if they end up having room once they get decisions from those they initially accepted, then you may get in. Acceptance notifications usually happen late fall or winter. If you are put on a wait list, you may not even find out if you get in until a week before classes start.
This whole process takes months and a lot of money. To take the MCAT, it costs $210. The primary application costs $160 for the first school and $30 for each school after that. I will probably apply to about 12 schools, which means it will cost me $490 just for the primary application. The secondary application fees vary by school but range from $25 to $100 each. For all 12 schools, it will cost me about $700. As you can see, the money adds up quickly! Once enrolled in a school, tuition is even more! (Tuition ranges from about $25,000 to $60,000 a year!)
I'm almost done with my primary application, which I will submit on June 4. I expect the secondary applications to come soon after. I'm going to post a list of the schools to which I am applying as soon as I finalize that list.
The first step would be the MCAT. Before the MCAT though, you have to be sure you take all of the necessary pre-med courses in preparation. The MCAT is usually taken in spring of your junior year of college.
After the MCAT is the primary application, which happens early summer after your junior year. This application is through an organization called AMCAS and only needs to be filled out once for all MD schools to which you want to apply. (DO schools use a separate primary application.) The primary application is mostly basic information such as classes taken, grades, demographic information, and extracurricular activities.
Also included in the primary application is what is known as the personal statement. For this essay you are given 5,300 characters (about a page and a half) to tell them everything you want them to know about why they should let you in. This essay is your first shot to really connect with the admissions officers and convince them to let you in to their school. Obviously, the personal statement is very important and can have a huge impact on your application.
This year, the earliest date you can submit the primary application online is June 4. It is beneficial to submit the application as soon as possible because almost all med schools have rolling admissions, which means they admit qualified candidates as they come along, and once their class is full no one else can get in. The longer you wait to apply, the slimmer your chances are of getting admitted because some spots will have already been filled.
Once the primary applications are submitted, secondary applications begin to come in. These are applications exclusive to each school that contain anything the med schools want to know about you that wasn't asked on the universal primary application. Often the secondary applications will contain more essays such as, "Why do you want to come to this school?" or "Describe a memorable moment which led to your decision to pursue medicine." As with the primary applications, it is advantageous to submit these as soon as possible - especially for schools that you really want to attend.
Some schools will only send secondary applications to those applicants they feel are qualified after an initial screening of the primary applications. Most schools send secondary applications to everyone that applies because they want to collect the fees you have to pay to turn in the secondary applications. Most secondary applications will come in mid summer.
After schools look at your secondary applications, they will decide to either turn you down or invite you for an interview. If you are asked for an interview, you have to travel to the school and meet with their admissions committee. This gives the committee a chance to get a better sense of who you are with an in-person interview. These usually happen in late summer or early fall, but it depends on when you turned in your applications.
Once you've interviewed, schools will accept, deny, or wait list you. If you are accepted, you have a spot in their class if you want it. Typically you have two weeks from the time they let you know you are accepted to decide if you want to attend that school or not. If you are denied, there is nothing else you can do to get in to that particular school that year. If you are put on a wait list, it means that you weren't qualified enough to be guaranteed a spot, but if they end up having room once they get decisions from those they initially accepted, then you may get in. Acceptance notifications usually happen late fall or winter. If you are put on a wait list, you may not even find out if you get in until a week before classes start.
This whole process takes months and a lot of money. To take the MCAT, it costs $210. The primary application costs $160 for the first school and $30 for each school after that. I will probably apply to about 12 schools, which means it will cost me $490 just for the primary application. The secondary application fees vary by school but range from $25 to $100 each. For all 12 schools, it will cost me about $700. As you can see, the money adds up quickly! Once enrolled in a school, tuition is even more! (Tuition ranges from about $25,000 to $60,000 a year!)
I'm almost done with my primary application, which I will submit on June 4. I expect the secondary applications to come soon after. I'm going to post a list of the schools to which I am applying as soon as I finalize that list.
MCAT Score and Q & A
My MCAT score was finally posted after a month of my anxiously checking the website.
My score was a 31, which met my goal of a 30. A 31 is a solid score - neither bad nor exceptional. With that score, I have a shot at getting into the schools to which I hope to go, but it is not guaranteed. It's hard to anticipate what exactly schools are looking for in a candidate.
Q&A
"Likewise, a 33 on the MCAT from Bowling Green doesn't mean as much as a 33 from Harvard." I thought the MCAT was standardized?
The MCAT is, in theory, standardized. However, if a candidate comes from Harvard with a 33, or from BG with a 33 and all other factors are equal, the prestige of the undergrad would be the tie breaker.
My score was a 31, which met my goal of a 30. A 31 is a solid score - neither bad nor exceptional. With that score, I have a shot at getting into the schools to which I hope to go, but it is not guaranteed. It's hard to anticipate what exactly schools are looking for in a candidate.
Q&A
"Likewise, a 33 on the MCAT from Bowling Green doesn't mean as much as a 33 from Harvard." I thought the MCAT was standardized?
The MCAT is, in theory, standardized. However, if a candidate comes from Harvard with a 33, or from BG with a 33 and all other factors are equal, the prestige of the undergrad would be the tie breaker.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Q & A
I've gotten a few questions, so I thought I'd post them with some answers in hopes of encouraging more questions!
When did you decide to head down the pre-med Journey?
When I was eight years old, I came out of my first appointment with a female pediatrician. I turned to mom and said, “You mean girls can do that too?!” She, of course, took that opportunity to deliver the classic speech that girls can do anything boys can do, and I responded with, “Well then that’s what I’m going to do!” I have never swayed from that dream to this day – I only become more convinced that being a pediatrician is the ideal job for me.
How many Med schools in Ohio?
There are seven med schools in Ohio. Six of them are MD schools and one is a DO school. The MD schools are The Ohio State University (Columbus), University of Cincinnati, Case Western Reserve University (Cleveland), University of Toledo, NEOUCOM (Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine - Rootstown - 20 mins East of Akron) and Wright State University (Dayton). The DO school is Ohio University (Athens). Ohio has an incredibly high number of medical schools for its size, which is really nice for the Ohio resident tuition discount - so I'm guessing I'll end up staying in the state for medical school.
A quick explanation of the difference between MD and DO: MD is what you think of when you think of the stereotypical doctor. DO stands for doctor of osteopathic medicine and is not much different than being an MD (medical doctor). Historically the difference tended to be that MD's had a more localized approach while DO's had a more holistic approach. For example, if your knee hurt, an MD was likely to look at your knee for the cause while a DO may look at your entire leg or body to consider what other issue may be leading to your knee pain. Traditionally, MD's are also more prescription focused while DO's are more willing to consider alternative medicine such as acupuncture or herbal remedies. The differences between MD's and DO's are getting smaller and both have the same authority/privileges. DO's are usually in the more general primary care fields of family practice, pediatrics, etc and don't sub-specialize as frequently as MD's do. There are not nearly as many DO schools as MD schools and it used to be that DO schools were a lot easier to get in to and not as high of quality as MD schools but that is not the case as much any more.
How do the MCAT scores go across those med schools?
You're making me do my research on this one! I figured while I'm at it I'd include acceptance rates and average GPA's. All of the stats are for their 2007 class. I've sorted it from highest average MCAT score to the lowest.
Ohio State
Overall acceptance rate: 8.7%
Average undergrad GPA: 3.74
Average MCAT score: 33.6
Case Western
Overall acceptance rate: 7.6%
Average undergrad GPA: 3.62
Average MCAT score: 33.6
Cincinnati
Overall acceptance rate: 8.2%
Average undergrad GPA: 3.67
Average MCAT score: 31.8
Toledo
Overall acceptance rate: 9.1%
Average undergrad GPA: 3.58
Average MCAT score: 30
NEOUCOM
Overall acceptance rate: 10.5%
Average undergrad GPA: 3.71
Average MCAT score: 28.5
Wright State
Overall acceptance rate: 6.8%
Average undergrad GPA: 3.58
Average MCAT score: 28.2
OU (DO School)
Overall acceptance rate: 4.8%
Average undergrad GPA: 3.57
Average MCAT score: 25.2
There are a few out of state schools that I'm considering, but the price jumps from about $25,000/year to about $40,000/year just for tuition when you leave the state you live in (although these numbers vary quite a bit). I haven't researched establishing residency requirements for other states yet. State schools are the only ones that have a change in tuition like that. Private schools (such as Case) are usually around $40,000/year for everyone. I still have quite a bit of research/thinking to do before I apply to medical schools, which starts June 1.
Does it matter what Undergrad school you go to for the prep on MCAT? Or to get into a med school?
This is not a question that has a definitive answer. To some extent, it does matter. If you go to a college with a great pre-med program, they're likely to know exactly how to help you prepare for the MCAT and med school. They're also likely to do well with advising you and being sure you know what you need to do for the next step. The better a school's professors are has an impact as well, because the MCAT tests over a lot of knowledge that you need to have purely memorized and understood. Some schools even have MCAT prep classes that students can take as part of their regular schedule that is designed purely to help them prepare for the test.
However, even if a college has a bad or nonexistent pre-med program - all of these goals can be accomplished individually. It's very possible to figure things out on your own, and do well - although this route is often harder than having adequate guidance.
It also matters some where you went for undergrad when med schools consider your GPA and MCAT scores. For example, a 4.0 GPA at Bowling Green doesn't mean as much as a 4.0 at Harvard. Likewise, a 33 on the MCAT from Bowling Green doesn't mean as much as a 33 from Harvard. School reputation carries some weight, but it's not typically something that can't be overcome. GPA is more influenced by college reputation than the MCAT is, since the MCAT is designed to be universal. How much reputation matters would depend on that school's perspective as well.
When did you decide to head down the pre-med Journey?
When I was eight years old, I came out of my first appointment with a female pediatrician. I turned to mom and said, “You mean girls can do that too?!” She, of course, took that opportunity to deliver the classic speech that girls can do anything boys can do, and I responded with, “Well then that’s what I’m going to do!” I have never swayed from that dream to this day – I only become more convinced that being a pediatrician is the ideal job for me.
How many Med schools in Ohio?
There are seven med schools in Ohio. Six of them are MD schools and one is a DO school. The MD schools are The Ohio State University (Columbus), University of Cincinnati, Case Western Reserve University (Cleveland), University of Toledo, NEOUCOM (Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine - Rootstown - 20 mins East of Akron) and Wright State University (Dayton). The DO school is Ohio University (Athens). Ohio has an incredibly high number of medical schools for its size, which is really nice for the Ohio resident tuition discount - so I'm guessing I'll end up staying in the state for medical school.
A quick explanation of the difference between MD and DO: MD is what you think of when you think of the stereotypical doctor. DO stands for doctor of osteopathic medicine and is not much different than being an MD (medical doctor). Historically the difference tended to be that MD's had a more localized approach while DO's had a more holistic approach. For example, if your knee hurt, an MD was likely to look at your knee for the cause while a DO may look at your entire leg or body to consider what other issue may be leading to your knee pain. Traditionally, MD's are also more prescription focused while DO's are more willing to consider alternative medicine such as acupuncture or herbal remedies. The differences between MD's and DO's are getting smaller and both have the same authority/privileges. DO's are usually in the more general primary care fields of family practice, pediatrics, etc and don't sub-specialize as frequently as MD's do. There are not nearly as many DO schools as MD schools and it used to be that DO schools were a lot easier to get in to and not as high of quality as MD schools but that is not the case as much any more.
How do the MCAT scores go across those med schools?
You're making me do my research on this one! I figured while I'm at it I'd include acceptance rates and average GPA's. All of the stats are for their 2007 class. I've sorted it from highest average MCAT score to the lowest.
Ohio State
Overall acceptance rate: 8.7%
Average undergrad GPA: 3.74
Average MCAT score: 33.6
Case Western
Overall acceptance rate: 7.6%
Average undergrad GPA: 3.62
Average MCAT score: 33.6
Cincinnati
Overall acceptance rate: 8.2%
Average undergrad GPA: 3.67
Average MCAT score: 31.8
Toledo
Overall acceptance rate: 9.1%
Average undergrad GPA: 3.58
Average MCAT score: 30
NEOUCOM
Overall acceptance rate: 10.5%
Average undergrad GPA: 3.71
Average MCAT score: 28.5
Wright State
Overall acceptance rate: 6.8%
Average undergrad GPA: 3.58
Average MCAT score: 28.2
OU (DO School)
Overall acceptance rate: 4.8%
Average undergrad GPA: 3.57
Average MCAT score: 25.2
There are a few out of state schools that I'm considering, but the price jumps from about $25,000/year to about $40,000/year just for tuition when you leave the state you live in (although these numbers vary quite a bit). I haven't researched establishing residency requirements for other states yet. State schools are the only ones that have a change in tuition like that. Private schools (such as Case) are usually around $40,000/year for everyone. I still have quite a bit of research/thinking to do before I apply to medical schools, which starts June 1.
Does it matter what Undergrad school you go to for the prep on MCAT? Or to get into a med school?
This is not a question that has a definitive answer. To some extent, it does matter. If you go to a college with a great pre-med program, they're likely to know exactly how to help you prepare for the MCAT and med school. They're also likely to do well with advising you and being sure you know what you need to do for the next step. The better a school's professors are has an impact as well, because the MCAT tests over a lot of knowledge that you need to have purely memorized and understood. Some schools even have MCAT prep classes that students can take as part of their regular schedule that is designed purely to help them prepare for the test.
However, even if a college has a bad or nonexistent pre-med program - all of these goals can be accomplished individually. It's very possible to figure things out on your own, and do well - although this route is often harder than having adequate guidance.
It also matters some where you went for undergrad when med schools consider your GPA and MCAT scores. For example, a 4.0 GPA at Bowling Green doesn't mean as much as a 4.0 at Harvard. Likewise, a 33 on the MCAT from Bowling Green doesn't mean as much as a 33 from Harvard. School reputation carries some weight, but it's not typically something that can't be overcome. GPA is more influenced by college reputation than the MCAT is, since the MCAT is designed to be universal. How much reputation matters would depend on that school's perspective as well.
Monday, April 21, 2008
The MCAT is finally over!
I'm so relieved to finally be done with the MCAT! I've been working to prepare for this test for about six months, so being done with it is a huge weight off of my shoulders.
Thanks so much to everyone for their encouraging comments and messages - it was really nice to know that I had a lot of support. (Also, when leaving a comment, instead of checking "anonymous" you can check "name/url" and enter your name there instead of at the bottom of your message.)
I won't get my MCAT scores for about four weeks. I believe they will be posted on May 20th, and I will probably post on here how I do.
The scoring for the MCAT consists of a number and a letter. The number goes from 3-45 and comes from three different sections each worth 1-15 points. The three sections are physical sciences (general chemistry and physics), verbal reasoning, and biological sciences (biology and organic chemistry). There is also a writing section comprised of two essays which is given a letter score from J-T. Two readers score each essay individually and the four total scores are combined and changed to a letter with T being the best.
The average score for those taking the MCAT is roughly an 8 in each section and an N on the writing section, which would be reported as 24N. However, the average score for those actually admitted to medical schools is higher. For example, for OSU the average score is about a 33P. A school that is not ranked as highly as OSU, like Wright State in Dayton has an average of around 27O for their students. A perfect score of 45T is nearly impossible to achieve - only about 0.1% of test takers can get a perfect score in any of the sections, so you can imagine how rare it would be to do that well in all of them.
I'm hoping that my score will be at least a 30. Ideally, I would like to have at least a 10 in each of the scored sections. I'm not worried about the writing section because it is typically not given as much weight as the other sections and I usually write fairly well. Even if I don't score as well as I hope, I should be able to make up for some of it with my GPA which is well above the average.
Medical schools typically have acceptance rates that are lower than 10%, although your chances increase slightly if you are applying to a state school and you are a resident of that state. For OSU, the out-of-state acceptance rate is 6.5% and the in-state acceptance rate is 15.7%. Some schools vary even more: Cincinnati's out-of state acceptance rate is only 4.9% while their in-state rate is 21.9%.
Now that the MCAT is over, the next step is just waiting for my scores to come in. Then I'll start the application process, which I'll explain more when the time gets closer.
If there's anything specific about the application process or the MCAT that you'd like to know, post a comment with your questions and I'll definitely answer them. Thanks again for all of your support!
Thanks so much to everyone for their encouraging comments and messages - it was really nice to know that I had a lot of support. (Also, when leaving a comment, instead of checking "anonymous" you can check "name/url" and enter your name there instead of at the bottom of your message.)
I won't get my MCAT scores for about four weeks. I believe they will be posted on May 20th, and I will probably post on here how I do.
The scoring for the MCAT consists of a number and a letter. The number goes from 3-45 and comes from three different sections each worth 1-15 points. The three sections are physical sciences (general chemistry and physics), verbal reasoning, and biological sciences (biology and organic chemistry). There is also a writing section comprised of two essays which is given a letter score from J-T. Two readers score each essay individually and the four total scores are combined and changed to a letter with T being the best.
The average score for those taking the MCAT is roughly an 8 in each section and an N on the writing section, which would be reported as 24N. However, the average score for those actually admitted to medical schools is higher. For example, for OSU the average score is about a 33P. A school that is not ranked as highly as OSU, like Wright State in Dayton has an average of around 27O for their students. A perfect score of 45T is nearly impossible to achieve - only about 0.1% of test takers can get a perfect score in any of the sections, so you can imagine how rare it would be to do that well in all of them.
I'm hoping that my score will be at least a 30. Ideally, I would like to have at least a 10 in each of the scored sections. I'm not worried about the writing section because it is typically not given as much weight as the other sections and I usually write fairly well. Even if I don't score as well as I hope, I should be able to make up for some of it with my GPA which is well above the average.
Medical schools typically have acceptance rates that are lower than 10%, although your chances increase slightly if you are applying to a state school and you are a resident of that state. For OSU, the out-of-state acceptance rate is 6.5% and the in-state acceptance rate is 15.7%. Some schools vary even more: Cincinnati's out-of state acceptance rate is only 4.9% while their in-state rate is 21.9%.
Now that the MCAT is over, the next step is just waiting for my scores to come in. Then I'll start the application process, which I'll explain more when the time gets closer.
If there's anything specific about the application process or the MCAT that you'd like to know, post a comment with your questions and I'll definitely answer them. Thanks again for all of your support!
Saturday, April 5, 2008
MCAT!
I'm taking the MCAT (Medical College Admissions Test) in two weeks! I've been preparing for this test all year, and I will be extremely relieved when the test is over with.
Although I've been taking classes and working on improving my resume, the MCAT is the first official step in the med school application process. I'll post later about the rest of the process.
My test date is April 19th starting at noon. The test takes around six hours to take and covers biology, chemistry, physics, organic chemistry, verbal reasoning and writing. The style of the exam emphasizes both content knowledge (how much do you remember from your classes) as well as critical thinking (can you apply what you know and/or figure out information about a topic about which you know nothing). The MCAT is known for being arguably the hardest standardized test.
I should receive my scores roughly four weeks after taking the exam.
Feel free to post questions/comments for me!
Although I've been taking classes and working on improving my resume, the MCAT is the first official step in the med school application process. I'll post later about the rest of the process.
My test date is April 19th starting at noon. The test takes around six hours to take and covers biology, chemistry, physics, organic chemistry, verbal reasoning and writing. The style of the exam emphasizes both content knowledge (how much do you remember from your classes) as well as critical thinking (can you apply what you know and/or figure out information about a topic about which you know nothing). The MCAT is known for being arguably the hardest standardized test.
I should receive my scores roughly four weeks after taking the exam.
Feel free to post questions/comments for me!
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