2010-2011 Med school applicants and their parents

Pre-Med & Medical School Pre-Med Topics
541

<p>Haha, thanks for the thoughts Curm. What do you think about it already being August and not having started the TMSDAS yet? I thought the “early birds” got it done in like, May and everyone else was done way before now. Or is that just the CC world? The TX group’s gonna take some convincing, primarily because 1) I’m decently happy with my group right now and 2) I’m getting realllllllllllllllllllly tired of choosing schools/researching them/etc and getting all the rest of my work done between now and next semester starting (this has been such a busy summer!) looks so much more attractive than putting together yet. another. med school. application. </p>

<p>Keep talking though. A great curriculum and chill student body has definitely perked my ears up. For what it’s worth, Tulane’s going to take a helluva lot more convincing than any/all of the Texas crowd.</p>

542

<p>Yeah. It’s late but after doing AMCAS it won’t take long to fill out…and it’s cheap insurance. Go check sdn and see how late it is.</p>

543

<p>I can only hope you’re being facetious with the suggestion to check sdn. You know I can’t stand that place!!! That, and I basically guarantee you (without even checking) that those psychos had tmdsas finished within 3min of it being available. Stress on top of stress?? No thanks! </p>

<p>But if its any consolation, my first glance at uthscsa (now that’s an acronym!) was quite enticing. Sounds like a neat place. Will continue perusing that website. </p>

<p>Then again, all these schools seem awesome. I bet you can’t really go wrong with any of em.</p>

544

<p>lol. Is sdn THAT bad these days?</p>

545

<p>A veteran poster hubbellgardner is an MS3 there (SA) and knows his way around. Send him a message and ask him for data on the school.</p>

546

<p>UTMB-Galveston has a PHENOMENAL location. Its right on the beach!!! Because it is right next to the ocean, it can be pretty humid (and really hot) during the spring/summer, but during the fall/winter (haha, I can’t believe I am using seasons to describe Texas weather----we normally don’t experience “seasons” in Texas) its perfect weather.</p>

547

<p>What do the numbers look like for Mayo and UVa? I’d like to get you up to 8 if I can.</p>

548

<p>I would be with Curm and suggest a full set of TX apps, don’t bother to research the various schools, just apply for them all and spend your research time on the ones which offer you an interview.</p>

<p>DD applied in June/July and her interview offer came in Oct and another in Nov or Dec, so i don’t think you are too late for OOS</p>

549

<p>curm, that was a little bit of a hyperbole with SDN. I doubt it’s that crazy. But who knows. I avoid it at all possible costs!</p>

<p>To the Texas people: will I be at a big disadvantage if I wait a few more days before deciding? I probably should talk all this over with my family–I think they should at least have some say in where I apply (we’re a pretty tightknit bunch, and I definitely like being near home during undergrad), and I’m pretty swamped with other stuff. I have a feeling that if I decide to apply and fill out TMDSAS almost on whim, then I’ll think it’s just some rash decision. However, if time is of the essence right now, and a few days/week would make a big difference, you might be able to talk me into sucking it up and applying tonight or tomorrow.</p>

<p>And to Mike: no data on USN for Mayo, but I’ll keep my eyes peeled for it somewhere else (I bet some kid on SDN knows all their numbers by heart…). As for UVA, average MCAT is 32.8. They interviewed 392 out of 2157 out of state applicants (18.2%) then accepted 252 of them (64.3%) for an acceptance rate of 11.7%–the highest acceptance rate by at least a few percentage points out of all my schools (besides Mizzou and SLU). Can I keep it?! :)</p>

550

<p>Haha – fine, fine. =) We’ll have you keep UVa.</p>

551

<p>Yesssss glad to see I’ve found a school that unexpectedly met your rigorous numbers standards. Now I’m just wavering on the Texas situation. Maybe I’ll start filling it out, just to see how it goes. And maybe I’ll just spend…30 minutes on it. </p>

<p>Yeah, right. </p>

<p>Updates later, I’m sure.</p>

552

<p>I actually recommend applying to Mayo, they seem to be a lot less stats heavy than other top schools. With your ECs, i think you have a good shot. There are people with 39/3.9 who have been rejected, and some with even sub 29 MCATs get screened in for their letter request.</p>

553

<p>Kristin</p>

<p>Glad to see that 'mudge agrees with my earlier post…as I said then, I think that UTMB and UTHSC-SA are very good fits for you as well may be Texas Tech…though I too like the first two schools more. I think you could have a shot at an interview at UT-H but am not as confident about UTSW…without URM status I think your MCAT will really hurt you there.</p>

<p>That said, and as other seem to concur, you get a lot of bang for the buck with the Texas application and only UTSW and UT-H required secondaries as I recall. You have nothing to lose and MUCH to gain by doing the application and they are far less of a real reach than many of the schools that remain on your list. I still think you have more that are real reaches than you think you do and like BDM think you need more that are more realistic “matches”.</p>

<p>I still disagree about Mayo…class size is only 50 students…makes the odds REALLY long here…would be willing to bet anything that the sub 29 MCATs are URMs.</p>

554

<p>Thanks guys. I’m definitely considering the Texas schools and figured, while I’m considering them might as well be filling out TMDSAS. I have an account and a number and am working on all that data. We’ll just have to see how it goes. </p>

<p>Just from a theory point of view, what’s the benefit of having 6-8 matches over having, say, 3-4? To me, a match is at least “more than likely,” and it seems like having a couple of “more than likelies” would be good enough–espeically when in the end, you can only go to one. I’m not joking when I say it’s going to take something absolutely phenomenal to leave Mizzou–I love our med school and the area–and while I’m nowhere near cocky enough to say it’s practically a sure thing, I think I have a great shot at getting in there. I’m inclined to say that I’d rather have 3-4 “matches” where I’d absolutely love to go should Mizzou not work out than have 8 including some schools I’m lukewarm on. I’m still feeling lukewarm about Texas, which is why I’m wavering. </p>

<p>When I say “wavering,” from a practical standpoint I mean that at the current time (which obviously, my mood/opinion can and might change as this process continues), given the choice between any of my other matches and one of the Texas guys, I’d pick the non-Texas one. Since I’m not yet gungho on the Texas crowd, it’s hard to justify the couple of hours it takes to fill out all the stuff, another few hours for tweaking essays and resumes, requesting transcripts, requesting MCATs, sending recommendation letters, and spending $220 (out of state to apply to all schools). While I definitely agree that $220 for all those schools is a phenomal financial deal when it comes to med schools, that’s still $220 more than $0, and still many hours more than 0 hours, which would be the costs of not applying to Texas schools. </p>

<p>I guess, to summarize, at the present time I’m not seeing a huge benefit of adding the Texas set–or in econ terms, the marginal cost is outweighing the marginal benefit right now. I’m up for being swayed though, so as has been the case for a few weeks now, I’d love to know your opinion!</p>

<p>PS: In terms of Mayo, at this point it’s just a school that I <em>want</em> to apply to. Good shot or not, huge reach or not, unlikely or not, I still want to apply. I bet they get thousands of applicants and I know they only take <50 kids, but who knows–perhaps there’s a shred of a chance that they’d like one of those 50 to be a goofball from Missouri, so I’d like to give them that chance to decide :)</p>

555

<p>As a corollary to that last post, I figured it might be worthwhile to explain a little more why I’m so in love with Mizzou, and why it would take so much to get me to leave here. I’ll keep the list short and will elaborate if asked. It’s in no particular order. </p>

<p>-Small class: <100, and I definitely learn best in small learning environments
-Problem-based curriculum throughout all levels
-Patient contact starting in first block
-Opportunity to do rotations with physicians I already know
-Close to my family (in St Louis) and in a town that I already know/love/am familiar with
-I know 8-10 of my friends who would be in my med school class (they’re part of a combined program) and they are some of my closest friends from college
-I started a nonprofit organization in Columbia and would like to see it grow more
-The nonprofit works closely with the free clinic run by Mizzou med students serving Columbia residents, so working at this particular student-run free clinic has that “extra benefit” to me (I know most schools have student-run free clinics, but those clinics do not have the same ties for me)
-I really enjoy volunteering at the agencies where I volunteer, and would like to continue working here where I’ve already established myself
-I plan to practice in Missouri in the future, so going to school in Missouri and having a strong network of Missouri contacts is important to me too.</p>

<p>I think I have a great shot at this school because:</p>

<p>-I am a Missouri resident, and >25% of Missouri residents are accepted
-Stats wise I’m right in with the averages
-I have literally hudreds of hours in the extracurriculars Mizzou “likes to see”
-The head of the premed committee who authors my committee letter has told me in no uncertain terms that the mizzou committee letter going to the mizzou med admissions board is definitely one of the most important aspects of the application, and that he assures me mine will be quite strong (since he couldn’t find one thing to complain about regarding my resume, and he’s usually the one who really likes to tear kids apart for flimsy resumes).
-My recommendation letters from science professors are from the 2 notoriously hardest science professors for undergraduates. The med school admissions committee is very familiar with them, and know “what it takes” to get a strong letter from either of them (they both assure me, without me asking, that mine is one of the strongest they’ve written this decade).
-My recommendation letters from the physicians I’ve shadowed are from a former member of the admissions committee who is also quite well known to this community, and from an oncologist who has been on staff for 30+ years that is also quite respected
-My leadership, scholarship, and membership in various societies would likely be more recognized here, where they have a local imact, than at other schools</p>

<p>In summary, I would like to believe I have a strong application to anywhere (albeit with mediocre MCAT scores) within reason, but that by far my application should be strongest at Mizzou–where the things I’ve done should carry the most weight. Coupled with the fact that Mizzou’s admissions rate is the highest on my list, I think my shot to go here is at least solid and really…if I end up with an acceptance here, all the rest would just be icing on the cake!</p>

556

<p>I agree with you that Mizzou should be #1 on your list.</p>

<p>The real question is whether or not you are confident enough to apply to Mizzou and assume you get in and therefor only apply to a few reaches OOS. If so, then you are also willing to wait a year to reapply if you do not get in.</p>

<p>Every year on SDN you can read about people who are reapplicants, DD followed the AZ thread for a while and there are always some seemingly qualified IS applicants who must reapply. Maybe they bombed the interview, perhaps they have body odor, maybe an LOR tanks them…who knows, but they seem to have viable stats & viable ECs, so why them and not you?</p>

<p>My DD was already taking a year off so did not want to only apply to UW and a few reaches. She knew all along UW was her #1 choice, she been far away, she was ready to be closer to home. It has the advantage of IS tuition and is still well regarded nationally.</p>

<p>DD was admitted less than a week after her interview, so yes, all those other apps were a big waste of time & money. But, had she been waitlisted or denied, she would have been happy to have the choice of other places.</p>

<p>Would you be happy to have a year off and reapply to Mizzou? If so, then don’t stress too many schools, if not, apply broadly is the mantra.</p>

557

<p>Somemom, not sure how I feel about a year off and reapplying. I know that I would spend that year getting a master’s in public health and taking my nonprofit to a national level by expanding it to multiple schools–I’d get my master’s from Mizzou, continue working with the School of Health Professions (one of my current employers) to develop this program, and use my extensive network of health literacy professionals for contacts at other schools. I don’t doubt for a second that I would have something meaningful to do with that year.</p>

<p>I guess the question almost becomes, “Mizzou at all costs, including waiting another year --or-- any other school?” and that’s a great question to which I don’t have an answer right now (I’m sure the answer to that question will change frequently too!). The strategy of applying to mostly “reach” schools was that those are likely the only schools that would entice me away from Mizzou–schools like Mayo (who’s so strange and unpredictable), Duke, Northwestern, Harvard. Fingers crossed I won’t actually need to have so many viable “back up plans” with all my other matches, and that like your daughter all of this application bs really will be a big waste of time and money. (Which is why it’s hard for me to justify adding a whole slew of Texas apps to what is, in my opinion at least, an already hefty 13.)</p>

<p>Nonetheless, it’s been a great process, and I’m sure I will be better for having gone through it. All of this has further solidified my desires to go into medicine and I know that I’m working hard now but it will all pay off eventually. No complaints…yet.</p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

558

<p>Believe me, Kristin, DD wishes she has the hours back for 30+ secondaries and I wish I had the money back for the app fees…and the $/time for the flight to DC & AZ and the flight paid for, but not taken to TX.</p>

<p>Weigh your options, if you truly have a plan and you are okay with potentially not getting in, then just do Mizzou and a few more reaches and wait to do a broader app the next year, IFIFIF you don’t get in. Just be okay with that.</p>

<p>DD wanted to be humble and NOT assume she would be one of the chosen few and was already off a year, so it was a logical choice. Make your choice one that works for you!</p>

559

<p>Unlike undergrad, even “match” schools at the medical school level really only have, say, a 15-25% chance of getting in. So you need a blitz of them just to protect you from the probabilities.</p>

<p>This is why I’ve tried (maybe unsuccessfully) to avoid language like “safety” and “match.” The better phrase is “legitimate applications.”</p>

560

<p>kristin, i’m following your situation closely because i’ll be in the same boat as you next semester. MO’s selection of medschools is Mizzou (great except every other MO resident is applying), SLU(expensive and and attracts more OOS), and WashU (self explanatory). If only we were from Texas or Cali.</p>