<p>Picking Med. Schools was much easier process than UG for my D. She basically asked me to do it after I did the spreadsheet for her UG. It took me no time, not even close to the time that I spent for the UG list. However, D. knew exactly what she is looking for and gave me her criteria. Fro UG, she was looking in a driving distance of 3 hours from home, for Med. School - 5.5 hrs. Distance was her criteria #1. She got accepted to great schools and had hard time deciding.
Also as a warning, keep in mind that Med. Schools requirements are changing. One of D’s has added 2 additional classes AFTER D. has applied and registered for her fall senior semester. Having amazing pre-med advisory at her UG palyed crucial role in overcoming this obstacle.<br>
Best wishes!!</p>
<p>I found a chart today that ranks med schools by difficulty of admission. I do not necessarily know how much validity to give this information, though I did find it interesting reading and it did tell me about some schools that I had never heard of before. </p>
<p><a href=“http://clamorup.com/medical-school-admission/”>http://clamorup.com/medical-school-admission/</a></p>
<p>Hmm…. I think some of the data used to compile that chart is out of date. For example, it lists our instate med school as have 75 seats when for the past 4 years the matriculating class size has been between 105-112. </p>
<p>The chart also doesn’t account for schools that accept a significant portion of their matriculants thru non-typical admission processes (like early assurance, BA/MD, post-bacc linkages or MD/PhD.) For example, at D2’s undergrad’s med school between 1/4-1/3 of the entering class (of ~108) is accepted thru alternative admissions processes.</p>
<p>WOWmom, not sure what an undergrad med school is, but I’m assuming that’s a BA/MD program. </p>
<p>As I understand it, some schools like Brown’s med school isn’t even open to new students since their incoming class (or most of them at least) are already at Brown’s UG. Some public schools won’t even consider an applicant if that person is OOS.</p>
<p>U Va has a 50% OOS class. U Mich has a high OOS % also. </p>
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<p>Sorry for the confusion. </p>
<p>Undergrad medical education is not a BA/MD program.</p>
<p>Undergrad medical education is the first 4 years of one’s medical education. i.e. med school. It’s called “undergraduate medical education” since the new doctors then go on to post-graduate medical education. i.e. residency and fellowship. It’s also a reminder to students that they are just starting to learn their profession.</p>
<p>Practicing physicians are also obliged to engage in ‘continuing education’ to maintain their licensing and board certifications.</p>
<p>D1 said it’s kind of weird and unsettling to be referred to as being an undergrad all over again.</p>
<p>I would advise making the list based on your personal criteria and NOT ranking. Ranking has nothing to do with what you personally desire to have. The list also should match the applicant stats and desired acceptance rate. One might be OK with the 25% success, while other may shoot for 50%. What I mean that if (as an example), one decided that to be accepted at 4 Med. School out of 8 he/she is planning to apply, then his list list will be very different from another applicant with similar application who decided that being accepted at 2 is OK. As noted above, locality is important. It is important from the prospective of Med. Schools adcoms as well as from applicant’s prospective as some do not mind to go far away while others do not see themselves being very far from home. There are also certain preferences for certain type of students that currently attend (D. mentioned that the type is somewhat different from Med. School to another). Program may also differ significantly. All of the above are very personal and has very little to do with ranking. These may make somebody more miserable than they have to be. Keep in mind that Med. School is very very hard time. Med. Students will feel miserable at some point(s) of time there. You want to minimize it as much as possible.</p>
<p>“D1 said it’s kind of weird and unsettling to be referred to as being an undergrad all over again.”</p>
<p>Yeah, what is the point of calling it GRADUATE school. 
</p>
<p>MiamiDAP–How did your D identify the type of students at the different schools? I know they visit if they get interviews, but was she able to research this when making up her list of schools? </p>
<p>HELP! I’m getting cold feet about my son’s interest in med school. There I was, in my podiatrist’s office, talking about my son’s ambition and she gave me such a discouraging vibe. I’ve heard it all before, but for some reason it really felt real. She kept saying, “it’s a promise that may never be fulfilled in today’s environment….” and “it’s become more about a business…” and then …. “but if that’s your passion…” Not that I could, but maybe I really should try to dissuade him.</p>
<p>limabeans, Occasionally, I’m still getting cold feet and DS has already accumulated quite a significant debt :(</p>
<p>“MiamiDAP–How did your D identify the type of students at the different schools?”
-Intracting with few - hosts, interviewers, talking to current students while at interviews and Second Look events. I do not think that there is a precise way to tell. It was simply her impression based on a very small sample. There is nothing else she could do and she knew that it might be a big miss. While this criteria was very important to her, it was not a #1 criteria. It may not be important to others. D’s #1 criteria was always location and then the program. It appeared the same for selecting residencies. I believe that location is also one at the top on another side (adcoms). For residencies, she was told by some high position person to apply based on location, which was completely in synch with her plan.</p>
<p>When others are talking, keep in mind that what they say is a reflection os their personality, desires, social aptitude, personal history… etc. What all of thess has to do with you? Most likely very little. Many in medicine are also not much concerned about social implications of what they are saying or how they are behaving with their peers (my D’s observation after observing of several instances of mean interactions). Why to listen to somebody who knows exactly what it takes to get accepted to Med. School and still talking negatively to a person who has just accomplished it? Frankly, I probably would either never deal with this person in my life or if it is not possible, will never discuss anything outside of business at hand. </p>
<p>The new MSAR is now available at AMCAS.</p>
<p>The median MCAT for matriculated students for the 2012-2013 cycle is 33.</p>
<p>@mcat2, I just revisited this after a few days. lol. I was at my podiatrist’s office and started to get cold feet? Oops.</p>
<p>Looking for some etiquette advice for D— What is a good deadline to give LOR writers (she has already asked)? How far out should they be reminded of the deadline? </p>
<p>Get them EARLY! Make the writer;s deadline a couple of weeks sooner than your real deadline and ask more people than you need. It is surprising who flakes on it!</p>
<p>Absolutely!</p>
<p>D2 asked for her letters to be ready June 1 so she could upload them to AMCAS and have them ready to go when her application got verified. She started sending gentle reminders around May 1, then every 2 weeks after that. None of her letters were finished by June 1, but most were done before the end of June when AMCAS finally verified her. One of her LOR writers (her only non-science LOR) flaked on her and didn’t get it done and didn’t get it done. D2 finally invited her writer out to brunch at a local restaurant and over poached eggs gently coached her about the importance of getting it finished soon and offered to provide sample letters. That letter got finished sometime in mid-late July.</p>
<p>If your D’s school uses packet committee letters, she may need to set an earlier deadline since the committee can’t/won’t write the committee letter until the LORs have arrived. (And most committees don’t meet over the summer.) </p>
<p>It’s getting close to the opening of the med school applications. Good luck to those applying this cycle! I’m hoping my DS has his ducks in a row (although knowing him just having them all in the same pond is a plus)! He returns from his study abroad on May 1. He’s going to have a very busy month!</p>
<p>Fortunately, we have a month to go, at least technically. And my DS will need every free moment. The ps keeps evolving. There’s so much to do, plus graduation and a move in there too.</p>