I just came back from the application workshop at the school of medicine, and the Dean of Admissions said that they do not look at class rank anymore along with senior grades
For senior year grades, that makes sense, as your fall semester grades aren’t turned in until late December, and by then, interviews have already been given out. UMKC is not that competitive of a university to require a midyear transcript to be turned in, as some of the more competitive universities do. Your transcript turned in during the fall of senior year is it, and it’s always been like that.
Can you give us more of the context of what was exactly said at that application workshop at the UMKC School of Medicine regarding class rank (I honestly don’t know what that workshop is - this must be something relatively new they are doing, I guess more for in-state applicants)? Your official transcript will have your class ranking on it, assuming your high school ranks students - as most do. I am not sure if the main university application asks for a class rank, or maybe they’ll just read it off your transcript.
I’m a little hesitant to believe that the UMKC SOM Council on Selection would totally disregard class rank, in any way shape or form, especially since the undergraduate university does still look at it on your transcript (although their standards to enter main university, will be lower, than that to enter the BA/MD program). Why? Because your grades are pretty much meaningless without it. A class rank gives context to your academic performance at your high school in comparison to others, that a GPA alone does not. An unweighted 4.0 isn’t special, if over half the class has a 4.0 (extreme example, but to make a point re: class rank), thus implying your school being easy.
They said that they would look at your class rank for general admission to UMKC, but they said for the Med School they will not consider it
So basically they will look at it class rank to get into easy undergrad, but not for admission to the 6 year med program
Thanks @Watang, for the clarification on the change, good for applicants this year and future applicants to know! So just for reference, I saw this was back on the BA/MD application in the 2008-2009 cycle (the BA/MD application has been moved completely online now): https://www.umkc.edu/admissions/docs/2009MedApplication.pdf, and in reference to class rank (which was your class rank at the end of your junior year).
So even if they were still using high school class rank, you’d be fine.
In line with what @Watang mentioned, the UMKC School of Medicine has admissions events that you guys & gals can attend: http://med.umkc.edu/admissions-events/. They have BA/MD campus visit days, BA/MD School of Medicine receptions in different cities/towns in the MO & KS areas, and BA/MD application workshops (one already passed on 9/16, but the next one is 10/7). I’m sure anyone can attend, even if you live outside of MO and KS, but it might help make the application process a little easier or at least help you in finding out more in-depth about the program, beyond the actual website.
Ok just finished my essay. Is there anyone I should have proofread it?
Yes, you should have a couple people look over it.
- Your brother - since he is a 4th year in the program (if I'm not mistaken), he should know what the school is looking for, the overall culture at the school of medicine, to check for content to make sure that your essay addresses its primary audience.
- Someone who has good grammar, this can make or break you. It just makes you look disorganized and unprofessional if you have obvious mistakes that were overlooked. Not saying that you made those mistakes but whenever I wrote my essay I had stared at it so much I missed the stupidest mistakes and typos.
- Someone who is good at flow, make sure that the essay flows nicely and something that no one gets bored reading.
That’s a good start. The more people that look at the better but again there is no need to go overboard
@Blugrn6 Thank you for your advice!
Hey @Roentgen, @blugrn6, and @dogopril,
So it’s been exactly 1 month today since I started as a Year 1 at UMKC - our first day of classes was 8/24. Classes are going well and I’m adjusting in many ways. What overall suggestions, tips, advice do you have, either to do well and/or stay sane during my 6 years here? Anything at all you wish you had maybe known earlier as a Year 1, that wasn’t as obvious initially, looking back in hindsight when it came to approaching the program?
I think I asked something similar to this before, but wasn’t sure if it was answered. I would have PMed, but your advice will probably help people in the future also to those who end up choosing UMKC, so they can always look back in the thread.
Congratulations on making it through the first month. I hope you are making friends are enjoying your time.
Honestly the biggest thing I would say is this:
- HAVE FUN! - seriously it only gets harder and more time consuming until you get to sixth year vacations
- Manage your time wisely - its good to have fun but also make sure its not at an expense to your academic record.
- Don’t freak out if you get a B, it happens to everyone at some point. It actually makes the pressure to keep up a 4.0 off if you get a B early and you actually study to learn and not get stressed out about the grade.
- Get involved - in undergrad stuff. Please don’t come to interest group meetings at the med school, while the enthusiasm is good its so much longer before anything they talk about/do will be of any use to you. If there is a suture workshop by all means go, never too early to learn that. If there is a career fair, go! You can network with doctors and find someone to shadow/research. But otherwise, get involved in volunteer organizations (globe med, sojourner, free eye clinic, tedxKC, etc).
- Speaking of shadowing - now that I look back at it, first year and even second year would have been a great time to shadow docs in specialties that I was interested in…you occasionally have mornings off or afternoons off, esp after first year when the psych docent is done and they don’t schedule anything on Tuesday/Thursdays from 8-12 and since your medicine docent is only once a week it leaves that 4 hour chunk open to do other things.
5 above is by no means a necessity and its not even like something you have to do. Feel free to sleep in, goof off, waste time during your chill days. That's what I did, that's what everyone does. But if you feel bored at any point and your extra curriculars are not that demanding, it would be nice to start exploring and see what you like.
Remember, once you hit third year and fourth year, you won’t have much time to explore like that. And depending on your schedule, you might only have one elective month during your fifth year before you have to do aways and figure out your life (that’s how it was for most of my class). So knowing what you like before fifth year is a good way to just take that one elective with UMKC and use the rest of the time to do aways.
Just something to think about.
Hope that helps.
Otherwise, again, can’t stress this enough. HAVE FUN. CHILL. You will def miss first year. I still do. The first two years were definitely the most fun of the six years here, well except for post match sixth year, but I’m not there yet so can’t really comment on that part haha.
So I just got the September ACT results
C: 31
E: 35
M: 28
R: 33
S: 27
Any point to submit this when I already have a 32 composite sent? I mean my Math is 1 point higher
@Watang, probably no point to do so, since your composite on this one went down by 1 point. UMKC uses the best ACT composite score anyways: http://med.umkc.edu/bamd/apply/. So I would send the one with the best total composite score, which it looks like you already did.
Yeah thats what I thought
Hey @bladerz1,
Sorry, I had typed this up before, and saved it, but I guess forgot to paste this a while back. I’ll assume for the sake of this discussion that you have absolutely no doubts of actually wanting to complete your bachelor degree and medical school at UMKC. I say that because it’s really very difficult to say as an 18 year old that becoming a physician is the only possible thing you would ever want to do in your life, even with many volunteering hours. Life isn’t usually that black and white.
First off, congrats on making it thru 1 month! As @blugrn6 mentioned, Year 1 is really a time to soak it all up as much as possible and make really good friends with people in your BA/MD class. Have fun and please don’t lock yourself up in your dorm room studying, because you think that’s the only way to a 4.0 (#blugrn6’s #3 is especially important to keep in mind and it’s very true), which isn’t even close to being necessary to match even in the most competitive of specialties. You can study when you need to, and also have fun and really get to explore KC, since it will be your home, for good or for bad, for the next 6 years.
I think all 5 things that @blugrn6 are excellent to keep in mind. The one thing I would add to @blugrn6’s #5 (if you’re going to do it) is to possibly shadow in specialties that you don’t and probably will NOT ever get exposure to as part of the required UMKC 6 year BA/MD curriculum. So for example, you will get very immense exposure, including in Years 1 & 2, to Family Med, Internal Medicine, and Pediatrics. In Year 5, you’ll get exposure additionally to Obstetrics & Gynecology, General Surgery, and Psychiatry.
But you won’t get as much, if any, clinical exposure early on as part of the required curriculum in specialties like: Neurology (although UMKC now has a Department of Neurology, finally), Orthopedic Surgery, Dermatology, Ophthalmalogy, Anesthesiology, Radiology, Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Urology, Neurosurgery, Radiation Oncology, or ENT. You can probably easily shadow in one of UMKC’s affiliated hospitals – TMC, St. Luke’s, Children’s Mercy, etc. to get a good idea if that specialty is something that may “fit” you.
1) Take care of yourself physically, mentally, and emotionally.
That means early on incorporating and maintaining a good level of exercise (and no, walking to class and back doesn’t count as REAL exercise), eating well (nutritiously), getting enough sleep, and getting your life under order. You don’t have to be this way 24/7 thru out 6 years, as s*** happens since life happens, but don’t let those things go to the wayside and falter. Part of what makes you an effective learner and better able to deal with and fight stress, whether in classes or on rotational clerkships, is taking care of yourself in all those areas.
The worst game plan I’ve seen for those initially approaching the 6 year program is going in with the attitude of that you’re only going to concentrate on studying and getting good grades, at the expense of everything else. It’s very unsustainable over the 6 years and I’ve seen people for that reason leave the program entirely or not do as well academically.
2) See KC as your new home.
This is especially the case if you’re regional or out-of-state. The one mistake I see some make, is that they see KC as sort of a temporary pit stop on the way to graduation and residency, and so fly home a lot in the hopes of avoiding feeling like they’re living in KC. Six years is a very long time, especially from 18 to 24 in terms of personal growth. As you get to Year 3 and onwards, your ability to go home frequently will decrease tremendously due to the availabilty of breaks, having to study for exams, and being able to concentrate for Step 1. Part of being in the program involves accepting that you’re living in KC, although you do have the ability to tag with friends to Columbia, Lawrence, or St. Louis.
Get a lot of good, warm winter clothes – hats, scarves, earmuffs, sweaters, coats, the whole kit and caboodle. Depending on the year, it can snow quite a bit during the Winter, so if you’re not used to cold weather, it’s good to be prepared, as well as learning to drive in snow.
Eat at all the great restaurants, go on the Plaza, go to the bars and have fun at the latest hangouts, etc. Don’t let your only fun be when you visit home on breaks.
3) Don’t have a huge ego – always ask for help, optimally before you get in academic trouble (i.e. before a bad grade) and don’t be afraid to try new study & learning techniques.
Actually go to class yourself and take notes (don’t make skipping class a huge habit), ask questions after class/in office hours/email to the professor, go back to listen to any lecture recordings to fill in gaps in your notes that you missed, go thru old previously released exams, do group study w/people who are reliable and will keep you in check when you need it and vice versa when the motivation to study runs low, go to SI sessions. Ask upperclassmen about their approach to different classes as each class can be different in terms of studying, i.e. Biochem vs. particular subjects in HSF vs. Med Micro. Whatever you do, if you do get in trouble, don’t further isolate yourself and think you can resolve it on your own.
4) Take full advantage of the resources that you do have available to you at UMKC that you’re paying for every semester with tuition & fees:
a) Supplemental Instruction (called SI) groups for courses
b) Academic Resource Specialists http://med.umkc.edu/accepted_offline/staff-accepted/
c) The Writing Center (I guess it’s now called the “Writing Studio”): http://www.umkc.edu/writingstudio/
– People used this to revise and proofread their personal statements for residency application
d) The UMKC Counseling Center http://www.umkc.edu/counselingcenter/
– I believe you get a certain number of free sessions. People used this to learn stress relaxation techniques, dealing with stress in studying and preparing for USMLE Step 1, and a myriad of other issues.
e) The relatively new Wellness Program at the medical school that is now available: http://med.umkc.edu/sa/wellness/
f) The relatively new Career Advising Services: http://med.umkc.edu/sa/residency_match/
g) Asking your ETC or a specific Interest Group in pointing you in the right direction: http://med.umkc.edu/sa/student-organizations/
5) Make friends with everyone in your BA/MD class, and including upperclassmen.
You’re not going to be best friends with everyone in your class, but try to be friendly with everyone. Don’t become the guy or gal in the class that everyone thinks doesn’t like to be around people, or can’t stand to be around, or find you to be full of yourself. At UMKC, even now, the class sizes are still relatively small ~100, compared to other public allopathic medical schools. When an old, previously released exam is found or someone gets old class notes from an upperclassman, being friends with everyone will be to your benefit. Of course, you shouldn’t be friends with people solely so you get something out of it, as people will catch onto that pretty quickly & easily, but when someone does get something, they’re just more likely to share things with you (and vice versa) the more cohesive you are.
Another reason to make friends with everyone is that out of your class, an x number of people will either extend in the program or will leave the program entirely, for a whole variety of reasons that is too long to go into here. That’s just the stark reality you should accept now to get used to, and because of this reality, friendship groups can change and/or roommate situations can change very quickly. Easier to not feel as alone if all the people in your friend group extend or leave the program.
So if you’re not friendly with everyone outside of class or are hated, it’s much harder to make friends later when friend groups have already formed, although there is some change at the Year 3 level when you are assigned to a docent group and at the Year 4, 5 level when you’re on different clinical rotations together or do group work for courses.
6) If you’re asked to go to someplace fun, and it’s weeks before an exam, please do it.
Don’t be the person who is ALWAYS studying 24/7, and never goes out with anyone, to do something fun, ever. First, even if you’re an expert studier who can study 10-14 hours a day, you can’t study that long for long periods, without high levels of burnout and your retention won’t necessarily improve either, since your brain needs rest. But also, if you keep saying no, eventually people get the “hint”, and will just stop asking you altogether, which in the long run will make you worse off, especially on clerkships, in which the main activity isn’t sitting in class and taking exams. It might be hard to let some of the guilt feelings that you should be studying all the time go, but it’s worth it in the end in many ways.
7) Know when to get frustrated, and when to let things go that don’t matter.
I will tell you right now, there are many things that will happen at UMKC which will piss you off. It could be a professor writing a poor exam in which the class average is very low, maybe its disorganization on the part of an administrator, utter incompetence on the part of your advisor, a change in grading or a new Curriculum or Evaluation promotion policy that specifically affects your class, etc.
Some things are worth blowing your lid over, and some things just aren’t worth your time. Realize which things are worth complaining about and which aren’t in the grand scheme of things – it will save you a lot in heartache. Talk with friends and fellow students, go the UMKC Counseling Center, etc. if you feel frustrated or somehow helpless in correcting your situation or for a change in perspective or outlook on the situation.
8) Know when to really put effort into something, and know what things are just worth getting done.
You have 24 hours a day like everyone else. Subtract sleeping, eating, drinking, classes, studying, etc. Some things are worth investing in a lot of effort to do well, and other things are just worth completing it and perfection is not needed, as it is just more busy work. You’ll figure out quickly what those things are.
9) Get your procrastination habit relatively under control.
Easier than said than done, but eventually in the program you will meet your match. Some people meet that point at Organic Chem, others meet it at Biochem or HSF. And still others it will be at Med Micro or Path. But don’t let procrastination be the sole reason for extending or for a course failure. If there are other issues in your life that are contributing to your procrastinating, use the resources I listed above in #4.
As @blugrn6 mentioned, as you progress thru the program, the amount you have on your plate will increase a lot, and you will have less leeway in terms of controllable time, especially in Year 5 on certain clerkships (Surgery & OB-Gyn). The stress is high enough in this program. Try not to increase that stress even more with having to go through tons of lectures in a matter of days and having to stay up till 2 AM. Know yourself in how much time you realistically need to fully process information, but also take breaks as needed. Even if you do great on the exam after cramming, you do have to eventually remember or recall that material when you start reviewing for boards later.
10) Try to stay out of the BA/MD rumor/gossip mill as much as possible.
It’s a program in which you grab about ~100 18 year high school students stick them in a year-round 6 year program, which at the end, they get a BA and an MD. So as you can imagine, that doesn’t leave too much protected time for actual maturity and resilience to develop necessarily since you come in essentially having to transition from high school student to college student and then transition to med student relatively quickly. You’ll be going thru a lot of personal growth in this program on many different levels, and not just because of the amount of medical information you will learn. A lot of times you’ll feel like you’re living in a medical school bubble.
Rumors are always flying, people are always talking. Doesn’t mean you should care all the time what people think or are saying on a daily basis, but don’t purposefully do things to give yourself a bad reputation among your classmates, as that can affect you later when you start doing rotations and clerkships. The less “drama” you have in your life, the better off you’ll be.
11) Be kind to others.
That includes classmates overall, but it also includes ETCs, administrative figures, administrative assistants, attendings, etc. We all have bad days, but I am talking about on average. The school is very small, people talk, and how you’re viewed can very much affect things down the line when you need something done for you later. Treat people like **** and people won’t lift a finger for you, or things will get done late on purpose, or a petition of something you want changed gets denied. It’s to your benefit to find alternative ways (and there are many) to vent, but keep your reputation intact – I can’t emphasize that enough!
12) Take what students say with a slight grain of salt.
You’ll always hear from upper level students how this class was the hardest ever and how that exam in a particular class was the hardest ever, or how so many people fail this class, yada yada. After a while you figure out that you’ll hear the same refrain again and again about how hard things are, and you’re much better off ignoring them and channeling your energy in a positive way, by taking the time and effort to study and actually master & process the material, and it’s no point in wasting time to get anxious about how hard something is. This is where group studying can help as you all are in the same boat, helping eachother together trying to jump thru the same hoop. Try not to use anxiety or fear as a primary motivator. Again, use all the resources you have available to you, and don’t only react and start changing things when it it is too late to do anything about it.
Is there some sort of informal checklist of all the things one should do by the end of every year of high school? (e.g. 50 hospital volunteer hours by the end of 9th grade, shadow physicians in 10th grade, etc.) Do any such guidelines exist?
@logosoverpathosm, nope, there really isn’t a checklist, informal or otherwise. Applications are looked at holistically by medical schools, although there may be some comparison to others, just due to competition for spots or due to certain factors the med school wants in their incoming class. I would just look at CC, see people’s ECs and CV that they’ve posted to at least get ideas, and then see how your son/daughter can fit it in. More importantly, do healthcare activities to where you’re actually exposed to how real clinical medicine is like, and not based on a preconceived, idealistic perception of what you think medicine is like, so that you can see the positives & real negatives of being a physician. That’s probably the biggest mistake people make overall is seeing medical school admissions as a game, and not whether it’s the right thing to do in the first place.
Thank you for your reply! @Roentgen
On the application, it is asked that you provide the start and end date for each activity, as well as the total number of hours devoted to each activity. How on earth does anyone remember dates and hours like these when it comes to activities like National Honors Society?