**** The Official University of Detroit Mercy Dental Class of 2020 Interview/Acceptance Thread ****

RANT HERE thread

Thank goodness this b**** is out of our lives, so I'm not as fuming as usual about her, but since there's a thread, here goes...

I work in a tiny lab with 2 faculty researchers, 2 technicians, 1 post-doc, and 1 MD fellow (plus the PI who never sets foot in the lab). The post-doc is probably the biggest nightmare this lab will NEVER forget. Because:

She is a mega dumbf*ck b****. She screams at her boss when she hears what she doesn't want to hear. This shouting match goes on for at least 30 min sometimes in the middle of our lab, making it very uncomfortable for everyone else. So the rest of us have to swiftly make an exit to another room and chill there until they're done. Once the boss leaves and we go back into the room, she corners all of us and starts bawling "I only got a PhD because I hate being bossed around, and I thought if I got a PhD, no one would be able to boss me around!"

She tells the new technician (on her first week) who had a slight cough that she should have taken the day off. The technician says that she's not that sick, and besides she hasn't accrued earned time yet. Then she goes "well, my dad in NY has cancer, and if i catch anything from you and i go visit him in the next few weeks, he's going to die!"

She also told the new technician, "no offense, but YOU should not be wearing a size small or extra-small" hmmmm....

I was talking about how I personally have no idea what my mom saw in my dad when they first started dating because based on what she told me, my dad was a terrible date. Then this b**** tells me that I don't know enough about them to make that kind of judgment. to which I was thinking "well duh... they're still happily married after 4 kids and 30 yrs of marriage, obviously something worked" But then, just after SHE told ME that I didn't know enough about my own parents to judge their relationship, she goes "I hope you don't get married to your boyfriend, because he sounds like a LOSER"

Her favorite topics are politically charged topics that have no place in the work environment (e.g. abortion), and she chastises everyone who doesn't agree with her.

Her other favorite topic is about how she hates douchebag PhDs who are stuck up about the letters they have after their name, and how she's not like that at all. However, she is the first person to bring up in any conversation she can that she should be treated differently because of her credentials. She tells our pathologist (who was doing her a favor by reading her brain slides) that perhaps she should "help" her since as an MD she doesn't have the expertise that a PhD might... Talk about insulting! Also, we have issues with environmental services bringing us biohazard bins when we need extras. Someone will call and just say "hi, can we have 10 bins delivered to room ____" and they'll say "Sure!" but for some reason it doesn't happen. B**** will then be like "maybe I should call, 'cause I think they might listen if someone with a degree called." Um... what the hell was she planning on saying to indicate that she had a degree???

She was also the dumbf*** who thought that not eating sugar was going to prevent her from getting fat. So she refused to eat anything with sugar (as in added granulated sugar). But instead she would eat a whole bag of dried mangoes in one sitting (like a whopping 1000 calories in that bag), or a whole can of macadamia nuts. But apparently she liked to bake ****. So she comes in with this tupperware filled with pieces of this nasty looking chocolate cake. She tried baking one for her friend and f*cked up so the cake ended up flat instead of fluffy. She explains this to us and goes "so I dunno how good it is because i didn't taste it, because you know, I don't eat sugar. But I thought you guys would enjoy it so go ahead and dig in." Throughout the day, we all kind of opened up the tupperware to take a look... but the thing had dog hair (she has this nasty chow that's bitten two children) all over it, sticking out of the sponge... so we all just left it there. At the end of the day, b**** was infuriated that no one ate it and goes "Fine, I'll take it to the dog park people, cause I'm sure they'll appreciate it. I guess this means I'll never be bringing anything for you people!"

She was so incompetent at her job that everyone in the lab had to come in on our thanksgiving weekend (plus many others) to dissect out embryo brains. After we finished the dissection, my boss and I disappeared to the animal facility to check on the mouse colony, and when we came back, the b**** had left with 4 people's worth of dissection set ups left out(bloody surgical instruments and all) as well as a bunch of other things for ME to clean! We even have an explicit policy in the lab that technicians are NOT there to do chores for post-docs. My boss was FURIOUS! He ended up cleaning with me and was like "why is it that we get called in on our Thanksgiving weekend because she doesn't know how to plan well, and we end up with the cleaning?"

Ugh... there are so many more of these infuriating stories, but I'ma gonna stop now. Only thing is that if it was just an abrasive personality, I could deal with it, but this chick was soooo incompetent... It was difficult when she sucked and couldn't do a thing right, and I was told to fix something for her by my boss, but I had to tip toe ever so lightly as not to offend her mighty degree.

She has a PhD in molecular biology... but she can't do a single thing! like literally. She had 1 paper published in all of her 7 years grad school + 3 yrs post-doc. And that last paper only got published because her experiments had to be done in duplicate by other people in the lab. She can't do DNA or RNA extractions (and she doesn't even notice when her OD readings are way off). She can't do PCR (in the past she's used 2 forward primers, didn't heat the lid, only ran it for one cycle, her stock primer was growing bacteria). She can't clone (she doesn't know how to pick the right enzymes, she tries to ligate things that don't have compatible ends, doesn't know how much insert/vector to use, she tried to ligate insert/vectors that both lacked phosphates, etc...). EVERYTIME something goes wrong though, she'd ask me to order super expensive reagents because she thought the stuff we were using wasn't good enough for her experiments . She also doesn't understand scientific notation, and we realized 2 years in that all of her calculations were off by a factor of 10. And everytime I'm talking to someone on troubleshooting an experiment I'm working on, and we're going through logical breakdowns of where something went wrong, she has to bust in and start suggesting the stupidest ****. and EVERYTIME, I have to find a way to politely decline her suggestion because any organism with a brain could tell that it would not help. But she would be offended anyway.

ugh. oh well. she's gone now. and as my boss says "she's someone else's problem now" but it does feel good to get it off my chest

Click to expand...

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RANT HERE thread

Worst Interview Answers!!!

Interviewer: I have a nephew that goes to MIT. He's one of the really smart kids. One of those whiz kids.

Me: Yep, I've met quite a few of them.

Interviewer: Maybe you're one of them (piercing stare).

Me: I don't know about that. (small laugh)

Interviewer: Well you certainly did very well there.

Me: (now totally confused, my undergrad gpa was 3.1) Well, they let me graduate! (haha)

Interviewer: (weird look)

<On to discussion on other topics>

Interviewer: So, did you apply to many schools?

Me: Yes, I applied to 28.

Interviewer: Wow! Why so many???

Me: Well, my undergraduate GPA is below the average at most schools.

Interviewer: What? I thought you had a 3.8 at MIT!

Me: Um, no, actually that was in my post-bac coursework. (He had only glanced at the first page of AMCAS for maybe a minute.)

Interviewer: Oh. (long pause) Well. Why were your grades low at MIT?

Me: Well, a few reasons. First, MIT is a really intense place. There is an overwhelming amount of work to do all the time and my peers were really smart.

Interviewer: (weird look)

Me: I guess that sounds a lot like med school, huh? On to reasons two and three...

Anyway, I guess I dug myself out of the hole. I got accepted a week later.

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Worst Interview Answers!!!

Vote for President

Blade, you know I love you in a totally platonic way, but if you think Trump will be the GOP nominee, you're totally off your rocker.

It's unpossible. The establishment won't stand for it.

If I recall correctly, last election the GOP poll leader changed about 6 times, and every single time you jumped on the current leader to be our Obama savior. It was BS then and it's BS now.

Polls mean N O T H I N G before the first primary. It's just 24-hour news cycle bull****. He's leading a broad and splintered field during a period of time when 95%+ of people polled by phone HANG UP as soon as they hear it's a poll.

It'll be Bush, Rubio, or Cruz, god help us. Of those I think Rubio is probably the most electable vs Clinton.

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Vote for President

2015-2016 Drexel University Application Thread

I'm pre-writing secondaries now and am assuming Drexel's secondary essay prompt will be the same or similar to last year:

"Please give details about any interruption or time away from your education, which includes the time since graduation. Detail your activities for each year away from school."

I looked through last year's thread but was unable to find a character or word limit for the essay. Does anyone know if there is a word/character limit on Drexel's secondary essay, and if so, what it is? Thanks!

Also, as a non-trad, I have 4 years between graduation from college and applying to medical school. Most of my 4 years is pretty well-documented in my Work and Activities section on AMCAS, so is it necessary to go in-depth in terms of what I did these four years? Or will a paragraph simply stating what I did each year suffice?

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2015-2016 Drexel University Application Thread

USMLE - Official 2016 Step 2 CK Experiences and Scores Thread

Hi guys,

I got the result yesterday. It was 256. I benefited a lot from this forum while preparing for Step 1 and Step 2 CK. I hope my experience can be helpful to you.

Preparation

I watched Kaplan Video twice. (I didn't read the books because they are too thick!)
Then I did Kaplan Qbank with an average of 61% (the mean for that Qbank was 58%).
I was a bit disappointed so I read the explanations of Kaplan Qbank carefully twice (literally words to words). I learned a lot from that.
I started doing U World Qbank 2 months before the exam. I only did it once (random, timed), my average was 78%. Again, I read the explanations carefully once, wiki or uptodate the stuffs I am not familiar with, and reviewed my markings three times.
My Fred 150 was about 88% (one month before the exam)
I only tried the NBME 4 questions offline (two weeks before). My score was probably 235-240 based on the answers in the forum.
I activated UWSA, but I was too nervous to do it.
I scanned through MTB 2 and MTB3 during the last week, which I was surprised to find there are stuffs that are not covered in U World Qbank or Kaplan Qbank. You don't need to read everything, I guess only those "questions and answers" in these books are useful for the exam.

My feeling is that U world is the most useful resource. U world + MTB 2 and MTB 3 will get you above 250 if you can master 90% of the knowledge. Do Kaplan Qbank if you are shooting for 260 or higher.

Exam experience

I have read tons of posts where people complained about how ridiculously difficult the exam was. So I was totally stressed out before the exam. However, the real thing turned out to be quite doable, at least for me. Yes, the stems may be a bit longer than U world, but not significantly. Besides, there are stems that are very short. So overall, you should not have time management issue due to "long stems". I guess the key is to be very disciplined. Don't dwell on questions that you are unsure about, pick whatever you instinct says and move on.

There will be questions (10-15% for me) that test knowledge that you have never prepared for. However, remember that the USMLE is not going to trick you. Don't over think, just choose the answer that sounds best to you.

Another important point is that almost everyone will make silly mistakes during that exam, believe me! I knew that I got at least 5 questions wrong in previous blocks before I finished the exam! Don't worry, just keep going! After the exam, several questions that I was unsure about haunted me for the next three weeks. I guess it is normal for people to concentrate on the questions they didn't do well and ignore the questions they kicked ass of. That's probably also why people felt a bit down after the exam. But just remember that you can still get 250+ even if you made several mistakes.

I took Step 1 four years back and got 246. I think it would be an advantage if you start prepare for the Step 2 CK right after Step 1 because there were at least 5 questions that tested mechanisms of disease using Step 1 knowledge which I was unsure about. However, you can still eliminate and guess based on the residual knowledge for Step 1 in your mind and what U World has taught you. So don't overemphasize the importance of Step 1, and I don't recommend you to review FA Step1 thoroughly because that would be low yield.

I hope my post can be helpful to you and cheer you up a bit!

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USMLE - Official 2016 Step 2 CK Experiences and Scores Thread

Below 3.0 gpa Support Group/Thread

To give you all some hope:

Graduated with a science degree in 2006 with a cGPA <2.4 and an sGPA slightly above it. All that was mainly due to a year of Fs, where a lot was going on in my life.

After working for a few years, I went back for a DIY post-bac, where I basically took all the pre-reqs and some retakes (many courses were only offered at my alma mater), getting ~3.8.

I applied late in the last cycle to a few MD, a lot of DO, and a couple Carib MD schools with a mid-30s MCAT score and ~3.0 GPAs, tons of ECs (volunteering, MD and DO shadowing, research, leadership, etc), and basically applied prematurely due to some time constraints and personal circumstances.

Result: Multiple interviews (mostly DO, but some MD), acceptances at all the Carib schools I applied to, and all my US interviews ended in waitlists and one acceptance (so far??).

I made a lot of mistakes in the app process (mainly timing), but I also couldn't afford to wait longer to apply, so I took a shot. Even with that it ended well. I don't recommend it, but it ended well.

In reality, I should have waited to apply with GPAs far above 3.0 (would've taken 1-2 more semesters). My recommendation for everyone in a sub-3.0 situation is: make good use of grade replacement and get those GPAs above a 3.0 to make it above cutoffs, shadow a DO and get that LOR, apply early and broadly, and study all you can for the MCAT until you are getting above your target score on practice tests.

No matter what your situation, if you want it, you can get it. Good luck to all of you, and I hope to see you in the future.

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Below 3.0 gpa Support Group/Thread

Official 2016 Step 1 Experiences and Scores Thread

"Funny quotes from 'less informed' pre-meds," On-Topic Edition

Had this conversation this weekend after finishing up a volunteering shift at a free clinic:

Premed asks me what specialty I want to go into and I eventually ask him the same thing, naturally, he responds:

Premed: I want to be a neurosurgeon and I'm pretty sure I want to be an academic somewhere in the northeast.

Me: (thinking: this guy is def. on SDN) Wow! That's pretty ambitious. What set you on neurosurgery?

Premed: neurosurgeons make tons of money! I also heard the academics have really flexible schedules so I can work part time, make tons of money, and then just run a business or invest on the side.

Me: (....giving benefit of the doubt, maybe it's a rather reasonable business) Well what kind of business do you want to run? It might be tough to work part time if someone is expecting you to publish and operate and teach, you know?

Premed: Something with investment or finance where I could just triple the money I'm earning from surgery. (Here comes the best part..) I just want enough money to live a comfortable life.

Me: Ahh...good luck with that.

What kind of life do you have to live up to that point to think you need neurosurgeon + financier money to live comfortably? Probably a pretty sweet one. But probably a miserable one from then on out when they find out that is essentially impossible.

Edit: I should add, this guy has already been accepted to a TX Med school so get ready team, he is coming for you.

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"Funny quotes from 'less informed' pre-meds," On-Topic Edition

University of St. Augustine Fall 2016

I'm still raging. San Diego State just revamped their webpage and changed admission requirements, too. Like, 4 days ago. Granted, their cycle doesn't open until 10/1, but I'm asking for reference letters RIGHT NOW, and I've already gotten hard copies (as per previous requirements). Now they tell me it's electronic and I can't have a letter from an employer? And there's an essay about contemporary issues in PT? And a VIDEO??

Sorry this is unrelated to USA, I'm just really angry.

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University of St. Augustine Fall 2016

2015-2016 Columbia University College of P&S Application Thread

Hey Everyone,
I'll be an incoming MS1 student, so don't ask me any questions about the curriculum or facilities (or, god forbid, the wards). Kidding. Sort of.
I fell in love with Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons (affectionately and inaccurately referred to as college of surgeons and surgeons around SDN) when I was far younger, and my affection has only increased during my application cycle, interview trail, and second look weekend. I'm thrilled to become a part of P&S, and I'd love to answer any questions that anyone has (or at the least refer you to someone who knows more than I do).

I've created an "information sheet" below, to try to summarize some key points about P&S (as you'll find on a few other threads, I'm sure). Good luck to everyone applying!

Stats [Source]
~7,800 applicants
~7,450 "applications considered"
~1,100 interviews (no in-state bias)
As per Columbia P&S Graduate, about 200 are accepted immediately, 700 waitlisted, and 100 rejected
~325 total acceptances (including off WL)
170 matriculated

Matriculating Class Statistics [source: @WedgeDawg]:
Median Undergraduate GPA: 3.85
Median MCAT Score: 36 (13/11/13 median section breakdowns)

2015-2016 Secondary Application (there is no screen)

1. If you took time off from your undergraduate studies, please briefly summarize your reasons for doing so. - 250 words
2. From which languages can you translate scholarly material into English?
3. In what collegiate extracurriculars did you engage? - 400 characters
4. Did you work for compensation during college during the year or the summer? If so, what did you do? How many hours a week did you work? - 300 words
5. If you have graduated from college, please briefly summarize what you have done in the interim. - 300 words
6. What challenges do you expect to arise from living and working in a complex urban environment? How will you meet them? - 300 words
7. Is there anything else you would like us to know? - 300 words
8. Please describe your parents' occupations: - 100 char

*Note: prompt 7 is completely optional. Prompts 1, 2, 4, and 5 were also optional, although N/A was an acceptable response.

2014-2015 Secondary Application (there is no screen)

2014-2015 Important Dates*
First secondary: July 1st, 2014
First interview invites: August 18th-20th, 2014
First acceptance: February 11th, 2015 via phone call (portals updated within a couple days with email alert)
First waitlist: February 12th, 2015 via portal update (with email alert)

As per recent (5/5/15) phone calls to the admissions office, waitlist movement should occur by mid-to-late May.
*All dates have been obtained through SDN archives, though there is complete agreement with these dates and those published by P&S admissions online.

Update Letter Policy
Updates are accepted pre- and post-interview. All updates should be uploaded through the application portal. You should receive an email within a few days confirming that your update has been received. In addition, "Thank You Letters," should you choose to send them, should also be uploaded through this portal. [Source: interview day]

Curriculum
1.5 year condensed preclinical curriculum.

• Preclinical grading is Pass/Fail [Source]
• Clinicals are graded using a 4-tiered system: honors/high pass/pass/fail.
• Lectures are non-mandatory and recorded; labs and small group activities are incorporated throughout the fundamental courses (and foundation selectives)

Interview
One faculty interview. Faculty interview is open-file.

Of Note

• Columbia graduates are below the national mean with respect to post-graduate debt, although merit scholarships are reputed to be somewhat uncommon. That being said, the tuition is ~53,500 a year, and COL in NYC is no laughing matter. Check here for more details. Fortunately, the financial aid office is generous with need-based aid and, like I said, the average indebtedness for P&S grads is still below the national mean. Not bad when you consider everything else Columbia has to offer (utterly shameless comment from infatuated MS0)
• Extensive on-campus student housing is offered to P&S students to help mitigate the cost of living in NYC
• Columbia admissions and students extoll the P&S club as being the largest and most comprehensive student activities organization "in American medical education"
• Student research opportunities at Columbia are virtually limitless, both with respect to mentors and to financial support. At second look weekend, we were told that every single person who applied for summer research funding the previous year (so summer of 2014) managed to receive a grant.
• Official match list
• Columbia P&S Facebook Page

Finally, I will probably periodically update this throughout the coming months, although if anyone has any details that they would specifically like me to add, feel free to comment.
Citation for format: the ever-informative @hellanutella

As I said before, I'd be willing to answer as many questions as I can. Thankfully, there are several older P&S students who frequent SDN, and I'm sure they'll be along to help everyone out along the way. Once again, good luck to all applying!

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2015-2016 Columbia University College of P&S Application Thread

2015-2016 University of Texas - Rio Grande Valley Application Thread

I'm from the valley, so I hear things through the grapevine - just in case you were wondering how I know the following things I'm about to say. They're supposedly only going to accept 50 students in their first class, just like Dell Med at UT Austin. The campus (at least the medical education part) will be built in Edinburg although there will probably be several sites in Harlingen/McAllen/Edinburg which will have clinical training for med students - one of which was formerly the RAHC through UTHSC San Antonio (it's in Harlingen). I'm sure it'll be tough to get in if you don't have a desire to work with underserved populations - especially since you'll be training in the poorest area of the U.S. They're probably looking for students who want to work with Hispanic populations, can speak Spanish (or at least intend to learn how to speak it), and are interested in primary care. It's not to say they won't accept someone with the desire to practice non-primary care medicine, but I'm sure they'll take your interest in primary care more seriously. I think the stats will probably reflect that of El Paso and Lubbock, but just due to the fact that they're accepting few students may make it more difficult.

If anyone has questions on what living in the valley is like, feel free to ask! I will say that it's not as bad as people think it is. No, there's no *border violence* on our side of the border, and I would say the valley is much safer than most major cities in Texas. We also have South Padre, which is only 20 minutes from Brownsville and about an hour and a half away from Edinburg!

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2015-2016 University of Texas - Rio Grande Valley Application Thread

A.T. Still University (ATSU-SOMA) Arizona Discussion Thread 2015 - 2016

Describe your activities during any gaps longer than 3 months in your college or postgraduate record.

Describe your academic readiness for medical school by answering one of the following questions:

a. Describe your learning strategy and how this strategy will help you become a successful student at SOMA.

b. Describe any academic performance issues you have experienced and how you got back on course.

Describe your understanding of a career as a physician by answering one of the following questions:

a. Describe the essential traits of a physician. Which one of your past experiences had the greatest influence on your choice of traits?

b. Of the following characteristics found in successful medical students, choose one that is important to you and explain why?

• 
  
  
  • Confidence
  • Discipline
  • Resilience
  • Intelligence

Describe your understanding of a career as an osteopathic physician by answering one of the following questions:

a. Describe your experiences with DO’s.Have you ever shadowed a DO, if not explain why? Do you have a letter of recommendation from a DO, if not explain why?

b. Which one of the osteopathic tenets do you most identify with at this point in your life? Explain why.

c. How do you envision incorporating osteopathic philosophy and practice as a physician?

Describe your understanding of SOMA by answering one of the following questions:

a. What unique feature of SOMA appeals to you? What specific feature of SOMA concerns you?

b. What would be your strongest attribute as a SOMA student? What would be your weakest?

c. How do you plan to be involved with medically underserved populations in your medical career? How have your past volunteer experiences influenced your plans?

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A.T. Still University (ATSU-SOMA) Arizona Discussion Thread 2015 - 2016

The official MCAT May 20th 2016

I don't think you're starting too early by any means, especially if you recognize that you have a lot to review content wise. However, remember that CONTENT is in reality a minor contributor to your final score. You need the baseline, the foundation if you will, but you get points and perform well based almost exclusively on your ability to: `

1. Read and understand challenging experimental passages taken from actual journal articles and,

2. Answer CONCEPTUAL questions relevant to that passage and/or the topics it touches upon.

As you seek out Full-Lengths and practice materials, make sure you compare them to the AAMC standard (there are two FL exams to compare to now). There is still a major problem right now with the prep material not matching the actual exam. For example, many, many passages aren't experimental at all, aren't based on actual research or cited journal articles, don't contain appropriately difficult graphs and figures, use language that is far too simplistic, use questions that are not AAMC question types, etc. There are various resources available and some are definitely better than others. I think every student needs to become educated and decide for themselves what constitutes accurate practice via comparison to the AAMC standard. Best of luck!

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The official MCAT May 20th 2016

****The Official U of Washington Class of 2020 Interview/Acceptance Thread****

Can't believe it's that time of year again! Good luck for those applying for the first class of the new decade!

It'll be a while before UW sends out interviews, I'd wager, but any questions about the process can be asked here.

Again, good luck everyone!

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****The Official U of Washington Class of 2020 Interview/Acceptance Thread****

2015-2016 SUNY Downstate Application Thread

Secondary Prompts:
If there were periods longer than 3 months, from the time you graduated from high school to now, when you were not employed full-time or in college full-time, please briefly describe your activities. (Limit 150 words)

If you are not attending college full time as of September 15, please describe your activities for the period September 2015 to July 2016.Please enter none if there are none. (Limit 200 words)

If you are not from the 5 boroughs of New York City, describe what personal experiences prepare you to live and study in New York City, and what will be your personal support system. (Limit 150 words)

If you have a specific reason why you wish to attend SUNY Downstate or a medical school in New York City, please explain. (Limit 100 words)

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2015-2016 SUNY Downstate Application Thread

Midwestern University Chicago (CCOM) Discussion Thread 2015 - 2016

Ok so they put up the essays. Its the exact same as last year.

1. List any relative who is an osteopathic physician:

2. Why do you believe CCOM would provide you with the type of osteopathic medical education you are seeking? (1500 chars)

3. Why should CCOM accept you into this year's class? (1500 chars)

4. Upload a copy of your resume or curriculum vitae, which will include, but not be limited to the following information:

• Educational History (colleges attended and degrees earned)
• Employment History
• Medically related work and volunteer experiences
• College extracurricular activities, honors, and leadership responsibilities
• Community activities, honors, and leadership responsibilities
• Hobbies and nonacademic interests

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Midwestern University Chicago (CCOM) Discussion Thread 2015 - 2016

2015-2016 The Commonwealth Medical College Application Thread

Lol then don't apply. As you said, it's a private school. They can do whatever they want. No one here is going to argue with you about their OOS matriculation percentage. You either think it's worth applying or you don't.

Edit: I will caution you though about the way you're analyzing this information. You want to give more weight to the interviews offered than the matriculation percentage. Once a seat is offered, it's up to the applicant whether or not they matriculate. There's a large number of reasons why less OOS applicants choose to matriculate than IS (tuition, distance from family, etc). Of the interviews offered, almost 50% were to OOS students. Over 20% of the class is OOS. That's good enough for me to apply.

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2015-2016 The Commonwealth Medical College Application Thread

Advice

Honestly, I interviewed at many DO schools and most of them are beginning to seriously frown upon grade replacements and some schools are even outright disregarding the policy altogether. I'm just being honest. By the time you start applying, it's going to be even more competitive at the established programs. You need to think seriously if this is the field you want to get into. Start volunteering at a hospital and figure out if you see yourself being a doctor. I get the feeling that you are rushing this. I find it very hard to believe that, at 20 years old, you had a robust enough application to apply to MASTERS level programs where you will be expected to complete a thesis and defend it in front of PhDs.
Finally, I leave you with a quote from Carly Fiorina, "Like Mrs. Clinton I too have traveled hundreds of thousands of miles but flying and traveling is an activity, it's not an accomplishment."

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Advice

Midwestern University Arizona (AZCOM) Discussion Thread 2015 - 2016

After some digging around the internets, I have some questions I'm hoping current students could shed some light on.

Rotations - I cannot seem to find any list on the website, does one exist? Also, are 3rd year rotations still limited to AZ?

COMLEX / USMLE - Does the school offer any form of review or time for it?

PBL / small groups - Are there many chances for smaller group-work vs lecture style?

Early clinicals - Are there many chances for clinical experiences in 1st and 2nd years?

Thanks! I've seen these questions answered before, but not in a few years. I'm wondering if there have been any changes

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Midwestern University Arizona (AZCOM) Discussion Thread 2015 - 2016

2015-2016 University of Michigan Application Thread

Stats
>5700 applied
~575 interviewed (400 OOS, 175 IS)
360 acceptances (240 OOS, 120 IS)
178 matriculated (10 of which are MSTP)

• Michigan aims for roughly a 50:50 in-state vs. out-of-state class profile.
• Over the past few years, Michigan has not accepted students off of their waitlist

2014-2015 Secondary Application (there is no pre-screen)
Secondary Application and Status Page

• Tell us something you are passionate about and why. Do not exceed 1500 characters (about 250 words).
• At the University of Michigan Medical School, we are committed to building a superb educational community with students of diverse talents, experiences, opinions, and backgrounds. What would you as an individual bring to our medical school community? Do not exceed 1500 characters (about 250 words).
• We know you have many interests and passions beyond your pursuit of medical training. At Michigan we encourage you to continue to develop these talents. Please list three areas of interest (e.g., symphony orchestra, drawing/painting/ceramics, research in a specific area, joint degrees, athletic interests/running/softball, ballroom dance, Spanish language study, international travel/work/study, etc.) you would like to pursue while at Michigan. This will allow us to provide resources for you around these interests. (Three blanks given)
• Fun fact - We would like to know one fun fact about you. This may be shared with other applicants. Please answer the following question with up to four words: "Most people don't know that I can ____________"

MIC (mini-secondary for interviewees to fill out)

• Would you like to add any new information or activities to your AMCAS application?
• Do you have any gaps in activities or time on our application, or would you like to explain any poor grades or scores?
• Did you take the MCAT more than once?
• Please briefly describe your personal experience in a leadership position and the challenges that presented themselves in that position (250 words or less)
• Please briefly describe your experience as part of a team and how you contributed to the success of that team and its goals (250 words or less)
• What city and state do you consider your hometown?
• Do you have any dietary restrictions?
• Will you be driving to your interview and need a parking voucher?

Important Dates (2014-2015)
First secondary application: June 27th, 2014
First interview invitation: July 15th, 2014
First acceptance: October 15th, 2014 at midnight via email (and/or hand-delivered mail for those in the close vicinity of U Mich)
First deferral: October 15th, 2014
Last interview: February 6th, 2015
First post-secondary rejection: February 11th, 2015
First Dean’s Scholarship release: March 9th, 2015 via email

Interview
In 2014-15, for the first time, U of M added a (relatively short) MMI to their interview day. The day also included two traditional interviews, one with a faculty member and one with a student or alum., each scheduled for 30 minutes.

Update Letter Policy
Updates may be uploaded to the secondary portal.

Statuses
Several application statuses are given out by U of M. In 2014-2015, many applicants received statuses, mostly at the end of October, titled “Application Screening Complete.” At least one person with this status reported receiving an interview afterward, so it is not a rejection.

Of Note

• U of M regularly posts application-related updates on their Twitter
• The Application Tracker shows how many interviews/acceptances have been accepted and the average stats for each (for both IS and OOS)
• U of M has an app that can be downloaded to Android/Apple devices to check application status
• Match list archive and incoming class profiles

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2015-2016 University of Michigan Application Thread

Vote for President

Blade, you know I love you in a totally platonic way, but if you think Trump will be the GOP nominee, you're totally off your rocker.

It's unpossible. The establishment won't stand for it.

If I recall correctly, last election the GOP poll leader changed about 6 times, and every single time you jumped on the current leader to be our Obama savior. It was BS then and it's BS now.

Polls mean N O T H I N G before the first primary. It's just 24-hour news cycle bull****. He's leading a broad and splintered field during a period of time when 95%+ of people polled by phone HANG UP as soon as they hear it's a poll.

It'll be Bush, Rubio, or Cruz, god help us. Of those I think Rubio is probably the most electable vs Clinton.

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Vote for President

509+ MCAT Study Habits

1) Your individual scores and composite score:
Total: 517 PS: 129 CARS: 129 BS: 130 Psych: 129

2) The study method used for each section
PS: HEAVY use of Khan Academy. This was my weakest area when I took the AAMC Official exam 2 week into studying. As I did for every section, I did content review and question right from the start. I probably watched more videos for this than any other section. Khan is a huge help for this section, as it's mostly conceptual.
CARS: PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE. Seriously. Do at least 3 passages a day, 7 days a week. Use different materials. I used EK, TPR, Next Step, and AAMC materials. I probably did a full section once a week for the last two months of my studying. Some weeks I did two full sections. Review every single problem. Especially for the AAMC material.
BS: Lots of scientific reasoning here. Be sure you understand experimental methods. I did lots of flash cards for weak areas, and used Khan for some Biochem stuff, same as every section- lots of practice problems.
Psych: I definitely put the least effort into Psych. I did Khan videos when I was too tired to do anything else that required a lot of thought. Focus on passages that emphasize experiment design. Know the basic psych terms. Most likely when you take this on the real thing you're going to feel like you're failing... horribly. I don't normally like to say this in academics, but common sense helps a lot here.

3) What materials you used for each section(Kaplan, TPR, Examkrackers, AAMC, TBR, etc):
PS: Heavy use of Khan and EK. Khan mostly for videos and some practice. EK I used the 1001 books on top of their content review books.
CARS: Literally anything I could get my hands on. Especially AAMC material.
BS: Lots of Khan questions, to a lesser extent Khan videos. Most EK again. I did some NS question books (they're infuriating, though), and TPR questions.
Psych: Um... I guess I did Khan videos, I also did all of EK stuff. I used the AAMC official outline to "study." Anything that tests research design is good.

4) Which practice tests did you use? (Optional: include scores):
EK1, EK2, EK3: I scored around 70% on each. These are the best exams other than AAMC
AAMC FL: Two weeks into studying I took this, 64% Chem, 73% Bio, 85% CARS, and 64% Psych.. something to that effect. I retook it three days before the real deal and scored >90% on each section except PS which was high 80's.
TPR1, TPR2, TPR3: Scored 502 on each of these. Did poorly in PS each time, average BS and CARS. Psych was always high.
AAMC Official Guide Questions: 70% Bio, 80% CARS, 86% PS...I forget my Psych score. This test was hard compared to the official FL.
I also used ALL AAMC question packs. They come as packets of 120 questions. I did 60 questions at a time, timed. Treat these like a FL. I scored around 80% of CARS, 93% for Bio, ~85% for chem, ~75% for Physics,

5) What was your undergraduate major?
Biology. I have a degree in nursing as well.

6) Any other tips you may have for those of us who still have this test lurking over us?

Practice from the start. Used a mix of practice materials if you can afford it. Use Khan, it's free, it's good, and it's affiliated with AAMC. Use all AAMC material available. No excuses here.

Time everything.
EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN. It's on every section other than CARS. Know it. Be comfortable interpreting graphs. Be aware: AAMC likes to trick you on data interpretation. Know how to find a confounding variable, ect...

CARS every day.

Take notes when you read.

Read through your chapters at least twice. especially areas you're uncomfortable with
.
Make a word document called "lessons learned." Make notes on what you got wrong, how you can get to the right answer, and facts associated with that subject, and tips. review this at least once a week. By a month into study, you'll have a huge word doc. It helped keep me focused on my weak areas.

Don't study stuff you know more than once.

On the flip side, study stuff you don't know. I can't tell you how many times I googled redox reactions, electrolysis, galvanic cells.. etc. I hated it, but I was weak in it. You need to master the things you aren't comfortable with.

Practice> Review. Towards the end I wasn't reading any books except for specific questions. I used Khan videos, and google. Almost all my time was spent doing practice problems, timed practice problems. When you get a question wrong, guessed, or weren't sure, you then lookup the answer and more importantly, understand how to get it correct next time.

Take some time to do what you like. This test, and moreso studying for it, are emotionally taxing. There will be a day where you feel stupid, and that's okay.

Know your amino acids. Cold.

Did I mention experimental design?

7) How long did you study for the MCAT?
Three months, taking 11 credits. Working 24 hours a week, and Volunteering. Please do not do this to yourself. It sucked. I'm surprised I got the score I did with how much other stuff I had to worry about. I studied 6 hours a day during the week (yes, including school days) and did Khan videos during the weekend after my shift ended. The last month was crunch time as I was out of school. Probably 10 hours a day, five days a week.

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509+ MCAT Study Habits

2015-2016 George Washington University Application Thread

....I don't know what you guys are talking about? My link worked...

Prompts:

Please provide the Admissions Committee with a brief summary of your activities, academics, employment or other occupations to account for full-time activity (approx. 30-40 hours/week) for the 2015-2016 application cycle, or from the point of application through matriculation in 2016. (750 characters)

What is your most meaningful community service experience to date? (350 characters)

What is your most meaningful clinical experience to date, involving direct patient contact? (350 characters)

What makes you a unique individual? What challenges have you faced? How will these factors help you contribute to the diversity of the student body at GW? (1000 characters)

What is your specific interest in the MD Program at GW? What opportunities would you take advantage of as a student here? Why? (2000 characters)

@arianna_n No my letters are not in. Med schools don't need them until they start looking at your secondary app.

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2015-2016 George Washington University Application Thread

Touro College of Dental Medicine - New York

We all know New York is more saturated than a methane molecule, and thats saying something.
Also retiring should not be equally correlated with fresh rookie graduates. Reason one being and apparently the most obvious, I hear people saying more jobs are gonna be available because the baby boomer generation will eventually die or retire.

Well thats great, and that is evidential most people will retire in an old age, so it is not a consistent influx and outflux of dentists, to even the playing field, but rather a huge influx of dentists and little to insignificant outflux of dentists. Leading to saturation, we might need a new word because it is becoming more than saturated. We will begin to see even more dental offices next to each other. Hell, they might be neighbors.

God bless

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Touro College of Dental Medicine - New York

University of Pikeville - Kentucky (UP-KYCOM) Discussion Thread 2015 - 2016

Hi, everyone! I don't know anything about how the secondary applications are going, but I will be a 2nd year student at KYCOM this fall if you have any questions! Best of luck to the entering class this year, and those who will be applying for next year!

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University of Pikeville - Kentucky (UP-KYCOM) Discussion Thread 2015 - 2016

Class of 2017!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!

Well, due to an issue with one of my transcripts, I'll be more than likely joining you all. Too bad I wasted my time in-putting all my data for this cycle!!! Oh well practice makes perfect

Edit: Oh, and I'm loving all the emphasis put on the exclamation points!!!!!!!!!!!

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Class of 2017!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!

2015-2016 Temple University Application Thread

they changed the third question, are you supposed to answer it if you choose the regular temple campus??

old question:
If you indicated St. Luke's Regional Campus or one of our clinical campuses (Crozer-Chester Medical Center, Geisinger Health System, or West Penn Allegheny Health System) as your first choice, please describe the nature of your special interest. Otherwise, please type N/A to continue.

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2015-2016 Temple University Application Thread

2015-2016 Tufts University Application Thread

It is absurdly naive to say that interpreting the word diversity as more than ethnicity is a sign of maturity. I'm well aware that that word CAN be used in a broad "tell me all about your lovely self!" way, but you have to be very, very out of touch with reality to think that this is what they're getting at. Many schools have questions in their secondaries that are phrased, "Tell us something about yourself that isn't on your application", "Why do you think you're a good fit at our school", "What makes you a strong and unique applicant?". Asking applicants to describe how they add to a school's diversity is clearly a choice, and one that was made because they want a class with a diverse ethnic background.
I'm not even saying that it's a bad thing, targeting disadvantaged groups to create opportunity is anything but. What I resent is them asking a vaguely worded question in the hopes that you talk about your ethnicity.

Also, I'd like to point that Canadian schools, with extremely "diverse" students but fewer racial problems than the States, never ask for a photo. I guess we just have really good memories.

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2015-2016 Tufts University Application Thread

2015-2016 Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School

I got a bunch of emails from Duke-NUS over the past year too. It became a running joke between my friends and I.

(Not implying it's a bad program - I know next to nothing about it. We just joked about how aggressive they were about emailing people)

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2015-2016 Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School

University of Tennessee c/o 2020 Applicants

Hello! I'm applying to UT! I'm out of state, and my gpa isn't amazing... (3.5 overall, 3.4 science, 3.25 last 45), but I'm determined to make it to some vet school. Even so... I'm already preparing for rejections. I'm thinking about retaking courses I made Bs or Cs in for next year and gaining more experience in wildlife and large animal.

I applied to six schools- VT, FL, CA (long shot), LA, GA, UT.

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University of Tennessee c/o 2020 Applicants

2015-2016 Indiana University School of Medicine Application Thread

It is a scholarship program at the lower tier schools. Gary's is to get urban doctors who want to work in Gary upon graduation and ISU is to promote rural doctors. The programs have been around for a while, so it isn't like we couldn't have applied and spent 4 years in Gary or Terre Haute just to get this advantage.

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2015-2016 Indiana University School of Medicine Application Thread

Marian University (MU-COM) Discussion Thread 2015 - 2016

For the 2015—2016 admissions cycle, MU-COM has established the following dates:

June 15, 2015
AACOMAS mailing #1 available.

June 16, 2015
Download mailing #1.

June 17, 2015
Pre-screening begins.

June 19, 2015
Supplemental application invitations start.

July 15, 2015
AACOMAS application must be received by MU-COM for Early Decision and Pre-Medical Fast Track Programs.

August 15, 2015
All application materials must be received by MU-COM for Early Decision and Pre-Medical Fast Track Programs.

September 11, 2015
Interviews start.

September 17, 2015
Admissions Committee starts.

September 19, 2015
National Pre-SOMA Conference at MU-COM.

February 1, 2016
AACOMAS application deadline.

March 1, 2016
Supplemental application deadline at 5 PM EDT.

March 4, 2016
Processing ends. Materials received after 5 PM EDT will not be processed.

April 2, 2016
Interviews end.

May 5, 2016
Admissions Committee ends.

MU-COM reserves the right to change these dates.

Sincerely,
MU-COM Admissions

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Marian University (MU-COM) Discussion Thread 2015 - 2016

2015-2016 Loyola University Chicago (Stritch) Application Thread

That answers my question, thanks! I was mostly curious if students typically lived in Maywood, which isn't a place I would want to walk through alone at night (though I'm sure during the day it's fine). Is Hines the VA campus you're talking about? My dad used to go there, but I didn't realize it was so close the Loyola's campus.

Anyone who is applying OOS- Oak Park/River Forest is an awesome area with tons to do. Very diverse and safe area.

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2015-2016 Loyola University Chicago (Stritch) Application Thread

2015-2016 Jefferson Medical College Application Thread

2015-2016 Vanderbilt University Application Thread

Hi guys! I'll be an MS1 at Vandy this summer (how weird to write that!), and I literally can't wait for classes to begin. I'm happy to share my experiences this cycle, Vanderbilt-specific or otherwise, and offer advice on anything you guys might find useful.

Here are some tips for the autobiography portion of the secondary. I used it for two schools and got an interview (and eventual acceptance) at both, so I feel at least something in it was successful.

-Don't write it all in one day. Start brainstorming when you're doing something unrelated, like on a long commute or waiting in line. Just think of some ideas and a few possible intros, and jot them down if you have a chance. Come back to it 1-2 days later and see if you still like it, or if any new ideas come to mind. You'll be surprised how much you end up crossing out.

-Have a general theme in mind before you start. This is true for personal statements too, but you're not trying to answer "why medicine" here. Instead, maybe you decide to make the point that you're extremely self-sufficient and able to adapt quickly to many situations. When talking about your early life, try to emphasize those qualities and show through your experiences how they were shaped. Maybe you'll think of new qualities or a different angle as you write. Maybe you'll have multiple overarching ideas in the end, and that's okay. There's no wrong way to tie your story together. Just always keep in mind a general end point with each paragraph you include.

-This is related to the previous point: when talking about your family, the characteristics of the environment in which you grew up, or, in general, when discussing things that are not you, always keep in mind how you will bring it back to YOU. When I stated mine, I really wanted to share all the unique/crazy things about my home country where I lived for 10 years, which is currently a dictatorship with some really interesting facets about its history and daily life. Pretty quickly, I realized my first two paragraphs would be a great start to a literary novel, but hold barely any mention of me. I ended up keeping a chunk of that for the intro, but limited the descriptives to 3 sentences and emphasized how it shaped my childhood (and subsequently, why we left) in the sentences that immediately followed. You don't want the admissions committee getting lost in your childhood ramblings. Always keep the big picture in mind.

-This goes without saying, but please don't repeat things from your personal statement/rest of AMCAS. This secondary question is about your qualities, not your resume points. Regarding the discussion of things you've been doing since graduation, this question comes up on almost every school's secondary so you'll find it useful to have a crafted response for this that you can add to the end. If you've already mentioned those activities elsewhere, it's sufficient to state them and write 1-2 NEW sentences about how they add to your personal growth. Please don't repeat exact sentences that you've used elsewhere in your application - they read and reread your essays, especially at the time you're being considered for acceptance, so in the best scenario this will not fly under the radar.

I hope this helps! Feel free to PM me with any specific questions.

...As a side note, even though Taylor Swift moved to New York, she reportedly still spends a lot of time in Nashville. And who knows, your airport Uber driver may very well have been her previous personal driver, and will take you on a pit stop to see her condo.... (this actually happened to someone at second look). All the more reason to apply!!!

P.P.S. If you want an idea of what Nashville is like, check out my writeup of Vandy on mdapps (which hasn't been updated in a while cause I'm lazy). If that doesn't make you wanna visit the music capital, you must be red-red-red-red-red-redneck crazy.

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2015-2016 Vanderbilt University Application Thread

2015-2016 UCLA PRIME Application Thread

Yes, here are the questions:

2,000 characters each

1. What is the most important health care issue confronting disadvantaged communities and what would be your first steps to address this issue?

2. In what way will graduating from the UCLA PRIME program enhance your career in health care or health services for the disadvantaged communities?

3. Describe the manner in which your experiences demonstrate your understanding of, and commitment to, underserved communities.

4. What are your greatest strengths and your greatest challenges as you approach medical school?

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2015-2016 UCLA PRIME Application Thread

2015-2016 Harvard Medical School Application Thread

Hey folks,
I will be matriculating here in the fall. I absolutely fell in love with HMS (especially after revisit). The facilities, opportunities, and (most importantly) the people were truly incredible. I’m extremely humbled and excited about the possibility of joining some amazing colleagues in the fall. There were some students on last year’s thread that were very helpful, and I hope I can do the same.

Stats (for 2014 entering class)-Source
-Applicants 6,614
-Admitted 231 (3.5%)
-Matriculated (includes 13 MD-PhD students) 164
-Men 84 (51%)
-Women 80 (49%)
-Underrepresented in medicine (African-American, Native American, Hispanic, Mexican-American) 31 (19%)
-Asian 56 (34%)

-Average GPA -3.8 Source
- Average MCAT
Verbal-11
Physical Science-12.41
Biological Science-12.67

(from revisit materials- for 2015 entering class)
- Applicants: 6113
- Interviewed: 813
- Total offers (as of revisit): 189
- Total URM: 41
- Total Asian: 56

Age Distribution for 2015 entering class (as of revisit)

Undergrad schools for 2015 entering class (as of revisit)

2015 Course Requirements (these are slightly different than in the past)

1. Biology-All applicants must complete a full year of biology. We will accept advanced or higher-level biology courses towards this requirement as well.
2. Chemistry-All applicants must complete a two year chemistry sequence that covers inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry, and biochemistry.
3. Physics-All applicants must complete a full year of physics.
4.Laboratory Experience
Required laboratory components of biology and chemistry are no longer defined as discretely as they were in the past. Lengthy laboratory components of the required science requirement courses are not necessarily time well and efficiently spent. Proper focus on hypothesis-driven exercises, problem solving, and hands-on demonstrations of important principles should take precedence over lengthy laboratory time commitments that steal time away from other, more productive educational opportunities. Active, sustained participation in faculty-mentored laboratory research experiences is encouraged and can be used to meet requirements for the acquisition oflaboratory skills."

5. Computational Skills/Mathematics-All applicants must complete a one-year mathematics sequence that contains calculus and statistics. Biostatistics is preferred for the statistics portion of the requirement.
6. Analytical and writing skills/ expository writing-All applicants must complete a year of coursework that features expository writing. Generally, any course in the social sciences or humanities that involves substantial essay writing will count towards this requirement.
7. Language- All applicants should be fluent in English. It does also state that “mastery of a foreign language, although not required, is valuable”
8. Additional Requirements for the HST Program
In addition to all the above requirements, the HST curriculum requires that students be comfortable with upper-level mathematics (through differential equations and linear algebra), biochemistry, and molecular biology. This is usually demonstrated through upper level course work, but other approaches may satisfy these requirements. In addition, one year of calculus-based physics in college is required.

2014-2015 Secondary Application
1. If you have already graduated, briefly (4000 characters max) summarize your activities since graduation.
2. If there is an important aspect of your personal background or identity, not addressed elsewhere in the application, that you would like to share with the Committee, we invite you to do so here. Many applicants will not need to answer this question. Examples might include significant challenges in access to education, unusual socioeconomic factors, identification with a minority culture, religion, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation or gender identity. Briefly explain how such factors have influenced your motivation for a career in medicine.(4000 character maximum)
3. Our interview season runs from midSeptember through January. Please indicate any significant (three or more weeks) restriction on your availability for interviews during this period. If none, leave blank.


*All of these prompts were optional.
2014-2015 Important Dates (Dates were obtained from last year’s SDN application thread)
- First secondary: 7/10
- First Interview Invites: Late August (I found the first reported IIs on 8/2)
- Last Interview Date: 1/29
- First acceptances: 3/3/15
- First Waitlist: 5/4 (from last year's application thread)

Financial Aid
- For 2015-2016 Entering Students (MD)
Tuition- $55,850
Budget- $ 87 k

-Harvard uses the unit loan system. The unit Loan System is calculated as follows
Standard Budget - Family Contribution= Financial Need

- For example if the budget is 85k and EFC=0 Need= 85k. Since the unit loan is capped at 33k (for our class) that means that the remainder would be covered by “HMS Scholarship”

-HMS does not offer merit scholarships (all aid is need based). HMS need based aid tends to be one of the most generous. They also have a scaled EFC formula.

-HMS doesn’t match scholarship offers from other schools

Pathways Curriculum
-The Pathways Curriculum is new for this year. The goal was to rearrange the curriculum to start clinical during the first portion of the 2nd year. I will update as I go through it, but I am actually very excited about it.

Harvard-MIT Health Sciences and Technology (HST) MD Program

Harvard/M.I.T. MD PhD Program.

More info on MD-PhD

Of Note
-70-80% of first year students live in Vanderbilt Hall. This is a dorm style setup. Vandy is a cheap alternative to the (ridiculously) expensive housing in Boston. It is also across the street from TMEC (which is where classes are)

- If you are married or not interested in living in Vandy, Harvard does offer graduate student housing. I’m currently looking for housing and will update.

-2015 Match List


I will try to update this thing throughout the cycle. Please let me know if something doesn’t make sense, or if I missed any details.
Good luck!

Citation for formatting- Thank @hellanutella for being a rockstar and starting this trend.

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2015-2016 Harvard Medical School Application Thread

2015-2016 Yale University Application Thread

2015-2016 Mercer University Application Thread

Whoo! It's awesome to be applying here! First time applicant (BS Biomedical Engineering from GA Tech, 33 MCAT, 3.76 cGPA, 3.89 sGPA, 175 shadowing hrs, 200+ EC hrs, 150+ volunteer hrs, 2 yrs research hrs in labs prosthetics and heart valve research). Hopefully that puts me in a good position!

I'm personally applying to 15 schools and hear that the secondaries can really pile up, so I'm planning on pre-writing the secondary questions. I looked at the previous years' secondary essays and they seem to rehash the same questions. In case anyone out there is also pre-writing the secondary essays, here they are. Bear in mind that these were used for the last two years at Mercer:

1. A. The mission of the Mercer University School of Medicine is to educate physicians and health professionals to meet the primary care and health care needs of rural and medically underserved areas of Georgia. How do you plan to contribute to healthcare in rural or underserved Georgia?

B. Please describe a service or volunteer activity that you feel best prepared you for the mission of our school?

2. The recruitment of a diverse student body is a major goal of Mercer University School of Medicine's Admissions Committee. Students learn from each other as well as from faculty, and being part of a diverse student body affords additional learning opportunities for every student. Please tell us what facets of your life and education to date would contribute to the achievement of this goal. Such facets might include your early education, socioeconomic status, culture, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, and life or work experiences.

3. What ethical dilemmas do you foresee that you might encounter in a medical practice in rural and underserved Georgia? Please describe one such incident and how you might resolve it.

4. Would you consider yourself disadvantaged as compared to the 'average' medical school applicant?

5. Please explain to the Admissions Committee other factors that would help them better understand your unique circumstances? (i.e. poor grades, MCAT score, missing information, life circumstances, legal difficulties, additions to your AMCAS application since it was completed, etc.)

NOTE: These are NOT this year's essays - just the ones from the past two years. The years before that also had similar questions.

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2015-2016 Mercer University Application Thread

2015-2016 Official Psychology Ph.D./PsyD Interview Invite Thread

That time is upon us! I believe the last of the Psychology Ph.D/Psy.D. program application deadlines have passed or are coming up. This is my second time applying to programs and I found this site/thread helpful last year. Hopefully it will be again this year!

Please post (or send me a private message) your invitations here. I will try to update as often as I can.

2014-2015 Official Psychology Ph.D./PsyD Interview Invite Thread
2013 - 2014 Psychology PhD/PsyD Interview Invite thread
2012 - 2013 Official Psychology PhD/PsyD Interview Invite thread

The Grad Cafe Results: http://ift.tt/1Y916EW

Last updated: 1/31/2016 4:09 pm

School Name:
Date Interview Invite Received:
Degree: PhD/PsyD
Type: Clinical/Counseling/School/Combined/Experimental (w/in Experimental please specify social, developmental, cognitive, neuroscience, etc.).
Track: e.g., adult, child, health, etc.
Notified via:Email, phone call, post
From:POI, DCT, administrative assistant, etc.
Interview Date:
Additional Info:e.g., social event the night before, expenses (partially) covered, etc.

Clinical Psychology Ph.D.
American University: notified via email 1/21/16 by DTC. Interview Date: 2/8
Arizona State University: notified via phone 1/21/16 by POI. Interview Date: 2/18-2/20/16.
Boston University: notified via email 1/22/16 by POI Interview Date: 2/26/16. Can Skype with POI beforehand if traveling arrangements cannot work. Can also be housed by a current student.
Brigham Young University: notified via phone 12/29/15 by POI Interview Date: 1/25.
Catholic University of America: notified via phone 1/13/16 by POI, Interview Date: 1/29 or 2/5/16
Clark University: notified via phone call and email 1/20 by POI, Interview Date: 2/10 or 2/12
CUNY City College: notified via email 1/28 by Admin Coordinator, Interview Date: 2/9
Drexel University: child track; notified via phone 1/11/16 by Program Coordinator, Interview Date: 2/12/16
Emory University: notified via email 1/12/16 POI, Interview Date: 2/4-6; Follow-up email with more information is on the way.
Georgia State University: notified via email 1/11/16 by Academic specialist, Interview Date: 2/19; optional dinner 2/18
Indiana University - Bloomington: notified via phone 1/7 by POI, Interview Date: 2/4-2/6;
Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis: notified via email 12/18 by Admin Asst., Interview Date: 2/5; Informal gathering evening before
John Jay College of the City University of New York: notified via email 12/11 by DTC, Interview Date: 2/5; Grad students hosting reception the night before; housing with students available (limited basis); Skype/phone accommodations if physical visit impossible
LIU Brooklyn: notified via phone call 1/12 by current student,Interview Date: 2/13 or 2/20
Loma Linda University: notified via email 1/20 by Admissions Officer; Interview Date: 2/22;
Louisiana State University: notified via email 12/11 by POI, Interview Date: 1/29
Loyola University Chicago: notified via email 1/19 by Admin Asst., Interview Date: 2/5 or 2/19, Dinner with grad students the night before
Michigan State University: notified via phone call 1/12/16 by current Grad student Interview Date: 1/13 or 1/20
Michigan State University: notified via email 12/20 by Grad admissions, Interview Date: 2/8
Missouri University- Columbia: notified via phone call 1/6 by POI, Interview Date: 2/5; Unofficial social event the night before (for those arriving the day before), interview all day with formal social event that night
Northwestern Feinberg: notified via email 1/6 by DCT, Interview Date: 2/19/16. Full day of interviews with happy hour after with current students.
Northern Illinois University: notified via email 1/8 by POI, Interview Date: 2/10-11.
Ohio University: notified via email 12/21 by POI, Interview Date: 1/29 or 2/19
Oklahoma State University: notified via email 12/17, Interview Date: 2/6
Pacific University: notified via email 1/20 by Director of Graduate Admissions., Interview Date: 2/19; Interview day goes from 8:45-4, will have two 15 minute interviews with faculty
Palo Alto University: notified via email 12/12 by Director of Admin., Interview Date: 1/15-16 or 1/29-30
Pennsylvania State University: notified via phone call 12/21 by POI, Interview Date: 2/12-13; Interview on Friday or Saturday. Current students provide housing and host events throughout weekend.
Saint Louis University: notified via email 1/19 by Admin Asst., Interview Date: 2/11, 2/12, 2/18 or 2/19; Social event with graduate students each of the interview nights
Sam Houston State University: Forensic Track; notified via phone call 12/14 by Committee Member, Interview Date: 2/12; student social event 2/11 and all day interview 2/12
Southern Methodist University: notified via phone call 1/14/16 by Admissions Dept. Interview Date: 2/20; Block of hotel rooms saved for out of town guests; informal dinner the night before
Suffolk University: notified via email 1/22/16 by Program Assistant. Interview Date: 2/26;
SUNY Albany: notified via phone call 1/22/16 by POI. Interview Date: 2/27;
Temple University: Adult track, notified via email 12/29 by DCT., Interview Date: 1/15 or 1/18. You choose the morning session or afternoon session; graduate student housing may not be available to everyone; social event the night before both interview days
University of California Las Angeles (UCLA): notified via phone 1/19 by Grad Student., Interview Date: 2/4-2/6
University of Colorado: clinical Health psychology, notified via email 1/19 by POI, Interview Date: 2/5 or 2/19, Interview all day Friday, arrive Thursday, do not depart prior to 7pm Friday
University of Connecticut (UCONN): developmental psychopathology track, notified via email 1/7 by POI., Interview Date: 2/10-12, Grad students offering student-only events and housing
University of Delaware: developmental track (not officially a track at UD) notified via email 12/29 by POI., Interview Date: 1/29 (options for 2/1 and 2/5
University of Georgia: notified via email 12/14 by Admin Asst., Interview Date: 1/25; social event night before
University of Florida: neuropsychology track; notified via email 1/22 by Admissions Office, Interview Date: 2/18-20; lodging may be provided by graduate students.
University of Illinois-Chicago: notified via phone call 1/7 by POI, Interview Date: 2/5; Some financial assistant for travel;
University of Iowa: notified via email 12/28 by POI., Interview Date: 2/6-2/8; The university will cover the cost of a hotel room and provide some funds for airfare.
University of Kansas: health track, notified via phone call 1/12, Interview Date: 2/12; Limited information at this time, will hear more details about travel, etc. soon
University of Kentucky: notified via email 12/21, Interview Date: 1/28-29; lodging provided by graduate students, informal dinner reception on 1/28
University of Maine: Child track; notified via phone and email 12/16 by POI, Interview Date: 2/22/16
University of Maryland- Baltimore County (UMBC): notified via email 1/15/16 by POI, Interview Date: 2/19, Social event the evening before. Also mentioned possibility of phone/Skype interview if travel can not be arranged
University of Massachusetts- Amherst: notified via email 1/5/16 by POI, Interview Date: 1/29-30. Limited student housing available. Potluck dinner with current students and department on 1/29.
University of Mississippi (Ole Miss): notified via phone 12/16 by POI, Interview Date: 2/19-20; will email additional information
University of Missouri: notified via phone 12/15 by POI, Interview Date: 2/5 ; Lodging will be provided by graduate students; meals provided on interview day; social event the evening of the interview day
University of Missouri- Kansas City: notified via email 1/15/16 by Office Support Admin, Interview Date: 2/19 ; interview 9-3. If unable to attend, will set up skype/phone interview
University of North Carolina- Charlotte: health track; notified via email 1/8/16 by program direction, Interview Date: 1/29; Limited student housing available. Interviews 9am-4pm; informal social gathering afterwards
University of New Mexico: notified via email 1/18/16 by POI, Interview Date: 1/21; Phone interview 1/21, will update post if I learn about in-person interview dates
University of Nebraska-Lincoln: child track, notified via phone 1/5 by POI, Interview Date: 2/19-21;
University of Rhode Island: notified via email 1/19/16 by admin asst., Interview Date: 2/15; social event with current graduate students the night before, limited lodging available
University of South Alabama: notified via email 1/28/16, Interview Date: 2/29
University of South Carolina: Clinical Community track, notified via email 1/6/16, Interview Date: 2/1, 1/31 informal dinner, 2/1 interviews, optional happy hour after
University of South Florida: notified via email 1/14/16 by POI, Interview Date: 2/19 or 2/26; Informal gathering evening before (on both dates)
University of Southern Mississippi: notified via phone call 1/2/16 by POI, Interview Date: 2/11 or 2/12
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center: notified via email 1/22 by chair of admissions, Interview Date: 2/27/16, social the night before, all day interview, happy hour following interview.
University of Tulsa: notified via phone 12/21 by POI, Interview Date: 1/28 and 29
University of Utah: notified via email 1/20 by POI, Interview Date: 2/19; Social event the night before with current graduate students. Lodging available with graduate students.
University of Virgina (Curry School of Education): notified via email 1/20, Interview Date: 2/5 or 2/12; Interview from 8:30am-3pm, breakfast and lunch provided; optional dinner night before interview; possible overnight accommodation with current grad students
Wichita State University: notified 1/14, Interview Date: 2/5 or 2/8
Yale University: notified via email 12/21 by POI, Interview Date: 1/25; School will cover plane ticket, arrive 1/24, all day interview on 1/25, leave 1/26. Social event night of 1/25. Most meals provided.

Clinical Psychology Psy.D.
Indiana State University: notified via phone call 1/22 by Admissions Office, Interview Date: 2/12 or 2/19
LIU C.W. Post: notified via email 1/4 by Asst. Director, Interview Date: 1/31 and 2/8; Group orientation, two individual interviews, Q & A, and tour
Roosevelt University: notified via email 1/28 by DCT, Interview Date: 2/19 or 2/22, Full interview day consisting of an introductory talk by Dr. Dienes-Williams (Director of the PsyD Program), interviews with two faculty members, lunch, a tour of the building, open question time, and time to chat with current students and fellow applicants. They didn't mention whether all invitations went out or not and they asked to specify which professors applicants want to meet with.
Spalding University: notified via email 1/29 by Admin Coordinator, Interview Date: 2/12, 2/26, 2/29, 3/4; Half day interview either morning or afternoon. Three 30 minute interviews conducted by two faculty members and two doctoral students with an information session/lunch
University of Denver: notified via phone call 1/22 by Admissions Director, Interview Date: 2/26
The Wright Institute: notified via email 1/25 by Director of Admissions, program admin, Interview Date: 2/18
Yeshiva Ferkauf: notified via email 1/13 by program admin, Interview Date: 1/28/16

Counseling Psychology Ph.D.
Boston College: notified 2/8 via phone and email by POI, Interview Date: 2/8; From 8am-2:30pm, interviewees will pay for own travel expenses; detailed interview information will be emailed later this week or early next week
Georgia State University: notified via email 1/21 by admissions, Interview Date: 2/22
Howard University: notified via email 1/15 by POI, Interview Date: 2/5;
Indiana University- Bloomington: notified via email 1/7 by DCT, Interview Date: 2/5; Optional dinner/social with current students the night before; can depart any time after 6 PM on interview day; an assistant will follow up with logistics after confirming availability
New York University- Steinhardt: notified via email 1/22 by Admin Asst., Interview Date: 2/12. Received an email from a program administrator with the invite letter attached. There is a voluntary meet and greet the evening before on 2/11 and then a full day of interviewing the followingday.
University at Albany, SUNY: notified via phone 12/15 by POI/DCT , Interview Date: 2/5; Potluck dinner with grad students the night before, interviews all day and departmental tour on 2/5; POI will follow up with an email with more info (including nearby hotels but also stated that they try to have current doctoral students house interviewees as well)
University of Florida: notified via phone 1/4, Interview Date: 1/24-25; lodging provided by graduate students, informal dinner with current students 1/24 evening, interviews 1/25
University of Maryland: Adult track; notified via phone 12/17 by POI,Interview Date: 2/5/16; Phone interview-flexible date;
University of Miami: notified via phone 1/13 by POI,Interview Date: 2/5/16; Luncheon with students on the 4th. All day interviews on the 5th.
University of Minnesota- Twin Cities: notified via email and phone 1/15 by POI,Interview Date: 1/15/16;
University of Oregon: notified via email 1/5 by POI,Interview Date: 1/28-29;
University of Utah:notified via email 1/25 by DCT, Interview Date: 2/19; Can request an interview via phone or Skype if not available; will likely be an optional social event with current students the evening of 2/19; program assistant will provide more info/help with logistics; a faculty member should be following up with a personal invitation
UVC:notified via phone 1/12 by program asst., Interview Date: 1/22

Experimental (Social) Psychology Ph.D.
Wayne State University: notified via email 12/21 by POI, Interview Date: via Skype 1/4 or 1/5

School Psychology Ph.D.
Syracuse: notified via email 1/12/2016 by POI, Interview Date: 2/25 or 2/26; half day interview
University of Indiana- Bloomington: notified via email 1/15/2016 by student service specialist, Interview Date:four dates to choose from, Tuesdays and Fridays, 1/26, 1/29, 2/2, 2/5; interviews are half days with a social the night before
University of Maryland: notified via email 1/5, Interview Date: 2/5/16. Will be assigned either morning or afternoon interview session
University of Tennessee Knoxville: notified via email 12/1 by program coordinator, Interview Date: 1/29 (alternate date 2/5). Dinner with current students the night before. Full day interviews, 9-3
University of Texas at Austin: notified via email 12/10 by Admin Asst. , Interview Date: 2/5.
University of Wisconsin, Madison: notified via email 12/22 by recruitment professor, Interview Date: 1/22; Meals provided - dinner with current student the night before, breakfast at welcome on morning of interview, lunch and dinner day of interview. Limited spaces to stay with students, phone interviews only available for extreme circumstances.
University of Wisconsin- Milwaukee: notified via email 1/14/16 by Program Coordinator Interview Date: 2/18; interview from 9-1, individual interviews
University of Washington- Seattle notified via email 1/14/16 by Program Coordinator Interview Date: 2/5; individual interviews from 8-5, Skype interviews available

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2015-2016 Official Psychology Ph.D./PsyD Interview Invite Thread