2008-2009 Vanderbilt Secondary Application Thread

[shemarty]

Write a brief autobiography. As completely and precisely as possible, give a picture of yourself, your family, and events you consider important in you. In doing so, identify the values that are of greatest importance to you. If you have completed your undergraduate education, please comment on what you have done or have been doing since graduation. You may either upload a file from your computer or type your statement in the space provided. (1200 word limit)

The learning environment of the medical school is enhanced by the inclusion of students with a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences prior to medical school. What in your background or your experiences will uniquely contribute to this learning environment? (500 word limit)

Please discuss a challenging situation that you faced in the past. Why was it challenging? How did you handle it? Knowing what you know now, would you do anything differently? What did you learn? (500 word limit)

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[shemarty]

Vanderbilt LOR Requirements:

3 total: 2 science and 1 of your choice.

According to the Vanderbilt office, they require 3 letters of recommendation and only want more if you have a unique experience not covered by the first three recs.

 

[neurocirujano]

Um... please keep posting the secondary application prompts. They are very interesting for us who will be going through this process in the future.

 

[AtheGre]

Vanderbilt LOR Requirements:

We require 3 letters of recommendation and only want more if you have a unique experience not covered by the first three recs.

I was just wondering how we'll be able to tell when the secondaries are available...Will it say on the AMCAS website ? I'm starting to freak out b/c my app. was just verified on Friday and I still haven't heard from anyone

 

[Davjc2009]

AMCAS doesnt even release applications to med schools until the 24th or something.

 

[harposnarpo]

I was just wondering how we'll be able to tell when the secondaries are available...Will it say on the AMCAS website ? I'm starting to freak out b/c my app. was just verified on Friday and I still haven't heard from anyone

Primaries won't be sent until at least the 24th. Frantically check your e-mail for secondaries starting then.

 

[seraph524]

Interesting fact about Vanderbilt's secondary - Vanderbilt screens the primaries, and if you are offered a secondary, you are guaranteed an interview.

 

[neurocirujano]

Really? That is interesting. Do they interview more applicants than other schools?

 

[seraph524]

Not more than usual, they just happen to screen primaries instead of secondaries to pick their interviews. Their secondary is a beast...it was the longest I ever had the pleasure to write... One of their questions called for an autobiography...no joke.

 

[neurocirujano]

I hate questions like that... Describe your life in 300 words or less. Go.

I always have my mom write those...

 

[seraph524]

Haha...try 1200 words O_O

 

[shemarty]

UCSD also asks for a 2-page autobiography, so I'm hoping this means I can use the same essay for both, with very little modification.

 

[olemissbabydoc]

Vandy... *drool*

I'll be shocked if I get one.

 

[flaahless]

UCSD also asks for a 2-page autobiography, so I'm hoping this means I can use the same essay for both, with very little modification.

Yeah you can. I did. Good luck. Vandy is an awesome school.

 

[AlaskaGrown]

Yeah you can. I did. Good luck. Vandy is an awesome school.

Yes, Vandy is an awesome school! But so is UCSF. Good luck this year bro! I'm sure you are going to love it in SF. If they had offered me even a smidgen of financial aid, I would have had to think about it very seriously, but that's the deal with OOS. Stay up man.


Good luck to all you Vandy applicants! I am an entering first year. Feel free to PM me any questions and I will do my best to find you answers.

 

[redlight]

Um... please keep posting the secondary application prompts. They are very interesting for us who will be going through this process in the future.

haha, ditto!!! you rock for posting secondaries, OP. (my first time seeing any)

Interesting fact about Vanderbilt's secondary - Vanderbilt screens the primaries, and if you are offered a secondary, you are guaranteed an interview.

very interesting..
know any other schools that do this?
and do you know what criteria they use to screen?
i wish all schools screened pre-secondary..

 

[cougarY]

Anyone else get this email? At first I thought it was saying I'm getting an interview but then later in the email it said "If..." does everyone get this email?

"Vanderbilt University School of Medicine has received your AMCAS application via electronic transmission. We are so excited that you are an applicant to Vanderbilt's 2008 First Year Class! Invitation to complete our secondary application and interview at VUMS will be mailed as soon as the screening of your application is completed. If an interview is granted, the submission of the Vanderbilt online secondary application is required before scheduling your interview. We ask only those who have been invited to interview to complete the Vanderbilt online secondary application. You can expect to hear from us regarding your application four-six weeks from the date of transmission of your verified AMCAS application to Vanderbilt. Final decisions about admissions are made on a rolling basis."

 

[shemarty]

This is the e-mail to confirm that they received our primary application. Everyone gets this e-mail, I assume. Then once they review our file, 4-6 weeks later, we either do or don't get an interview invitation (and secondary invitation).

 

[ChemGrad08]

I got it earlier today, they trick you by having 'interview' in the email address .

 

[BDNF]

did anyone get a second email from vanderbilt?

 

[rowerlauren]

did anyone get a second email from vanderbilt?

Yeah... their first email accidentally said applying to 2008 instead of 2009. So they emailed to make sure no one freaked out, which people probably already were.

 

[vbdoc77]

So my pre-med office sends out LORs to ALL schools that I applied to once I receive at least one secondary. Is it going to look bad if Vandy gets my LORs before they even review my primary?

 

[rowerlauren]

It'll be fine. Worst comes to worst you have to resend them. I don't think Vandy will be like, you didn't follow directions, no acceptance for you (In a Soup Nazi like voice)!

 

[Textuality]

It'll be fine. Worst comes to worst you have to resend them. I don't think Vandy will be like, you didn't follow directions, no acceptance for you (In a Soup Nazi like voice)!

Haha, yeah...umm..I actually didn't technically fulfill all of Vandy's academic "requirements" (due to them not accepting AP creds) but still got an interview :/ So I think you can relax about LOR timing, lol.

Vandy had a really neat campus, and some really happy students, it was just a little too Southern for my taste. Best of luck to you guys though! yeah...writing that autobiography was a b****. They give you a character limit on it too. Yeah..fun times.

 

[ButImLETired]

I really can't get over how nice their letter is. I'd go there just for that.
There are other reasons by the way.

 

[shemarty]

I'm going to give this thread a bump, too. (I just did the same thing to Duke's)

Supposedly Vandy plans to start sending interview invites the 3rd or 4th week of July. Next week is the 3rd week of July, so lets cross our fingers and get excited!





I need hobbies.

 

[JackInTheBox]

I need hobbies.

You can have hobbies after you retire =P

 

[shemarty]

You can have get hobbies after you retire =P

Yea. Exactly.

One of the surgeons I shadowed says he's never going to retire. He plans to keep operating until he dies. (Assuming he's physically and mentally still able to operate.)

 

[rowerlauren]

I need hobbies.

I just got Rockband today for my Wii... and lets just say that I slacked hardcore because of it. Oh well, less obsession is probably a good thing.

 

[ButImLETired]

So my pre-med office sends out LORs to ALL schools that I applied to once I receive at least one secondary. Is it going to look bad if Vandy gets my LORs before they even review my primary?

Huh, I actually have this problem too. I think the way those internet letter things work is that med schools get like a notice that so-and-so has a letter up, and they have to actively download them onto their systems.
Also, if more than one UG does this (and I think a lot do) I'm sure they're quite used to it.

 

[shemarty]

I just got Rockband today for my Wii... and lets just say that I slacked hardcore because of it. Oh well, less obsession is probably a good thing.

Ooh, nice. I can only do the guitar part... and not too well. I wouldn't dare try the singing.

 

[Calf]

Not more than usual, they just happen to screen primaries instead of secondaries to pick their interviews. Their secondary is a beast...it was the longest I ever had the pleasure to write... One of their questions called for an autobiography...no joke.

Wtf? An autobiography? God I hate these essays...

I'm almost tempted to write it in a cheesy third person monologue .

 

[exhausted99]

HEY SO DOES anyone know what Columbia's, Vanderbilts, Yale or Duke's secondary prompts are?

 

[Myuu]

HEY SO DOES anyone know what Columbia, Vanderbilt, Yale or Duke's secondary prompts are?

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=530082



As a general addendum... can we have the first page of these sub-threads link back to the first thread? The mods don't seem be giving that one any love. :/

 

[TheVerve]

i was verified a week ago but still no email! i want an email

 

[pianola]

i was verified a week ago but still no email! i want an email

It took me almost two weeks from my verification date to receive the "we're considering you" e-mail. Don't worry too much yet .

 

[shemarty]

It's been 3 weeks since we first received the "You can expect to hear from us regarding your application four-six weeks from the date of transmission of your verified AMCAS application to Vanderbilt" e-mail.

*crossing fingers*

Maybe some of us will start to hear back from them in a week!

 

[bozz]

mann everytime this thread gets bumped, I get nervous thinking that someone's heard back lol

 

[slipstream99]

I went to a talk by Dean Hill of Vandy Med a while ago and he said the screeners had received their first batch of applications and would return it to the office of admissions by July 25th. It seemed like the office compared the decisions of the different screeners in each "screening group" before sending out secondaries, so I would expect secondaries the end of next week or the beginning of August.

Good luck!

 

[TheVerve]

any news?!?!?

I went to a talk by Dean Hill of Vandy Med a while ago and he said the screeners had received their first batch of applications and would return it to the office of admissions by July 25th. It seemed like the office compared the decisions of the different screeners in each "screening group" before sending out secondaries, so I would expect secondaries the end of next week or the beginning of August.

Good luck!

 

[serikk85]

any news?!?!?

*gasp!* Don't scare me like that!!!!!

 

[ButImLETired]

*gasp!* Don't scare me like that!!!!!

Seriously!!! What were you thinking, man!


Breathe in, breathe out. In, out.

 

[serikk85]

Breathe in, breathe out. In, out.

Ahhh. Yes. Thank you LET. My pulse is very slowly returning to normal...

 

[ButImLETired]

Ahhh. Yes. Thank you LET. My pulse is very slowly returning to normal...

Well, I am going to be a doctor, dontcha know

 

[carolinablue09]

haha, the weekly Vandy bump that makes us think they might have actually sent out an Interview Invite.

 

[JDOC13]

New rule: only post/bump this thread if you know something for sure!! Instead of just asking "any news yet?" This is SDN...I guarantee you that the first thing that someone does when he/she gets the vandy secondary is post on SDN.

 

[shemarty]

I found this on the interview invite thread.

Vanderbilt University
Mishka17 (C: ?, II: 8/3; I: ?, OOS)


It looks like Vandy is starting....?!

 

[tessa108]

I found this on the interview invite thread.

Vanderbilt University
Mishka17 (C: ?, II: 8/3; I: ?, OOS)


It looks like Vandy is starting....?!

Uh oh, even more reason to obsessively check my inbox!

I added Vanderbilt a few weeks after my primary was verified, though, so I wouldn't be in the first batches anyway. Ugh, patience...not really my forte.

 

[Mishka17]

Hey guys,

My Vandy interview came via snail-mail. So, check your mailboxes, not your inboxes! I was certain it was a rejection because it was such a thin letter, but thankfully it wasn't!

Good luck to everyone!

 

[tessa108]

Hey guys,

My Vandy interview came via snail-mail. So, check your mailboxes, not your inboxes! I was certain it was a rejection because it was such a thin letter, but thankfully it wasn't!

Good luck to everyone!

Thanks for the heads up. And congrats!!