2009-2010 University of Alabama Application Thread

[275471]

I got the interview invite this morning.

haha. awesome. good luck. You will enjoy the interview day. All of the interviews are very laid back and conversational. Have fun!

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[DOCnAbox]

Hey guys. Finally got my secondary complete and under review bc of my MCAT hold from the sept. 12 MCAT. I know it's late but whatev. I was wondering if y'all would share your stats so we can take a look at the competition. Who knows, we may all be friends as-well-as enemies by next year.

 

[DOCnAbox]

Got the invite today!

 

[GL2814]

Does anyone know how often they send out invitations?
Anyway, congrats again!

 

[YH5]

Got the invite today!

Congrats!

 

[auburnO5]

I have a questions to other reapplicants, this is my second time applying and I still have not heard anything after submitting my secondary. Last year I interviewed on 10/23, so I am a little bit concerned that I haven't heard back from them yet.

So my question is how are the other reapplicants doing in this process, and how exactly do they treat applicants differently regarding interviews and stuff the second time around.

 

[275471]

anyone know if anyone has gotten accepted yet? besides early admission. Id like to know when they typically start accepting people

 

[auburnO5]

anyone know if anyone has gotten accepted yet? besides early admission. Id like to know when they typically start accepting people

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=362315

This thread has some good stuff from the past years for UAB applicants.

I'm sure they have already started accepting top applicants at this point, but it is still pretty early in the cycle.

 

[DOCnAbox]

Does anyone know how often they send out invitations?
Anyway, congrats again!

Thanks! I'm freaking out about the interview. It only gave me one choice for the interview date and that was 10-29-09 so I gotta prepare hardcore!
I'm not sure about the invitations. I think it goes more by when you submitted your secondary vs. MCAT score and GPA.

If anyone wants to compare with me I have a mediocre resume. (29Q MCAT, 3.82 GPA, good EC, working full time doing research for UAB) I submitted on 9-18-09, payment went through by 9-22-09 , MCAT hold till 10-14-09, got the invite 10-19-09. I don't know exactly how they do it but good luck to everyone!!!!

 

[YH5]

Thanks! I'm freaking out about the interview. It only gave me one choice for the interview date and that was 10-29-09 so I gotta prepare hardcore!
I'm not sure about the invitations. I think it goes more by when you submitted your secondary vs. MCAT score and GPA.

If anyone wants to compare with me I have a mediocre resume. (29Q MCAT, 3.82 GPA, good EC, working full time doing research for UAB) I submitted on 9-18-09, payment went through by 9-22-09 , MCAT hold till 10-14-09, got the invite 10-19-09. I don't know exactly how they do it but good luck to everyone!!!!

Don't freak out about interviews at UAB, they are super relaxed. They are mostly conversational and they want to hear about your EC's (they don't know your GPA or MCAT). I tried to prepare for them, but I don't think it would have made a difference if I had been interviewed the same day I got the invitation.

 

[Sillyshoes]

Thanks! I'm freaking out about the interview. It only gave me one choice for the interview date and that was 10-29-09 so I gotta prepare hardcore!
I'm not sure about the invitations. I think it goes more by when you submitted your secondary vs. MCAT score and GPA.

If anyone wants to compare with me I have a mediocre resume. (29Q MCAT, 3.82 GPA, good EC, working full time doing research for UAB) I submitted on 9-18-09, payment went through by 9-22-09 , MCAT hold till 10-14-09, got the invite 10-19-09. I don't know exactly how they do it but good luck to everyone!!!!

Perhaps I will see you there then...
We have similar stats.

Oh and when I was signing up for interviews, I also had only one date available and just asked if there were other options available. They eventually added more later dates.

 

[DOCnAbox]

Don't freak out about interviews at UAB, they are super relaxed. They are mostly conversational and they want to hear about your EC's (they don't know your GPA or MCAT). I tried to prepare for them, but I don't think it would have made a difference if I had been interviewed the same day I got the invitation.

Cool. When you say they don't know your GPA or MCAT, do you mean when they first interview us? Who actually looks at the GPA and MCAT and when. I mean I know they have already looked at it once to give us an interview but do they have a bunch of people put our stats and interviewing skills together and such after the interviews? If anyone knows... Good luck to everyone, and if you are interviewing on 10-29 I'll see yall there

 

[maxxor]

UAB has started leaking out acceptances. I got in today, in-state with 35 and 3.99.

 

[YH5]

UAB has started leaking out acceptances. I got in today, in-state with 35 and 3.99.

Congrats! I hope they leak one my way.


Nice stats, BTW.

 

[DOCnAbox]

UAB has started leaking out acceptances. I got in today, in-state with 35 and 3.99.

Congrats!!

 

[dabeste]

UAB has started leaking out acceptances. I got in today, in-state with 35 and 3.99.

Awesome, congrats!

 

[275471]

I was accepted today as well!

 

[starchild87]

Congrats maxxor! I also was accepted today...in-state, 4.0 GPA, 33 MCAT. Good luck to everyone!

 

[starchild87]

Congrats to scrumpy as well!

 

[275471]

Yea. big congrats to both of yall!

 

[YH5]

Congrats everyone who got acceptances today. Any ideas how often they accept a new bunch?

 

[275471]

I know they meet every Thursday. I want to say they accept every two weeks.

 

[johnnybgood1234]

So what's the average wait time to hear about an interview right after you submit your secondary?

 

[DOCnAbox]

So what's the average wait time to hear about an interview right after you submit your secondary?

You can look at my timeline on a previous post.

Congrats to everyone accepted! Im freaking jealous.

Right now I am making a composite of every question asked in an interview at UAB from SDN for next Thurs

 

[DOCnAbox]

Hey guys, my interview is tomorrow and was wondering something. Are we supposed to bring like a portfolio of the work we have done/resume (i.e. research, vol, and shadowing)? Also, I know they will ask me if I have any questions for them. Do y'all have any good questions that y'all would ask them bc I only have a few and they are prob dumb questions.

 

[YH5]

Hey guys, my interview is tomorrow and was wondering something. Are we supposed to bring like a portfolio of the work we have done/resume (i.e. research, vol, and shadowing)? Also, I know they will ask me if I have any questions for them. Do y'all have any good questions that y'all would ask them bc I only have a few and they are prob dumb questions.

I wouldn't bring anything, you won't need it. If any of your interviewers come from the different campuses (Tuscaloosa or Hunstville), you may want to ask them about the advantages and disadvantages of spending your clinical years there.

 

[DOCnAbox]

I wouldn't bring anything, you won't need it. If any of your interviewers come from the different campuses (Tuscaloosa or Hunstville), you may want to ask them about the advantages and disadvantages of spending your clinical years there.

That is a good question. Unless you are from Huntsville or Tuscaloosa I can't really think of a reason to chose those places over Bham. Well unless you love the Tide or have an unnatural obsession with spaceships.

 

[Thacked]

That is a good question. Unless you are from Huntsville or Tuscaloosa I can't really think of a reason to chose those places over Bham. Well unless you love the Tide or have an unnatural obsession with spaceships.

Hey now, I hail from HSV and I only have 4 spaceships in my spaceship shrine. Hobby, yes. Unnatural obsession, no.

 

[DOCnAbox]

Hey now, I hail from HSV and I only have 4 spaceships in my spaceship shrine. Hobby, yes. Unnatural obsession, no.

That is why I said... " Unless you're from huntsville or tuscaloosa..."

Just had my interview yesterday and I feel like it went very well. Y'all were not lying when talking about how relaxed it was and how nice the interviewers were. Special thanks to YH5 for the support.

If we all get in I'm buying the first round at Inisfree!

 

[Sillyshoes]

I heard the advantages of Tuscaloosa or Huntsville would be the smaller student size during clerkships. Also, there are not as many residents so you can work closer with the attendings.

 

[YH5]

That is why is said... " Unless you're from huntsville or tuscaloosa..."

Just had my interview yesterday and I feel like it went very well. Y'all were not lying when talking about how relaxed it was and how nice the interviewers were. Special thanks to YH5 for the support.

If we all get in I'm buying the first round at Inisfree!

You're welcome.

 

[BigRedDeal]

Anyone know what the "Remain Under Consideration for Interview" status means? Good? Bad? Depends?

 

[YH5]

Anyone know what the "Remain Under Consideration for Interview" status means? Good? Bad? Depends?

It just means that they have finished reviewing your application, so its not really good or bad.

 

[johnnybgood1234]

It just means that they have finished reviewing your application, so its not really good or bad.

So does everyone get that status at some point in time, or does it show some sort of non-interest?

 

[DOCnAbox]

After my MCAT hold went away it said "Remain under consideration for interview" for one week. I then got the interview invite (mine came on a monday). After the interview you choose your campus choice and then it says "campus choice received". It will only change after that when you are accepted, rejected, or waitlisted (60 people total. 20 upper, 20 middle, and 20 lower. Prob all upper and half of middle will get accepted. I'm not sure how the time difference varies on the interview consideration. Me and 2 others with 29 MCAT and similar EC took a week to get an interview. I also know someone with a 27 who interviewed in late september so I believe it goes by how quickly you get the secondary in. If you have any questions you can PM me.

 

[YH5]

So does everyone get that status at some point in time, or does it show some sort of non-interest?

I think one poster in this thread went straight to interview invite, but most people do get that status. I got an interview invite the next day after switching to "remain under consideration."

 

[2014mdorbust]

I went straight to "Interview Requested" from "In Process".

 

[Ditto1114]

So does everyone get that status at some point in time, or does it show some sort of non-interest?

I've been "under consideration" for about a month now.... I'm getting no love. My MCAT was nothing to write home about so I was expecting as much.

DocnABox - Do you ever walk by Volker on your lunch break hoping that Dr. Smith will be walking out precisely when you save some oblivious undergrad from the perils of on coming traffic on University Blvd and immediately grant you admission with a full scholarship? (You wouldn't be alone)

 

[DOCnAbox]

DocnABox - Do you ever walk by Volker on your lunch break hoping that Dr. Smith will be walking out precisely when you save some oblivious undergrad from the perils of on coming traffic on University Blvd and immediately grant you admission with a full scholarship? (You wouldn't be alone)

Haha, I have actually thought about that. But my fantasy involved saving an old lady from getting hit and her ending up being my interviewer. It is funny that u mention walking by Volker on lunch break bc I do that sometimes. I guess I mentioned on an old post that I work for UAB out of Calahan Eye Foundation. Do u work for UAB or go to Grad school here?

Update...

Just read your previous post and know your story. My MCAT problem was very similar. I'll leave advice on that thread if you want.
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?p=8831923#post8831923

 

[Ditto1114]

Haha, I have actually thought about that. But my fantasy involved saving an old lady from getting hit and her ending up being my interviewer. It is funny that u mention walking by Volker on lunch break bc I do that sometimes. I guess I mentioned on an old post that I work for UAB out of Calahan Eye Foundation. Do u work for UAB or go to Grad school here?

Update...

Just read your previous post and know your story. My MCAT problem was very similar. I'll leave advice on that thread if you want.
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?p=8831923#post8831923

HA! Yea, I have that daydream also although lately it usually ends with ME getting hit by the car... dunno what that means

I've been a silent SDN stalker for sometime so that's how I knew you worked at UAB. I tend to frequent the Alabama threads because, unlike the rest of SDN, people tend to be kind. hehe. I'm a research assistant over in the Shelby building.

Thanks for the MCAT advice. I used the Gold Standard books, but from what I gather on here not many people use those. About two months before the MCAT I learned about the EK 1001, which I really liked but don't think I had enough time to use them. I'm just really worried about self-studying again. Do you know if UAB tends to look at your top scores or average them all together? Did you take the Kaplan class here in B-ham? Why didn't you like it?

 

[DOCnAbox]

n. Do you know if UAB tends to look at your top scores or average them all together? Did you take the Kaplan class here in B-ham? Why didn't you like it?

I am pretty sure that they just look at the highest score but they may ask you how you improved from your previous scores if you do so. They may also inquire to the reason a certain score is low. I job shadowed a doctor on the admissions committee last summer and he told me that they don't look at verbal as much as the other sections, which makes sense and bows well for me. I took the Kaplan class in Tuscaloosa. I didn't like it for the following reasons:

1. My teacher didn't show up for like 4 classes and we had to make them up on Saturday... which I refused to go to.

2. I had a lot of friends in the class so I couldn't pay attention as well.

3. I really didn't learn anything in class that I couldn't learn in the book (which you're supposed to read anyways).

4. After making up for a missed class I did the online lesson and found it to be far superior to the actual class. It was also shorter and much cheaper than the actual class.

If you really want to do kaplan, I suggest getting just the online course with the books.

I did Exam Krackers which I thought was the best for these reasons:

1. Color diagrams and pictures in Bio, Organic, and physical sciences that really help.

2. better explanation of the hard stuff to learn (i.e. optics, electricity and mag., galvanic and electrolytic cells, NMR, etc.)

3. 1,001 books. Really difficult questions that you can space out and I believe really helped me.

4. The 101 passages in VR. This is the best/only VR book you should own.

5. Audio osmosis. Listened to it in my car, when I do research, exercised and it just got stuck in my head. Free download is available, I think I still have the site

6. The price. ($100 For the EK books, about $20 for 1,001 books, and $40 for the VR guide. vs. about $2,000 for the classroom and books for Kaplan plus an MCAT of 29 with EK system and 25 with Kaplan)

 

[275471]

For the people that have gotten in, have you received your campus assignments yet?

 

[DOCnAbox]

Does anyone have a cure for the waiting? I do research and have way too much free time at the computer at work. I've prob checked my e-mail 100,000 times this month for interviews and acceptances.

 

[YH5]

Nope, I'm doing the same thing right now.

 

[forty2]

On which days does UAB hold interviews?

I have an interview on a Friday at Emory, so I'll be nearby, and if they have interviews on Thursdays I may send an "in the area" email just in case an opening appears. I'm currently "Remain Under Consideration for Interview", and am OOS 3.87PB/37Q.

 

[Piazza]

On which days does UAB hold interviews?

I have an interview on a Friday at Emory, so I'll be nearby, and if they have interviews on Thursdays I may send an "in the area" email just in case an opening appears. I'm currently "Remain Under Consideration for Interview", and am OOS 3.87PB/37Q.

Yes they are on Thursdays.


By the way, do we know if acceptances go out on a certain day? I interviewed Oct 22nd and my status is 'Campus Choices Recieved'. I think someone said every two weeks or something, but is it on a Wednesday? I think that was the timestamp day on people's messages saying they got in...

 

[DOCnAbox]

Yes they are on Thursdays.


By the way, do we know if acceptances go out on a certain day? I interviewed Oct 22nd and my status is 'Campus Choices Recieved'. I think someone said every two weeks or something, but is it on a Wednesday? I think that was the timestamp day on people's messages saying they got in...

I don't think they do it on a certain day. This year was on a Wed. but last year someone told me they got the e-mail on a Monday. Also if you look at the 2007-2008 thread, a lot of people found out on fridays. I hope they send something soon though bc I can't stand all the waiting!

Also... I don't really understand how they judge who gets in and at what time bc 2 of my friends last year with the same MCAT (29) and similar GPA and EC applied last year. One got in after 2 weeks and one got wait listed...

 

[YH5]

Yes they are on Thursdays.


By the way, do we know if acceptances go out on a certain day? I interviewed Oct 22nd and my status is 'Campus Choices Recieved'. I think someone said every two weeks or something, but is it on a Wednesday? I think that was the timestamp day on people's messages saying they got in...

Looking back over older threads, it seems like acceptances are most likely to be sent out on friday. However, the only acceptances i've seen on SDN this year were on 10/21, which was a wednesday. To be honest, I think its pretty much impossible to predict when UAB is going to send out the next group of acceptances.

 

[275471]

From what i understand, they meet once every two weeks and interviews go out every two weeks. They accept people once a month. They typically meet on Thursdays. They grade each applicant based on stats and then interview and everything else. They will only accept people over a certain score which is really high early and then they lower it as time goes on to reach a certain quota.

 

[Piazza]

So I'll go ahead and answer my question from earlier today, they accept Fridays as well...how do I know this? Well....

At 3.14 this Friday afternoon I was Accepted at UAB!!!! Wooo I'm going to med school! By the way I'm IS/27m/3.9! Good luck guys, I'm sure yall will get good news soon!