* 2015-2016 URM Medical School Application Thread *

[PREMEDitated22]

II at WVU SOM yesterday!!! my 2nd one!!!so excited!!

Congrats

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[takeurmeds02]

II at U. of Miami yesterday! Definitely one of my top choices, if not the strong front runner

 

[PREMEDitated22]

II at U. of Miami yesterday! Definitely one of my top choices, if not the strong front runner

awesome! congrats

 

[MCATUMOR]

Got a II at NYU school of Medicine y'all! Shaking right now.

Hope the cycle is going well for everyone so far. Stay encouraged!

What's are your stats if your don't mind ?

 

[PREMEDitated22]

What's are your stats if your don't mind ?

Trying to stay anon lol about a

 

[PREMEDitated22]

.

 

[OwlPower92]

Little update: Got interviews at OSU, Meharry, and Wayne state. Things are getting slow now :/ how are you guys passing the time?

CONGRATS!!!! that is amazing!!

 

[amt_]

Does anyone have any suggestions on preparing for interviews?

 

[PREMEDitated22]

CONGRATS!!!! that is amazing!!

Thanks!

 

[DoctorDrewOutsidetheLines]

I just wanted to let you all know, I am right here cheering you on! You got this! @PREMEDitated22 Congrats! And congrats to everyone else in advance!

 

[PREMEDitated22]

I just wanted to let you all know, I am right here cheering you on! You got this! @PREMEDitated22 Congrats! And congrats to everyone else in advance!

Thanks

 

[Copernicium]

Good luck to all you guys It's crazy to think that it's already been a year haha

 

[takeurmeds02]

Does anyone have any suggestions on preparing for interviews?

If you're at an institution, see if they offer mock interviews through possibly either prehealth or career development resources on campus. I just had one yesterday, have another scheduled in a few days, and I would definitely recommend this. Otherwise, you can do lite research online for interview tips, tricks etc. Know your app in and out; look over it a few times and be sure that you can go into detail at the drop of dime if necessary. It wouldn't hurt to find a few common questions and develop answers to those questions but be sure not to try and rote memorize responses; just have an idea of what you want to say. Also be sure that you have questions for the interviewer; very important.

 

[NicksMD]

AA Male
cGPA: 3.6
sGPA: 3.4
MCAT 497
AMCAS Verified 7/17
Applied to 20+ MD Schools
Strong Personal Statement
Good extracurriculars 1000+ patient contact
Research
6 IIs and 3 Rejections so far (1 with Post Bacc offer).
Probably would have more IIs if I didn't withdraw from most schools after acceptance.
Good luck to all!

 

[MedDoctor92]

AA Male
cGPA: 3.6
sGPA: 3.4
MCAT 497
Good extracurriculars 1000+ patient contact
Research
Applied to 23 schools. 3 IIs and 2 Rejections so far.
Good luck to all!

That is awesome! Interviews where? I don't know you but I am proud of you and the interviews you've landed thus far!! (lol hope that doesn't sound too weird :/ )

 

[NicksMD]

That is awesome! Interviews where? I don't know you but I am proud of you and the interviews you've landed thus far!! (lol hope that doesn't sound too weird :/ )

Edit.

 

[wavvvvvves123]

hi everyone! i'm applying this cycle as well so proud of everyone in this thread for excelling and taking one step closer to actualizing their goals!!!

my LizzyM score is 69-70. i've applied to 16 schools so far and have been blessed with 3 IIs

 

[Ashlee24]

Hello everyone!
black female
1st degree gpa 2.8
2nd degree gpa 3.6
masters degree 4.0 (21 credits)
I ended up getting a 499 on my mcat.

>100 shadowing hours (cardiologist, pediatrician, anesthesiologist)
I work at an emergency clinic while doing my masters (it's been 3 years)
Medical Missions trip
Community service fraternity and club in undergrad
Volunteering at a kids science museum where I live
mentor
elementary school volunteering
I feel my score put me at a disadvantage and Im a little discouraged but I want to remain hopeful. Good luck everyone

 

[Sailor Senshi Dermystify]

Hello Everyone!
Black Female, non trad, graduated between the years 2010 to 2012
Immigrant parents, and very disadvantaged
Sci gpa 3.52 and overall 3.60

Took the old MCAT twice, and the new MCAT once, 501.

Applying very late, and hopefully I get in somewhere

 

[Ashlee24]

Hello Everyone!
Black Female, non trad, graduated between the years 2010 to 2012
Immigrant parents, and very disadvantaged
Sci gpa 3.52 and overall 3.60
During undergrad, I researched two years as a Howard Hughes Scholar
Research abroad, pharma and at a medical school (during my summers)
Won several scholarships during undergrad, and post
Volunteered as a mentor, and abroad
A lot of shadowing hours in emergency clinic, and my medical mission trips
Very involve in medical orgs for about eight years and had various positions, locally, regionally and nationally
After college, did a prestigious fellowship for two years, did some volunteer work over there and nearby countries
Came back to the US and worked with the new health care law for over a year
Now I am working in clinical trails, and published a paper as co-author

Took the old MCAT twice, and the new MCAT once, 501.

Applying very late, and hopefully I get in somewhere

Albeit: I did not include all the employment I had during the academic year

You sound good. I'm doing secondaries late too.

 

[Sailor Senshi Dermystify]

You sound good. I'm doing secondaries late too.

I just got verified this week . How about you?

 

[Ashlee24]

I just got verified this week . How about you?

I got verified a few weeks ago. Im just working on secondaries so once I get the money, I add the schools and send it out. Everything should be done by this week hopefully! Don't lose hope ok? There are a lot of people who claim to know everything but don't let them dictate the outcomes. You may make it or you may not but either way enjoy the ride because you've made it this far.

 

[PREMEDitated22]

I got accepted today you guys! I am going to be a doctor! I hope you all are doing well this cycle. Goodluck!

 

[Cookie04]

I got accepted today you guys! I am going to be a doctor! I hope you all are doing well this cycle. Goodluck!

YAYYYY! Congrats!!!!!!!!

 

[trustme12]

I got accepted today you guys! I am going to be a doctor! I hope you all are doing well this cycle. Goodluck!

what are your stats

 

[MCATUMOR]

I got accepted today you guys! I am going to be a doctor! I hope you all are doing well this cycle. Goodluck!

Which school ?

 

[PREMEDitated22]

Thanks

 

[MCATUMOR]

Thanks I'm 65-69 and OSU

Congrats

 

[Solard]

Accepted on yesterday at meharry! I'm not a big fan of the school but ill take it

 

[KingJozif]

Accepted at Temple!!
3.52 sGPA
s.60 cGPA
30 MCAT
-currently in an AmeriCorps service program called City Year serving in a public school in the South Bronx
-Received 11 interviews so far (NYU, Einstein, TCMC, WVU, Stony Brook, Georgetown, Penn State, Temple, NYMC, Albany, Drexel)
- 1 rejection (OUWB)
Suggestion: Apply to more top 20 schools if you are a URM with decent stats and good application story

 

[systoleasystole]

cGPA: 3.33
sGPA: 3.1
UC Irvine postbaccGPA: 3.88
MCAT: 495
CA resident, black F
a lot of exc, strong letters, two II, 4 rejection-- 20 schools applied to total
Verified 9/5

 

[MumDoc]

Hey guys! I am a current URM 4th year medical student. I wanted to encourage you all as you go through this process. I cant believe it was 4 years ago when I was in your shoes. I am now applying for residency and all I can say is that hard work pays off. Keep up the good work and I hope you all get accepted somewhere and start in the fall of 2016. Remember all you need is ONE acceptance. If you have any questions, you can always PM me.

 

[takeurmeds02]

Accepted at Temple!!
3.52 sGPA
s.60 cGPA
30 MCAT
-currently in an AmeriCorps service program called City Year serving in a public school in the South Bronx
-Received 11 interviews so far (NYU, Einstein, TCMC, WVU, Stony Brook, Georgetown, Penn State, Temple, NYMC, Albany, Drexel)
- 1 rejection (OUWB)
Suggestion: Apply to more top 20 schools if you are a URM with decent stats and good application story

Congrats on Acceptance!! I'm surprised I haven't heard back from them yet on my status =/. But then again, your stats are pretty beast. Are you from northeast?

 

[aztlannation]

Congrats to everyone with acceptances! We need more diversity in the medical field.

 

[systoleasystole]

Question, do medical schools prefer the terminology "African American" or "Black?" I personally use "Black," but I don't want to come off as informal. Any thoughts on this?

 

[Smoove]

What up what up! I didn't know this thread existed!

I'm a Latino male applying to med school and here's how I'm doing so far!

IIs: BU, UIC, case western, northwestern, Columbia, university of Chicago

Accepted to university of Chicago last week!! Seriously so shocked, one of my dream schools.

I can post stats and whatnot later if you want them but trying to stay anon as best as I can! Always willing to help so PM me for absolutely anything!

 

[shield349]

Black
Male
Non-trad (postbac)
Bio Major HBCU undergrad
3.18 cGPA
3.10 sGPA
Looking like a 26/27 on prelim. MCAT (took June 19)

EC/Volunteering:
Medical scribe (1000+ hours), Mentorship to underprivileged, HIV/AID clinic volunteer, community outreach (starting a community garden), Student Programming Board in college, Peer Led-Team Led leader

Research:
MBRS-RISE scholar
cellular biology (small publication)
behavioral neuroscience
NeuroAIDs (named on abstract in "Stroke" for stroke conference)


Scared sh*tless, hoping that somebody will pick me up haha

Good luck to everyone!

Wow ... you literally have the exact gpas I have...

 

[NicksMD]

Accepted! Going to be an MD!

 

[takeurmeds02]

Question, do medical schools prefer the terminology "African American" or "Black?" I personally use "Black," but I don't want to come off as informal. Any thoughts on this?

That's a really good question. I've been feeling my interviewers out. I personally prefer black as well as it's more reflective and symbolic of my ethnic group. African american is misleading for a number of reasons.

 

[bradnjk]

I didn't know this thread existed, kinda new to sdn and looking for some thoughts. First off I am a urm, low socioeconomic status with a unique story. I have a 3.85 sc gpa 3.8 cumulative, 507 Mcat (128 phys/123 cars/128 bio/128 pysch) student athlete all 4 years, 3 years of biochem research, e-board of 4 clubs, volunteer clinical and non clinical, lots of community service, worked various jobs ( student mentor for biochem, teachers assistant, our schools gym, and now full time at Karmanos cancer institute since graduation as a clinical researcher), very strong LOR, and multiple leadership and athletic awards, and now I volunteer coach bball at my old high school.
I took my Mcat in July so I was a late applicant mostly complete late August-early October for most schools. I applied to a wide range of schools (Harvard <--> central Michigan) all MD though. I only have heard back from cmu II and rejected from duke.
I am posting on here bc I was curious about a lot of applicants on this thread seem to have done great this cycle, congrats btw, and I wanted to know if your Mcat score was unparallel like mine.. With my low cars section. Or if it was parallel, but lower in the sciences. Bc even though I did apply late, I feel like this red flag (my cars score) may be a huge reason I only have one II so far. In addition, a lot of students that were complete later than I was for programs have already got rejected but I have not heard anything from them, just "under review".... is it possible since I am a urm with a strong app but bad cars score 123, that they would toss my app to the bottom and essentially hold my app and eventually offer an II or rejection based off of the other apps they receive and how many seats they have left?

-sorry for the novel but I hope some ppl consider reading this and sharing thoughts, either way congrats to everyone on this thread, & good luck!

 

[PREMEDitated22]

What community do you represent? Also I had a low cars score with a ******************* accum :/ But I do have 9 II and 1 acceptance so I don't think it hurt me too much. I was also complete in late July at most of my schools. We can never be sure how that card gets played but it's best not to rely on it. Overall though I think if you showed commitment to your community through various ECs and had a well thought out reasoning for going into medicine you should do very well this cycle IMO.

 

[bradnjk]

What community do you represent? Also I had a low cars score with a 509 (124) yet I had a 3.6 accum :/ But I do have 9 II and 1 acceptance so I don't think it hurt me too much. I was also complete in late July at most of my schools. We can never be sure how that card gets played but it's best not to rely on it. Overall though I think if you showed commitment to your community through various ECs and had a well thought out reasoning for going into medicine you should do very well this cycle IMO.

Thank you for powering through my novel and reaching out. First off, congrats on all the interviews and the acceptance! That has to feel amazing, so good for you. But I grew up in the metro Detroit area and represent a socioeconomic undeserved community. Unfortunately, I come from a troubled family background with a big financial disadvantage. However, most of my community service and volunteer work took place in underrepresented communities. I am hoping the silence is just my application being caught up in a whirlwind of the process and not my cars score. It is refreshing to see your statistics correlate to your success rate, hopefully I will be hearing back from some schools soon. Regardless, I think this thread is awesome and I will definitely be updating everyone! Good luck with everything else!

 

[NicksMD]

Thank you for powering through my novel and reaching out. First off, congrats on all the interviews and the acceptance! That has to feel amazing, so good for you. But I grew up in the metro Detroit area and represent a socioeconomic undeserved community. Unfortunately, I come from a troubled family background with a big financial disadvantage. However, most of my community service and volunteer work took place in underrepresented communities. I am hoping the silence is just my application being caught up in a whirlwind of the process and not my cars score. It is refreshing to see your statistics correlate to your success rate, hopefully I will be hearing back from some schools soon. Regardless, I think this thread is awesome and I will definitely be updating everyone! Good luck with everything else!

If anything I would say it has to do with the timing of your application or your range of schools applied to, all the schools I applied to are deemed "low tier" (an MD is an MD in my opinion). I wouldn't worry about your cars score at all. Just a late app. Also interview invite times vary, my first one came within a week and one came after 2 and half months. It's a long process.

 

[deleted642188]

I didn't know this thread existed, kinda new to sdn and looking for some thoughts. First off I am a urm, low socioeconomic status with a unique story. I have a 3.85 sc gpa 3.8 cumulative, 507 Mcat (128 phys/123 cars/128 bio/128 pysch) student athlete all 4 years, 3 years of biochem research, e-board of 4 clubs, volunteer clinical and non clinical, lots of community service, worked various jobs ( student mentor for biochem, teachers assistant, our schools gym, and now full time at Karmanos cancer institute since graduation as a clinical researcher), very strong LOR, and multiple leadership and athletic awards, and now I volunteer coach bball at my old high school.
I took my Mcat in July so I was a late applicant mostly complete late August-early October for most schools. I applied to a wide range of schools (Harvard <--> central Michigan) all MD though. I only have heard back from cmu II and rejected from duke.
I am posting on here bc I was curious about a lot of applicants on this thread seem to have done great this cycle, congrats btw, and I wanted to know if your Mcat score was unparallel like mine.. With my low cars section. Or if it was parallel, but lower in the sciences. Bc even though I did apply late, I feel like this red flag (my cars score) may be a huge reason I only have one II so far. In addition, a lot of students that were complete later than I was for programs have already got rejected but I have not heard anything from them, just "under review".... is it possible since I am a urm with a strong app but bad cars score 123, that they would toss my app to the bottom and essentially hold my app and eventually offer an II or rejection based off of the other apps they receive and how many seats they have left?

-sorry for the novel but I hope some ppl consider reading this and sharing thoughts, either way congrats to everyone on this thread, & good luck!

I would say at this point, just wait - it is a crap shoot - and also pray that you wrote your secondary essays well

When was your application ready for review? Try to enjoy yourself because the rule of thumb is that mid-late January be when you should be in panic mode

Most importantly have a backup job to do if you end up doing a gap year

EDIT: I noticed your average date of submission was mid September... you're probably gonna have responses between the week before Turkey Day and middle of January

 

[bradnjk]

I would say at this point, just wait - it is a crap shoot - and also pray that you wrote your secondary essays well

When was your application ready for review? Try to enjoy yourself because the rule of thumb is that mid-late January be when you should be in panic mode

Most importantly have a backup job to do if you end up doing a gap year

EDIT: I noticed your average date of submission was mid September... you're probably gonna have responses between the week before Turkey Day and middle of January

Yeah I agree, and due to the high volume of applicants that receive a II with lower cars scores I and am starting to think since I applied later, I won't be receiving responses until late November-December ish. I got rejected from Georgetown yesterday which is bummer but hopefully things turn around soon! Thanks for the response, fingers crossed and good luck to you this cycle!

 

[deleted642188]

Yeah I agree, and due to the high volume of applicants that receive a II with lower cars scores I and am starting to think since I applied later, I won't be receiving responses until late November-December ish. I got rejected from Georgetown yesterday which is bummer but hopefully things turn around soon! Thanks for the response, fingers crossed and good luck to you this cycle!

I would say extend your wait time to mid-January because you're app will collect dust during the holidays (two weeks) - which is understandable.

What of mid-low tier MD schools? Did you apply to schools in the caliber of Thomas Jefferson, St. Louis U, Albany Med, Penn State, and Temple?

 

[bradnjk]

I would say extend your wait time to mid-January because you're app will collect dust during the holidays (two weeks) - which is understandable.

What of mid-low tier MD schools? Did you apply to schools in the caliber of Thomas Jefferson, St. Louis U, Albany Med, Penn State, and Temple?

Yeah sounds about right and some lower tier schools I applied to were Central Michigan, Penn State, OUWB, Drexel, Michigan State, and Western Michigan. And then I applied to a lot of "middle of the pack" schools e.g) rush, Loyola, Georgetown, Rosiland Franklin

 

[takeurmeds02]

@bradnjk yea, your profile seems solid enough. I would bet money that your situation isn't hinging on that 123. Like others have said, I think the fact that you submitted a bit later is what matters most. You should probably hear from another school or 2 between now and the end of the year. Pulling for you. This is an arduous process for everyone.

 

[bradnjk]

@bradnjk yea, your profile seems solid enough. I would bet money that your situation isn't hinging on that 123. Like others have said, I think the fact that you submitted a bit later is what matters most. You should probably hear from another school or 2 between now and the end of the year. Pulling for you. This is an arduous process for everyone.

Thanks for the response, and yeah I agree. Applying a little bit later in the cycle may have a more profound effect than the low cars section. I appreciate the positivity, this thread has been a great help! Hopefully I'll hear back from some schools soon and I will keep everyone updated! And good luck in this crazy cycle to you too!

 

[trailerparkjesus87]

HI! Just saw this thread and looking for advice...

Non Trad Latino Male, age 28, LizzyM ~66-69. Thousands of patient exposure hours (years working at a State Psych Hospital), thousands of volunteer hours (two year med service mission) about one hundred shadowing hours from a variety of specialties, hundreds of hours of research experience including pubs and poster presentations

AMCAS verified in July, received secondaries from various MDschools (applied very broadly, roughly 30 schools), but due to low MCAT score, had to hit 'retake' on many secondary apps until review of my next MCAT score. Received my retake MCAT score last week. When I received my MCAT score, I received secondary invites from most of the UC schools, my state school, UW, etc. Those secondaries have all been turned in. All other secondaries will be turned in TODAY. Just reading around the internet I'm getting freaked out that I'm a bit late to the game...I have also started some DO secondaries and will submit them next week.

Are my odds too low for this cycle? Should I expect to not get in at this point and be forced to be a reapplicant? Any feedback would be awesome....thanks