2016 Nontrad Applicants' Progress Thread

[B-wildered]

Long live snug seal! @Okazaki Frag Grenade

"Stole your phrase"

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Glycereine]

Ohhhhhh just throw another wrench in why don't cha. And here I was almost totally decided on Chicago. Kidding.

Seriously, this is difficult.The wife is pretty set on Chicago though...happy wife = happy life, right?

I'm considering changing my preferences based on a happy wife as well. I may be a bad judge but I'd say go where she wants. She already has to put up with you being in med school. I'm in the same situation lol


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Glycereine]

oh also, I had the chance to meet with a dean of admissions for a new york area med school and I got some great feedback that I wanted to share with you guys (which you probably already know, but I figured I would put out there)

• Don't just talk about hours for shadowing - apparently they hate any discussion of straight up quantity. Instead, talk about how you interacted with the patients - 50 quality hours of personal patient contact beats out 200 hours of standing there quietly and just watching
• When you interview, don't say "I have passion" outright. Make sure that you have stories that SHOW it
• Be very well informed if you are going to say anything about specialities. This dean recently rejected a guy who came in saying he wanted to be a "hand surgeon" but had NO idea how to get there. To him, it showed that it was really superficial and just something that he chose to sound different and/or interesting but backfired

Great info and thanks for posting!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Eccesignum]

...as I now go back through interviews in my head picking out a thousand details that I did wrong. Oh, tonight. You suck.

 

[tetley]

...as I now go back through interviews in my head picking out a thousand details that I did wrong. Oh, tonight. You suck.

youre a gem

go watch some Scrubs and plan out your dances for when you are a doctor. I heard that is a big part of the Step2 in-person examination

 

[Eccesignum]

youre a gem

go watch some Scrubs and plan out your dances for when you are a doctor. I heard that is a big part of the Step2 in-person examination

This is me just, like, in general.

 

[tetley]

he DID win dancing with the stars, so its a good start

This is me just, like, in general.

View attachment 196863

 

[68PGunner]

I'm considering changing my preferences based on a happy wife as well. I may be a bad judge but I'd say go where she wants. She already has to put up with you being in med school. I'm in the same situation lol


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yeah, it's pretty much an easy decision for guys with families. You go where your wife wants you to go. She will determine your #1 choice period. For example, my wife wants to stay in the Portland or Seattle area. Once I got my acceptance to Western Lebanon, it was a done deal.

 

[VegasPreMed]

Yeah, it's pretty much an easy decision for guys with families. You go where your wife wants you to go. She will determine your #1 choice period. For example, my wife wants to stay in the Portland or Seattle area. Once I got my acceptance to Western Lebanon, it was a done deal.

My wife would KILL to be near Portland. I applied to OHSU but, HA!, we'll see if that happens.

 

[68PGunner]

...

 

[68PGunner]

BTW, I grew up in Chicago. If you have any questions about Chicago, PM me.

 

[pageantry]

...as I now go back through interviews in my head picking out a thousand details that I did wrong. Oh, tonight. You suck.

Dude the only thing you "did wrong" is be an obvious shoo-in for MD. They don't want to screw up their matriculation rate. WE ALL BELIEVE IN YOU. (And we are very important.)

 

[Eccesignum]

Dude the only thing you "did wrong" is be an obvious shoo-in for MD. They don't want to screw up their matriculation rate. WE ALL BELIEVE IN YOU. (And we are very important.)

My stats say you're wrong, but I'm going to try and wrench this into my self-talk for the sake of my sanity.

 

[pageantry]

My stats say you're wrong, but I'm going to try and wrench this into my self-talk for the sake of my sanity.

Dude. Your ECs are dynamite. You have non-trad power. No blaspheming the non-trad power.

 

[B-wildered]

YOU HAVE SNUG SEAL AND NON-TRAD COALITION POWER! YOU ARE MORE THAN SAFE @Eccesignum

 

[ThinkReallyFast]

My magic eight ball says "YES" !

 

[B-wildered]

Hey friends,

I am about to submit my primary DO app and was looking for some suggestions in which DO schools to apply. I am trying to do some research, but the info/ranking about the schools are not readily/accessible as the MD schools. I am applying for Touro CA, and would like to apply for another 4-5 schools . I did shadow a DO but I do not have a DO letter of rec. Also, I would like to live close to the Ocean ( who doesn't duhhhhh), but most importantly that they are SOLID schools.
Thanks Friends

 

[Okazaki Frag Grenade]

Dear adcoms,

On this day in the year of our lord, 1987, young Okazaki came into the world. In honor and celebration of this momentous occasion, please send interview invites in lieu of gifts.

 

[68PGunner]

Hey friends,

I am about to submit my primary DO app and was looking for some suggestions in which DO schools to apply. I am trying to do some research, but the info/ranking about the schools are not readily/accessible as the MD schools. I am applying for Touro CA, and would like to apply for another 4-5 schools . I did shadow a DO but I do not have a DO letter of rec. Also, I would like to live close to the Ocean ( who doesn't duhhhhh), but most importantly that they are SOLID schools.
Thanks Friends

Touro CA is actually pretty garbage facility wise. Where do you want to live?

 

[elegantphoenix]

Dear adcoms,

On this day in the year of our lord, 1987, young Okazaki came into the world. In honor and celebration of this momentous occasion, please send interview invites in lieu of gifts.

Aww, you're still a babe, spring chicken happy birthday!

 

[B-wildered]

Touro CA is actually pretty garbage facility wise. Where do you want to live?

Close to the beach, preferably California . Maybe Florida, Oregon and Washington I guess is ok. I'm open to suggestions.

 

[68PGunner]

Close to the beach, preferably California . Maybe Florida, Oregon and Washington I guess is ok. I'm open to suggestions.

What do you mean by close to the beach? What's your limit commute wise? There isn't a school that's on the beach with the exception of NSU.

 

[68PGunner]

If you're looking for a Cali school, I think Western is nicer than Touro. NSU is good. PNWU is a no go based on your criteria. UNE is located on an island in Maine. I would put Rowan there too bc it's in NJ. Western in Lebanon is 1.5 hrs from the beach and 1.5 hrs from the Cascade Mountain.

 

[Spriteling]

My first interview is on Monday, and it's for my top choice school. I'm crazy nervous about it. It doesn't help that I only had three day's notice about it, either...

 

[pageantry]

My first interview is on Monday, and it's for my top choice school. I'm crazy nervous about it. It doesn't help that I only had three day's notice about it, either...

Whoa! How did that happen?? I didn't know that was even possible. Sounds like a good sign to me!

Also, good luck!

 

[timsk]

Good luck! Let us know how it goes.

 

[Eccesignum]

Close to the beach, preferably California . Maybe Florida, Oregon and Washington I guess is ok. I'm open to suggestions.

Florida has LECOM Bradenton, which is on the water. And has no secondary essay just FYI.

PBL school though, so you have to be down with that.

 

[Spriteling]

Good luck! Let us know how it goes.

Whoa! How did that happen?? I didn't know that was even possible. Sounds like a good sign to me!

Also, good luck!

Thanks!
What happened was that I had called an scheduled an interview for December on Thursday; I guess someone else cancelled and they remembered that I'd specifically asked for one interview location (as it's in the same town that I live in) and they called me and asked me if I wanted the open slot!

 

[elegantphoenix]

Thanks!
What happened was that I had called an scheduled an interview for December on Thursday; I guess someone else cancelled and they remembered that I'd specifically asked for one interview location (as it's in the same town that I live in) and they called me and asked me if I wanted the open slot!

Relax, you'll do great. And you're invited for an interview at your top school...whatever happens, that's one step closer to medical school.

 

[entresuspiros]

It's happening... First interview is next Friday!!

I'm not worried about establishing rapport with interviewers, but not knowing what they will focus on worries me a litttle. For those that have already intervewed, what was the most inappropriate/rude question you were asked?

Update: still at 7 II, no rejections, and one surprising secondary from UCSF! I also just saw yesterday that I got put on hold for re-review at GWU. I'm interviewing at Georgetowm on November 2, though - should I send an ITA email so they re-review me?

The silence from these past two weks is killing me - getting a bunch of rejection emails right before my interview is not my idea of interview prep

 

[pageantry]

It's happening... First interview is next Friday!!

I'm not worried about establishing rapport with interviewers, but not knowing what they will focus on worries me a litttle. For those that have already intervewed, what was the most inappropriate/rude question you were asked?

Update: still at 7 II, no rejections, and one surprising secondary from UCSF!

The worst thing that's happened to me was an interviewer (at a one-interview school) totally invalidating my greatest challenge (which had to do with being kicked-out as a kid) and ergo all I did to overcome it, much of which I had channeled into clinical leadership and volunteering.

I just therapy-talked it back to him, pointing out some adorable little kid drawings pinned on his wall and photographs. I said it seemed like he had a great family and I could totally understand how he might find my story a bit inconceivable. He backpeddled a bit after that.

It stuck with me tho. You're so extra-vulnerable when you're in that chair. Years of work and money and overcoming your own mental obstacles, all boiling down to thirty-five minutes in front of someone who never needs to look at you again. And you're not exactly allowed to say gfy.

I wish I could have come up with a better phrase than "kicked out" in the interview. That's the big failure on my own part. Framing it less violently would be probably read as (and be) more emotionally healthy.

Gotta toughen up sometime, I guess. Ugh. Is any of this even helpful?

Btw, congrats on all those IIs!

 

[Eccesignum]

It's happening... First interview is next Friday!!

I'm not worried about establishing rapport with interviewers, but not knowing what they will focus on worries me a litttle. For those that have already intervewed, what was the most inappropriate/rude question you were asked?

Update: still at 7 II, no rejections, and one surprising secondary from UCSF! I also just saw yesterday that I got put on hold for re-review at GWU. I'm interviewing at Georgetowm on November 2, though - should I send an ITA email so they re-review me?

The silence from these past two weks is killing me - getting a bunch of rejection emails right before my interview is not my idea of interview prep

I've had nothing "inappropriate" per se yet. I was caught off guard by one interviewer who asked me a bit sharply if I thought nursing (I'm a working RN) "just wasn't good enough for me", among other similarly-worded things about my background.

I've been asked twice about my race, though not in a malicious way. I have an odd genetic mix and my face has characteristics that have always inspired people to squint at me and try to guess what I am. Folks have assumed I'm everything from Colombian (confounded even further by the fact that I speak Spanish but am not Latina) to Moroccan. Or Cuban. Or Palestinian. Etc. etc. An excited total stranger on the street in Delaware a few months ago asked me if I was Ethiopian, that was a new one.

In a recent interview the interviewer just asked me bluntly what I was. To some people that certainly might've come off as rude, but being so used to it I didn't mind. It actually led to an interesting discussion about genetics and the future of racial identity.

Now, whether he came away with a positive impression of me after that, I don't know. I very well could've shot myself in the foot. I guess we'll see in a month or two.

All I can say is relax and try to go with the flow. Good luck!

 

[elegantphoenix]

I've had nothing "inappropriate" per se yet. I was caught off guard by one interviewer who asked me a bit sharply if I thought nursing (I'm a working RN) "just wasn't good enough for me", among other similarly-worded things about my background.

I think all the RNs, NPs, PAs will have to defend our desires to be an MD. I've been a neonatal ICU BSN and have been a PNP for several years. I know I would have to defend why I'm taking the leap and why they should give me a seat versus another person. It's all about fighting for this ONE seat at their school and why they should give it to me.

 

[Eccesignum]

I think all the RNs, NPs, PAs will have to defend our desires to be an MD. I've been a neonatal ICU BSN and have been a PNP for several years. I know I would have to defend why I'm taking the leap and why they should give me a seat versus another person. It's all about fighting for this ONE seat at their school and why they should give it to me.

Yeah, def. It's interesting the range of tone I've experienced about it. All the way from the one I mentioned before to ones that were more like "So, you're a nurse. How do you think that's led you here?". And many other ways of wording it.

Keeps you on your toes, that's for sure

 

[timsk]

While my odd interview experience wasn't about anything nearly as consequential, my second interviewer did grill me about high school. What classes I took. Why I didn't take more ap classes. Why I didn't take more science classes. What my high school curriculum and requirements were. I graduated hs ten years ago. I don't remember much from hs and had a hard time not scoffing at him for asking me those questions. He also seemed quite skeptical about the six years I've had since graduating college, despite working in clinical research and closely with doctors ever since. He also gave me no time to answer his questioms. Nor did he actually ask me many questions at all. Instead he just sorta lectured me about how hard med school is. Still felt good about the day overall, mainly because my first interview that day went so well.

 

[pageantry]

You guys, it's the 12th.
Somebody strap me down.

 

[Eccesignum]

You guys, it's the 12th.
Somebody strap me down.

 

[Eccesignum]

I wonder realistically how many schools will actually give out heart attacks on Oct 15th though.

I know of my list, I can proooobably only expect to hear from two in October, maybe. Two that I interviewed at in early Oct said our groups were probably too late for the October committees, so it'd be November or even December.

 

[Cawolf]

For me it's likely just two as well. Though it is really hard to tell with Texas schools as most of their info is geared towards residents, who cannot find out on 10/15.

 

[tetley]

guys, I'm so stressed that my hair is shedding.

 

[B-wildered]

Florida has LECOM Bradenton, which is on the water. And has no secondary essay just FYI.

PBL school though, so you have to be down with that.

Hey, how is the "ranking of this schools"?

I heard that you gotta be a little more careful with DO schools since, some of them are not that "good ". I have no idea about their rankings...

 

[wagonwheel23]

I'll be hearing from one... Oh boy! Here's to good news for all of us.

 

[B-wildered]

If you're looking for a Cali school, I think Western is nicer than Touro. NSU is good. PNWU is a no go based on your criteria. UNE is located on an island in Maine. I would put Rowan there too bc it's in NJ. Western in Lebanon is 1.5 hrs from the beach and 1.5 hrs from the Cascade Mountain.

Thanks,
I am not dead set to live near the beach, however the closer the better. Also, I am more concerned with the quality of my education/clinical-rotations than anything else, my stats are good for DO schools MCAT >30 and plenty of other EC. As I attempt to do research on the schools I find a lot of conflicting information. It seems that the information on DO schools is a little "obscure" compared to MD one's IMO. I wish there were rankings/MSAR for them.

 

[Eccesignum]

Hey, how is the "ranking of this schools"?

I heard that you gotta be a little more careful with DO schools since, some of them are not that "good ". I have no idea about their rankings...

I don't know. Unfortunately there's nothing published that I can find that offers rankings of DO schools by any metric. You might want to check the school thread or chat with Goro or someone more in the know.

 

[gyrfalcon]

For me it's likely just two as well. Though it is really hard to tell with Texas schools as most of their info is geared towards residents, who cannot find out on 10/15.

Same here. The only ones I expect to hear from are Texas schools, and right now I am just hoping that they don't forget about all of us OOS applicants. Neurotic checking of email and phone will reach epic levels!

 

[gmbz]

A lady during my interview explicitly said since we interviewed in September that we should hear back on OCT 15.

This translates to an unequivocal amount of stress for me at this point in time.

T-minus 3 days.. 3 long, long, long days.

 

[VegasPreMed]

Thanks,
I am not dead set to live near the beach, however the closer the better. Also, I am more concerned with the quality of my education/clinical-rotations than anything else, my stats are good for DO schools MCAT >30 and plenty of other EC. As I attempt to do research on the schools I find a lot of conflicting information. It seems that the information on DO schools is a little "obscure" compared to MD one's IMO. I wish there were rankings/MSAR for them.

From what I understand, MD rankings are mostly based on research funding. No idea if this correlates with better pre-clinical/clinical education quality though. DO schools, as they don't usually do much research, are more difficult to rank due to that subjectivity. I have heard that the older the school, the better the rotations simply due to increased influence and connections in the area. DMU, PCOM, CCOM, KCUMB, and NOVA are names that come to mind that I've seen with good reviews, although I am by no means "in the know" about this sort of thing.

 

[B-wildered]

I get a decision for sure on on Oct 15th ... breathe breathe breathe

 

[breezy16]

I'm okay, I swear.

View attachment 196907

 

[Eccesignum]

I'm okay, I swear.