2023-2024 Johns Hopkins

[manlygeek]

steer clear from Hopkins lol their admin is like big brother, they cancelled med prom this year and they track you to the lag and long. They also required students to attend a lecture on professionalism bc of how crazy it is there

real mature from girlynerd to come to hopkins sdn when she's not even a prospective student here

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[cubewarrior]

Has anyone received anything to formally accept their spot on the alternate list yet? In their email, they said they would send it out after they were done with interviews

 

[Labe]

Has anyone received anything to formally accept their spot on the alternate list yet? In their email, they said they would send it out after they were done with interviews

Nothing here

 

[s.nd]

Has anyone received anything to formally accept their spot on the alternate list yet? In their email, they said they would send it out after they were done with interviews

They should be sending it soon. Last year it was sent on April 5th

 

[booklovershappyplace]

Anyone receive a swag box from them/know what’s in it?

 

[dopaminedoc]

Anyone receive a swag box from them/know what’s in it?

It has a Hopkins thermos, icepack, and first aid kit!

 

[It’s Over!!!]

Loving Hopkins SLW so far!

 

[s.nd]

Has anyone received the waitlist form yet?

 

[hockeyguy69]

Talk me out of Hopkins.

Those with A’s to JHU and considering not going for reasons other than financial, share your thoughts if you don’t mind.

It’s always been my first choice and cost of attendance is basically same as my other options (still waiting on Einstein post interview recently but not expecting them to give any more A’s).

Want to hear why some of you may be deciding not to go to Hopkins to make sure I’m not missing something.

EDIT—realize some current applicants may be shy to answer this so maybe prior years can weigh in.

Congrats to all!

Wasn’t interested in Baltimore

 

[blueonion28]

Has anyone received the waitlist form yet?

I haven't received it either. Maybe they are waiting until after SLW?

 

[Devboy]

Loving Hopkins SLW so far!

Yeah it’s been great!

 

[It’s Over!!!]

Anyone have a sense about pass fail at Hopkins? Yesterday at SLW they posted that it is PF for preclinical and core but H/HP/P/F for subinternships, clinical, and research electives. They also said it is always under review.

Does anyone have a sense of the significance of this and how it compares to other schools (e.g, Harvard for reference, as well as schools I’m still considering because being WL or admitted to, ie, Yale, Duke, Wash U, Michigan, and Chicago)?

Are having some grades a benefit to residency? Hopkins website seems to say they believe it does. So confused by all this. Yale, for example, seems to be completely PF and has no issues with residency placements. I know Yale is an extreme. But what about Harvard? Are they all PF? If so, why might Hopkins think they need grades when Harvard and Yale don’t?

Any insight appreciated!

 

[Labe]

Anyone have a sense about pass fail at Hopkins? Yesterday at SLW they posted that it is PF for preclinical and core but H/HP/P/F for subinternships, clinical, and research electives. They also said it is always under review.

Does anyone have a sense of the significance of this and how it compares to other schools (e.g, Harvard for reference, as well as schools I’m still considering because being WL or admitted to, ie, Yale, Duke, Wash U, Michigan, and Chicago)?

Are having some grades a benefit to residency? Hopkins website seems to say they believe it does. So confused by all this. Yale, for example, seems to be completely PF and has no issues with residency placements. I know Yale is an extreme. But what about Harvard? Are they all PF? If so, why might Hopkins think they need grades when Harvard and Yale don’t?

Any insight appreciated!

Yale is also P/F preclinical and for core clerkships but H/HP/P/F for electives and sub-Is I believe. I’m not sure it has anything to do with residency placements since JHU was great as always this year even with P/F clinicals. Not sure if this is due to P/F clinical grading or how chill Yale is overall, but with Yale students, amongst some residency PDs they have a reputation for being weaker clinically when they first come out (though they catch up quickly and this doesn’t seem to harm their match outcomes much if at all). Speculatively, maybe the JHU clerkship directors think students work harder and get better clinical training with the incentive of grades.

 

[FinancialBagel]

Anyone have a sense about pass fail at Hopkins? Yesterday at SLW they posted that it is PF for preclinical and core but H/HP/P/F for subinternships, clinical, and research electives. They also said it is always under review.

Does anyone have a sense of the significance of this and how it compares to other schools (e.g, Harvard for reference, as well as schools I’m still considering because being WL or admitted to, ie, Yale, Duke, Wash U, Michigan, and Chicago)?

Are having some grades a benefit to residency? Hopkins website seems to say they believe it does. So confused by all this. Yale, for example, seems to be completely PF and has no issues with residency placements. I know Yale is an extreme. But what about Harvard? Are they all PF? If so, why might Hopkins think they need grades when Harvard and Yale don’t?

Any insight appreciated!

I sadly couldn’t make the curriculum talk for JHU SLW, so I have a question if you don’t mind! So is JHU P/F for pre-clinical and clerkship?

 

[It’s Over!!!]

I sadly couldn’t make the curriculum talk for JHU SLW, so I have a question if you don’t mind! So is JHU P/F for pre-clinical and clerkship?

Pre clinical and core clerkships only

 

[FinancialBagel]

Pre clinical and core clerkships only

Ah got it, thanks!!

 

[premedsnake]

I unfortunately couldn't make it to SLW, but I know some people had financial aid appointments while there. Did anyone hear about when we can expect financial aid packages for those of us in the March wave of As? I'm getting a bit nervous about the April 15th deadline coming up while still having no financial aid to make a decision with

 

[Guggenburg]

I unfortunately couldn't make it to SLW, but I know some people had financial aid appointments while there. Did anyone hear about when we can expect financial aid packages for those of us in the March wave of As? I'm getting a bit nervous about the April 15th deadline coming up while still having no financial aid to make a decision with

Might be rolling as I already got my financial aid during the beginning of this week and I was accepted in the last round.

 

[txpremed1234]

I unfortunately couldn't make it to SLW, but I know some people had financial aid appointments while there. Did anyone hear about when we can expect financial aid packages for those of us in the March wave of As? I'm getting a bit nervous about the April 15th deadline coming up while still having no financial aid to make a decision with

Dean holder said wednesday of next week at the latest and that if it will affect your ability to narrow down to 3 schools, they can definitely give extensions since it is their "fault." he said to email them if you need to keep more than 3 schools on your list until you have all the info

 

[FinancialBagel]

We have until end of day April 15th to narrow down our schools to 3, right? I’m having a tough time thinking about the last school to withdraw from, but I’ll definitely withdraw via email on Monday morning. I’m now irrationally worried that by having four acceptances on 04/15, all the schools will take back their acceptances.

 

[Endoxifen]

We have until end of day April 15th to narrow down our schools to 3, right? I’m having a tough time thinking about the last school to withdraw from, but I’ll definitely withdraw via email on Monday morning. I’m now irrationally worried that by having four acceptances on 04/15, all the schools will take back their acceptances.

You have until midnight, I believe

 

[Holland]

You have until midnight, I believe

Midnight as in the first moment of 4/15 or the first moment of 4/16?

 

[It’s Over!!!]

Midnight as in the first moment of 4/15 or the first moment of 4/16?

11:59 pm on 4/15 in your time zone is what I would guess. But I wouldn’t leave it to guessing or that late!

Probably could even VPN a different time zone in an emergency!

 

[Bizarre_Animation]

Dean holder said wednesday of next week at the latest and that if it will affect your ability to narrow down to 3 schools, they can definitely give extensions since it is their "fault." he said to email them if you need to keep more than 3 schools on your list until you have all the info

Wouldn't all of your other schools also have to be okay with you holding more than 3? Sorry these rules are so confusing

 

[crokonite]

Talk me out of Hopkins.

Those with A’s to JHU and considering not going for reasons other than financial, share your thoughts if you don’t mind.

It’s always been my first choice and cost of attendance is basically same as my other options (still waiting on Einstein post interview recently but not expecting them to give any more A’s).

Want to hear why some of you may be deciding not to go to Hopkins to make sure I’m not missing something.

EDIT—realize some current applicants may be shy to answer this so maybe prior years can weigh in.

Congrats to all!

Congratulations to everyone! I've made the decision to withdraw from Hopkins. I don't really post much, but I want to be transparent and share my honest thoughts below to contribute a little to the community that helped keep me sane - it's going to be a long post.

While SLW was undoubtedly well-executed and enjoyable, I had to remember that it challenging to fully grasp the true Hopkins experience from just a few days. The sample size is small, and it's understandable that the students selected to lead SLW would tend to have a more positive view of the Hopkins experience. Nonetheless SLW made me hesitate for a second but I had to keep in mind that SLW primarily serves as a marketing tool.

These are solely my opinions, so take them with a grain of salt. Hopkins is undeniably an outstanding institution, and everyone who attends will undoubtedly excel. These only from my perspective which could definitely be wrong.

#1 is location. Baltimore does have a few charming spots, but they are quite limited. Even just spending a few days in Baltimore - I was beginning to exhaust the "fun things" to do there. Spending four years there might prove to be a bit challenging. Exploring the same museums or farmer's markets repeatedly can become tiresome. Additionally, I drove through some less safe areas during the day, and their proximity to the hospital and living areas was concerning. The extra stressor of having to worry about that is more impactful than I expected. As someone who grew up in NYC, Baltimore is much scarier. There is not much to do and it is unsafe... Moreover, the hospital has a shaky relationship with its community.

#2 - Culture. There does seem to be somewhat of a shift to improve the med student culture at Hopkins. But talking to a few non-SLW current Hopkins med students, there still are a lot of gunners. Every school has its share of competitive individuals versus more collaborative ones, but it seems that Hopkins may have a higher proportion of the former. Moreover, although the undergraduate and resident programs are separate from the medical school, they have a reputation for being toxic and overworking their students. That has to have some effect on rotations, electives, and the overall student experience etc. Maybe less of an effect on preclinical but when you are working with residents who hate their lives - they may have more affinity to perpetuate the toxic culture that they themselves experience.

#3 - Admin. While SLW was fairly student driven, which is a positive sign, realistically SLW's influence on Hopkins as a whole is limited. For more significant issues, the administration tends to be quite authoritative. There have been instances where student concerns or ideas were dismissed or significantly delayed by the administration. For example, one professor's lecture was quite insensitive and students brought it up to admin but due to the professor's reputation, the administration was hesitant to address it promptly. It took multiple complaints before any action was taken. Additionally, decisions like canceling med prom due to concerns about behavior seem patronizing and punitive. Med students are full blown adults. People might get drunk. Additionally, it punishes the whole class, why not just talk to the students or people that you felt were problematic? Why immediately go to such extremes without consulting the students first? Lastly, the absence of a free clinic. Many students have advocated for this and pushed for this. Admin's reasoning is that they want to be careful about how they are involved in their community. While I understand there are challenges with running a free-clinic, the admin at hopkins seems obsessed with how they are perceived (akin to the med prom incident - they don't want to have a bad image). They seem less willing to do anything that would potentially tarnish their reputation. I do think there are ways to run a high-quality free-clinic that would be beneficial for students and patients, but Hopkins is unwilling to put in the effort to do that. Reputation/image comes first.

#4 - Curriculum. there's some apprehension about the potential shift from Pass/Fail to tiered clinicals. it seems residency directors and admin are advocating for tiered clinicals, and students are advocating for P/F clinical still but based on the history admin tends to win over students.

#5 - Scandals. Scandals are unfortunately not uncommon in large academic institutions, but Hopkins may have the most with regards to their hospitals/medical practices...

#6 - Passion. When I ask students what they love about Hopkins there are almost always the same 2 answers - the people and research. At other schools students have more variety in what is special about their med school, whether it be research or service or faculty or the city. While research is undoubtedly essential, it shouldn't completely overshadow other aspects of medical education. I personally prefer a more well-rounded educational experience - where students can point to more than just research as one of the biggest advantages of a school.

Honestly, there are so many pros to hopkins as well like their reputation. But these factors to me were really important and convinced me to withdraw. Again, it's an amazing school and you probably can't go wrong with it. In the end, a lot of med schools are very similar and these factors are probably irrelevant to many. They might not even affect anyone or anything. But these were the things that I factored in! I hope this helps some! Best of luck to you all!!

 

[It’s Over!!!]

Thanks so much for your thoughts. Really appreciate it. Best of luck to you also! Where did you decide to go?

 

[Xqcowadwo]

Got the alternate list follow up, but the link in the email takes you to the student hosting page instead of a waitlist form...

 

[s.nd]

Got the alternate list follow up, but the link in the email takes you to the student hosting page instead of a waitlist form...

same

 

[crokonite]

Thanks so much for your thoughts. Really appreciate it. Best of luck to you also! Where did you decide to go?

Will DM

 

[pbnj1448]

Just got my aid offer. 80% tuition scholarship

 

[biocrux]

lol. No I don’t want to be talked out of it. Just trying to hear best argument against because I’m all but convinced and have been since I got the A!

Thanks for the response!

Been following this thread for several days now as I currently am weighing JHU strongly against another school, are you still set on JHU?

 

[booklovershappyplace]

Is jhu known to give out a lot of full rides?

 

[It’s Over!!!]

Been following this thread for several days now as I currently am weighing JHU strongly against another school, are you still set on JHU?

Yup. Unless someone offers me a lot more money in the next 2 weeks I’m going to Hopkins.

 

[Guggenburg]

Is jhu known to give out a lot of full rides?

Not sure. But they exist. source: me

 

[TheD1Doctor]

Congratulations to everyone! I've made the decision to withdraw from Hopkins. I don't really post much, but I want to be transparent and share my honest thoughts below to contribute a little to the community that helped keep me sane - it's going to be a long post.

While SLW was undoubtedly well-executed and enjoyable, I had to remember that it challenging to fully grasp the true Hopkins experience from just a few days. The sample size is small, and it's understandable that the students selected to lead SLW would tend to have a more positive view of the Hopkins experience. Nonetheless SLW made me hesitate for a second but I had to keep in mind that SLW primarily serves as a marketing tool.

These are solely my opinions, so take them with a grain of salt. Hopkins is undeniably an outstanding institution, and everyone who attends will undoubtedly excel. These only from my perspective which could definitely be wrong.

#1 is location. Baltimore does have a few charming spots, but they are quite limited. Even just spending a few days in Baltimore - I was beginning to exhaust the "fun things" to do there. Spending four years there might prove to be a bit challenging. Exploring the same museums or farmer's markets repeatedly can become tiresome. Additionally, I drove through some less safe areas during the day, and their proximity to the hospital and living areas was concerning. The extra stressor of having to worry about that is more impactful than I expected. As someone who grew up in NYC, Baltimore is much scarier. There is not much to do and it is unsafe... Moreover, the hospital has a shaky relationship with its community.

#2 - Culture. There does seem to be somewhat of a shift to improve the med student culture at Hopkins. But talking to a few non-SLW current Hopkins med students, there still are a lot of gunners. Every school has its share of competitive individuals versus more collaborative ones, but it seems that Hopkins may have a higher proportion of the former. Moreover, although the undergraduate and resident programs are separate from the medical school, they have a reputation for being toxic and overworking their students. That has to have some effect on rotations, electives, and the overall student experience etc. Maybe less of an effect on preclinical but when you are working with residents who hate their lives - they may have more affinity to perpetuate the toxic culture that they themselves experience.

#3 - Admin. While SLW was fairly student driven, which is a positive sign, realistically SLW's influence on Hopkins as a whole is limited. For more significant issues, the administration tends to be quite authoritative. There have been instances where student concerns or ideas were dismissed or significantly delayed by the administration. For example, one professor's lecture was quite insensitive and students brought it up to admin but due to the professor's reputation, the administration was hesitant to address it promptly. It took multiple complaints before any action was taken. Additionally, decisions like canceling med prom due to concerns about behavior seem patronizing and punitive. Med students are full blown adults. People might get drunk. Additionally, it punishes the whole class, why not just talk to the students or people that you felt were problematic? Why immediately go to such extremes without consulting the students first? Lastly, the absence of a free clinic. Many students have advocated for this and pushed for this. Admin's reasoning is that they want to be careful about how they are involved in their community. While I understand there are challenges with running a free-clinic, the admin at hopkins seems obsessed with how they are perceived (akin to the med prom incident - they don't want to have a bad image). They seem less willing to do anything that would potentially tarnish their reputation. I do think there are ways to run a high-quality free-clinic that would be beneficial for students and patients, but Hopkins is unwilling to put in the effort to do that. Reputation/image comes first.

#4 - Curriculum. there's some apprehension about the potential shift from Pass/Fail to tiered clinicals. it seems residency directors and admin are advocating for tiered clinicals, and students are advocating for P/F clinical still but based on the history admin tends to win over students.

#5 - Scandals. Scandals are unfortunately not uncommon in large academic institutions, but Hopkins may have the most with regards to their hospitals/medical practices...

#6 - Passion. When I ask students what they love about Hopkins there are almost always the same 2 answers - the people and research. At other schools students have more variety in what is special about their med school, whether it be research or service or faculty or the city. While research is undoubtedly essential, it shouldn't completely overshadow other aspects of medical education. I personally prefer a more well-rounded educational experience - where students can point to more than just research as one of the biggest advantages of a school.

Honestly, there are so many pros to hopkins as well like their reputation. But these factors to me were really important and convinced me to withdraw. Again, it's an amazing school and you probably can't go wrong with it. In the end, a lot of med schools are very similar and these factors are probably irrelevant to many. They might not even affect anyone or anything. But these were the things that I factored in! I hope this helps some! Best of luck to you all!!

Hi!

Just want to piggyback off this comment. I DID NOT apply to Hopkins. I'll be attending another medical school this fall but I'm currently working here as a research specialist. I've been here for bout 7-8 months. Was lurking through different threads and saw this so I just wanted to share my experience here at Hopkins as a STAFF EMPLOYEE and NOT A MEDICAL STUDENT. Hopefully, it'll be helpful!

1. Location: As you said Baltimore is an awesome place. Food is great, nice views. I would say that there is always something to do, especially if you have friends. DC is about a 45 min drive and there is a train that takes you there and back. HOWEVER, Baltimore is NOT the safest place, especially at night. When I first moved here and saw the landscape, I was shocked. I'll admit, Hopkins IS NOT located in the safest environment. When you venture out of the medical campus, you'll start to notice the landscape and the condition of the surrounding communities and it may surprise you.

I will say that the school knows that the environment isn't the safest and they have taken EXTREME measures to make sure it is protected. There are security guards and JHU patrol officers everywhere, literally on every block around the hospital and medical campus. If someone had any bad intent, they'd be a FOOL to try anything near Hopkins. I hope that is at least reassuring.

2. There is a med student who works in my lab, and I would say that she is always happy and smiling when she comes in. I've asked her several times about her experience and so far she loves it. Again, IM NOT a medical student here but from what I can see, it seems like she is enjoying her experience. She is an M2 reference.

3. I will also say that it is very important to be conscious of the environment you are stepping in. Hopkins is literally the creme of the crop, everyone here is a genius. That will come with a lot of egos and people who are uncooperative b/c they see you as competition. Take that as you will.

Again, just wanted to add to the previous comment about Hopkins. Goodluck and congrats to everyone!

 

[s.nd]

does anyone know how many people are in the Hopkins GroupMe? Are we expecting any waitlist movement?

 

[Diggydoo]

does anyone know how many people are in the Hopkins GroupMe? Are we expecting any waitlist movement?

There’s over 200 people, including M1s. That said, there are some people leaving every day, so there is likely to be some waitlist movement

 

[cubewarrior]

Can you send letters of interest/intent to them? I do not see any place for it on the portal

 

[shewhobagstea]

is there an admissions phone # to call with questions as a WL'd applicant? email is taking a while

 

[s.nd]

Can you send letters of interest/intent to them? I do not see any place for it on the portal

You can email it to them

 

[shewhobagstea]

Also does anyone know how many came off the WL last year? My MSAR sub ran out lol

 

[booklovershappyplace]

At second look, did they mention whether they’ve removed material to make the preclinical shorter next year or simply shifted some things around but still covering the same things?

 

[BaileyBoo20]

For those interested: In meeting with Financial Aid during SLW, they said that there is a new director of financial aid this year and that they no longer offer merit aid. So the financial aid package we received, according to the person at the financial aid office I met with, are purely need based. They also mentioned that the packages aim to account for systemic injustice.

 

[It’s Over!!!]

If anyone has successfully negotiated FA with Hopkins can you reach out to me? Here or inbox is fine. Just received 75 percent tuition offer from Pritzker and want to know if anyone has had success getting Hopkins to match or at least increase FA based on competing offers. I've already reached out to Hopkins just want to see if I can get a grasp on the likelihood of success.

Thanks so much!!

 

[It’s Over!!!]

For those interested: In meeting with Financial Aid during SLW, they said that there is a new director of financial aid this year and that they no longer offer merit aid. So the financial aid package we received, according to the person at the financial aid office I met with, are purely need based. They also mentioned that the packages aim to account for systemic injustice.

Ha, you must have been typing this while I was typing mine. Oh well!

Hard to believe as I've been one of the biggest Hopkins boosters on here this year (I changed my SDN handle from "Is it Over Yet?" the day I got the A from Hopkins), but I actually may not be going to Hopkins because of the money. $150,000 is a ton of extra debt ($200k at Pritzker vs $350k at Hopkins--all debt). And I LOVE Pritzker too.

 

[s.nd]

Also does anyone know how many came off the WL last year? My MSAR sub ran out lol

Apparently they waitlist approx. 200 people and approx. 25 come off the waitlist each year

 

[labrat_neuro91]

Ha, you must have been typing this while I was typing mine. Oh well!

Hard to believe as I've been one of the biggest Hopkins boosters on here this year (I changed my SDN handle from "Is it Over Yet?" the day I got the A from Hopkins), but I actually may not be going to Hopkins because of the money. $150,000 is a ton of extra debt ($200k at Pritzker vs $350k at Hopkins--all debt). And I LOVE Pritzker too.

come do your away rotation at hopkins!

 

[It’s Over!!!]

FYI Hopkins intends to finish all reconsideration of FA by the end of this week and everyone should hear by the end of day tomorrow one way or the other. Hope this information helps anyone in the same position as me—dreaming of being able to afford to go to Hopkins!

 

[sunechidna1]

Ha, you must have been typing this while I was typing mine. Oh well!

Hard to believe as I've been one of the biggest Hopkins boosters on here this year (I changed my SDN handle from "Is it Over Yet?" the day I got the A from Hopkins), but I actually may not be going to Hopkins because of the money. $150,000 is a ton of extra debt ($200k at Pritzker vs $350k at Hopkins--all debt). And I LOVE Pritzker too.

Same situation. This has been my dream school for forever. I was in heaven when I got the A. And now there is a good chance I end up not going because another school is offering more money...

 

[It’s Over!!!]

Same situation. This has been my dream school for forever. I was in heaven when I got the A. And now there is a good chance I end up not going because another school is offering more money...

I feel you. A very large part of me realizes how crazy lucky I am to be in the position to even be able to make such tough decisions. But Hopkins was always the dream. Now a competing offer from another top school is starting to make that dream fade away as the difference in the debt I would be required to bear is enormous (literally almost double). Probably better to say that the dream is being replaced by a similar dream at a very similar school. Mission fit for me is extraordinary at both schools.

And I don’t love that I just found out today and Hopkins is planning to decide everything by tomorrow. Doesn’t seem to be enough time. I can just feel the clock ticking away.

I do have to say I am just completely blown away by how professional and dedicated the various admission and FA staffs at both of these schools have been. So responsive and so thoughtful. Clearly everyone is trying to the right thing.

Fingers crossed for everyone and best of luck to all as decision day rapidly approaches!