FlexMed 2014

[stewie_chewie]

Is nobody seeing the problem? Someone will be applying to FlexMed and does not put together a logically coherent forum post. @93tiger16 pointed out the lack of coherence in one such statement. This means potentially that someone will have a doctor who lacks the necessary analytic background.

THIS is what @baconshrimps was saying all along. So he is justified in his position about FlexMed, too.

And no offense either, seriously, but stating you are poor or nobody in your family went to college has no relevance to admission at Mt. Sinai. I know people who try to pull the "I'm poor" card, and it does not work. The committee will see that and DENY you very quickly if you are just putting together a sob story. They see hundreds of them.

With respect to interviews, I am sure we will hear about process as time passes and can post accordingly.

If I had to guess, I would say an ACT/SAT=0 merits a denial.

@Qurmish Thank you for your service!

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[Pre-Med4Life]

If you want to argue about the validity of someone's credentials, go to a different forum.

 

[Willard_FlexMed]

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[choyphin]

@Willard_FlexMed Inspiring story. Kudos to you for overcoming immense odds. Having grown up in an inner-city neighborhood while experiencing family hardships (terminal illness, physical and mental abuse) and living month to month on government assistance myself, I completely understand the need to justify, to yourself and others, being in such a position of privilege despite coming from a humble background (by privilege I mean attending a world-class learning institution and applying to medical school). We are not victims or wounded soldiers, but stronger, more motivated people with a solid understanding of the personal and overarching effects of socioeconomic determinants on health.

I'm positive that no matter what happens, you'll become an excellent influence who inspires those born into less-than-ideal circumstances to rise above.

 

[choyphin]

And no offense either, seriously, but stating you are poor or nobody in your family went to college has no relevance to admission at Mt. Sinai. I know people who try to pull the "I'm poor" card, and it does not work. The committee will see that and DENY you very quickly if you are just putting together a sob story. They see hundreds of them.

Being "poor" or being a first-generation college student is VERY RELEVANT to any holistic admissions process. Medical schools are actively seeking socioeconomic diversity, not as part of a superficial charitable cause to the poor, but because socioeconomic diversity contributes to diversity in thought which is crucial in ways I will not take the time to discuss.

No one ever said anything about being a character in a sob story and wanting an admissions committee to give them a happy ending. Our pasts are intricately a part of who we are, and while it is important not to dwell on their details, it is important to mention their formative role in who we are as people today.

 

[Willard_FlexMed]

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[stewie_chewie]

No offense, seriously, but it should now be even more obvious that what Willard is saying cannot possibly correspond with reality.

People who go to middle school only cannot apply to this program, and cannot attend HYP. Period. Just a quick google will show you all of this information.

To do what you are claiming, you would have to be Steven Hawking incarnate and that don't exist bro.

@choyphin You are correct. I saw the admissions information and they are holistic. It's relevant.

 

[93tiger16]

@Willard_FlexMed , that clarifies things a lot. Instead of having taken the SAT/ACT, achieving a score of zero, which essentially tells anybody that you either did not have the motivation to take the exam or did not have the aptitude for it (before someone criticizes me for assuming that these exams measure intelligent, let me be the first to say that I do not think they measure intelligence but rather a measure of how hard you want to work, i.e. prepping for the exam). Now, going to HYP having only attended middle school (and thus not having taken the ACT, SAT, etc.) is definitely a giant achievement and I commend you for it. It's really amazing and your story is really inspirational. It just clears the whole SAT/ACT=0 thing.

@Pre-Med4Life , the validity of someone's credentials is essential to anybody looking at this forum for advice. As @Willard_FlexMed said him/her-self, this thread can be a source of information for somebody looking at it in the future - if I post that I got into FlexMed with a 1.2 GPA, no extra-curriculars, coming from some community college, somebody may get the wrong impression. That is, if I looked at that, I would think that the med school was really really bad or it's in the habit of accepting unqualified students. Or if, for instance, if @Willard_FlexMed said that interviews would for sure be sent starting February 1. The validity of where he/she got that information from is essential. So, the validity of a post is essential if you want to read this forum looking for actual factual information and not speculation.

Finally, I would say that even though they are seeking "diversity," that's pretty broadly defined, since HuMed acceptees came overwhelmingly from your top schools (i.e. Ivies, Duke, etc.). Given, socioeconomic diversity could still be attained from that population, but if you wanted true educational/economic diversity, why wouldn't you also accept a balanced range of people with inspiring stories from all universities? I know several people who went to local, not-well-known universities or state colleges simply because they couldn't afford Ivy League education, even with its generous financial aid awards. So, I don't know how "holistic" this is.

 

[choyphin]

It's probably because many Ivys/top universities have holistic admissions processes as well, so it's not surprising that they comprised a majority of HumMed's incoming classes.

 

[Purplownz]

They also tend to have the highest GPAs, test scores, and substantial extracurricular involvement. The pedigree itself probably helps somewhat too.

 

[93tiger16]

@choyphin , I'm pretty sure that's not how it works. Just because Ivies are holistic doesn't mean that HuMed classes should be composed of mainly Ivies. A holistic process isn't the same in terms of comparison as, say, SAT scores,. If you said HuMed wanted high SAT scores and Ivy League students have disproportionately high SAT scores, then that would make sense for HuMed to take students from Ivies. But if HuMed wants diversity in terms of educational background, admitting students from only one sort of educational background (that is, the Ivy League) isn't intuitive. You also have students with 4.0s from, say, University of Michigan or University of Florida - both good schools - who are applying. All I wonder about is why it's so skewed towards the Ivies and other toppity top schools.

 

[PleaseCallMeDoc]

What the hell has happened to this thread hahahahaha

 

[choyphin]

Back on topic--I've been debating on whether or not to drop a pretty penny on MCAT prep books... I definitely want to take it before it changes.

It's best to assume the worst, I guess.

 

[Pre-Med4Life]

Don't invitations for interviews start going out this week?

 

[choyphin]

I doubt it.

 

[newyorklust]

Took 3 weeks last year. I should probably stop worrying and obsessing over reading this forum... save myself from all the unnecessary stress and anxiety. The decisions are not in our hands!

 

[newyorklust]

Jeeebus, I almost had a heart attack. Right after posting my last post, I received an email from MSSM... An applicant survey unrelated to my admissions status. They really are toying with my heart.

 

[kokome1]

Same here! When I opened the email, my heart jumped! Sigh haha

 

[choyphin]

I was going to post the same thing! Darn survey.

 

[The Bioethicist]

Are decisions given out based on time application was submitted?

 

[stewie_chewie]

@Willard_FlexMed, I owe you an apology. I contacted some universities today. They all confirmed that it would be possible under some circumstances to be admitted with the conditions you gave (but it's very, very rare). It's not impossible.

I got caught up in my own credentials and how hard I had worked. I could not imagine a person who had done what you have described. I just could not believe it because of how insecure I am about myself. Being at Princeton all I had thought about prior to coming was grades, grades, grades, ... grind, grind, grind... and that's what most students consider now. Thinking that someone could be where I am without the same path was not something that I was willing to accept or consider meritorious. I guess I just thought that it was impossible for me to apply with those conditions, so it must be impossible for anyone else.

I think now what you have described has merit, even if you didn't have a 2300 on the SAT. It's a special kind of merit because if you went to any college at all you'd be doing well. BUT you went to the best of the best, and I am sure you are competing just fine with the best of the best, which speaks for itself. I can see why they would want you to apply. I think Mt. Sinai is awesome for letting you apply. The more I look at Mt. Sinai defying tradition and being known as super-innovative, I can see why they would let you and WANT you to apply.

I am not sure that you will make the cut. Maybe you are not what they are looking for, but like someone else already said, if you don't get admitted, you are still going to be a very inspiring story for a lot of people if you chose to tell it. I know that I would really like to know how you did it as well.

I am sorry. I was wrong.

 

[Purplownz]

I don't think so. For Humed, some of the first interviewees submitted their applications at the last minute.

 

[Willard_FlexMed]

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[Willard_FlexMed]

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[choyphin]

I believe if you're really not what they're looking for, they'd send you a rejection. However, if you're borderline, they'd hold off on contact until they finish reviewing the rest of the applications.

 

[Willard_FlexMed]

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[choyphin]

I'm guessing they're going to interview everyone before making any decisions.

 

[Pre-Med4Life]

@93tiger16
I realize that learning about someone's credentials in terms of acceptance/rejection results is essential to this forum for future users. BUT, arguing over the validity (truthfulness) of someone's claims about his or her credentials is NOT okay. Whatever the reason may be, we must respect that and move on. I'm not discouraging posting and discussing academic credentials at all; that would be going against what this forum was made for.

 

[lady_doctor_23]

Hey forum,

Been browsing this obsessively for the last couple of weeks after I applied, but have been curious for a while to join. Finally called da school. Dat lady told me nobody would hear anything til March. Maybe she thought I meant for rejection? Does this make sense? Someone else want to make that call and verify in some other way and post up what the REAL info is. That lady dun prolly just bumped her head. Website says Febrary for interviews.

HYP here, 3.9 GPA.

@Willard_FlexMed, not taht it matters but are you black?

 

[93tiger16]

@Pre-Med4Life , I also do not support "arguing" over somebody's credentials. I merely support questioning such credentials in a civilized manner. If I am going to use somebody's post as a source of information for me (and me only - it is a personal choice), then I have the right to ask for verification of those credentials. If I am personally interested in it, I'm not going to just let it go and not say anything - simply because I would like clarification for my own purposes. Now, the reason I did not just PM the person was because someone else was also interested in the matter.

Getting back on topic, I thought they said interviews would first be sent out in February - but perhaps we won't hear until March, since I understand how bureaucratic this whole process is.

 

[Gh_talk07]

I also spoke to someone about FlexMed on Wednesday and he told me that the committee will start sending out notices in the coming weeks. But he said at this point the interview process will go on until May.

 

[Willard_FlexMed]

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[choyphin]

It's slightly nerve-racking because even if you get interviewed in February, you won't find out until June!

 

[Purplownz]

I also spoke to someone about FlexMed on Wednesday and he told me that the committee will start sending out notices in the coming weeks. But he said at this point the interview process will go on until May.

That tells me that they got an insane number of applications.

 

[lady_doctor_23]

@Willard_FlexMed, I hope you wrote 'bout ur situation somewhere in the app. you cant check boxes for dat... there's no real box tho...

does anybody think race will play a role in admission...

they actually seem to be following the schedule they listed. the process going til may fits the time window. maybe all thats going on is sending out invites a little later than normal. it could be snow storms delaying the process b/c they dont plow for rich ppl in new york , or it coulb e the new jersey gov. closing bridges on ppl.. jk.

 

[choyphin]

That tells me that they got an insane number of applications.

Well of course. If you were a pre-med sophomore and had the option to get into med school early without going through the whole med school app process shenanigans, wouldn't you go for it even if your chances weren't that great?

 

[Purplownz]

Well of course. If you were a pre-med sophomore and had the option to get into med school early without going through the whole med school app process shenanigans, wouldn't you go for it even if your chances weren't that great?

Yeah, considering that I'm posting on this forum... Hopefully a large number of apps will get screened (I bet that they'll screen <3.5 since that's their cutoff for matriculation). We'll just have to wait and see.

Stats, anyone? 3.8 +, 1500+ Columbia College

 

[93tiger16]

^I hope they don't screen <3.5... 3.3, 1500+ from Princeton here...

 

[lady_doctor_23]

they definitely filter by GPA, SAT/ACT, High School...they also take into account your instituion, major, and extra-curriculars....from what I hear from previously admitted HuMed and SciMeds, they also get a very large set of inappropriate applications... so i take that to be the people who are like i dunno what i am doing or why i am doing this, but it's med school and i'm applying!

find some of it here: http://new.livestream.com/accounts/1026255/events/2557258/videos/36518057

 

[lady_doctor_23]

from the website... they on schedule.

Are all applicants interviewed?No. Only selected applicants will be invited for interviews at Icahn School of Medicine. These interviews will be scheduled from February until May. A tour of the medical center will also be scheduled at that time for invited applicants.

 

[choyphin]

On a different note, how is everyone planning on using the freedom FlexMed would afford them?

 

[The Bioethicist]

While I would imagine they screen at some level, Sinai seems like a medical school that has a pretty holistic application process. As in I could imagine a student with a low GPA but a unique passion and extracurriculars that demonstrate that passion get in the program. Then again I have no sources to back that up. And to @Purplownz, Hopkins 3.8+, 1450.

 

[Purplownz]

Probably, but I heard that they rescind your acceptance if your GPA drops below a 3.5 so that cutoff seemed to make sense. HYP pedigree could make up for that though.

 

[93tiger16]

anybody else from Princeton here? I'm not sure if/how much they would take grade deflation into account...

 

[The Bioethicist]

"On a different note, how is everyone planning on using the freedom FlexMed would afford them?"

Bump. This is a great question. Basically how did people answer the second essay? Personally, I talked about how I would pursue more bioethics related classes.

 

[choyphin]

I talked about taking more advanced coursework among other things.

 

[Purplownz]

I planned to take upper level sociology courses and do research on health outcome discrepancies among different populations. On a related note, how many science classes has everyone taken? I'm done with everything except physics (currently in orgo).

 

[choyphin]

I took organic chemistry and biology.

 

[93tiger16]

I talked about going abroad next summer to complete a thesis in public health in rural/favela Brasil - specifically on how to bring healthcare systems to these underserved areas.

I took Orgo freshman year and Bio this year. I have one semester of Bio and two semesters of Physics left.

 

[Qurmish]

I planned to take upper level sociology courses and do research on health outcome discrepancies among different populations. On a related note, how many science classes has everyone taken? I'm done with everything except physics (currently in orgo).

You took biology as a freshman at CC? How was that?