Progress Thread for 2016 Applicants (ie. Entering 2017)

Discover Your Odds of Getting into Medical School
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HopefulPilot said:
Did any of you reach out to old professors (5+ years?). Wondering what the best method is.
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I did reach out to an old professor from around 6 years ago, but I had maintained contact with her over the years, and actually had her write LORs for potential post-bacc programs. My advisor seemed to think those letters would hold less validity, but I'm using it. It's a solid and glowing letter from my days as an education major, so I thought it important to include.
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Stupid question:
1/ can we start input classes now in aacomas/aamcas? I like to do it now since I have some free time. Might be super busy in april/may.

2/how did you guys find out about secondary essay questions? by going to school specific thread?
 
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Hows it going, my dear fellows? May application date is coming up.

Updates on my end:
1) Finally made contact with undergrad institutions for transcripts. So getting closer to getting those trancripts in.
2) Trying to chase the volunteer coordinator at a hospital so I can start volunteering at Satursdays.

3) I work in a school as a teacher. Who should the letter come from? the principal or my immediate boss who has been in my class and seen my teaching?
 
HopefulPilot said:
Fyi, Transcripts won't carry over to next app cycle.
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Good point. I meant, getting the transcript request paper work ready to I can send them out to schools once the 2016 cycle opens.
 
FYI to DO applications, AACOMAS has a service where they'll input your transcripts into the system for you. It does cost money (what doesn't?) but may be something to consider if you're one of those people with eighty million transcripts and/or many courses with odd classifications.

@orangeblue , (you may already know but just in case) -- in both AMCAS and AACOMAS, once you've put your school list in they will generate transcript request forms with special bar codes, which you'll send to your institutions along with whatever institution-specific transcript request form. The schools will then send your transcript + AMCAS/AACOMAS form back. That bar code will (mostly) keep things from getting lost in the systems.
 
orangeblue said:
3) I work in a school as a teacher. Who should the letter come from? the principal or my immediate boss who has been in my class and seen my teaching?
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I would personally suggest the person who has the most contact with you. Letters need to speak to your character. Give them a copy of the AAMC letter writers' guide if you haven't already.
 
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Maybe a silly question, but since I'm a transfer student that holds an AA, how do medical schools view LOR's from community college teachers? So far those have been the most that I've had good, lasting relationships with. Turns out, it's hard to make a professor remember you in a 350+ person class. (I don't do a lot of extra school stuff since I have 3 kids at home) My advanced biology classes are coming up to finish my degree so I think I might get a letter from one of those professors since the class sizes should be considerably smaller.
 
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kelslayne said:
Maybe a silly question, but since I'm a transfer student that holds an AA, how do medical schools view LOR's from community college teachers? So far those have been the most that I've had good, lasting relationships with. Turns out, it's hard to make a professor remember you in a 350+ person class. (I don't do a lot of extra school stuff since I have 3 kids at home) My advanced biology classes are coming up to finish my degree so I think I might get a letter from one of those professors since the class sizes should be considerably smaller.
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Same for me as well. It's hard for us to stand out in a class of 100 when we need to leave right away for works,.... Anyone know for sure?
 
Didn't get to go to BN library and work on PS. Let's see tomorrow. :)
 
I'm feeling a bit exhausted and unmotivated due to some speed bumps. I graduated in 2010 with pharmD. Medical school has always been on my mind...an itch i cant get rid of. I was planning to apply back in 2013 and i talked myself out of it because of the exhaustive application process. Now, I forced myself to go part-time with my job and currently studying for the MCAT and trying to run through the checklists. So far, my main obstacles are LOR and a little bit more volunteering. Just feeling very unmotivated right now---about 70% done with content review---will probably take the April 1st or 23rd MCAT. I feel really anxious about:

1. LOR--signed up for 2 classes at community college (core sciences). I have to be out of the country for 2 weeks in April and desperately asking the professor if missing 2-3 lectures in April is okay. This trip was planned the year prior for a friend's wedding. Urggg.

2. Volunteering--submitted application to soup kitchen. I feel this is better than hospital since i'm actually serving some need in the community. I have enough clinical exposure through my rotations/school/job with hospitals and patient-related stuff and doctoring. Should i still get some hospital volunteering just to check off the box? I feel a lot of the application process is disingenuous and full of fluffers and kinda don't want to add to it...but i guess that's how the game is played these days.

Anyway that's my rant...
 
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Feeling the same, a bit. Trying to be positive, and take good care of myself, but also feel a bit demotivated about where my life is going, the rabbit-hole path life may put in with medschool and , stress of the upcoming years and etc.

I know I have to apply, after having this goal and being afraid of applying for so many years of my 20s.
Feel like I sometimes have to pull teeth to get somethings done and get my resume, etc together
 
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Gibbward said:
Oh man I didn't realize I needed to start contacting profs for LOR already..
Also, I really need to find doctors to shadow... I really feel the 40-50 hours I did during undergrad is just lacking. Plus, it was from 3.5 years ago :(
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Same story as mine. SHADOWING is important and I have been not been active about getting an opportunity. I need to get moving on the volunteer people to schedule me for orientation and sign me up . I remember going to that in 2012/2013 orientation for hospital volunteers but I didn't follow through somehow due to my own anxieties or fear.

Well, the time is now.
 
Planning to be at the library at BN every day this week to work on the essays. My school's committee letter app is due shortly.
 
Hmmm, do you guys think getting a DO letter along with shadowing DOs will hurt my chances of MD admission? I'm fine with either one and am not about prestige, but I don't want to be auto rejected from MD schools either. My stats are low for MD, but not where it's fatal. I'm just trying to be strategic.
 
popopopop said:
Hmmm, do you guys think getting a DO letter along with shadowing DOs will hurt my chances of MD admission? I'm fine with either one and am not about prestige, but I don't want to be auto rejected from MD schools either. My stats are low for MD, but not where it's fatal. I'm just trying to be strategic.
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Nobody would even know you shadowed DOs and got a letter unless you explicitly mentioned it.

The answer is no, regardless. Many, many people apply both MD and DO at the same time in any given cycle. If you have the opportunity, shadow both.
 
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Hey Guys! Checking in. Applying 2016-2017 cycle
Career changer. Currently studying for April 23 MCAT.
Also applied for a summer premed enrichment program. Hoping to get in to help boost my app.
 
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Really need my letters in soon for SMP applications and one of my writers will not reply to my emails. Finally got tired to having my fingers crossed and reached out to two other instructors tonight. Hopefully between the three of them I can get something soon.
 
I lucked out and got a shadowing opportunity finally lined up! The husband of one of my co-workers is a doctor and she said that he would be happy to let me shadow him a few times. He's a GI physician that focuses primarily on using those cool robotic surgical procedures so that'll definitely be an interesting and new experience. Plus, I'd hopefully be able to network and find more doctors to shadow through him! So pumped!

And my training to be a suicide support hotline volunteer is next weekend! It's going to be a very busy 5ish months but hopefully it'll all work out for the best!
 
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Have you all started on your personal statements? I have a (very rough) draft that I started in the fall, but now that I've started full-time MCAT studying and taking one last bio class...I haven't given it any attention.
 
HopefulPilot said:
I thought I was done with mine, then it got torn apart in a good way by a couple helpful people on here.
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Haha! This is pretty much exactly what happened to me. My pre-med advisor (and leader of a seminar/course I took called "Writing Your Personal Statement"..) even told me mine was good, albeit too long, only to have it ripped apart on SDN. I struggle with not knowing what to focus in on, because as non-trads we have lots of life experiences.

Additionally - my advisor said adcoms want to know how you got from A to B to C, to make the path crystal clear and not confusing...and to me, that equated to some what of a "first I did this, then I did that" type essay. This is what she wanted, and said this is what the dean of my University-affiliated medical school wants, but definitely is NOT the advice I've received here. Confusion!
 
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Alriiiiigght. 26yo played army after high school. Have 50 hrs of shadowing done, need to get more volunteering in.
Taking ochem 2, phys 1 and some major classes at the moment.
Plan on taking mcat July 8th although idk when they are gonna let people actually sign up.
No idea what to put in my personal statement.
 
redj said:
Alriiiiigght. 26yo played army after high school. Have 50 hrs of shadowing done, need to get more volunteering in.
Taking ochem 2, phys 1 and some major classes at the moment.
Plan on taking mcat July 8th although idk when they are gonna let people actually sign up.
No idea what to put in my personal statement.
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If you're applying in summer of '16, just a little word of warning about scheduling a first MCAT in July. You won't get your score until August 9th, and if for whatever reason you don't score well that will put you at a disadvantage (either having to push through the cycle with a low score or having to delay review of your app for a retake whose score likely won't be in until mid/late fall). Something to keep in mind.
 
Eccesignum said:
If you're applying in summer of '16, just a little word of warning about scheduling a first MCAT in July. You won't get your score until August 9th, and if for whatever reason you don't score well that will put you at a disadvantage (either having to push through the cycle with a low score or having to delay review of your app for a retake whose score likely won't be in until mid/late fall). Something to keep in mind.
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Yeah which is my worry but I don't think ill really be ready before then :/. The way my schedule shook out I couldn't take biochem this spring. So my plan was to take it my schools first summer session which is mid may-jun then take the mcat july 8th or whatever it is. I know theres a test date in the middle of the summer session but I think it would be better to wait until iv finished the whole class. Any thoughts?
 
redj said:
Yeah which is my worry but I don't think ill really be ready before then :/. The way my schedule shook out I couldn't take biochem this spring. So my plan was to take it my schools first summer session which is mid may-jun then take the mcat july 8th or whatever it is. I know theres a test date in the middle of the summer session but I think it would be better to wait until iv finished the whole class. Any thoughts?
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If there's absolutely no other choice (including delaying your app for a year, which is an option), then I'd be doing serious content review of all other sections starting this spring. I don't know how many practice tests are out there for the new MCAT but save 2-3 for after your summer session (take the rest periodically during your spring study period so you can assess how you're doing in other sections). Take the reserved ones under testing conditions right after biochem class ends. If you're not scoring where you need to be, do not take the real test.
 
Eccesignum said:
If there's absolutely no other choice (including delaying your app for a year, which is an option), then I'd be doing serious content review of all other sections starting this spring. I don't know how many practice tests are out there for the new MCAT but save 2-3 for after your summer session (take the rest periodically during your spring study period so you can assess how you're doing in other sections). Take the reserved ones under testing conditions right after biochem class ends. If you're not scoring where you need to be, do not take the real test.
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I planned on starting content review in march. I have some mcat prep materials but not much yet. My school also has a prep course you can take for free as long as you take the test within the year which I am in the process of enrolling.
 
I've been dealing with SMP applications and wow, requesting transcripts is a nightmare when you've gone to multiple schools. It seems like each school has it's own unique archaic system to deal with and there is no ETA for anything, ever. I wish I could just request my transcripts for med school apps right now so I don't have to worry about going through this all over again in a few months.
 
Any one interested in reading critically some personal narrative / essays? The packet to my pre-med committee for the committee letter is due in t - 40 hours ! :D
 
HopefulPilot said:
I felt the need to write one day.


I think is non trads actually have a harder time writing the PS because there's so much more to our adult lives that we have to pick and choose what to include.
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I agree with this. I feel like I could write multiple, unique personal statements without even mentioning medicine, and it is all a part of my journey so it is hard to pare things down AND relate them to medicine.
 
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Likely have to re-apply, trying to figure out where to work in my gap year.
 
BlastedHeath said:
I agree with this. I feel like I could write multiple, unique personal statements without even mentioning medicine, and it is all a part of my journey so it is hard to pare things down AND relate them to medicine.
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I say write , write , write and then get some one to give you feedback. I found that instead of having to all have it figure out in my head, writing and then evaluating later got me going!
 
So what's everyone up to this month and next month?
My biggest goal for Feb is to figure , contact people for LORs and give them address/how to apply etc.
 
orangeblue said:
So what's everyone up to this month and next month?
My biggest goal for Feb is to figure , contact people for LORs and give them address/how to apply etc.
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Mostly just trying to keep up in my classes, keep up with MCAT studying, and cram in some more shadowing. I feel like I've fallen behind in EVERYTHING in my life the past two weeks.
 
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MD89 said:
Yay, so glad you created this thread!!

This year my goals (other than working in my non-medicine job and continuing my current volunteering gigs) are as follows:

1. Bump up my shadowing hours - I've only been able to get about 4-5 hours at a time so I only have about 25 hours. Would like to increase this to at least 50.

2. Find some type of research opportunity for 1-2x/week

3. Figure out a school list of where I want to apply

4. Pre-write as much of my application as possible (including secondaries)

5. Possibly get started on a very special project that will require lots of dedication and jumping through hoops but that I think will be incredibly fulfilling (and also has the possibility of really helping my application to boot!)- not sure if I'll manage to get this off the ground though this year
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Time for an update! Here's where I stand (as correlates to my previous list).

1. Shadowing hours are at 35 now, with another 3 days scheduled already. So about 10 days in total. I'll probably end up scheduling even more after, so total shadowing hours should end up being about 65ish hours.

2. I actually didn't end up doing anything for this yet. Oops. I'm going to start applying next month to some part-time positions to potentially start in late April. If it doesn't happen, it's not the end of the world, as I plan on doing research once I'm in medical school.

3. I've pretty much got my list put together thanks to the WAMC thread. Woo hoo!

4. My personal statement has undergone a few revisions and I'm pretty happy with how it currently stands. I do have to do some fine tuning but I think I can move on to starting to pre write secondaries soon.

5. This project is still not launched yet but a lot of the preparatory work has been done already. So, it's quite possibly it will fully launch later this spring. **so excited**

Updating this was fun! Looks like I have actually made some progress since October, lol.

My newest item is number 6:

6. Decide what to do during application year. Answer to this partly depends on number 2 above. I have a great part-time, flexible job right now but it is in my (soon to be) former career and I really would love to be working something healthcare-related. The pros to my current job are the money (much more than I can make doing anything else) and flexibility (I'll be able to go to interviews whenever I need).
 
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HopefulPilot said:
@MD89 still having trouble finalizing my list...

Sent from my XT1030 using SDN mobile
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For what it's worth, one thing that helped me (besides location and checking the 10-90 percentiles via MSAR) was to cruise the school-specific forums and check out what kind of questions schools were asking on secondaries. Many ask standard questions but you'll find some subtle differences. Do they ask questions that are hugely service oriented/ask you to list service hours? Is there a specific space to discuss research, if you're research-oriented? Questions about how you function in a group (you'll see this a lot from PBL schools)? Did they ask something I felt I had a really solid answer for given my life experiences?

Et cetera. I was able to target a couple schools where I felt I had a stronger-than-normal application based on what it felt like they were looking for.
 
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Eccesignum said:
For what it's worth, one thing that helped me (besides location and checking the 10-90 percentiles via MSAR) was to cruise the school-specific forums and check out what kind of questions schools were asking on secondaries. Many ask standard questions but you'll find some subtle differences. Do they ask questions that are hugely service oriented/ask you to list service hours? Is there a specific space to discuss research, if you're research-oriented? Questions about how you function in a group (you'll see this a lot from PBL schools)? Did they ask something I felt I had a really solid answer for given my life experiences?

Et cetera. I was able to target a couple schools where I felt I had a stronger-than-normal application based on what it felt like they were looking for.
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Yea, I did this in order to come up with my preliminary list which then I think it was Wedgedawg who helped me refine it.

I also found it helpful to peruse through the school forums because some of them have current students who post useful info as well.
 
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After soooo many fruitless phone calls and unanswered emails, I am finally scheduled to shadow a DO on Monday!!!!

Now I just have to make it through winter quarter finals before then. :xf:
 
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Can I just say I am SO FREAKING EXCITED to finally apply?!?!!!!! Its been a long time coming...and I seriously cannot wait to open that AMCAS application and get to work. I get so jealous/excited/proud reading the 2016 applicant progress thread and seeing how successful people have been!! Soon it will be our turn.

But first...that MCAT.....how is everyone doing on getting application stuff together? I've been studying so much for the MCAT I haven't done much work on my PS since January. Its sitting at a rough draft. Hoping between 4/23 and 6/7 is enough time to smooth out the wrinkles.
 
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just be sure to check to make sure that the schools you are interested in take online coursework
 
rough dates from the miami miller site
AMCAS Application Opens May 1, 2016
AMCAS Transcripts Receipt Begin May 1, 2016
AMCAS Application Submission Begins June 1, 2016
 
Who else is in MCAT panic mode?
 
Complete MCAT panic mode here. My study schedule fell apart entirely, I'm way behind, and postponing will really mess up my plans. Still have until May 20th, but that doesn't help the worrying.
 
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BlastedHeath said:
Complete MCAT panic mode here. My study schedule fell apart entirely, I'm way behind, and postponing will really mess up my plans. Still have until May 20th, but that doesn't help the worrying.
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I fell behind in my studying last summer and was reviewing right up until the night before the exam. Just because you are no longer on your original schedule doesn't mean all is lost! You just have to adapt.
 
gribear said:
Can I just say I am SO FREAKING EXCITED to finally apply?!?!!!!! Its been a long time coming...and I seriously cannot wait to open that AMCAS application and get to work. I get so jealous/excited/proud reading the 2016 applicant progress thread and seeing how successful people have been!! Soon it will be our turn.
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You feel this way now, but just wait, your soul will be crushed and you will live the next 8 months in excruciating agony of not hearing things, waiting, waiting, more waiting.

What me? Cynical, nahhhhh :rofl:

But really, enjoy that feeling while you can. The amount of stress the app cycle puts on you is pretty ridiculous.

My status; started my first re-write of my personal statement from last cycle, and tweaking my activities but not rewriting them. Shadowing another DO to get a DO letter of rec since I'm adding AACOMAS this cycle, and trying not to drown in works, classes (Commencement is May 11th!!!), AED stuff (our huge yearly event is next Sunday). Since I'm not having to wait for quarter grades to post this go around, I can't wait to get on that list of verification on June 7 instead of the 7 weeks I had to wait from submission last cycle
 
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