The Answers to Your Stupid Questions Thread

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Mac Blade said:
You can use the excel spreadsheet someone made that's in the first quoted post.
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Additionally, the "official" instructions for estimating one's GPA are here.
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Thanks, the excel is helpful. On the excel they calculate a B+ as a 3.5. Is that how the AMCAS does it? My school calculates a B+ as 3.3
 
nolookpass said:
Thanks, the excel is helpful. On the excel they calculate a B+ as a 3.5. Is that how the AMCAS does it? My school calculates a B+ as 3.3
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Please see the link in my previous post for a list of how grading scales are normalized.
 
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Bump! I think with all the people freaking out about submitting their primaries, this thread deserves to be on the front page.
 
So I saw #9 addressed ECs, but I wondered if you could go into more detail. It's easy to compare stats and see how you compare to schools, but what are the minimum for ECs? What's a good range of ECs? And will they screw you over if you have too few hours of x or y or don't show enough z, etc?

btw, by minimum, i mean for both types and approximate amount of time spent at them.

I think what I'm trying to get at is... I did not participate in any pre-health activities during undergrad and have only just started shadowing/volunteering in the last half year and don't have great leadership experience... if i'm looking at schools that match my GPA/MCAT stats, should I knock off a few points for poor ECs? :scared:
 
kestralray said:
So I saw #9 addressed ECs, but I wondered if you could go into more detail. It's easy to compare stats and see how you compare to schools, but what are the minimum for ECs? What's a good range of ECs? And will they screw you over if you have too few hours of x or y or don't show enough z, etc?

btw, by minimum, i mean for both types and approximate amount of time spent at them.

I think what I'm trying to get at is... I did not participate in any pre-health activities during undergrad and have only just started shadowing/volunteering in the last half year and don't have great leadership experience... if i'm looking at schools that match my GPA/MCAT stats, should I knock off a few points for poor ECs? :scared:
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The process is far too random to be able to say "yes, knock x points off your GPA and y points off your MCAT if you have less than z hours volunteering" or anything like that. It varies by school, who reviews your application, etc. The only thing you can do is look at the averages for hours, activities, etc. and consider yourself slightly less competitive if you are below those, and slightly more competitive if you are above, depending on the activity. It is something that is impossible to quantify.
 
kestralray said:
So I saw #9 addressed ECs, but I wondered if you could go into more detail. It's easy to compare stats and see how you compare to schools, but what are the minimum for ECs? What's a good range of ECs? And will they screw you over if you have too few hours of x or y or don't show enough z, etc?

btw, by minimum, i mean for both types and approximate amount of time spent at them.

I think what I'm trying to get at is... I did not participate in any pre-health activities during undergrad and have only just started shadowing/volunteering in the last half year and don't have great leadership experience... if i'm looking at schools that match my GPA/MCAT stats, should I knock off a few points for poor ECs? :scared:
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Do things that you find interesting and allow you to get involved in something. Outside of clinical experience, "prehealth" activities aren't required as long as there are other things you can talk about.

When I look at ECs on an application, I try to determine if you're capable of being a team player, did things that you were really interested in, and what makes you tick, i.e., what values are important to you and how that relates to medicine. Focusing on having x hours in an activity is entirely missing the point.
 
theseeker4 said:
The process is far too random to be able to say "yes, knock x points off your GPA and y points off your MCAT if you have less than z hours volunteering" or anything like that. It varies by school, who reviews your application, etc. The only thing you can do is look at the averages for hours, activities, etc. and consider yourself slightly less competitive if you are below those, and slightly more competitive if you are above, depending on the activity. It is something that is impossible to quantify.
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thanks for the fast response! What I was trying to get at specifically is how to take my ECs into account when distinguishing between reach and appropriate schools. I don't want to apply mostly to schools that end up being out of my reach, or being afraid to apply to schools that I ultimately could have gotten into. But thanks for the advice :) I'll make sure to look up EC info on the schools.

NickNaylor said:
Do things that you find interesting and allow you to get involved in something. Outside of clinical experience, "prehealth" activities aren't required as long as there are other things you can talk about.

When I look at ECs on an application, I try to determine if you're capable of being a team player, did things that you were really interested in, and what makes you tick, i.e., what values are important to you and how that relates to medicine. Focusing on having x hours in an activity is entirely missing the point.
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Thanks for replying so quickly :) I'm really enjoying the ECs i'm part of now. I know I should have done more in undergrad but I guess I always thought I'd have more time and wasn't that committed to med school until recently. The "unofficial" prereq I'm most worried about is leadership... I don't think I have anything strong that speaks to leadership because, quite frankly, I don't have strong leadership qualities... is this a huge problem? :/
 
kestralray said:
thanks for the fast response! What I was trying to get at specifically is how to take my ECs into account when distinguishing between reach and appropriate schools. I don't want to apply mostly to schools that end up being out of my reach, or being afraid to apply to schools that I ultimately could have gotten into. But thanks for the advice :) I'll make sure to look up EC info on the schools.



Thanks for replying so quickly :) I'm really enjoying the ECs i'm part of now. I know I should have done more in undergrad but I guess I always thought I'd have more time and wasn't that committed to med school until recently. The "unofficial" prereq I'm most worried about is leadership... I don't think I have anything strong that speaks to leadership because, quite frankly, I don't have strong leadership qualities... is this a huge problem? :/
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Not huge. Probably a small problem. If you're able to get some leadership experience, either through volunteering or extracurriculars at your school, do it. If you don't have the time, don't. Either way, it's not something worth heavily worrying about.
 
rafflecopter said:
Well, the common train of thought is for a *sexy* specialty like Neurosurgery, ortho, or EM. However, I am of the opinion that those who get laid the most are those with the most free time. Neuro/ortho spend way too much time in the hospital to be getting the most tail so my vote is for EM (fewest in hospital hours and still a *sexy* specialty). Other votes include derm (due to few hrs/girls thinking they can get free skin care/$$) and gas (again, the time thing, and $$).

Other user's answers to this question:
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I have to disagree with this. I happen to find male dermatology and radiology residents extraordinarily attractive. There's something about the combination of A.B. summa cum laude, high STEP scores, and a pronounced forebrain that brings me to their yard. #reallybadpopculturereference #calltheivygaters #totallykiddinghere
 
varsityblue said:
I have to disagree with this. I happen to find male dermatology and radiology residents extraordinarily attractive. There's something about the combination of A.B. summa cum laude, high STEP scores, and a pronounced forebrain that brings me to their yard. #reallybadpopculturereference #calltheivygaters #totallykiddinghere
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This isn't Twitter.
 
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kestralray said:
The "unofficial" prereq I'm most worried about is leadership... I don't think I have anything strong that speaks to leadership because, quite frankly, I don't have strong leadership qualities... is this a huge problem? :/
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I didn't have any leadership experiences either when applying. It hasn't really hurt me (even at schools where producing leaders is part of their mission statement). So it's not a deal-breaker provided the other aspects of your application are good. I'm willing to bet I'm not the only one, so don't worry :). Don't try to be a leader just to check off the 'leadership' box.
 
Here's one;

SDN usually says to just ask your primary care doctor if he can suggest someone for you to shadow.

What if you..
1.) Don't have health-insurance
2.) Want to shadow a specific specialty

how do you do that?
 
One Hip Guy said:
Here's one;

SDN usually says to just ask your primary care doctor if he can suggest someone for you to shadow.

What if you..
1.) Don't have health-insurance
2.) Want to shadow a specific specialty

how do you do that?
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Not having health insurance shouldn't prevent you from asking your primary care physician--or any physician, for that matter--for a shadowing opportunity. Friends of mine have had great experiences with cold calling for opportunities.
 
varsityblue said:
Not having health insurance shouldn't prevent you from asking your primary care physician--or any physician, for that matter--for a shadowing opportunity. Friends of mine have had great experiences with cold calling for opportunities.
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What he said, especially if the hospital is affiliated with a medical school, since those doctors usually have to teach anyway and are often open to helping out students. If you're nervous about cold calling doctors, what I did was contact the residency coordinators/directors of certain divisions. They're staff, so they may be less intimidating, and they can set you up with doctors that are definitely open to shadowers. You can usually find their email addresses on the division website under residency info or in the contacts area.

Also, once you've shadowed someone, you can ask the doctors/residents/med students you come in contact with for more recs. :)
 
kestralray said:
What he said, especially if the hospital is affiliated with a medical school, since those doctors usually have to teach anyway and are often open to helping out students. If you're nervous about cold calling doctors, what I did was contact the residency coordinators/directors of certain divisions. They're staff, so they may be less intimidating, and they can set you up with doctors that are definitely open to shadowers. You can usually find their email addresses on the division website under residency info or in the contacts area.

Also, once you've shadowed someone, you can ask the doctors/residents/med students you come in contact with for more recs. :)
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+1. This is what I did to set it up for kids in Tampa when I lived in fl. Good luck. I PM'd u this earlier but I figured I should just confirm here.
 
I've been a lurker, first post :D

Anyways, here are my stupid questions

1) What is a "cycle" and how long does each one last? How do you know when they start?

2) Are you supposed to apply before each cycle starts?

3) When are you supposed to apply? I've seen the aamc timeline and other users posts, but it seems to range from end of junior year to middle of senior year.

Thanks everyone! I will post more qs if i have them.
 
Hipster said:
I've been a lurker, first post :D

Anyways, here are my stupid questions

1) What is a "cycle" and how long does each one last? How do you know when they start?

2) Are you supposed to apply before each cycle starts?

3) When are you supposed to apply? I've seen the aamc timeline and other users posts, but it seems to range from end of junior year to middle of senior year.

Thanks everyone! I will post more qs if i have them.
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1) A cycle is just a term for an application period...each cycle corresponds to a new entering class. It starts when the applications open up, and closes when classes start (sometimes they take people off the waitlist very close to the beginning of classes starting, which is why the application can be drawn out for some). The cycle can begin at a different date each year, but generally AMCAS opens between June 1 -5.

2) You apply anytime after the application window opens (the earlier the better)

3) Apply whenever you feel that your application is the best that it can be. Many people have everything they need for the app (MCAT, good GPA, good ECs) by junior year, and so they apply the summer of their Junior year. Others wait to apply after their senior year for various reasons (want to improve stats, get more ECs, or simply to take a year off before entering medical school)
 
NeuralNetwork said:
1) A cycle is just a term for an application period...each cycle corresponds to a new entering class. It starts when the applications open up, and closes when classes start (sometimes they take people off the waitlist very close to the beginning of classes starting, which is why the application can be drawn out for some). The cycle can begin at a different date each year, but generally AMCAS opens between June 1 -5.

2) You apply anytime after the application window opens (the earlier the better)

3) Apply whenever you feel that your application is the best that it can be. Many people have everything they need for the app (MCAT, good GPA, good ECs) by junior year, and so they apply the summer of their Junior year. Others wait to apply after their senior year for various reasons (want to improve stats, get more ECs, or simply to take a year off before entering medical school)
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all correct. :thumbup:

Add for #3. If your GPA is a little on the low side, there is no shame in taking a year to improve it. Being a reapplicant puts you at a disadvantage in the future, thus it is important to apply with a realistic mindset. If you have a 3.3 27 MCAT, maybe take a year. Many apply June following junior year, others (like myself) waited until June following their senior year.
 
Another question. Do admission committees look down on taking a non science course at a community college? Like English or polisci
 
Holy FranZ said:
:thumbup::thumbup:


Agree. Twitter is ******ed and facebook is starting to annoy me.
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Thank god somebody else agrees (though we seem to agree on a lot). I can't imagine that anyone with any kind of attention span could get anything meaningful out of twitter. Maybe out of facebook, if only because you can write messages to people.

But the stream of consciousness ****-spewing you see on twitter is unrivaled by any other site in terms of capacity to annoy.
 
I have a seemingly stupid question regarding hospital volunteering. I currently am in the ER at the hospital near campus.. great experience and will be returning to the position next fall.

I am attending orientation at hospital near my home three hours away. Is it worth getting more clinical volunteering done during the summer? would adcoms rather see me committed to one hospital? I do have oppurtunities lined up for $ and nonclinical volunteering/shadowing this summer as well but think its important to have fun too.
 
GiantFetus said:
I have a seemingly stupid question regarding hospital volunteering. I currently am in the ER at the hospital near campus.. great experience and will be returning to the position next fall.

I am attending orientation at hospital near my home three hours away. Is it worth getting more clinical volunteering done during the summer? would adcoms rather see me committed to one hospital? I do have oppurtunities lined up for $ and nonclinical volunteering/shadowing this summer as well but think its important to have fun too.
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They don't give a crap about how many ERs you stock warm blankets at.

Do whatever you will benefit the most from as a future medical student/physician. If your only motivation to volunteer is to rack up more volunteer hours for your application then you should probably do something else, because it's only going to bring you diminishing returns at this point. On the other hand if you love ER volunteering and it gives you endless warm fuzzies then do it.

I would say that a job ($) is the most valuable thing to do over the summer. Relaxing and having fun is a close second. If you don't have a lot of shadowing then that would also be worthwhile, at least more-so than more ER volunteering.
 
I have been calculated my grades... lets say I end up with a 3.6. Is this competitive for top 10 medical schools, assuming I have a 35+ mcat and tons of research?

what about a 3.7? how much better is it?
 
Stupid Question:

Assume you are interested in more than one field in med school. Is it possible to apply to residencies in several specialties, say, for instance, IM, Peds, and Rad, at the same time?
 
Bro Dude said:
Stupid Question:

Assume you are interested in more than one field in med school. Is it possible to apply to residencies in several specialties, say, for instance, IM, Peds, and Rad, at the same time?
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I asked a friend in med school right now that same question - he said you can apply to as many residencies (different fields as well) as you want.
 
Physicians are more conscious of the repercussions of an harmful way of life and know how to prevent one by consuming right and training. They also might take dynamic actions to stay cook to prevent being hypocritical (no one wants to listen to they need to shed weight from a fat doctor).
 
Hipster said:
I have been calculated my grades... lets say I end up with a 3.6. Is this competitive for top 10 medical schools, assuming I have a 35+ mcat and tons of research?

what about a 3.7? how much better is it?
Click to expand...

Hipster said:
I'm not a urm btw
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Competitive? No. 3.6 is below average for MD schools in general, let alone top schools. 3.7 is barely above average for MD schools in general. If you want to be truly competitive at the top schools, you would need something in the 3.8+ range, and an MCAT in the 36+ range.

You could always apply to a dream school or two, but those GPA's won't give you a great shot; who knows though, you could get lucky. Just make sure you apply to plenty of schools that are in your range so you can get in somewhere. :luck:
 
theseeker4 said:
Competitive? No. 3.6 is below average for MD schools in general, let alone top schools. 3.7 is barely above average for MD schools in general. If you want to be truly competitive at the top schools, you would need something in the 3.8+ range, and an MCAT in the 36+ range.

You could always apply to a dream school or two, but those GPA's won't give you a great shot; who knows though, you could get lucky. Just make sure you apply to plenty of schools that are in your range so you can get in somewhere. :luck:
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Thanks!
 
Will it look bad if I take English and Political Science at a local community college?
 
What would be the cost of applying to 30 MD schools and 6-7 DO schools? Altogether.
 
Will it look bad if I take English and Political Science at a local community college?
 
druggeek said:
What would be the cost of applying to 30 MD schools and 6-7 DO schools? Altogether.
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Check these two threads for accurate portrayals of cost:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=897864
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=901217


Hipster said:
Will it look bad if I take English and Political Science at a local community college?
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It always looks better to take your classes at a higher institution (science or not). Aim to take it at your university if possibile, but if you don't make a habit of it then it really shouldn't be a big deal.
 
Is a hospital volunteer position that involves escorting guests to different patient rooms, taking gifts to patients, and physically discharging patients considered to be clinical?
 
SunsFun said:
Is a hospital volunteer position that involves escorting guests to different patient rooms, taking gifts to patients, and physically discharging patients considered to be clinical?
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Sounds kinda dirty
 
13) I'm still in high school. What can I do to get into Harvard Medical School and be a neurosurgeon?

A: STFU.
 
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