Doris Duke/CRTP/HHMI/Sarnoff Thread

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TrojanDoctor said:
Hi,

I am basically posting so that people can PM if they have questions about the Cloister program, because I spent 2006-2007 there. I am currently a third year med student. From my experience in talking to other applicants, most people who apply to multiple programs tend to prefer the Cloister as their top choice, so I would imagine the waiting list doesn't move as much as DD or the CRTP waitlist. I think a big advantage to the Cloister program is that you get to live with the other scholars and really get to know them well. Also, the Monday night lecture series (where internationally recognized scientists come discuss their research and pathways to success) is amazing. While I was at the Cloister, I probably met around 10 nobel laureates. Ultimately though, each program has their own strengths and weaknesses. I am willing to bet that 10 to 15 years post "research year" grads of all the programs are doing equally well and equally successful.
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thanks...very helpful. anyone aware of any movement yet on any of the alternate lists? crtp or cloisters? or any second offers yet from DDs? i'm sure once people make decisions on their initial offers (probably soon assuming acceptance to first choice) there will be quite a chain reaction

ugh! so tired of waiting! :oops:
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I declined my offers to UIowa and UTSW, so a spot has opened in each of those programs. I am happily going to my top choice next year, UCSF!! :hardy: Anyone else going to San Francisco next year??
 
Does anyone have a copy of the questions for the NIH CRTP application?

They close the online application between seasons, but I will be real busy on Gyn during the next season. It'd be handy to get the questions ahead of time.
 
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RxnMan said:
Does anyone have a copy of the questions for the NIH CRTP application?

They close the online application between seasons, but I will be real busy on Gyn during the next season. It'd be handy to get the questions ahead of time.
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I think it asked for your name, address, recommenders, grades and classes and then just asked for a personal statement about why research, why the program and what type of research you might be interested in. The word limit was 10,000.
 
diosa428 said:
I think it asked for your name, address, recommenders, grades and classes and then just asked for a personal statement about why research, why the program and what type of research you might be interested in. The word limit was 10,000.
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OK, thanks. I thought it was something more involved, but that part of my memory must have been pushed out in favor of some cardio lectures. :laugh: I'm going to have a hard time lining everything up during the app season, so thanks for helping me get my ducks in a row now. :thumbup:
 
Has anyone gotten an offer off of the waitlist for any DDCRF schools?
 
d
 
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Has there been any movement for the NIH-Crtp list yet?
 
TrojanDoctor said:
Hi,

I am basically posting so that people can PM if they have questions about the Cloister program, because I spent 2006-2007 there. I am currently a third year med student. From my experience in talking to other applicants, most people who apply to multiple programs tend to prefer the Cloister as their top choice, so I would imagine the waiting list doesn't move as much as DD or the CRTP waitlist. I think a big advantage to the Cloister program is that you get to live with the other scholars and really get to know them well. Also, the Monday night lecture series (where internationally recognized scientists come discuss their research and pathways to success) is amazing. While I was at the Cloister, I probably met around 10 nobel laureates. Ultimately though, each program has their own strengths and weaknesses. I am willing to bet that 10 to 15 years post "research year" grads of all the programs are doing equally well and equally successful.
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I had a series of questions that I asked several other past program participants. Would you mind answering the following?

Where are you now in the program?

What was the the series of events that made up your application process, with respect to both the NIH and your 3rd year rotations?

How did you identify who to work with?

Are the clinical aspects of the program worthwhile, or are they a waste of time?

Did you think it is worth it? That is, what were your goals in participating in the program, and have you been able to achieve them so far?

What was it about your application and interview that you feel got you a spot?

I've been collecting these and putting them in the FAQ section for year-off programs. Thanks in advance.
 
I received an email from Pitt that said, they wanted to figure out who was still interested in Pitt. Out of the 2 external offers, one was accepted while the other person elected to do research at NIH instead. Therefore, they have 1 external spot open.
 
Today is the deadline for decisions - what fellowship options did everyone end up going with?

It was a brutally hard decision for me, but it looks like I'll be heading to the Cloister next year, so I'll look forward to living with some of you in Bethesda in a few months.
 
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Reimat said:
Today is the deadline for decisions - what fellowship options did everyone end up going with?

It was a brutally hard decision for me, but it looks like I'll be heading to the Cloister next year, so I'll look forward to living with some of you in Bethesda in a few months.
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It's Cloisters for me as well. See you there Reimat.
 
d
 
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Hey All -

I'm a 2nd year med student looking to take a year off to do research after my third year. Can anyone that has gotten into these programs comment on what sorts of things they think made their application strong? My adviser recently told me that for the cloister previous, ongoing basic science research makes a big difference in getting an interview.

Any tips would be helpful! Thanks!
 
sonidoceloso said:
Hey All -

I'm a 2nd year med student looking to take a year off to do research after my third year. Can anyone that has gotten into these programs comment on what sorts of things they think made their application strong? My adviser recently told me that for the cloister previous, ongoing basic science research makes a big difference in getting an interview.

Any tips would be helpful! Thanks!
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Hey there,

I am finishing up my year at the Cloister and will actually be sticking around for another year so hopefully I can share some wisdom with you. My application experience: I applied after a small summer research project during second year of med school looking at ischemia/reperfusion injury in mice, no pubs, no posters, etc. I was rejected that first time and decided to reapply during third year after I had had some clinical experience and could better articulate my research and career interests in my personal statement. I worked on my PS off-and-on for several months and had several professors look it over. I was not actively doing ANY research that second time but ended up getting an interview and was later accepted. I think it certainly helps to have a hand in some ongoing project but it is not essential. In terms of basic vs. clinical research, again I don’t think it matters a great deal in terms of getting an interview but be aware that most of the Cloister students work on a basic science project and they will certainly stress that to you during the interview.

Feel free to PM me if you have any other questions, I hope that helped. :thumbup:
 
sonidoceloso said:
Hey All -

I'm a 2nd year med student looking to take a year off to do research after my third year. Can anyone that has gotten into these programs comment on what sorts of things they think made their application strong? My adviser recently told me that for the cloister previous, ongoing basic science research makes a big difference in getting an interview.

Any tips would be helpful! Thanks!
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Take a look at the Research FAQ (link in my sig). I've been sending out a standard questionnaire (including what made your application strong) to people doing year-off research programs. At the bottom of the FAQ I've compiled the responses.
 
thesauce said:
This may be pretty difficult, I'm not sure, but what if we compile a list of deadlines for submitting abstracts for national meetings?
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That's a good idea. Off the top of my head I can think of some challenges associated with that. I'm going to start another thread (click here to go there) so that this one can remain on-track for the year-off'ers.
 
Apparently Iowa's DD didn't fill... I got an email from them today asking if I was interested in their program, despite the fact that I didn't apply.
 
Has anyone come up with any study plans for Step 2 during the year off? I will be taking the year off in DDCF and hope to take the boards during this time. Anyone else having the same idea? If so, when are you planning to take it? Or if you have done so, when did you take it? Thanks.
 
BuzzLightYear said:
Has anyone come up with any study plans for Step 2 during the year off? I will be taking the year off in DDCF and hope to take the boards during this time. Anyone else having the same idea? If so, when are you planning to take it? Or if you have done so, when did you take it? Thanks.
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Most folks I've spoken to have done their DDCRF after their 3rd year clinicals, so they take step II shortly after they start the program.
 
RxnMan said:
Most folks I've spoken to have done their DDCRF after their 3rd year clinicals, so they take step II shortly after they start the program.
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I've heard people say that the research year is an excellent time to study for step 2, especially if you're doing bench research and have significant downtime. I'm planning on taking mine just before I graduate so residency programs won't see my score.
 
Thanks for your help. Good luck in your programs. :thumbup:
 
Anyone hear anything back from Iowa DD?
 
I have a random question - what do people at the CRTP program do about their pets? Is it ok to bring a cat or dog to the subsidized housing?
 
socmob said:
I have a random question - what do people at the CRTP program do about their pets? Is it ok to bring a cat or dog to the subsidized housing?
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The info we got yesterday says no pets allowed, although I guess you probably already know that now.
 
Hello everybody,

First of all, thank you to those people who turned down the CRTP so little ol' me could get in off of the waitlist on the last day!:love:

Secondly, regarding housing -
Did anybody who interviewed for the CRTP check out the apartments? My main question is what are they like? As in what furniture do they provide, dishes, etc.?

Thank you!:hardy:
 
Shaka said:
Secondly, regarding housing -
Did anybody who interviewed for the CRTP check out the apartments? My main question is what are they like? As in what furniture do they provide, dishes, etc.?

Thank you!:hardy:
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Bump, anyone have an answer? I was too tired to go on the housing tour.
 
Anyone here with acceptances to both the Cloister and something else and have decided to take the something else? Any particular reasons???
 
Shaka said:
Hello everybody,

First of all, thank you to those people who turned down the CRTP so little ol' me could get in off of the waitlist on the last day!:love:

Secondly, regarding housing -
Did anybody who interviewed for the CRTP check out the apartments? My main question is what are they like? As in what furniture do they provide, dishes, etc.?

Thank you!:hardy:
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Couch, bed, dinner table, coffee table, dishes, utensils. That's all I remember.
 
gclax30 said:
Anyone here with acceptances to both the Cloister and something else and have decided to take the something else? Any particular reasons???
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I did end up picking Cloisters, but I think there are a number of reasons to pick other fellowships. 2 examples I can think of include: 1) If you're much more interested in clinical research, you're probably better off doing a DD/CRTP fellowship. 2) If you know you want to do cardiology/CT surgery, you'd be a fool to not do the Sarnoff fellowship.
 
Anyone know when Cloisters people will start hearing about room assignments? I'm really hoping to get one of the cheap dorm-style rooms :D
 
has anyone heard anything back from unc doris duke?
 
As the year-off programs begin to accept applications for the 2009-2010 year, I wanted to resurrect this thread.

For future applicants - I'll try to keep you informed about the process (app -> interview -> acceptance? :scared:).

For current applicants - I will be applying this year - is anyone else?

For former participants in the DDCRF, HHMI-Cloisters, HHMI-Scholars, CDC, Fogarty, Sarnoff, CRTP and others - feel free to write in about your experiences through the application process and during your year off.
 
I will be an applicant for the 2009-2010 cycle.
 
I'll be applying for DDCF (only 2-3 schools however) and CRTP
 
I'm applying for crtp and probably cloisters as well.
 
It's working fine for me.
 
Now on an alternate connection. Definitely the firewall. Thanks.

So what all research areas are you guys interested in?
 
RxnMan said:
Now on an alternate connection. Definitely the firewall. Thanks.

So what all research areas are you guys interested in?
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Neuro probably something within stroke or neurocritical care. You guys?
 
I have a background in chemical engineering, and I'd like to get back to that. Something phys-heavy like sepsis, reperfusion injury, ARDS, or shock.
 
hi. how competitive are these research fellowships? i go to a med school that's not very well known, and my grades aren't the best. do i have a shot? also, is it possible/wise to apply even if you have no clue what field you want to go into?
 
BoBaE said:
hi. how competitive are these research fellowships? i go to a med school that's not very well known, and my grades aren't the best. do i have a shot? also, is it possible/wise to apply even if you have no clue what field you want to go into?
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I go to an unknown school, and I have no idea of what field I want to go into. We send a person to one of the programs (HHMI-Cloisters, CRTP) every few years. Check the FAQ for what successful apps looked like.

For %'s I think ~60% of the yeary 90 applicants to the CRTP are offered a spot. HHMI-Cloisters is closer to 30-40% (fewer spots, more applicants [~200/yr from more fields])
 
Ugh. Working through my app essay. My reviewer basically said my 1st draft went over like a lead ballon. Oh well, better now than getting rejected, eh?

How is everyone else? Got your LOR writers in order?
 
99% done with the app essay. Just need to finalize my opening hook.

Letter-writers lined up. One is ready to submit, one is writing, and the other...I have to hammer on him...:rolleyes: :laugh:
 
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