2008-2009 Penn State College of Medicine Secondary Application Thread

Getting into Med School is Hard? Not with BeMo.
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dshnay

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Explain the negative aspects of medicine that you considered in making this career decision. (Maximum 50 words)

Is there a unique aspect of your application that should be considered by the admissions committee? (Maximum 50 words)

Explain why you decided to apply to Penn State College of Medicine. (Maximum 50 words)
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edit: Nevermind, it was a server-side error.
 
Last edited:
Anybody know their average GPA / MCAT scores?
 
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From the site:

Mean undergraduate GPA 3.68



Average MCAT scores:

Verbal Reasoning 9.24
Physical Sciences 9.83
Writing Sample "P"
Biological Sciences 10.27
 
how the hell do you answer these questions in 50 words???
 
do they not accept fee waivers?
 
wow.... 50 words is brutal.
 
Man, 50 words? That's worse than 5000 words. I don't see how you can 'explain' like they ask - you can basically just list.
 
I actually liked the 50 words limit. Not just because it meant I didn't have to sit there and write forever (because writing 50 words did take a while . . . trying to choose which 50 I wanted), but because it forced me to be concise and to the point. No pointless introductions, no silly conclusion sentences/paragraphs. Just the meat and potatoes.
 
dshnay said:
Explain the negative aspects of medicine that you considered in making this career decision. (Maximum 50 words)

Is there a unique aspect of your application that should be considered by the admissions committee? (Maximum 50 words)

Explain why you decided to apply to Penn State College of Medicine. (Maximum 50 words)
Click to expand...

I love chocolate.
 
50 words is easy. Short and sweet. It's two, maybe three sentences. No need to go into detail.
 
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rogerwilco said:
I actually liked the 50 words limit. Not just because it meant I didn't have to sit there and write forever (because writing 50 words did take a while . . . trying to choose which 50 I wanted), but because it forced me to be concise and to the point. No pointless introductions, no silly conclusion sentences/paragraphs. Just the meat and potatoes.
Click to expand...

x2.

50 words FTW.
 
Hey if anyone has questions about Hershey and the area, let me know. I've spent the past couple summers researching in the College of Medicine and volunteering in the hospital. During this time, I got to know some medical students, MD/PhD students, graduate students, professors, residents, and PA interns and nurses. Though I only know basics about the curriculum (items you can find online anyway), I know plenty about the area and Penn State in general (especially as an undergrad at University Park).

:luck::luck:Good luck to everyone!!:luck::luck:
 
are you guys able to open the secondary?

i opened it at work and figured it was unethical to actually fill it out while on the clock... came home and i can't get into it now
 
Their site is really slow right now so don't stress out about it too much. I was having trouble earlier before I submitted the secondary today.
 
Did you guys fill out the 2nd essay? I'm not sure what additional info they're looking for.
 
Same here, I don't know what to say is unique about me that is significant enough to be said in 2-3 sentences. Is it bad to leave it blank?
 
miamia20 said:
Same here, I don't know what to say is unique about me that is significant enough to be said in 2-3 sentences. Is it bad to leave it blank?
Click to expand...



My opinion is that that's probably not a question you want to skip over. Basically it's your chance to tell them (in very few words) either why you're different/better than the other applicants, or perhaps explain something that might otherwise raise eyebrows/concerns. I'm usually a proponent of NOT mentioning any "shortcomings" or "red flags" in your application when possible, but for this question I basically wrote something about how although some of my classes were taken at another institution (besides my undergrad) due to financial/geographical limitations, I have done my best to work within these constraints and still receive an optimal education. Probably sounded better than that, I have it saved on my computer somewhere.

Worked for me.
 
"Explain the negative aspects of medicine that you considered in making this career decision. (Maximum 50 words)"

hmm i'm not really sure I understand this one.Thoughts? Is this asking how you could improve the medical field? or maybe to just show how u are aware of the challenges of being a physician? Or
 
"Explain the negative aspects of medicine that you considered in making this career decision. (Maximum 50 words)"

hmm i'm not really sure I understand this one.Thoughts? Is this asking how you could improve the medical field? or maybe to just show how u are aware of the challenges of being a physician? hmmm I just don't kno how to explain this one in 50 words??
 
wow it accidentally posted in mid sentence somehow. sorry
 
rugger14 said:
"Explain the negative aspects of medicine that you considered in making this career decision. (Maximum 50 words)"

hmm i'm not really sure I understand this one.Thoughts? Is this asking how you could improve the medical field? or maybe to just show how u are aware of the challenges of being a physician? Or
Click to expand...

I went with the latter.
 
rugger14 said:
"Explain the negative aspects of medicine that you considered in making this career decision. (Maximum 50 words)"

hmm i'm not really sure I understand this one.Thoughts? Is this asking how you could improve the medical field? or maybe to just show how u are aware of the challenges of being a physician? Or
Click to expand...
I talked about the challenges of being a phsyciain....well a single challenge of being a physician lol.
 
Yeah, same. I discussed a challenge of being a physician..

50 words ~ 3-5 sentences
 
I'm not sure what I would say in question 2, other than my low gpa freshman/sophomore years. Is it better to not bring attention to that? I already touched on it in my personal statement briefly
 
that's what i wrote about..but i placed emphasis on a stong upward trend later in college/postbac
 
miamia20 said:
I'm not sure what I would say in question 2, other than my low gpa freshman/sophomore years. Is it better to not bring attention to that? I already touched on it in my personal statement briefly
Click to expand...
I just mentioned something that most other premeds dont have. Maybe it will make me stand out?
 
anyone wonder why they have emergency contact info to fill out? this is the first secondary where i've seen that; its kind of premature to fill that out until we're actually students at the school.

its not like we're gonna pass out while we're paying the secondary fee or something.
 
whats the deal with LORs? i dont see any info regarding what they require or when they should be sent.

edit: i found their requirements on their website..i'm assuming you just send in with secondary.

If your college or university has a Pre-health Committee or Pre-Health Office that submits recommendation letter(s), you are required to use their service. If you do not use their service, you must include an explanation (please title your explanation "Reasons for not using the Pre-Health Committee").
If your college or university does not have a Pre-health Committee or Pre-Health Office, you are required to submit a minimum of four recommendation letters (maximum of six) using the guidelines below:
  1. At least two letters from faculty in science disciplines.
  2. At least one letter from faculty in a non-science discipline.
  3. At least one remaining letter from college faculty, community leader, employer, or others in positions of responsibility that know the applicant well.
 
ryserr21 said:
whats the deal with LORs? i dont see any info regarding what they require or when they should be sent.

edit: i found their requirements on their website..i'm assuming you just send in with secondary.

If your college or university has a Pre-health Committee or Pre-Health Office that submits recommendation letter(s), you are required to use their service. If you do not use their service, you must include an explanation (please title your explanation "Reasons for not using the Pre-Health Committee").
If your college or university does not have a Pre-health Committee or Pre-Health Office, you are required to submit a minimum of four recommendation letters (maximum of six) using the guidelines below:
  1. At least two letters from faculty in science disciplines.
  2. At least one letter from faculty in a non-science discipline.
  3. At least one remaining letter from college faculty, community leader, employer, or others in positions of responsibility that know the applicant well.
Click to expand...

You probably already know this, but Penn. State is participating in the AMCAS LOE Pilot Program. All the letters you want to send in must be submitted to AMCAS. Hope that helps. :)
 
What exactly is the reason some schools only participate through the AMCAS LOE service? Seems like a real hassle compared to the other methods. 5 of the schools I'm applying to are making me do this so it just added another 3 weeks to the process. Delays :(

I agree about there being a benefit for shorter responses. I'm not a fan of that 5,000 thing Georgetown wants. GW did it right and so did PSU.
 
BrnEyes said:
You probably already know this, but Penn. State is participating in the AMCAS LOE Pilot Program. All the letters you want to send in must be submitted to AMCAS. Hope that helps. :)
Click to expand...

I didnt! Yikes! THanks for the heads up. So if my pre med comitte is putting together a letter packet and submitting it via VE, i just tell them to send it to AMCAS for Penn St?
 
I'm excited about Penn State. Required research project spanning 3-4 years, culminating in a competition during the winter of your fourth year.
 
does anyone know why they want your SAT scores? could bad SAT scores hurt your application?
 
errrca930 said:
does anyone know why they want your SAT scores? could bad SAT scores hurt your application?
Click to expand...

I believe that portion is optional, is it not? I think they may use past standardized test scores as some kind of aid in evaluating your more recent standardized exam, the MCAT. I definitely don't think they carry much weight by themselves. Your performance over the past 3-4 years is probably much more indicative of where you're at now.

For what it's worth...:)
 
yeah i know that the question is optional, but my sat and mcat scores are on the lower side and i can't decide whether or not i should list the sat scores
 
errrca930 said:
yeah i know that the question is optional, but my sat and mcat scores are on the lower side and i can't decide whether or not i should list the sat scores
Click to expand...

If you didn't do so hot on the SAT, what's keeping you from skipping that portion? They may very well assume you've forgotten your score, although the checkbox will indicate you have taken it in the past. Seriously though, it shouldn't be a big deal. They ask for that info on the TMDSAS application for Texas schools too. It's just polling for additional information it seems. Bottom line, I don't think it will make or break you.

Good luck with the app!
 
I'm really excited about this school.

I also like chocolate.

EDIT: damn I just saw that joke was already made in this thread!
 
Schwerbert said:
I'm really excited about this school.

I also like chocolate.

EDIT: damn I just saw that joke was already made in this thread!
Click to expand...

haha i am one step ahead of you. i seriously contemplated adding that to the end of my "why penn st" response. Unfortunately, i filled up the 50 words so coudn't fit it. personally, if i read an app that said that I would be highly entertained and would give him/her +1 for cool points.
 
This secondary was hilarious! 50 words max? Haha :)
 
Since PSU does that new AMCAS LOR thing, I thought I'd just wait to enter that when I did my secondary. Is it true that it takes 3 weeks for that to go through? Oops I guess I set myself back a bit
 
rugger14 said:
Since PSU does that new AMCAS LOR thing, I thought I'd just wait to enter that when I did my secondary. Is it true that it takes 3 weeks for that to go through? Oops I guess I set myself back a bit
Click to expand...
It's going to take the time for you to have the letter sent to AMCAS, then 12-15 business days for them to mark them as received. So yeah, probably three weeks.
 
Apparently they give you chocolate in the welcome basket.

Oh, and sometimes you can smell the factory if the wind is blowing in the right direction. :)
 
UVAbme2009 said:
It's going to take the time for you to have the letter sent to AMCAS, then 12-15 business days for them to mark them as received. So yeah, probably three weeks.
Click to expand...

Interfolio overnighted my letters to the AAMC on Friday and they arrived on Monday. I got a status update today (4 e-mails, one per letter) saying they were received. 3 days...
 
dshnay said:
Explain the negative aspects of medicine that you considered in making this career decision. (Maximum 50 words)

Is there a unique aspect of your application that should be considered by the admissions committee? (Maximum 50 words)

Explain why you decided to apply to Penn State College of Medicine. (Maximum 50 words)
Click to expand...


For the second question, are they referring to things on your AMCAS? Are you just supposed to expand on something you'd already mentioned? Or are they using the term "application" to just mean you, the candidate?
 
Polo423 said:
For the second question, are they referring to things on your AMCAS? Are you just supposed to expand on something you'd already mentioned? Or are they using the term "application" to just mean you, the candidate?
Click to expand...

i took it as me the candidate.
 
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