haha I met a fellow SDN member, mr. redlight.
The Last SMDEP Thread EVER!
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that would only make sense.
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hey everyone
so i applied last year when i was finishing up my freshman year
i had a 4.0 with over 2000 SAT (out of 2400) and had LORs from profs who liked me cuz i did well in their classes and i think my essay was good if not the best and im not sure why i didnt get accepted
i applied to washington, ucla, and columbia for dental
do they only take minorities or what?
what sites are known to not be biased towards minorities?
im asking b/c im thinking of applying again this year
so i applied last year when i was finishing up my freshman year
i had a 4.0 with over 2000 SAT (out of 2400) and had LORs from profs who liked me cuz i did well in their classes and i think my essay was good if not the best and im not sure why i didnt get accepted
i applied to washington, ucla, and columbia for dental
do they only take minorities or what?
what sites are known to not be biased towards minorities?
im asking b/c im thinking of applying again this year
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Well, you applied to some of the most competitive SMDEP sites there are. Also, SMDEP is based on rolling admission. So if you submit close to the deadline, chances are that the sites are already filled up. So it may not have been that you were a bad applicant, just that you applied too late (especially to sites like Colombia that fill up quickly).
As for sites that are not biased toward minorities, just look on the SMDEP site. Read through the info on each program, and it always states in the school's mission what they are looking for (minority, from a medically underserved area, etc.). I know there are a handful of schools that aren't too biased about minority status.
For those who might apply next year, I would totally encourage you to go for it. It was a blast and I learned more than I could imagine! If you have any questions, feel free to PM me.
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lol, this part made me laugh, not sure if u were joking or not
dental has only a few spots (20)- maybe consider applying earlier and having people (who usually deal with personal statements for applications like med/dental school apps) examine your essays if u haven't already done so. sometimes we think our essays are great but they're riddled with chliches, or are vague/not specific in content, impersonal, unorganized, and maybe even boring.
lors are not too important- you can get accepted w/o all of them being verified.. and your app can get reviewed w/o them.
and i think it's odd you didn't mention extracurriculars/awards/scholarships. those are pretty important, as u should know
smdep is supposed to be geared towards minorities so i think you'd be hard pressed finding programs not "biased" towards minorities.. though i imagine the ones that have the most trouble filling up fast (i.e. the non super-competitive ones) would be less "biased" as you put it.
that said, there were non urms and non minorities at my site (yale)- id say at least 6 total (out of 81).
...and.. is this thread officially dead??
does this mean we aren't going to do insider program evaluations/summaries for those interested in applying in the future?
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smdep at uw was amazing!!! the staff goes above and beyond to help!even on weekends. ppl were bomb.
so many were crying when it ended...even guys
if u have any specific questions, feel free to pm me
so many were crying when it ended...even guys
if u have any specific questions, feel free to pm me
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SMDEP at Duke was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. It's incredible how much you can learn in six weeks. It was definitely some of the toughest weeks I've ever gone through in many different respects, but every bit of it was worth it.
The program started with a very proper orientation, with speeches given to us from the Director of SMDEP, the Dean of Admissions of Medical School, and one of the respected professors and Course Coordinator of SMDEP. That day was quite an awakening as they basically laid down the law in a span of 5 minutes. Right away, we knew this program meant business as we were told this was going to be the hardest we've ever worked in our life or that at some point we are going to question ourselves why we ever decided to do this program. Yeah, all us students were definitely intimidated, but that didn't stop us. After a tour of the campus and all, we soon had to get ready for our opening convocation. This was actually a really formal ceremony. We all were "cloaked" in front of the entire class of 80 students, which was such an awesome feeling. They would call our names and we would go up, one of the medical doctors would put our white coat on us, and then we walked over to the director, who gave us a Duke SMDEP pin. All of us students were so excited to already feel like doctors with that white coat on…it definitely was a nice way to get started with the program.
So basically, here's what the program consisted of. All the students were placed in 2 science courses. There were four tracks: (1) Physics and Organic Chemistry, (2) Cell Biology and Organic Chemistry, (3) Physics and Physiology, and (4) Cell Biology and Physiology. Students were placed based on what science courses they haven't taken so that when they return to their home institution, they would ace those courses (and they have high stats of that happening). In addition, every student was placed in a calculus course based on their pre-assessment test score. This ranged from Quantitative Topics (QT) 1, which is basically pre-calculus/calculus 1, QT 2, which is a more complete coverage of calculus 1, and QT 3, which was an "advanced" group which consisted of students who clearly have already taken calculus, even as high as Calc 4. I was in the Cell Biology and Physiology track and I was in QT3. Only 15 out of 80 students made it into QT 3 so that was definitely an honor for me..I was really grateful. Also, all students were in the following courses: Peak Performance, Health Disparities, Ethics, Standardized Patient Module, and Mock Beta Interview. Peak Performance was a course that was more low-key, it was a session that talked about stress management, time management, family and friends relationships, etc. It was also the only class that they actually let us vent and "complain" about anything on our minds throughout the course of the six weeks. Health disparities was a course that basically informed us about different types of disparities across the nation and what we as aspiring physicians can do to help. Ethics was a seminar that basically entailed a certain ethical issue in the medical field and was presented by a professional in that topic; another informational lecture. The standardized patient module consisted of a hired actor or actress who played the role of a patient with a certain condition. We as students were to go up to the patient (playing doctor) in front of the whole class and basically learn on the spot how to talk to patients, how to connect with the patient, how to get the patient's "story" without offending the patient; basically we learned how to treat the patient, not just the symptoms or disease. This was my favorite course just because it was really exciting. We never knew what to expect because we would only be told very minimal information about the patient beforehand and these hired actors/actresses were so good in their role that each student had a different experience. Finally, the mock beta interview was a class that basically consisted of doing mock interviews. At Duke, there are two types of interviews, alpha and beta. The alpha interview is more straight up about grades and research experience, things like that. The beta interview is the harder one, because it's how they get to know you as a person and ask you ethical or moral dilemma questions or just about your personal views about things and what you would do to make a difference. So it was definitely nice to have some practice with that. The even nicer thing was that all the instructors for these courses were professionals of the courses. Peak Performance was taught by the social psychologist at Duke. Health Disparities was taught by an MD/PhD student and the director of SMDEP. Ethics was taught by a series of doctors and professionals, depending on the topic. Standardized patient module and mock interviews were taught by the individuals that actually do those courses in med school. So yeah, science and math classes were from 8-12:15pm. Then recitation for the sciences or a combination of those other courses was from 2-5pm. Then we sometimes had Q&A seminars or other workshops with doctors form 7-9pm, sometimes ending early around 8:30pm. Or we'd have clinical rotations from 7-11pm. My rotations were in the following departments: Surgical ICU, Pediatric ICU, Cardiac ICU, Pediatric ER, and Adult ER. I also had the opportunity to witness a neurosurgery in my free time which was the most amazing experience of my life…but that's another story. So yeah, we were completely busy…and we still had to find time to do homework and study for exams…it was intense! They really wanted us to get a taste of med school…it was crazy.
Here's the special thing about Duke. Even though we don't get credit for these classes, they keep all of our information and performance on record. That way if down the road we apply to DukeMed or ask for a letter of recommendation, they really know something about us. We even had to go as far as meeting one to one or in small groups with the professors and other important people so they knew us on a personal level. The TAs and RAs were incredible and so helpful. All of them were anywhere from MD students, MD/PhD students, 4th year medical students, etc. etc. No matter what question or concern you had, there was always at least one person if not more than you can go to talk to. And they even said we can keep in touch throughout the years and if we ever have a question, we can go to them. Before I always wondered who I could go to for help, and now after this program I know exactly who I can contact for practically every question I could possibly have. It's a really great feeling, definitely a comfort.
We also had a 2-day recruitment fair where we were able to meet representatives of 50+ medical schools all across the nation. It was definitely an opportunity to show our best and get ourselves out there. I fortunately made a lot of contacts with the folks at Cornell and NYU, as well as other schools. The RA staff also held a full day workshop where we basically moved in stations that ranged from MCAT preparation and test strategies, to personal statement preparation and tips, to what else can you do with an MD (joint) degrees, to how to get involved in research, etc. etc...it was endless and every bit of it was so incredibly helpful. The staff was always so open to the students, friendly, easy to talk to, and they really made us feel comfortable so that any question we may have, we could ask them. It was really great.
Overall I just learned so much about myself, my academic potential, and my ability to get into this field. Also, it was my first time away from home so I finally got that independent experience I've always wanted. I learned so much more of how to talk and interact with people, when to stand up, when to stay quiet, when to be a leader, etc. all those things. It was amazing to be surrounded by such strong-willed and dedicated people that shared the same interests as myself. It was such an awesome experience to be in that type of environment. Yeah, tests were definitely really hard and the material was moving faster than we could all handle…everyone including myself definitely had their complaints and stressed out moments. And yeah, there was a TA here and there that wasn't as great as they could be. Of course nothing could be perfect. But by the end of the day, it was really what you made of the experience. It was more about embracing all the positives rather than focusing on the few negatives. We actually had a psychological lesson about that too...haha.
By the end of the program, we had a presentation day. I had the fortune of being able to do two presentations in front of all of SMDEP plus faculty. One was for QT3 because our task was to get into 3 groups of 5 and present a research project on one type of medical imaging device. Our group spoke about EKGs. The second one was for cell biology and that was about a specific genetic disorder. For cell biology, in class everyone presented with their teams, but out of the 6 teams, 3 were voted as the top; fortunately our group got chosen and so I was able to present that on that last day as well. Even though all of this was so stressful and sometimes it made me want to pull my hair out, ALL of it was worth it in the end. I was able to build myself up and build confidence that I can survive in this field. This program is definitely anything and everything a pre-medical student would want to go through before actually confirming this is the field where they want to be in. We had a closing convocation and at that we all received our certificates of completion, which were REALLY nice…they look like diplomas. Hearing the speeches and just interacting with everyone was just so good. Everyone got really close by the end of the program, it was like we were one huge family. Duke did an amazing job with this program.
So yeah, I am so grateful for this experience and I wouldn't trade it for anything. I've become humbled for this whole field in general and my ability to go through with it. I've gained confidence in myself and that's something I really needed…I needed that push to make me believe I can make it. I am so ready to get back to school and ace my classes and just keep jumping over those hurdles that come in my way because some day, I know I'm going to make it to my finish line...and that's becoming a doctor.
So yeah, bottom line...it was amazing!!!
Oh and btw! If you haven't, you all should watch the 6-part documentary on abc called Hopkins. They did a really awesome job of covering what real life hospital life is like. Just a recommendation!
The program started with a very proper orientation, with speeches given to us from the Director of SMDEP, the Dean of Admissions of Medical School, and one of the respected professors and Course Coordinator of SMDEP. That day was quite an awakening as they basically laid down the law in a span of 5 minutes. Right away, we knew this program meant business as we were told this was going to be the hardest we've ever worked in our life or that at some point we are going to question ourselves why we ever decided to do this program. Yeah, all us students were definitely intimidated, but that didn't stop us. After a tour of the campus and all, we soon had to get ready for our opening convocation. This was actually a really formal ceremony. We all were "cloaked" in front of the entire class of 80 students, which was such an awesome feeling. They would call our names and we would go up, one of the medical doctors would put our white coat on us, and then we walked over to the director, who gave us a Duke SMDEP pin. All of us students were so excited to already feel like doctors with that white coat on…it definitely was a nice way to get started with the program.
So basically, here's what the program consisted of. All the students were placed in 2 science courses. There were four tracks: (1) Physics and Organic Chemistry, (2) Cell Biology and Organic Chemistry, (3) Physics and Physiology, and (4) Cell Biology and Physiology. Students were placed based on what science courses they haven't taken so that when they return to their home institution, they would ace those courses (and they have high stats of that happening). In addition, every student was placed in a calculus course based on their pre-assessment test score. This ranged from Quantitative Topics (QT) 1, which is basically pre-calculus/calculus 1, QT 2, which is a more complete coverage of calculus 1, and QT 3, which was an "advanced" group which consisted of students who clearly have already taken calculus, even as high as Calc 4. I was in the Cell Biology and Physiology track and I was in QT3. Only 15 out of 80 students made it into QT 3 so that was definitely an honor for me..I was really grateful. Also, all students were in the following courses: Peak Performance, Health Disparities, Ethics, Standardized Patient Module, and Mock Beta Interview. Peak Performance was a course that was more low-key, it was a session that talked about stress management, time management, family and friends relationships, etc. It was also the only class that they actually let us vent and "complain" about anything on our minds throughout the course of the six weeks. Health disparities was a course that basically informed us about different types of disparities across the nation and what we as aspiring physicians can do to help. Ethics was a seminar that basically entailed a certain ethical issue in the medical field and was presented by a professional in that topic; another informational lecture. The standardized patient module consisted of a hired actor or actress who played the role of a patient with a certain condition. We as students were to go up to the patient (playing doctor) in front of the whole class and basically learn on the spot how to talk to patients, how to connect with the patient, how to get the patient's "story" without offending the patient; basically we learned how to treat the patient, not just the symptoms or disease. This was my favorite course just because it was really exciting. We never knew what to expect because we would only be told very minimal information about the patient beforehand and these hired actors/actresses were so good in their role that each student had a different experience. Finally, the mock beta interview was a class that basically consisted of doing mock interviews. At Duke, there are two types of interviews, alpha and beta. The alpha interview is more straight up about grades and research experience, things like that. The beta interview is the harder one, because it's how they get to know you as a person and ask you ethical or moral dilemma questions or just about your personal views about things and what you would do to make a difference. So it was definitely nice to have some practice with that. The even nicer thing was that all the instructors for these courses were professionals of the courses. Peak Performance was taught by the social psychologist at Duke. Health Disparities was taught by an MD/PhD student and the director of SMDEP. Ethics was taught by a series of doctors and professionals, depending on the topic. Standardized patient module and mock interviews were taught by the individuals that actually do those courses in med school. So yeah, science and math classes were from 8-12:15pm. Then recitation for the sciences or a combination of those other courses was from 2-5pm. Then we sometimes had Q&A seminars or other workshops with doctors form 7-9pm, sometimes ending early around 8:30pm. Or we'd have clinical rotations from 7-11pm. My rotations were in the following departments: Surgical ICU, Pediatric ICU, Cardiac ICU, Pediatric ER, and Adult ER. I also had the opportunity to witness a neurosurgery in my free time which was the most amazing experience of my life…but that's another story. So yeah, we were completely busy…and we still had to find time to do homework and study for exams…it was intense! They really wanted us to get a taste of med school…it was crazy.
Here's the special thing about Duke. Even though we don't get credit for these classes, they keep all of our information and performance on record. That way if down the road we apply to DukeMed or ask for a letter of recommendation, they really know something about us. We even had to go as far as meeting one to one or in small groups with the professors and other important people so they knew us on a personal level. The TAs and RAs were incredible and so helpful. All of them were anywhere from MD students, MD/PhD students, 4th year medical students, etc. etc. No matter what question or concern you had, there was always at least one person if not more than you can go to talk to. And they even said we can keep in touch throughout the years and if we ever have a question, we can go to them. Before I always wondered who I could go to for help, and now after this program I know exactly who I can contact for practically every question I could possibly have. It's a really great feeling, definitely a comfort.
We also had a 2-day recruitment fair where we were able to meet representatives of 50+ medical schools all across the nation. It was definitely an opportunity to show our best and get ourselves out there. I fortunately made a lot of contacts with the folks at Cornell and NYU, as well as other schools. The RA staff also held a full day workshop where we basically moved in stations that ranged from MCAT preparation and test strategies, to personal statement preparation and tips, to what else can you do with an MD (joint) degrees, to how to get involved in research, etc. etc...it was endless and every bit of it was so incredibly helpful. The staff was always so open to the students, friendly, easy to talk to, and they really made us feel comfortable so that any question we may have, we could ask them. It was really great.
Overall I just learned so much about myself, my academic potential, and my ability to get into this field. Also, it was my first time away from home so I finally got that independent experience I've always wanted. I learned so much more of how to talk and interact with people, when to stand up, when to stay quiet, when to be a leader, etc. all those things. It was amazing to be surrounded by such strong-willed and dedicated people that shared the same interests as myself. It was such an awesome experience to be in that type of environment. Yeah, tests were definitely really hard and the material was moving faster than we could all handle…everyone including myself definitely had their complaints and stressed out moments. And yeah, there was a TA here and there that wasn't as great as they could be. Of course nothing could be perfect. But by the end of the day, it was really what you made of the experience. It was more about embracing all the positives rather than focusing on the few negatives. We actually had a psychological lesson about that too...haha.
By the end of the program, we had a presentation day. I had the fortune of being able to do two presentations in front of all of SMDEP plus faculty. One was for QT3 because our task was to get into 3 groups of 5 and present a research project on one type of medical imaging device. Our group spoke about EKGs. The second one was for cell biology and that was about a specific genetic disorder. For cell biology, in class everyone presented with their teams, but out of the 6 teams, 3 were voted as the top; fortunately our group got chosen and so I was able to present that on that last day as well. Even though all of this was so stressful and sometimes it made me want to pull my hair out, ALL of it was worth it in the end. I was able to build myself up and build confidence that I can survive in this field. This program is definitely anything and everything a pre-medical student would want to go through before actually confirming this is the field where they want to be in. We had a closing convocation and at that we all received our certificates of completion, which were REALLY nice…they look like diplomas. Hearing the speeches and just interacting with everyone was just so good. Everyone got really close by the end of the program, it was like we were one huge family. Duke did an amazing job with this program.
So yeah, I am so grateful for this experience and I wouldn't trade it for anything. I've become humbled for this whole field in general and my ability to go through with it. I've gained confidence in myself and that's something I really needed…I needed that push to make me believe I can make it. I am so ready to get back to school and ace my classes and just keep jumping over those hurdles that come in my way because some day, I know I'm going to make it to my finish line...and that's becoming a doctor.
So yeah, bottom line...it was amazing!!!
Oh and btw! If you haven't, you all should watch the 6-part documentary on abc called Hopkins. They did a really awesome job of covering what real life hospital life is like. Just a recommendation!
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smdep was one of the best summers i ever had. its truly a great program.
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Hey, what about this year? can anyone provide any details about applying/resume/whatever?
Spots can't have started to fill up already, could they?
Also, I'm really worried about getting into the program as non-under represented minority (Chinese)...how many Asians did you see at your program? Should I even bother applying?
This program looks so amazing though.
Spots can't have started to fill up already, could they?
Also, I'm really worried about getting into the program as non-under represented minority (Chinese)...how many Asians did you see at your program? Should I even bother applying?
This program looks so amazing though.
I am going to try and resuscitate this thread, I am sure there are other members out there who are applying or have applied. Anyways, I applied early because I am not a URM (Polish Immigrant parents which is not a URM) and I have decent stats (3.7 GPA, 31 ACT). I also had many many many people help me with my personal statement and it is pretty good IMO. Anyone want to comment on my chances?
I applied to Duke, Columbia, and Yale. I know my choices are kind of the same, but I have never spent any time in the "east" and I really want to.
If anyone could chime in about this years application process, or if anyone has applied early and been accepted, tell us about it.
I finished my application on 11/21 and my letters/transcript arrived before dec 1st but they have not updated me on the website, which makes the type-A part of me really nervous.
I applied to Duke, Columbia, and Yale. I know my choices are kind of the same, but I have never spent any time in the "east" and I really want to.
If anyone could chime in about this years application process, or if anyone has applied early and been accepted, tell us about it.
I finished my application on 11/21 and my letters/transcript arrived before dec 1st but they have not updated me on the website, which makes the type-A part of me really nervous.
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honestly, i think the most important parts of you app are your essays and your grades. make a compelling argument as to why you want to pursue medicine, why you would benefit from the program, why other participants would benefit from your participation and why you would be a good fit for the program site
(i.e. how the curriculum and other site-specific stuff would help you)
search the thread. this was discussed several times. obviously the more elite medical schools will generally be more selective, but in all if you get your stuff in early and have a strong app you'll likely be accepted.
and idk how non-minorities are looked at. there was an article link on this thread about racial breakdown of past participants.. its overwhelmingly minority but there is non urm representation (10-20%? dont remember).
at any rate there were at least a handful of non urm ppl on this thread who were accepted.. i think places like duke, columbia, ucla, yale, unmc, univ of houston, etc. etc. accepted them so i'm guessing all the sites will too. at my site there were non urms but not many (~6/81).. search the thread for details
sites cannot start accepting applicants before some date in december i believe, but i do not remember the exact date. it should be somewhere on the smdep website
and again with the 'what are my chances of getting in'.. some sites are clearly more competitive than others so i don't suggest you load up on the three most competitive unless u have good backup plans for the summer. regardless of where you go you'll learn loads and have a good time
and you guys are way ahead of the pack (which is good because admission is rolling and first come first served). most apps become complete after the MLK holiday, according to the person i called in the national program site last year. i was complete mid feb if i remember correctly lol. probably the only reason why i didn't end up at columbia (first site to fill up) but i loved my site so im def not complaining.
good luck
Hey guys I was wondering about any of the statuses of the people who have applied for SMDEP 2009? Have any of you received any news from the sites that you have applied and which sites have you applied to? I was thinking that since the date that they begin to accept and review applications is december 15, that means we will be getting news anytime soon. pm me if you want to good luck to all
good luck to all 
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Hey guys I was wondering about any of the statuses of the people who have applied for SMDEP 2009? Have any of you received any news from the sites that you have applied and which sites have you applied to? I was thinking that since the date that they begin to accept and review applications is december 15, that means we will be getting news anytime soon. pm me if you want to
I just got into Columbia's SMDEP 2009
. Before I got the email there were only dashes. After I got the email it said not yet processed on the status page. For my Yale application I had not yet processed for a number of days now...
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I just got into Columbia's SMDEP 2009
wow that is awsome
do you mind posting your stats?? (school, gpa, stuff like that) also when did you apply? i applied November 07,2008
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wow that is awsome
also when did you apply? i applied November 07,2008
Sure, I go to the University of Delaware and I have about a 3.9 gpa. I submitted my online application on Nov. 20 but they did not receive my transcript until Dec. 1 and my letter of rec. until Dec. 12. They said they hold all application materials until Dec. 15 for transmittance...
I just got into Columbia's SMDEP 2009
I just got denied! Oh well. Mine also says "Not yet processed" for all of the programs. Way to put a damper on my Christmas, Columbia
.Edit - My GPA was 3.69, it is now 3.77 and I wish I had waited to apply haha.
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I just got denied! Oh well. Mine also says "Not yet processed" for all of the programs. Way to put a damper on my Christmas, Columbia
Edit - My GPA was 3.69, it is now 3.77 and I wish I had waited to apply haha.
Merry Christmas! Wow...sorry to hear that man I hope you get into all the others you applied to...
.
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yeah i new columbia was goin to be hard i applie uva, texas,a and duke. hopefully i get something all i see is -- by each school!
Ah memories!
I totally got busy after my stay at the Columbia SMDEP site. Well I am going to giving a synopsis of the application process and my experiences there.
Application process--- Well if you look back a some the past posting you will see my stats and complete progress.
Experiences- Columbia SMDEP was amazing, you stay in Bard hall, the place where most 1st year medical school students stay. The medical school students are your RAs' so they also stay in Bard hall as well. I did most of my studying at the library right next to the dorm. And met some cool people, medical students, grad students, and post bacc students. People in New York are really amazing people. I really worked hard, and I played just as hard.
The clinical rotation was something very memorable. Natayla will ask where you would like to be placed and do her best to get you there. I fell even more in love with medicine more through the clinical rotations. You see the hospital where you will do most of your rotation is a teaching hospital, where Cornell and Columbia students do their rotations. So the attending love to tell you what is going on and everything. It was AMAZING.
Letter of Recommendation- We get evaluations by our instructors/RA and from the grades we receive, they create our letter of recommendation. And they right them for medical schools and other premed programs. So work hard and shine through.
I totally got busy after my stay at the Columbia SMDEP site. Well I am going to giving a synopsis of the application process and my experiences there.
Application process--- Well if you look back a some the past posting you will see my stats and complete progress.
Experiences- Columbia SMDEP was amazing, you stay in Bard hall, the place where most 1st year medical school students stay. The medical school students are your RAs' so they also stay in Bard hall as well. I did most of my studying at the library right next to the dorm. And met some cool people, medical students, grad students, and post bacc students. People in New York are really amazing people. I really worked hard, and I played just as hard.
The clinical rotation was something very memorable. Natayla will ask where you would like to be placed and do her best to get you there. I fell even more in love with medicine more through the clinical rotations. You see the hospital where you will do most of your rotation is a teaching hospital, where Cornell and Columbia students do their rotations. So the attending love to tell you what is going on and everything. It was AMAZING.
Letter of Recommendation- We get evaluations by our instructors/RA and from the grades we receive, they create our letter of recommendation. And they right them for medical schools and other premed programs. So work hard and shine through.
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3.697 (Couldn't get a 3.7 hahaha)
In my first two semesters I have taken
Math M-211 "Calculus 2 (Theoretical)" B
Biology L112 "Biology 2" A
Biology 211 "Molecular Biology" A
Chemistry 117 "Inorganic I lecture and Lab" A-
I tested out of basic biology, no grade for that.
BCPM GPA 3.52
On top of that I fulfilled my 2 english classes and 2 humanities and my honors topics class for a cumulative of 3.69. I did better this semester with all science classes, I wish I would have waited to apply.
EC's - Habitat for Humanity and shadowing/volunteering at The University of Chicago ER
My PS's were strong, if anyone wants me to post them I will. I had a lot of people look it over. I am not URM, I am Polish and bilingual,I talked about that a lot on my application. It didn't help me with Columbia =).
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Yale SMDEP 2008
well, i didn't want to be the one to write the synopsis for many reasons, but i guess my (spotty-lol) recollections are probably better than nothing.
**first and foremost, the yale site seemed to put an emphasis on academics, which is why i applied. There were a lot of activities (picnics, beach trips, a trip to the mall, fireworks show on 7/4, etc. etc. to keep us entertained (and yes, they were very fun and most people enjoyed them) but i just wanted to throw that disclaimer out there**
also, if you dont want to read the whole thing:
Bottom line statements: great people, interesting and useful lectures/clincal shadowing/volunteering opportunities, solid academic enrichment in premed sciences + writing and communication, and an overall fun summer experience that will at least look interesting/good on your resume. it's a great networking opportunity-you rub shoulders with admissions committe members, deans, med students, etc. at yale and at the recruitment fair at umdnj, not to mention you get lors from TAs and get graded on overall performance (based on effort, motivation, etc.) so it's a good opportunity to shine!
Academics:
i took ochem and physics. (the other tracks were combos of o chem, physics, gen chem, intro and advanced bio).
Physics: the prof was phenominal. he was great at holding my attention, making complicated physics topics pretty easy for me to understand. also i loved his approach: he didnt try and teach us everything- instead he went through the traditional topic but honed in on problem areas ppl have that show up in courses and on the mcat. even better, he was very funny, approachable, and likeable. the guy was a back to the future fanatic (worked the movie into the class every chance he got) and on the last day we got to watch the movie!
Ochem: i'll be frank. a lot of people had complaints about the professor (spent too much time going over gchem stuff*) and attendance slipped noticably toward the end of the program. overall he was very good at engaging the class and keeping eveyone on their toes: he was VERY good at memorizing names and faces and knew my name and face within a few minutes (and proceeded to call on me many times over the remaining weeks).
*looking back we spent way more time on gchem than we needed to, but i can see why he did it: although gchem and ochem are very different, ochem builds on the stuff you learn about kinetics, thermodynamics, etc. in terms of reactions/reactivity etc. when he did talk about organic, he honed in on the troubling concepts that people get stuck on and beat it into our heads. all in all, the real learning occured in section
bio- dont remember much except the TAs were loved and the prof liked to talk about stuff related to his research (adv. bio)
overall, from talking to my friends from the program, theses classes helped.
personally, im not exactly sure how much smdep helped, but it did help me ace both physics and ochem I. at the very least i knew what to look out for in class and the head start over my classmates gave me more confidence going into the year.
writing and communication: very fun class,. interesting topics, we had debates (informal and formal) on ethical issues, cool skits to perform (well, we came up with them), ethical scenarios to respond to, great readings, helpful tips from experienced folks on interviewing, writing a personal statement, public speaking, etc. etc. it was a very dynamic and engaging class. it was great learning from other smdepers and learning their views and their cool experiences and backgrounds.
BTW the classes had smdeprs and howard-yale nursing scholars so classes were pretty diverse in terms of life experiences and knowledge levels in certain subjects
Biomed lecture series/clinical shadowing/volunteerine/etc.
awesome, awesome, awesome. my favorite part of the program hands down. the program had a bunch of talented folks (and btw the talent show was crazy because we ran it professionally with props, lighting, a technically decked out theater, and an abundance of performing talent..awesome memories!!)..!
Impressions on Yale/new haven/the harkness dormitory/other frivolous stuff
i hope i helped..lol
well, i didn't want to be the one to write the synopsis for many reasons, but i guess my (spotty-lol) recollections are probably better than nothing.
**first and foremost, the yale site seemed to put an emphasis on academics, which is why i applied. There were a lot of activities (picnics, beach trips, a trip to the mall, fireworks show on 7/4, etc. etc. to keep us entertained (and yes, they were very fun and most people enjoyed them) but i just wanted to throw that disclaimer out there**
also, if you dont want to read the whole thing:
Bottom line statements: great people, interesting and useful lectures/clincal shadowing/volunteering opportunities, solid academic enrichment in premed sciences + writing and communication, and an overall fun summer experience that will at least look interesting/good on your resume. it's a great networking opportunity-you rub shoulders with admissions committe members, deans, med students, etc. at yale and at the recruitment fair at umdnj, not to mention you get lors from TAs and get graded on overall performance (based on effort, motivation, etc.) so it's a good opportunity to shine!
Academics:
i took ochem and physics. (the other tracks were combos of o chem, physics, gen chem, intro and advanced bio).
Physics: the prof was phenominal. he was great at holding my attention, making complicated physics topics pretty easy for me to understand. also i loved his approach: he didnt try and teach us everything- instead he went through the traditional topic but honed in on problem areas ppl have that show up in courses and on the mcat. even better, he was very funny, approachable, and likeable. the guy was a back to the future fanatic (worked the movie into the class every chance he got) and on the last day we got to watch the movie!
- Section was very helpful- we basically had class and section every day and in section we went over problems to reinforce what we learned in lecture. the ta made sure to get everyone involved on problem solving and in the end it was great because i got to see other ways of approaching a problem. i found that alltough i thought i was a hotshot and knew what i was doing, there was often a more straightforward/less time consuming way to solving problems-- which would obviously come in handy on tests and especially on the mcat.
Ochem: i'll be frank. a lot of people had complaints about the professor (spent too much time going over gchem stuff*) and attendance slipped noticably toward the end of the program. overall he was very good at engaging the class and keeping eveyone on their toes: he was VERY good at memorizing names and faces and knew my name and face within a few minutes (and proceeded to call on me many times over the remaining weeks).
*looking back we spent way more time on gchem than we needed to, but i can see why he did it: although gchem and ochem are very different, ochem builds on the stuff you learn about kinetics, thermodynamics, etc. in terms of reactions/reactivity etc. when he did talk about organic, he honed in on the troubling concepts that people get stuck on and beat it into our heads. all in all, the real learning occured in section
- Section was phenominal lol. all the ta's were great (funny, smart, gifted at teaching, cool and down to earth)-- though mine was the best!. i basically learned orgo from my ta and attendance was great, much better than lecture. also, after all was said and done, they hosted a picnic at their apartment. cool guys.
bio- dont remember much except the TAs were loved and the prof liked to talk about stuff related to his research (adv. bio)
overall, from talking to my friends from the program, theses classes helped.
personally, im not exactly sure how much smdep helped, but it did help me ace both physics and ochem I.
at the very least i knew what to look out for in class and the head start over my classmates gave me more confidence going into the year.writing and communication: very fun class,. interesting topics, we had debates (informal and formal) on ethical issues, cool skits to perform (well, we came up with them), ethical scenarios to respond to, great readings, helpful tips from experienced folks on interviewing, writing a personal statement, public speaking, etc. etc. it was a very dynamic and engaging class. it was great learning from other smdepers and learning their views and their cool experiences and backgrounds.
BTW the classes had smdeprs and howard-yale nursing scholars so classes were pretty diverse in terms of life experiences and knowledge levels in certain subjects
Biomed lecture series/clinical shadowing/volunteerine/etc.
- To be brief, the lectures vere very good. the people who came to teach (about things ranging from epidemiology and infectious diseases, hiv/aids, depression, pathology, etc.) were a treat to hear. these people are leaders in their fields and they were often very warm, informal, jovial, etc, while delivering powerful and interesting messages.
- the intro to medical school application stuff was great! they (med students, and the DEAN of the medical school) walked us through the process and the medical students gave us as much info and hints as they could. i loved hearing their stories and acceptance strategies. one of the MSI's even gave sdn a shout out for it's interview feedback section!
- shadowing: everyone got at least two opportunities. mine were ER and Peds clinic. both were pretty good but peds got boring fast (meh, ive been to the docs office many times as a child so i know most of what happens). ER saw some activity (gun shots, gross infections, car crash, pedestrian hit by truck) and the 4 hours went by pretty quickly. i got shuffled around between residents, the cheif resident, attendings and the person in charge of the floor that night. it was definetly a cool learning experience and i got to chat with docs and residents during downtime. overall everyone was very approachable and wanted to show us a good time. SMDEP was really strict about us asking about more shadowing hours (apparently the hospital is strict, its not the program's fault) but the docs laughed at the idea of me not being able to ask for more shadowing and tried to help me set up with more opportunities. the residents actually offered more shadowing time but i really wanted to see an OR so i declined lol. bottom line: it was fun, i loved talking with the docs, but the program was not as flexible as i wanted (ie we didnt pic our shadowing opportunities). the ppl in charge tried to be as flexible as they could, but the fact was that there were tons of students on campus (smdep, howard-yale nursing scholars, biostep research, etc.) so they did their best. for example, more autopsy shadowings were offered later on and we were allowed to switch with friends if we wanted. the other shadowing opportunities included spanish health clinics (but only for self-identified spanish speakers/those who have experience with spanish language-like coursework) and stuff i cant remember lol.
- volunteering- basically we could sign up for whatever was available. random stuff like voter registration (did it twice, got two free yale som shirts! retail value at about 30 a pop) which was awesome.. to stuff like cleaning stuff up?? taking blood/blood pressure at some clininc, etc. sorry guys, my memory is failling me! yale is big on volunteering so there were many opportunities available
- oh, by the way, there were special invite only formal events (lectures/presentations) but i wasnt invited to any haha i think it was based on attendance to class and manditory meetings.. i admit i slept in a few times
awesome, awesome, awesome. my favorite part of the program hands down. the program had a bunch of talented folks (and btw the talent show was crazy because we ran it professionally with props, lighting, a technically decked out theater, and an abundance of performing talent..awesome memories!!)..!
- the people ran the gamut in terms of college background (incoming frosh through rising juniors, community college peeps, state school peeps, liberal arts, private research, honors and specialized schools like cooper union). the group was mostly minority but there was a great deal of diversity in terms of where people were from (states/regious and different countries), languages spoken, socioeconomic status, biracial status, etc.
- i could go on an on but i also wanted to mention that the med students were very cool people, not the typical premed you'd expect. very chill, funny, humble, yet greatly accomplished folks. they loved talking to us, sharing their stories, but most importantly, hearing/answering our questions and just hanging out. although the med students will change from year to year (mostly MSIs were part of the program), the yale system seems to attract a certain breed of people and im very impressed with what i saw.
Impressions on Yale/new haven/the harkness dormitory/other frivolous stuff
- harkness problems: there are only 2 floors with AC!!! also, i wish every floor had a cool lounge (i think every other floor had one, and mine did not...). also i got a single (HUUGE, nice looking, etc. and it said md/phd outside so im not surprised lol) but many others were not so lucky. i think all the rooms were good-sized but i wouldnt want to be stuck in a double either way. also, all the bathrooms were co-ed except for 2 floors (mine.. all guys..unfortunately.. and one all girls floor)
- the good about harkness: short distance (essentially less than a block) from the cafes, the hospital, the buildings where we had classes, pizza/fast food joints, walgreens, (about 7-8 blocks from) yale undergrad campus and all the clubs and restrauarants etc.). marigolds is big enough to hold everyone so it was great for socializing. the pool table was fun, the conference room was awesome for movie nights (informal) and just hanging out playing games. theres a tv or two for those who cant live w/o it. also, harkness is easy access to med and grad students living in the dorms. finally, the other summer program peeps lived in same dorm too so easy to socialize.
- imo, frivolous stuff: yale's undergrad is nice, and the area is very active so nightlife is decent (but not new york.. and btw there was no trip to boston like i hoped).
the library is nice and fancy/cool. the med campus is smallish but shiny and newish. the gym (2nd largest in the world) was pretty cool-and free access!
new haven itself is kind of dilapidated and crime-ridden outside of the yale influenced areas.. lol.. but i go to school in a worse area so i was unphased. most people didnt seem to mind.
i hope i helped..lol
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UW Summer 08
Basically...from the minute you get there you realize the staff really cares about you and really wants to help. Pam, Dan, and Dr. Acosta especially are amazing and will go out of their way to help you out.
the reason i picked UW is because of the migrant camp experience. Basically you get to go to a migrant camp and along with nurses, med students give free blood sugar testing, pass out toys, diapers, its fun.
They do their best to keep you entertained, they give you a schedule of events for the weekdns and about half of them are group trips with them vanning everyone out to the sites. Like Mt. Rainier hiking, 4th of july beach picnic, Sequoia falls. The rest, its up to you to form a group of friends to go explore the city. A lot of people ended up going on weekend trips to Canada since its so close by, and it was a lot of fun. This shouldnt be hard tho as everyone is friendly and eager to make friends
For the classes there are 2 tracks depending what you're doing in school...there's biochem/bio ,physics stats, ochem/gchem, medical spanish
there's ER, OR rotations and also you are paired with a mentor you go visit 4 times during the period.
I highly recommend this site. They are the only one that offers the honors option too, so that's something you can eventually put on your medschool application. Oh and another thing i liekd about UW, we were told that when we apply to UW for med school we will be given some advantage since we attended SMDEP there, basically putting us on the same level as WAMI applicants (which UW gives preference to)
Basically...from the minute you get there you realize the staff really cares about you and really wants to help. Pam, Dan, and Dr. Acosta especially are amazing and will go out of their way to help you out.
the reason i picked UW is because of the migrant camp experience. Basically you get to go to a migrant camp and along with nurses, med students give free blood sugar testing, pass out toys, diapers, its fun.
They do their best to keep you entertained, they give you a schedule of events for the weekdns and about half of them are group trips with them vanning everyone out to the sites. Like Mt. Rainier hiking, 4th of july beach picnic, Sequoia falls. The rest, its up to you to form a group of friends to go explore the city. A lot of people ended up going on weekend trips to Canada since its so close by, and it was a lot of fun. This shouldnt be hard tho as everyone is friendly and eager to make friends
For the classes there are 2 tracks depending what you're doing in school...there's biochem/bio ,physics stats, ochem/gchem, medical spanish
there's ER, OR rotations and also you are paired with a mentor you go visit 4 times during the period.
I highly recommend this site. They are the only one that offers the honors option too, so that's something you can eventually put on your medschool application. Oh and another thing i liekd about UW, we were told that when we apply to UW for med school we will be given some advantage since we attended SMDEP there, basically putting us on the same level as WAMI applicants (which UW gives preference to)
Hey guys I'm in the process of completing my application and was wondering what sites I should apply to? My first choice is definitely Columbia... just like everyone else lol. I am a URM, I actually got to check that little bubble that said Guamanian/Chamorro. I have a 3.86 GPA after this last semester and feel my essays are decent. What other two sites should I apply to? I would like to be somewhere in the east since I've been on the west coast my whole life. I don't want to get too greedy and get denied at all three so... what do you think?
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I did the program at Case Western and I highly recommend it! I would say the University of Virginia also (my alma mater)
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lol i check my app every morning. i heard we get notice of acceptance before 31st of this month.
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I'm having the same problem, I emailed the webmaster with a screenshot of the error a week ago and still no reply.
I was having that problem too and just figured it out today. You are probably using firefox or some other browser yes? You need to use Internet Explorer for the county code list to appear. If it's still not working on Explorer (like mine) reset your options to the default settings and try again. Hope that helps.
well, i am constantly checking for the status of my app, and for uva it says "not yet processed". Anyone else with the same statement? is anyone accepted in the uva program already?
except for columbia, are there any other schools which have given their decision?
i appreciate ur help in advance!
except for columbia, are there any other schools which have given their decision?
i appreciate ur help in advance!
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well, i am constantly checking for the status of my app, and for uva it says "not yet processed". Anyone else with the same statement? is anyone accepted in the uva program already?
except for columbia, are there any other schools which have given their decision?
i appreciate ur help in advance!
haha dar i seen u before somewhere. my app says same for uva not yet processed everything else has -- on it. only one that recieved is columbia. i am aniticpating every six hours for a letter.
hmmm.....where have you seen me arfan?? I think I saw u at princeton? u were helping prospective students right??
anyways...i called smdep and uva!!!
smdep said that check the decision status on 31st december......the ten day period hasn;t ended yet.....
anyways...i called smdep and uva!!!
smdep said that check the decision status on 31st december......the ten day period hasn;t ended yet.....
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yes yes dar i remember you now. when students from princeton went to a community college i saw you there. just hope for the best and your dream of getting into university of houston might come true. good luck. i check every 3 hours now lol
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"OVERALL PROGRAM RESULTS
As a result of the Minority Medical Education Program and the Summer Medical Education Program, thousands of young people gained new skills that made them more viable medical school applicants, say Charles Terrell, the national program director, and Jane Isaacs Lowe, the RWJF senior program officer overseeing the program. According to national program office data from 1989 (the first summer session):
- Through the summer of 2007, 16,556 students have participated in the summer enrichment initiative over 19 years.
- For MMEP and SMEP participants from 19892005 (14,615), 60.9 percent of participants (8,903) applied to medical school. Of the medical school applicants, 64.3 percent (5,723) were accepted and of the accepted applicants 98.3 percent (5,625) entered medical school.
- 3,364 MMEP and SMEP program participants have graduated from medical school (as of June 2007).
- The average medical school acceptance rate for the summer sessions was 62.1. The acceptance rate ranged from 77.2 percent for students in the 1994 session to 46.8 percent for 2003 participants.
- Program participants account for a growing share of the national medical school applicant pool. In 2002, program participants totaled 16.3 percent of all underrepresented minorities applying to medical school compared to 3.8 percent in 1990. As a share of the entire medical school applicant pool, program participants grew from 0.4 percent in 1990 to 2.1 percent in 2002.
- The number of white students applying to the program increased significantly in 2004, following adoption of the Summer Medical Education Program name and other changes to align the program with the Supreme Court decision (the University of Michigan cases). White applicants totaled about 250 in 2004 compared to 112 the previous year.
- This trend continued: In 2007, the enrollment was 45 percent African American, .5 percent American Indian, 15 percent Asian, 20 percent Hispanic/Latino, 10 percent Multiple Races or Other, and 9 percent white."
there are white applicant who got in last summer (columbia, uw, duke, etc.) whose stats are on this thread. but clearly stats are not everything. gl if you plan on applying. getting everything in early is important!
arfan.
.....UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON!!!... I know its a great university, and just because ur from princeton doesn't mean that U of H is bad!!btw.... i just got into Sam houston !!!!! got rejected from U of H...
I KILL U!!
I had my application submitted Nov. 4 and my letters of recommendations in by Dec. 15th. However, on my application status page, it still has the dashes under Latest Admission Action/Date for all the program sites I applied to. Is it suppose to still have that after everything is submitted? Or should I give them a call... it's been almost two weeks now since everything was submitted.
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yeahhhh i just got into uva yesterday. now i am waiting on duke and texas. hopefully i will find out by tonight!!!!
Hi everyone! I'm new to this forum. I applied to Duke, Yale and Umdnj. The status for Yale and Umdnj was " not yet processed' for more than a week. I just checked my status again and both say " not accepted". what a heartbreaker! I was about to go out for new years, have dinner and some fun, but now I'm crawling in my bed...ahhhh I don't understand why they rejected me, I thought UMDNJ was not that competitve. It probably has something to do with my SAT scores or my essay. :-( I am considered a minority and with terrible financial standings. I'm having a nervous breakdown now. I was really looking forward to going to either of these sites. Couldn't have they waited until after the new year to tell me I was rejected? What a terrible news for the new years?! :-(
Now I'm really praying for Duke. I'm so scared to check my status again. :-( I'd die of joy and happiness if I get accepted, but since umdnj rejected me, chance are probably very slim, I mean It's Duke afterall!
Does anyone know if they also let you check your status on the university's main website or only on SMDEP website? I also didn't recieve any emails/letters for the rejection.
anyone in the same shoes as me, please send me a message. I'm so sad rt now....everyone here seems to have been accepted to at least a site, which makes me feel like a total failure. :-(
Now I'm really praying for Duke. I'm so scared to check my status again. :-( I'd die of joy and happiness if I get accepted, but since umdnj rejected me, chance are probably very slim, I mean It's Duke afterall!
Does anyone know if they also let you check your status on the university's main website or only on SMDEP website? I also didn't recieve any emails/letters for the rejection.
anyone in the same shoes as me, please send me a message. I'm so sad rt now....everyone here seems to have been accepted to at least a site, which makes me feel like a total failure. :-(
