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DontHaveACowMan

DontHaveACowMan

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Pre-Meds,

I wanted to offer my perspective on SLU. I feel that the educational experience at SLU is really top notch, and that it is fairly underrated. I encourage you to check it out for yourself and apply.

Pre-Clinical:
Our pre clinical curriculum is very well organized and manegable. In both years, the hardest classes come first: Anatomy in M1 and Neuro in M2. This gets the worst part of the year out of the way and really makes the rest of the material very manegable, allowing time outside the classroom for electives and research. The professors, as a whole, are very good and lecture is worth attending, but not necessary because our pre-printed syllabus is really all you need. This really cuts down on studying extraneous material and makes our lives alot easier. The faculty is very dedicated to improving the student experience, and will listen to any changes the students suggest. Finally, the proof is in our USMLE Step 1 average. For this years M3s (ie those who most recently took the test), it was 229. Well above the national average.

Clinical:
The clinical experience here in StL is amazing. We are the penetrating trauma "gun and knife club" of St Louis. We are accredited by both the State of Illinois and Missouri, and get a lot of trauma from both. Our ER, surgery, and ortho rotations are well known for this fantastic experience. Students get a very 'hands-on' learning experience.
We also have a variety of hospitals we rotate at, something which I believe is very important for producing a well rounded clinical experience. Much of our 3rd and 4th year are spent at SLU hospital (the big one right across from the medical school) and Cardinal Glennon Children's. But we also spend alot of time at the VA, which is another great experience for students. In addition, we can do rotations at other local hospitals with a more 'private' feel and patient base (ie St Marys, St Johns, Forest Park hospital). This allows for a very well rounded experience.

Other:
The new research building is bringing very exciting things to SLU. Lots of $ will be coming in to the new faculty that they are recruiting at present. This will provide great student research opportunities in the basic sciences. It will also pull SLU up in the rankings in the next few years.
Simulated patient experience. We have 2 trauma rooms and 2 ORs with simulated patients that are unreal. You have to see them firsthand to understand.
As I said, the dedication of the faculty is amazing. We have faculty that hold regular weekend office hours to accomodate busy student schedules. There is a real sense of community here; it feels like a big family.

I encourage you to check SLU out. Feel free to PM me with any specific questions.
Members don't see this ad.
 
Members don't see this ad :)
I applied to SLU, too. Complete and waiting to hear back...
 
i also applied. been complete for weeks now. tell your friendly admissions officers to get rolling :)
 
I really, really appreciated this info, and it's in part why I added SLU to my list of schools.

I have an interview there (invited 10/5), and several of my friends who are currently MS1s elsewhere have warned me that I may not be comfortable at the school. They've said that SLU has a heavily conservative student body, with a lot of "evangelical Christians, Bushies, and armed forces types."

I'm pretty moderate and open-minded, and I can't imagine being uncomfortable with a group of medical students - people I'd assume to be at least intelligent and articulate, for the most part - unless they're representative of a total political extreme. That said, my friend did warn me that there was a HUGE meeting of "Students for Life" on her interview day...

Does anyone who actually attends SLU or is familiar with the school have any thoughts on the makeup of the student body? I'm going to see for myself, but I'd love the opinion of someone who has been there for more than just an interview.

Thanks!
 
Adradr said:
I really, really appreciated this info, and it's in part why I added SLU to my list of schools.

I have an interview there (invited 10/5), and several of my friends who are currently MS1s elsewhere have warned me that I may not be comfortable at the school. They've said that SLU has a heavily conservative student body, with a lot of "evangelical Christians, Bushies, and armed forces types."
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:laugh: No wonder I have yet to receive an interview...one of my activities on AMCAS involved active participation in Senator Paul Wellstone's re-election campaign back in the days. :lol: :lol: :lol:
 
jochi1543 said:
:laugh: No wonder I have yet to receive an interview...one of my activities on AMCAS involved active participation in Senator Paul Wellstone's re-election campaign back in the days. :lol: :lol: :lol:
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Back in the day?

Jochi, four years is not a terribly long time ago.

Now you've made the applicants who are much older than us feel bad about themselves.
 
koko_eats said:
Back in the day?

Jochi, four years is not a terribly long time ago.

Now you've made the applicants who are much older than us feel bad about themselves.
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Five, not 4.;)
 
I have to say, I interviewed at SLU and I did not like it AT ALL. All of the students I spoke to were super apathetic and not excited about being there at all; in fact, one went so far as to say "well, you know, it's med school...it's not going to be exciting no matter where you go" .... I mean...isn't the whole point of being a student helper at interviews to tell the interviewees how great your school is and to encourage them to go there? Also, students were talking very matter of factly about getting mugged and how friends of theirs had been beat up while getting off the bus. :eek: I see how knowing the safety of the surrounding area is a good thing to know, but I honestly didn't expect it to be like a scared straight video.:thumbdown:
 
Members don't see this ad :)
if i interviewed during the second week of september, should i be hearing back on Oct. 15?
 
I didn't like how they had student "plants" at the lunch. You'd figure it was harmless, luckily our guides warned us beforehand that they were "spies" and were assessing us and had a say (though not sure how significant) on admissions.

Now that I think about it, I ran into one student in the washroom and he tried to lure me into saying something racist. I was asking him about the safety around campus and he said something along the lines of 'yea, there is a crime problem, also the majority of the city is black'...'oh really?' was my response (was thinking, wtf, why would you mention that?)
 
xylem29 said:
I didn't like how they had student "plants" at the lunch. You'd figure it was harmless, luckily our guides warned us beforehand that they were "spies" and were assessing us and had a say (though not sure how significant) on admissions.

Now that I think about it, I ran into one student in the washroom and he tried to lure me into saying something racist. I was asking him about the safety around campus and he said something along the lines of 'yea, there is a crime problem, also the majority of the city is black'...'oh really?' was my response (was thinking, wtf, why would you mention that?)
Click to expand...
Did you already have an interview this cycle, xylem? Or was it last year? I've been complete for over a month now, haven't heard anything one way or another.
 
I interviewed there last year. The tour guide said she was only there because it was the only school that admitted her. The interview was crazy... kept asking about abortion and stuff at a Catholic school...
Facilities seemed rather archaic as well. Got wait listed there and Columbia so go fig.
 
xylem29 said:
I didn't like how they had student "plants" at the lunch. You'd figure it was harmless, luckily our guides warned us beforehand that they were "spies" and were assessing us and had a say (though not sure how significant) on admissions.

Now that I think about it, I ran into one student in the washroom and he tried to lure me into saying something racist. I was asking him about the safety around campus and he said something along the lines of 'yea, there is a crime problem, also the majority of the city is black'...'oh really?' was my response (was thinking, wtf, why would you mention that?)
Click to expand...

Wow. I don't think you could be more misinformed.

I am on the student interview committee and I can tell you we don't have any "spies".

We have a test coming up, I will address more concerns later.
 
How do we know you aren't just feeding us propaganda?
 
xylem29 said:
I didn't like how they had student "plants" at the lunch. You'd figure it was harmless, luckily our guides warned us beforehand that they were "spies" and were assessing us and had a say (though not sure how significant) on admissions.
Click to expand...

MelnaisLacis said:
The interview was crazy... kept asking about abortion and stuff at a Catholic school...
Click to expand...


Seriously?

I applied to SLU, but those two pieces of info aren't exactly what I would want to hear about a school I was looking at.
 
I did not feel I would be a very good "fit" as SLU.

Also, the interview was weird. The guy read all the questions right off of a computer monitor. He NEVER made eye contact with me during the process, and typed notes about my answers as I gave them. Then he made a comment about how they look for people with "great interpersonal skills."

I found it very difficult to "connect" with this person, and I would not be shocked to see a rejection letter. Also, there was only 1 interview, which I believe made it difficult to get a multifaceted perspective. The schools that have had 3 interviewers were easier to get a better snapshot of.
 
Kikaku21 said:
I did not feel I would be a very good "fit" as SLU.

Also, the interview was weird. The guy read all the questions right off of a computer monitor. He NEVER made eye contact with me during the process, and typed notes about my answers as I gave them. Then he made a comment about how they look for people with "great interpersonal skills."

I found it very difficult to "connect" with this person, and I would not be shocked to see a rejection letter. Also, there was only 1 interview, which I believe made it difficult to get a multifaceted perspective. The schools that have had 3 interviewers were easier to get a better snapshot of.
Click to expand...

Did you get many questions of a political nature (i.e. abortion, etc.) in your interview?
 
Old Grunt said:
Seriously?

I applied to SLU, but those two pieces of info aren't exactly what I would want to hear about a school I was looking at.
Click to expand...

Take everything you hear on SDN with a grain of salt. I actually got my acceptance from SLU on Oct 15th. I don't know about the student "spies" during lunch, but they seemed like the Q&A sessions at every other school I've interviewed at. I thought they were friendly and informative.

As for the interview, I had Dr. Willmore, the head of the admissions committee. Yeah, he was a bit unorthodox (asked me if I was going into medicine because my asian parents were pushing me to) but I didn't think he was trying to trick me or get me to "slip up." He did type a lot, but I like to think that the better notes he has, the better he'll remember me when he speaks about me to the committee...and hey, it worked out well for me, didn't it?

Keep an open mind when you interview there, or you'll be missing out on a good opportunity.
 
Can anyone tell me how much the medical school focuses on the religious affiliation of the school- Im not Jesuit and don't know much about Jesuits... is there something all students have to agree to do like at Loma Linda or what?
 
SilverMoon said:
Take everything you hear on SDN with a grain of salt. I actually got my acceptance from SLU on Oct 15th. I don't know about the student "spies" during lunch, but they seemed like the Q&A sessions at every other school I've interviewed at. I thought they were friendly and informative.

As for the interview, I had Dr. Willmore, the head of the admissions committee. Yeah, he was a bit unorthodox (asked me if I was going into medicine because my asian parents were pushing me to) but I didn't think he was trying to trick me or get me to "slip up." He did type a lot, but I like to think that the better notes he has, the better he'll remember me when he speaks about me to the committee...and hey, it worked out well for me, didn't it?

Keep an open mind when you interview there, or you'll be missing out on a good opportunity.
Click to expand...

Thanks. I am well aware that a lot of stuff on SDN isn't exactly reliable, so I appreciate your comments based on your experience.

My midwestern sensibilities make me automatically uncomfortable about discussing politics or religion with strangers, so that was really my concern.
 
Kikaku21 said:
He NEVER made eye contact with me during the process, and typed notes about my answers as I gave them. Then he made a comment about how they look for people with "great interpersonal skills."
Click to expand...
That's awesome.:laugh:
 
There are some things I liked and some things I didn't when I interviewed. The school did not seem very religious. Religion is certainly not forced on anyone. My interview went alright. It was pleasant. No tough questions at all (about politics, abortion, or anything like that).
 
futuredrcrawfor said:
Can anyone tell me how much the medical school focuses on the religious affiliation of the school- Im not Jesuit and don't know much about Jesuits... is there something all students have to agree to do like at Loma Linda or what?
Click to expand...

I was concerned about this a bit before I interviewed. When I got there, there were crosses on the walls and there's also a priest for students. But, other than that, there's not a lot of people pushing religion on you. Even the priest isn't for only Catholic people, but somebody just to hang out with and talk to.

I even asked my interviewer how he felt being a Jesuit school impacted things. We had a conversation about being open to new things and how medicine is constantly changing.

From my limited experience, other than the visual objects, it didn't feel overly religious. And even though I do go to church, I'm not Catholic nor am I BSing you.
 
xylem29 said:
I didn't like how they had student "plants" at the lunch. You'd figure it was harmless, luckily our guides warned us beforehand that they were "spies" and were assessing us and had a say (though not sure how significant) on admissions.

Now that I think about it, I ran into one student in the washroom and he tried to lure me into saying something racist. I was asking him about the safety around campus and he said something along the lines of 'yea, there is a crime problem, also the majority of the city is black'...'oh really?' was my response (was thinking, wtf, why would you mention that?)
Click to expand...

I'm sorry you didn't like your interview there. I think you're a bit paranoid about the 'spy' thing. I doubt any medical school admissions committee cares to hear what a current med student has to say about any particular applicant. For residency programs its different, since most only take ~4 people per year, so they want to screen applicants hard to make sure everyone will get along.

As far as the comment the student made to you in the bathroom, do you honestly believe that an adcom would ask a lowly med student to stage a scenario where they try to expose you as a racist in the bathroom?!?! :laugh: Sounds like the student him/herself was racist to me, and nothing more.

I got bad vibes from some places too, so don't take this the wrong way. Hope you feel better about places higher on your list.

PS- about the abortion/ Christian thing, a former classmate of mine got accepted and is attending there and he is far from Christian.
 
^I agree. One of my student hosts was debating on the morning of my interview whether or not to attend the luncheon (he did end up going). It seems to be a totally voluntary thing for the med students to do. I don't think they're spies.
 
Ok....


Regarding the conservative nature of our class; I think we have only a slightly higher than average number of conservative christian types; but then again its hard for me to compare. I can only speak for myself and most of my close friends, who are definitely NOT christian-conservative.

Our class is actually quite diverse, which is one of the reasons that I chose to come here over the relatively uniform student body at my southern state school. We have a lot of racial diversity; I have classmates from the midwest, the northeast, the west (actually a lot of people are from California, Oregon, & Washington) & the south (myself included).

I was a bit worried about the catholic influence here; but besides outward symbolism (crosses on the wall, father baker, etc), I haven't noticed it at all. It certainly doesn't affect our clinical experience... I really think its only an added bonus for religious students (not just catholics). I interviewed at Georgetown a few years ago & I feel that SLU is no more affected by its Jesuit affiliation than GU is.

As far as the guy behind the computer during your interviews. That is Dr. Willmore, aka the Dean of admissions. He interviewed me 2 years ago & did the same thing. I also thought it was odd... don't really know what else to say about that other than the fact that he's a neurologist predisposes him to being... quirky. And to wearing bowties. (you'll see). He's actually a really nice guy & a world renown epileptologist (he has patients from all over the US & even a few international patients).

Once again, I feel that our curriculum here is awesome. The preclinical years are well-organized & relatively stress-free (as much as can be expected in medical school). We have faculty that genuinely care about their students & are actually interested in seeing them succeed. Our rankings are poised to rise with the new research focus & the new research building having recently opened. The clinical experience here is very hands on & SLU students come out functioning at the level of interns upon their graduation. I have a family member who graduated from a very prestigious institution just down the road who lamented his lack of hands-on experience as a 3rd & 4th year. He says it was great to watch the best, but learning comes from doing. Something to think about...

Overall, I think we have a slightly under-rated program that is poised to rise very soon in terms of rankings & reputation. Should you come here if you get into WashU or Harvard? Of course not. But I think we are great middle-tier school that is only getting better.

I again encourage you to check it out for yourself.

If you have any questions, PM me. It may take me a while to answer, but I will get back to you.

best,

DHACM
 
Any advice on how to prepare for the interivew?
 
yeah, i have my interview in a few weeks.. with a dr. drake? i hear he is nice as well...
any stats about acceptances and how soon they get back to you after interview?
 
i know someone who was accepted after a month
 
paradocs we are said:
Any advice on how to prepare for the interivew?
Click to expand...

just know your application well..

i wasn't asked any of political/ethical type of questions during the interview.
i found the interview process to be relaxed and laid back..

dont worry about it too much..
 
dandelionwisps said:
yeah, i have my interview in a few weeks.. with a dr. drake? i hear he is nice as well...
any stats about acceptances and how soon they get back to you after interview?
Click to expand...

i interviewed mid nov. and heard back on 1/2..i think..
 
dandelionwisps said:
yeah, i have my interview in a few weeks.. with a dr. drake? i hear he is nice as well...
any stats about acceptances and how soon they get back to you after interview?
Click to expand...

I had Dr. Drake. Very nice man. No hypothetical or ethical scenarios. Just a friendly discussion of your application and SLU.


I interviewed 9/25 and heard back on 10/15.
 
did the admissions office give you a date on which you could call about your status or tell you when the adcom were reviewing files next?
 
Kikaku21 said:
I did not feel I would be a very good "fit" as SLU.

Also, the interview was weird. The guy read all the questions right off of a computer monitor. He NEVER made eye contact with me during the process, and typed notes about my answers as I gave them. Then he made a comment about how they look for people with "great interpersonal skills."
Click to expand...


I believe I had that same interviewer, and left the interview pretty flustered and annoyed. I was pretty surprised to get an acceptance not too long after.

Also, I'm pretty liberal, and volunteered for Planned Parenthood and such as an undergrad. I have other liberal activities on my application. I was surprised that no one even mentioned it.

Also, the students I talked to were way into the school and happy to be there. My visit to the school was pretty good, and I came away with a positive impression overall (despite the interviewer). I probably won't end up going just because I've been accepted other places that seem to be a better fit.
 
dandelionwisps said:
did the admissions office give you a date on which you could call about your status or tell you when the adcom were reviewing files next?
Click to expand...

I think they said somewhere in the range of 4-6 weeks.

Obviously, 10/15 is less than 4 weeks from 9/25 so I wasn't expecting the acceptance.
 
I go to SLU undergrad and it is very far from being conservative. Yes it is a jesuit institution but their emphasis really is on ensuring a well-rounded experience, be in conservative or liberal. And trust me, I'm far from conservative and I know that there could not have been a better place for me.
 
omg interview in 2 days.. getting nervous esp with the interview feedback down and i can't obsessively read up on it....
 
i applied to slu and i've been complete since september :(
 
Ok, so I have an interview coming up here pretty soon, and with the interview feedback not working, I'm hoping that someone might be able to help me out. I interview with Dr. Rausch, and was hoping that someone might have interviewed with him to give me ANY kind of hint about his style?? I'm sort of worried about getting 'tough' questions, as all my interviews so far have been pretty conversational. Any suggestions for getting prepped??
 
I think the SLU interviews are supposed to be pretty laid back. You may get asked ethical questions on abortion/euthanasia. Fortunately, my interviewer and I were on the same page.

i think that your prep time would be best spent on thinking out why you have the stances that you have on various ethical issues
good luck!
rose
:luck::luck::luck:
 
Hopefully, I haven't checked, interview feedback is working by now. There weren't any "difficult" questions I was asked that was not listed on the interview feedback. At the same time, I was asked a large amount of the questions that I saw (at least 10) on the interview feedback.

I believe that they might have a list of questions that they have for interviewers because mine looked like he was reading off of a laptop. But despite this impressions, they're nice people. And even though my interviewer was asking and typing on his laptop the majority of the time, we were still able to talk about other things. You just have to try harder at that :luck:
 
I have been complete at SLU since early October and it is a school I am really interested in attending. I am qualified, more or less, with solid EC's and LOR's. MCATS and GPA are within range and I have solid employment experience in a pathology lab doing hands on path work. I wish I had some idea what it takes to get an interview and be considered. I am afraid the class will be filled before my time. Any ideas anyone, please help.:confused:
 
mother said:
I have been complete at SLU since early October and it is a school I am really interested in attending. I am qualified, more or less, with solid EC's and LOR's. MCATS and GPA are within range and I have solid employment experience in a pathology lab doing hands on path work. I wish I had some idea what it takes to get an interview and be considered. I am afraid the class will be filled before my time. Any ideas anyone, please help.:confused:
Click to expand...

They don't seem to schedule too far ahead. I got my invite on 1/8 and the first possible date was 1/24. So I hope you do get an invite soon! I believe they are interviewing until March/April and if that's the case, then I'm pretty sure they will be sending out invites for at least another month.
 
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