2008-2009 OHSU Secondary Application Thread

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shemarty

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PERSONAL ESSAY (REQUIRED):
How will you evaluate your success as a medical student? (Please submit on a separate sheet of paper, do not exceed one page. No particular format, font or spacing is required.)

EMPLOYMENT/ACTIVITIES HISTORY (REQUIRED):
Using the format below, give us a brief chronological account of your major activities and employment, including volunteer and summer activities, for the five years immediately preceding your proposed entry to medical school.
 
Recommendations from three college or university faculty from any
department. (It is recommended that at least one be from a science department faculty member.) If you attended or are attending an institution that provides a premedical committee evaluation report, you may have the committee report submitted in lieu of the three separate recommendations. Applicants who have been out of college for five years or more may submit two letters from employers and one faculty letter. It is highly recommended that applicants provide additional non-academic recommendations as well (i.e. employment, community service and health care experiences).
 
Has anyone gotten the secondary (OOS)? I was under the impression they did rolling admissions and it's making me a little jittery not having it.
 
Wordead said:
Has anyone gotten the secondary (OOS)? I was under the impression they did rolling admissions and it's making me a little jittery not having it.
Click to expand...

I received it today (oos). Not sure if there is a method to this madness
 
Oops. realized I said it was rolling but it's not. The tremors and the twitching have subsided.
 
majahops said:
do they screen?
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No they don't. They love your money. A member of the admissions committee said that the OOS applicants needed something like 3.6 and a 32 in order to get an interview. He noted that this changes year to year and was referring to the 2008 entering class.
 
thegreenbastard said:
No they don't. They love your money. A member of the admissions committee said that the OOS applicants needed something like 3.6 and a 32 in order to get an interview. He noted that this changes year to year and was referring to the 2008 entering class.
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Are you sure? MSAR says they screen. ??
 
breeak said:
Are you sure? MSAR says they screen. ??
Click to expand...
I don't think they do. Maybe they have some super low cut-offs like 2.5 and 18 but they definitely don't look at your application until after secondary submission from what I have seen.
 
Taken from the admissions page on ohsu's website:

Both the minimum academic and MCAT qualifiers set for that entering class. For the 2006 entering class, the minimum qualifiers are a cumulative total GPA of 2.8 and a cumulative score of 24 on the most recent eligible MCAT. Minimum qualifiers are subject to change from one admissions cycle to the next.

On a side note...Out of curiosity, what is OHSU's class profile (GPA, MCAT) according to the most recent MSAR?
 
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shemarty said:
PERSONAL ESSAY (REQUIRED):
How will you evaluate your success as a medical student? (Please submit on a separate sheet of paper, do not exceed one page. No particular format, font or spacing is required.)

EMPLOYMENT/ACTIVITIES HISTORY (REQUIRED):
Using the format below, give us a brief chronological account of your major activities and employment, including volunteer and summer activities, for the five years immediately preceding your proposed entry to medical school.
Click to expand...



i wonder what they're looking for in terms of defining "success"
 
Wordead said:
Has anyone gotten the secondary (OOS)? I was under the impression they did rolling admissions and it's making me a little jittery not having it.
Click to expand...

OHSU is a little strange with its admission process. It is possible to be accepted early (like at a typical rolling admissions school), but because OHSU will not give out more acceptances than spots, most applicants will be placed on hold and then accepted later in the season. It is NOT like non-rolling schools where all acceptances are released in one big batch.

Also, OHSU does screen for secondaries, but it is not as rigorous as the post-secondary screen.

And just one piece of advice about OHSU, don't be discouraged by how slow they are. When I applied, I basically heard from them every time I started to give up any hope of getting in. Feeling that way is normal for OHSU, so try not to let it stress you out too much.
 
i am actually excited for this school.

i'll keep my hopes up about staying on the west coast! 👍
 
Yeah I'm excited about this school too. Its my number one choice. Where are you from on the west coast disorder??
 
Wow, this is my first choice too, but not applying 'till next summer. 🙂 Good luck everyone!
 
I'm in the same boat as Katatonic... 😉
 
If I took some genetics in Biology 1A, do you think it's possible to pass this 1 quarter requirement in genetics? Most people at my UG don't need to take this, and many other med schools don't require it...
 
Thanks for the info rad and urhere (btw, love your avatar 😀). I would LOVE to go to OHSU. I'm from the west coast and want to get back there, but it's so hard as an OOS applicant. Cross your fingers for me! I'm glad to see that the initial screen is a fairly low hurdle.

Anyone else been following the financial woes of the past couple of years over at OHSU? Thoughts?
 
breeak said:
Thanks for the info rad and urhere (btw, love your avatar 😀). I would LOVE to go to OHSU. I'm from the west coast and want to get back there, but it's so hard as an OOS applicant. Cross your fingers for me! I'm glad to see that the initial screen is a fairly low hurdle.

Anyone else been following the financial woes of the past couple of years over at OHSU? Thoughts?
Click to expand...

I don't know too much, but it's hard for me to sympathize with them when they are building 4 new gorgeous buildings down by the waterfront, schemed the city into putting up the tram to connect said buildings (which hasn't lowered the cost or improved the parking situation), closed down at least one, if not more, research departments and labs which they were "borrowing" money from. Correct me if I'm wrong, that's one rumor I've heard. I do know that the funding situation in research is dire, so they very well could have closed on their own. But had they had any money, you would think they would have helped the labs to stay open...
 
ronicajay said:
I don't know too much, but it's hard for me to sympathize with them when they are building 4 new gorgeous buildings down by the waterfront, schemed the city into putting up the tram to connect said buildings (which hasn't lowered the cost or improved the parking situation), closed down at least one, if not more, research departments and labs which they were "borrowing" money from. Correct me if I'm wrong, that's one rumor I've heard. I do know that the funding situation in research is dire, so they very well could have closed on their own. But had they had any money, you would think they would have helped the labs to stay open...
Click to expand...

For those of you who don't know, OHSU's financial issues stem specifically from the tort cap loss that previously limited lawsuits against the university to $200,000. The old policy also allowed any claims against specific physicians, etc. to be brought against the university instead of an individual person. Having that security taken away has cost OHSU a lot already (approx. $30 million), and the school really couldn't avoid the changes it has needed to make.

Some specific things that are happening because of the loss:

-Class size has been reduced and tuition has risen.
-Some of the "gorgeous buildings down by the waterfront" are being outsourced because the school can't afford to keep them.
-The school has told their research centers that they need to contribute more to the cost of running labs. As a result, some labs that couldn't afford to contribute more have closed.
-Discontinuation of many outreach programs.

Many of the advancements jay mentioned happened before the tort loss. The university is dealing with the loss, and is trying to reallocate its budget. I don't think these losses will be permanent and they really shouldn't affect the incoming medical students too severely.
 
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Have they mentioned the specifics in regard to the rise in tuition? I would be interested to know.

Also, can anyone currently attending OHSU comment on the difficulty in attaining research now? Has this greatly diminished the opportunities for students?
 
This is invaluable practical information. I thank you on behalf of all OHSU applicants for sharing it with us.

URHere said:
For those of you who don't know, OHSU's financial issues stem specifically from the tort cap loss that previously limited lawsuits against the university to $200,000. The old policy also allowed any claims against specific physicians, etc. to be brought against the university instead of an individual person. Having that security taken away has cost OHSU a lot already (approx. $30 million), and the school really couldn't avoid the changes it has needed to make.

Some specific things that are happening because of the loss:

-Class size has been reduced and tuition has risen.
-Some of the "gorgeous buildings down by the waterfront" are being outsourced because the school can't afford to keep them.
-The school has told their research centers that they need to contribute more to the cost of running labs. As a result, some labs that couldn't afford to contribute more have closed.
-Discontinuation of many outreach programs.

Many of the advancements jay mentioned happened before the tort loss. The university is dealing with the loss, and is trying to reallocate its budget. I don't think these losses will be permanent and they really shouldn't affect the incoming medical students too severely.
Click to expand...
 
If we could just clone you and assign different copies to represent each of the US med schools on here, that would be ideal. You're awesome. Thanks again.

URHere said:
OHSU is a little strange with its admission process. It is possible to be accepted early (like at a typical rolling admissions school), but because OHSU will not give out more acceptances than spots, most applicants will be placed on hold and then accepted later in the season. It is NOT like non-rolling schools where all acceptances are released in one big batch.

Also, OHSU does screen for secondaries, but it is not as rigorous as the post-secondary screen.

And just one piece of advice about OHSU, don't be discouraged by how slow they are. When I applied, I basically heard from them every time I started to give up any hope of getting in. Feeling that way is normal for OHSU, so try not to let it stress you out too much.
Click to expand...
 
UTnut said:
Have they mentioned the specifics in regard to the rise in tuition? I would be interested to know.

Also, can anyone currently attending OHSU comment on the difficulty in attaining research now? Has this greatly diminished the opportunities for students?
Click to expand...

The tuition hike was fairly substantial for the current incoming class (something around 21%). This boils down to $43,156 + ~$5k for OOS and $30,503 plus ~$2k for IS (the extra money is for other various fees). While I have absolutely no idea if tuition will see another large jump next year, I am really thinking that it won't see anything so substantial for quite awhile.

As for research, OHSU is an amazing research school, and the loss of a few labs won't change that. If you are interested in a field that OHSU is well-known for (or anything that has a massive research center), you should be just fine. I can't foresee any problems unless you have your heart absolutely set on some obscure field that only a handful of OHSU PIs are researching in the first place.

majahops said:
If we could just clone you and assign different copies to represent each of the US med schools on here, that would be ideal. You're awesome. Thanks again.
Click to expand...

I'm glad to hear that what I've added is helpful! It is so hard to decide how you feel about a school without all of the information (good and bad). As for who I am, I'm someone you'll probably meet if you go to interview at OHSU, and I'm someone who would be beyond amused to see tiny clones of myself running all over the place...but I digress...

I don't think you'll have too much trouble finding people on SDN who will give you information about other schools, but you may have to look for them. Most current students may not haunt the application threads, but they would certainly reply to a school-specific thread, and many people in the allopathic class threads mention that they would be willing to help prospective students with questions.

And now to stop hijacking the thread...yes...back to application questions...
 
My girlfriend just got her secondary from OHSU on 7/29 but I have yet to received mine. Luckily the application is a pdf so I made myself a copy and have been working on it. I should be done with it later tonight. Would it be a bad thing to just send my completed application out without actually getting my secondary via e-mail?? Thoughts?
 
floja2 said:
If I took some genetics in Biology 1A, do you think it's possible to pass this 1 quarter requirement in genetics? Most people at my UG don't need to take this, and many other med schools don't require it...
Click to expand...


bump


as for ^, i don't think you should.. because i thought they screened? call to confirm perhaps if you don't want to wait.
 
Edit: Nvm my question was answered when I read through the thread
 
URHere said:
For those of you who don't know, OHSU's financial issues stem specifically from the tort cap loss that previously limited lawsuits against the university to $200,000. The old policy also allowed any claims against specific physicians, etc. to be brought against the university instead of an individual person. Having that security taken away has cost OHSU a lot already (approx. $30 million), and the school really couldn't avoid the changes it has needed to make.

Some specific things that are happening because of the loss:

-Class size has been reduced and tuition has risen.
-Some of the "gorgeous buildings down by the waterfront" are being outsourced because the school can't afford to keep them.
-The school has told their research centers that they need to contribute more to the cost of running labs. As a result, some labs that couldn't afford to contribute more have closed.
-Discontinuation of many outreach programs.

Many of the advancements jay mentioned happened before the tort loss. The university is dealing with the loss, and is trying to reallocate its budget. I don't think these losses will be permanent and they really shouldn't affect the incoming medical students too severely.
Click to expand...

fair enough. and no, i wouldn't think this would affect incoming med students either.
 
breeak said:
Thanks for the info rad and urhere (btw, love your avatar 😀). I would LOVE to go to OHSU. I'm from the west coast and want to get back there, but it's so hard as an OOS applicant. Cross your fingers for me! I'm glad to see that the initial screen is a fairly low hurdle.

Anyone else been following the financial woes of the past couple of years over at OHSU? Thoughts?
Click to expand...

i will for sure! portland is beautiful, and often overlooked. and yeah, i think they're having some troubles with the money. if i get in (fingers crossed), i'll still be paying a large tuition, even though i'm in state...
 
Anyone still waiting for their secondary from OHSU? I saw that the deadline to submit the secondary is september 1st. So I'm worried they overlooked me and forgot to send me a secondary. Thoughts?
 
as someone who has worked at ohsu for 3 years and applied last year (didn't get in due to a very weird interview- but had an informative exit interview that shed a lot of light on their selection process) i joined sdn to answer your questions about ohsu because their website is very hard to access and they definitely do a wierd application process. so... fire away- i bet i can answer anything!
 
doubleE said:
as someone who has worked at ohsu for 3 years and applied last year (didn't get in due to a very weird interview- but had an informative exit interview that shed a lot of light on their selection process) i joined sdn to answer your questions about ohsu because their website is very hard to access and they definitely do a wierd application process. so... fire away- i bet i can answer anything!
Click to expand...

will they give any sort of preference to someone who lived in oregon their entire life/now living in washington but still working in portland?
 
doubleE said:
as someone who has worked at ohsu for 3 years and applied last year (didn't get in due to a very weird interview- but had an informative exit interview that shed a lot of light on their selection process) i joined sdn to answer your questions about ohsu because their website is very hard to access and they definitely do a wierd application process. so... fire away- i bet i can answer anything!
Click to expand...

What os so weird about their application process?
 
will they give any sort of preference to someone who lived in oregon their entire life/now living in washington but still working in portland?

yes- you will still be considered instate.

What os so weird about their application process?

everything! the paper only application. they actually screen primaries. the non-rolling admissions. the weight that they place on the interview. their scoring system for applicants (and how little value is placed on it after the interview)- just how they pick their class is very interesting.
 
doubleE said:
will they give any sort of preference to someone who lived in oregon their entire life/now living in washington but still working in portland?

yes- you will still be considered instate.

What os so weird about their application process?

everything! the paper only application. they actually screen primaries. the non-rolling admissions. the weight that they place on the interview. their scoring system for applicants (and how little value is placed on it after the interview)- just how they pick their class is very interesting.
Click to expand...

So how is the scoring system? How do they pick their class?
 
disorder said:
So how is the scoring system? How do they pick their class?
Click to expand...


they have five sections (not in any particular order) that they base your total score on:

1.mcat/gpa
2.extracurriculars
3.personal statement/secondary essay
4.residency
5.interview

they score you on a 5 point scale (1-sucks 5-superior). however, the interview score is worth 65% of your total score and the other 4 relatively evenly make up the other 35%.

honestly, i'm not 100% certain how they pick their class. at my exit interview i was told that i scored 5/5 on 4 sections and 4/5 on 1 section. even though this 1 section was probably the interview (to have a big enough impact) it seems like a 4/5 would be good enough with 4 5/5's to get in... but i was waitlisted (beyond the scope of actually getting off the waitlist). so... yeah.
 
On the secondary first page it says that they prefer applicants who apply for MD/MPH or MD/PhD...
I'm interested in MD/MPH, but am not applying anywhere else for MPH until i get into an MD program.
Should I go ahead and apply for the MD/MPH even if it means scrounging up another MPH specific recommendation......?

thanks guys!
 
I hate to ask this again but have any of you not received your secondary from OHSU yet? I still have yet to receive mine so I'm kinda freaking out since the deadline for secondary submission is september 1st. Thoughts??
 
RGMass03 said:
I hate to ask this again but have any of you not received your secondary from OHSU yet? I still have yet to receive mine so I'm kinda freaking out since the deadline for secondary submission is september 1st. Thoughts??
Click to expand...


where are you getting this september 1st deadline?
 
RGMass03 said:
I hate to ask this again but have any of you not received your secondary from OHSU yet? I still have yet to receive mine so I'm kinda freaking out since the deadline for secondary submission is september 1st. Thoughts??
Click to expand...

Where are you getting Sept 1 from? According to the OHSU site AMCAS is accepted through Oct 15th, so I doubt the secondary deadline is Sept 1. Maybe you are thinking of EDP, in which case if you are EDP I'd give them a call.
 
RGMass03 said:
I hate to ask this again but have any of you not received your secondary from OHSU yet? I still have yet to receive mine so I'm kinda freaking out since the deadline for secondary submission is september 1st. Thoughts??
Click to expand...

Hey,

I received a secondary from them today, the deadline has been changed to sept 8th. So it pretty much depends when you receive their secondary.
 
dshnay said:
Hey,

I received a secondary from them today, the deadline has been changed to sept 8th. So it pretty much depends when you receive their secondary.
Click to expand...

Oh nice. Thanks dshnay. That makes me a little less stressed out. I hope I receive mine today as well. Thanks again!
 
RGMass mentioned earlier that the secondary came via email, so did they change that for this year? Its always come via snail mail before...
 
RGMass03 said:
Oh nice. Thanks dshnay. That makes me a little less stressed out. I hope I receive mine today as well. Thanks again!
Click to expand...

that's correct. your deadline depends on when they sent your secondary. a little more than a month, if i remember correctly.
 
Wondering how long it took some of you to get your secondaries from OHSU after your AMCAS was officially "processed." Mine went out July 11th, and I haven't received a secondary from OHSU yet (3 weeks ago)! I am also worried about the screening! It's so hard not to play mind games when you're waiting!
 
RedLeond, don't worry. I am in the same boat, just waiting.
 
Just so you guys know, OHSU can take awhile to get to you, and I'm pretty sure that the later you apply, the longer it takes.

I submitted AMCAS in mid September, and I got the OHSU secondary sometime in late November. I didn't hear that I was complete until after New Years, and I wasn't invited to interview until February. It takes awhile and patience is key.
 
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